Crunchyroll, the leading anime streaming platform, removed the option for users to comment on its platform, including on streaming content and articles on its website. This decision also involved the deletion of all past comments.
Crunchyroll, founded in 2006 and owned by Sony Group Corporation, has become a prominent service for legally streaming anime, boasting nearly 13 million paid subscribers as of 2024.
Known for offering a legitimate alternative to piracy, Crunchyroll’s decision to remove comments has generated considerable attention.
The platform released a statement via its support center explaining this change:
“At Crunchyroll, we prioritize creating a safe and respectful community environment. To maintain this standard, we are removing all existing user-generated content, including comments and reviews, across all our platforms and experiences. The user ratings system will, however, remain, allowing you to express your opinions through star ratings.”
This move suggests that the decision was driven by the need to curb hateful comments and maintain a positive community environment. By removing the comment feature, Crunchyroll aims to foster a safer and more respectful user experience.
Crunchyroll’s journey began with subtitled East Asian shows and faced criticism early on. The platform’s significant breakthrough came in January 2009 with a deal to stream the popular anime Naruto Shippuden in partnership with TV Tokyo.
This marked the beginning of Crunchyroll’s rise as a legally recognized anime streaming service. They also ventured into manga with Crunchyroll Manga, though it didn’t achieve the same success and was shut down in November 2023.
The platform continued to grow, notably partnering with Funimation in January 2016 and merging with it six years later, creating a comprehensive anime streaming service. In recent developments,
Crunchyroll tested AI-generated subtitles in February 2024 and introduced multiple user accounts in April 2024 to enhance accessibility and affordability.
The removal of the comment feature echoes similar actions by other major platforms, such as YouTube’s removal of the dislike button in November 2021 to protect users’ mental health.
Crunchyroll’s decision aims to eliminate the negative impact of rude and unconstructive opinions, fostering a more positive environment for anime fans.
