Funimation Shut Down Sparks Outrage Over Erasure of Digital Anime Library

Funimation is one of the OG streaming platforms that has been serving anime fans worldwide for years. As everyone’s aware, the platform is the one-stop destination if you are an anime dub lover. Sadly, this is all ending, as Funimation is heading towards a permanent shut down soon due to its merger with Crunchyroll under Sony’s leadership. Amidst this, Crunchyroll has been adding more fuel to the fire by not providing support for Funimation user’s digital libraries.

Funimation Will Permanently Shut Down on April 2, 2024

In March 2022, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. acquired Crunchyroll, which is also the parent company of Funimation. As Crunchyroll’s brand recognition was off the charts, Sony decided to merge Funimation with the former. This merger process has been underway since 2022, as they have been slowly moving more than 80% of Funimation’s content to Crunchyroll.

Now, in 2024, the unification has been completed, and they do not need to run two identicalanime streaming services. Therefore, they have decided to pull the plug for Funimation and deliver their top-tier services on the unified platform, Crunchyroll. As a result, Funimation will be permanently taken down onApril 2, 2024.

Hefty Subscription Prices Hike and the Vanishing of Digital Anime Library

While the above merger sounded like a success, this transition led to outrage among the subscribers as they were met with ridiculous requirements and messages. The first thing is themassive hike in subscription priceson yearly packages, starting early next year. The price will be hiked by a whopping 82%, going from $54.95 per annum to$99.99 per annum, which seems to fall in line with Crunchyroll’s Mega Fan plan.RIP Funimationpic.twitter.com/LwlFQSEpRe— Gregory Guillen (@Pikagreg)February 7, 2024

RIP Funimationpic.twitter.com/LwlFQSEpRe— Gregory Guillen (@Pikagreg)February 7, 2024

Next, the second message on Funimation’s support page that enraged fans was that“Crunchyroll does not currently support Funimation Digital copies.“You can check out the complete statement on theFAQ pageon Funimation’s website.

This means users who have previously purchased and own digital copies of shows, movies, etc. on Funimation will no longer have access to them. Not to forget what they promised upfront, which was that a user could get to keep streaming the digital copies forever, is null and void. All these new revelations have ambushed fans and many have decided to discontinue their subscriptions, as per posts on Reddit and X.

Fans have also started to reiterate that“they should always buy physical copies of media,”as no one saw this coming from one of the biggest streaming giants.

Along with this, fans have also started to notice some series and features such as watching a select few anime for free with ads are now missing. As of now, neither Crunchyroll nor Funimation have commented on this ongoing issue being faced by longtime fans. The choice to continue your anime binge-watching journey through Crunchyroll is now up to you. But we highly suggest you look into all these factors that will hinder your overall experience. That said, what do you think about these unexpected moves from Crunchyroll? Let us know in the comments below.

Ajith Kumar

An entertainment writer with a passion for analyzing and sharing insights on movies, shows, and anime.

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