When it comes to anime
Crunchyroll Funimation
This is true from a mainstream stand point, and as far as the selection you get from both anime
AnimeLab is great for New Zealand and Australia. Netflix is better than OK for a non-anime service. Hulu is about the same.
But for serious anime fans, you can’t beat
They have too much of a big foot print, especially now that Sony owns BOTH companies thanks to AT&T selling
Pros and cons of Funimation & Crunchyroll :
1. Crunchyroll ”Originals”
Let’s keep it real:
So far
- Tower Of God.
The God Of High School .- Noblesse.
- Onyx Equinox.
- FreakAngels.
- Meiji Gekken: Sword And Gun.
- In/Spectre.
- High Guardian Spice (if it releases, this is actually original).
Some you’ll know of, others you won’t. But they are unique to
2. Biggest anime catalog in the world (Crunchyroll )
If you’re in the USA like a lot of fans are, you literally have nothing to complain about with
They’ve got it on lock.
3. FREE anime without paid subscription (Crunchyroll )
Unlike
Of course – that also means you have to put up with ADS every now and then, similar to YouTube’s ad model with their videos.
It’s a good taste tester for fans considering
4. FREE Trial with Funimation (14 days)

Hundreds of new and classic anime with no commercial interruption
Simulcasts straight from Japan, plus new episodes dubbed within 2 weeks of Japan broadcast.
Download your favorite episodes and watch on the go
Stream anime how, when, and where you want to with the Funimation app.
They don’t offer any of their anime for free in the slightest. BUT they do hold exclusive titles as well, mostly classics or shows like MHA.
Shonen style anime. But not just.
That being said, this method guarantees you won’t have an “ad” type of experience since it’s built to be clean.
Related: These 25 Countries Is Where Funimation Is The Most Popular
5. Limited selection outside the USA (Funimation + Crunchyroll )
This is one of the biggest cons of both anime
Crnuchyroll’s 1000+ catalog of shows is cut in half (or worse) depending on where you are in the world. Like India or Philippines for example.
The same is true for
Even here in the UK it’s hard to watch certain shows from both platforms thanks to the message “this isn’t available in your country”.
Relevant: The Problem With Anime Piracy And How It NEEDS To Be Solved Going Forward
6. Simulcasting from Japan (Funimation + Crunchyroll )
Simulcasting has been a big thing in the last decade. It’s made anime
They don’t do it dubbed. And that’s where
7. Exclusive DUBBED anime content (Funimation )
You can watch anime dubbed from:
My Hero Academia .Dragon Ball Z .Dragon Ball Super .- Black Clover.
Fire Force .- Fruits Basket.
- Attack On Titan.
- Higurashi (NEW).
And so many more anime shows in their catalog. Both old and new.
Talentless Nana, a new series I’m loving, also has a dub to make a point. Though I prefer the subbed content.
Should You Use BOTH Funimation & Crunchyroll ?
Here’s the thing about using both
You also have to switch constantly between the two while figuring out which one to use for what.
That’s obvious. Fans have been doing that for ages to some degree (not all fans) but it goes even further than that.
The reason why having multiple subscriptions to
Well, that’s only one slice of the reason.
Whether we’re talking about
After that they throw the anime in the trash and focus on NEWER anime because that makes more money.
In fact – NEW anime shows is the reason why
These days you can guarantee they’ll have all the currently airing anime.
But that’s only a dozen or so per season (spring, summer, autumn, winter).
Anime shows older than 2–5 and especially 10 years are harder to come by UNLESS those anime are big hitters like:
- DBZ
Fullmetal Alchemist My Hero Academia Naruto One Piece
And basically any show that still makes money and has a BIG franchise and a massive audience who will pay for
Or keep up with it.
They’ll renew licenses for shows like that, but in general,
- The demand of an anime show
- Financial potential
And other elements to consider whether it’s worth “keeping” and renewing a license if they can, or just giving it up or giving it away.
The other reason you CAN’T watch all anime with any or multiple
I probably sound like a parrot I’ve mentioned it that much, but it’s true.
If your country has certain anime shows (or even
Add the two problems together and what you get is PIRACY. Which is the only thing that’s able to give you every single anime without restriction, on demand, and even simulcasted.
With both dubs and subs.
Those problems are mostly true for anyone outside of the US or Japan though (for region blocks).
What about Sony’s purchase of Crunchyroll ?
We are excited to join our peers at Sony and
Funimation .There are many questions we can’t answer yet, but we’re excited by the prospect of this combination. https://t.co/R6ACXYHRHL
—
Crunchyroll (@Crunchyroll ) December 9, 2020
For now, that shouldn’t have an impact on which one’s better than the other.
In 2021 they might “merge” and become one single platform, or they may stay separate like always.
Assuming that’s the case, which platform you choose will still come down to your location, region blocks, and so on.
That’s true even if they stay separate but end up with an equal amount of anime.
–
So in a nutshell:
- If you’re in the US or Japan, you’re good.
- If you’re outside the US or Japan, weigh up the pros and cons of both before choosing.
It’ll be a while before we have a perfect
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