Crunchyroll has now merged with
Since the announcement there’s been:
- A small controversy about both companies paying low wages.
- Conversations about what will happen in the future.
- How
anime stands to benefit (or not).
And things along those lines from different people in the industry offering their takes. Professionally or otherwise.
Whatever your viewpoint is on the topic, THIS is a breakdown of the potential pro’s and cons only.
Let’s get into it.
1. Bigger anime catalog (PRO)
This one is self explanatory.
That doesn’t mean fans from outside the USA will have bigger catalogs though. It all depends on how they maneuverer around this issue as a company, worldwide.
2. More money to invest in the industry (PRO)
Crunchyroll already was in a position to do this, and they did this by:
- Making their own games.
- Attempting to create their own
anime .
And more famously, adapting WEBTOONS from mangaka’s in South Korea. Mainly through the website webtoons.
Attempts like High Guardian Spice failed miserably, but they could invest elsewhere like directly into Japan as opposed to developing their own IP (intellectual property).
3. Simplifies the process of anime streaming (PRO)

This is a given for
Same thing happened with
There have always been alternatives to
Now it just solidifies their position and makes it more sensible to strictly use their platform.
4. More resources to invest in their site, employees, etc (PRO)
This is another area where
This is proven by the fact
Regardless this is a PRO because they have the ability to do something and make some nice changes for subscribers coming to their site.
5. More regions worldwide for anime streaming (PRO)
This is a potential “pro” because it’s also not guaranteed. We don’t know whether this will pan out the way it sounds or whether things will remain stagnant.
Even in the UK it’s difficult to watch a boat load of
It’s worse in
6. Traffic increase because of Funimation
It hasn’t happened officially yet, but Funimaiton is in the middle of being phased out right now. And the closer it comes to that happening, all the traffic will move to
It’ll be similar to how KissAnime’s traffic went to other pirate sites like 9Anime once they shutdown.
This increase in Traffic obviously means more money, more subscriptions, more leverage, and more influence for
Sony is probably licking their fingers at the opportunity like it’s KFC.
CONS:
7. Sony & Crunchyroll now have a monopoly on anime (CON)
Are monopolies good? Or are they bad and downright evil? That’s for you to decide.
One thing that can’t be doubted is the fact that a monopoly like
It could lead to self centered decisions that benefit the bottom line at the expense of:
- The service.
- The website.
- the quality.
- The
anime industry.
And everything connected to
8. They may get too “fat and lazy” (CON)
What I mean by this statement is they’ll rest on their laurels and get too comfortable as the #1 and only real dedicated
If they do that, things like:
- Innovation.
- Creativity.
- Changes.
- Improvement.
And things of that nature that tend to drive, grow, or position a business much better will no longer be a reality.
It could get to the point where everyone is unhappy with their services but they’re forced to use it because no one else exists that’s good enough.
9. They may start excessively pursuing pirate sites
On the surface this doesn’t seem like a problem at all. They’re pirates who steal and profit off the copyrights of others. And they never pay the copyright owners any of the money they make.
Why would anyone have sympathy for someone like that, init?
When you snap back to reality though, you realize
Philippines, Indonesia,
The goal is to IMPROVE the service to prevent piracy, not shutdown pirates and refuse to improve the service. That only makes the situation even worse.
–
And that’s it in a nutshell. Those are the most important points when it comes to the pros and cons of
In the end, TIME will tell. And only then will we see if this merge with Funi was for the best, or for the worst.
Recommended:
The Best KissAnime Alternatives For international Fans With Restrictions
The History Of Crunchyroll, And HOW They Came To Be An Anime Streaming Giant