The Crunchyroll Store has removed physical manga and light novels from its online catalog, marking a major change for anime and manga fans who previously relied on the retailer for printed books.
The August 18 update also removed physical manhwa and danmei titles, significantly reducing the store’s selection of printed reading material. The changes were first reported by MangaAlerts on BlueSky.
Crunchyroll Store Shifts Toward Collectibles and Exclusive Merchandise
The removal comes as Crunchyroll transitions its online store into a new shopping experience available exclusively to Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan subscribers. Crunchyroll announced the restructuring in July, describing the new store as a more curated destination focused on collectibles, limited releases and Crunchyroll-exclusive merchandise.
According to Crunchyroll’s official support page, the redesigned store is intended to capture the atmosphere of convention-exclusive shopping, with “curated drops and Crunchyroll-exclusive merch.” The company also said existing orders would continue to be processed and shipped following the transition.
The store previously carried a much broader selection of physical anime and manga products, particularly after Crunchyroll acquired Right Stuf in 2022. Right Stuf’s catalog was subsequently migrated to the Crunchyroll Store in 2023, making the latest removal particularly significant for longtime customers.
What Happened to Crunchyroll’s Physical Manga Catalog?
The latest update means shoppers can no longer find the physical manga and light novels that were previously available through the store. Korean manhwa and Chinese danmei books have also disappeared, while the redesigned store places considerably greater emphasis on merchandise and collectibles.
The shift follows several other changes to Crunchyroll’s business. The company raised subscription prices in the United States earlier this year and has continued adjusting its broader strategy across streaming and e-commerce.
For collectors, the disappearance of physical books represents a notable change from the service’s earlier retail model. Crunchyroll has not announced whether manga and light novels could return to the store in another form, leaving the long-term future of physical books on the platform uncertain.
