Japanese anime is very popular around the world, attracting many fans with its diversity and appeal.
Crunchyroll is attracting attention from outside Japan as a service for enjoying such anime for free. Crunchyroll is a platform that manages more than several thousand anime titles that can also be watched for free.
It offers a wide variety of anime genres to satisfy every anime fan. From action, adventure, romance, fantasy and more, anime of all genres can be enjoyed.
For anime fans, the ability to watch anime for free is a great benefit. It is especially attractive because you can enjoy the latest Japanese anime without missing anything, and because it is legal to watch.
In this article, we will explain how to watch Japanese anime for free with Crunchyroll in an easy-to-understand way for beginners.
What is Crunchyroll?
Founded in 2006, Crunchyroll is a distribution company specialising in Japanese anime.
It is one of the most important platforms for anime fans.
It was acquired by the Sony Group in 2020. Becoming part of the Sony Group has also led to closer cooperation with Sony Pictures, a major US film company. It now has offices in 15 locations around the world and offers animation in more than 12 languages.
In addition to distribution, the company has developed its business extensively, including events, experiences, merchandise and music, and is a source of information on all things anime. It also actively participates in music events and Anime Expo.
Between them, from a Japanese perspective, Crunchyroll is a key player in the overseas expansion of Japanese animation.
Anime.
This online platform for legally watching Japanese anime allows users to be among the first to watch the latest anime episodes. It also offers multiple language options, including subtitling and dubbing.
The service is currently available in 200 countries and territories, including North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. There are more than 2,000 titles and over 50,000 episodes of anime available in more than 12 languages, making it the largest library dedicated to anime.
Crunchyroll also produces its own original animation series, some of which are highly acclaimed.
The Crunchyroll Animation Awards, which began in 2017, have celebrated and awarded animated films, creators, musicians and cast members in multiple categories. Members of the global jury panel and animation fans from around the world vote for the nominees in the various categories, and the results are revealed at the live awards ceremony.
Music
Music is also an important part of enjoying anime. Currently, Sony Music Entertainment offers music content from more than 270 Sony Music Entertainment artists to fans around the world. With over 100 live concerts and more than 3,200 music videos, there is plenty of anime music content to enjoy.
As a sponsor of HATSUNE MIKU EXPO 2024, tickets for the event, which will take place in 16 North American cities, were pre-sold to Crunchyroll’s paying members and sold out quickly.
Experience.
Crunchyroll hosted a number of events at Anime Expo 2023, which was attended by around 400,000 people. These included a panel with SPY x FAMILY voice actor Takuya Eguchi, a session on Jutsu Kaisen and premieres of popular anime series. The festival also participated in events around the world, offering hands-on activities to immerse visitors in the world of the work. Fans enjoyed the work in new ways, such as the ‘Realm Unfolding’ experience in Jutsu Kaisen and the escape game in Mashru.
Collaborations with clothing
Anime is part of the fan’s lifestyle and anime x apparel collaborations are becoming increasingly popular. Various brands such as Yohji Yamamoto, Gucci and Bershka have collaborated with anime such as Jigoraku, My Hero Academia and SPY x FAMILY. Anime has become central to pop culture and celebrities from all over the world have been exposed to its appeal.
Usage fees
Crunchyroll offers two options: a free plan and a paid plan. The free plan allows you to watch anime with commercials, but if you want to watch without commercials, you need to subscribe to a paid plan (Premium).
Subscribing to a paid plan allows you to watch the latest anime episodes faster and without ads.
Subscription Model: While some content is available for free, Crunchyroll also offers a paid subscription service (Crunchyroll Premium) for ad-free viewing, offering a more convenient viewing experience for a monthly fee.
The pricing system offers three paid plans in addition to the free plan.
Paid plans require the payment of a subscription.
Free of charge
You will see adverts.
You can watch some of the cartoons, but cannot access the latest or all episodes.
FAN
Fee：$7.99/mo
Stream the 1 device at a time
Crunchyroll Store Deals:5% off select products
MEGA FAN
Fee：$11.99/mo
Stream on up to 4 devices at a time
Offine Viewing
Access Crunchyroll Game Vault, a catalog of free games
Crunchyroll Store Deals:10% off select products;Member only offers & early access to sales; Free US Shipping>$50
ULTIMATE FAN
Fee：$15.99/mo
Stream on up to 6 devices at a time
Offine Viewing
Access Crunchyroll Game Vault, a catalog of free games
Crunchyroll Store Deals:15% off select products;Member only offers & early access to sales; Free US Shipping
Exclusive swag bag after 12 consecutive months of subscription
Watch Crunchyroll.
Watching from a PC
To watch Crunchyroll from your PC, visit the official website.
Then select your favourite animation and watch it.
Creating an account
To activate Crunchyroll, you must first create an account.
Go to the website and click on the Sign up button.
Enter your email address and password.
Read the Terms of Use and tick Agree.
Click CREATE ACCOOUNT.
Watching from your smartphone
If you wish to watch Crunchyroll from your smartphone, you cannot watch from your browser.
You will need to download an app for your smartphone.
Access the app and enjoy your favourite animation.
Anime genres and extensive line-up
The anime available on Crunchyroll covers a wide range of genres, but here are some of our favourites
“Attack on Titan” – depicts the epic battle between humanity and the Titans, who are separated from the outside world by a massive wall. It depicts humanity’s struggle to survive in a world ruled by the Titans. The epic storyline, character development and shocking twists have been the talk of the town, and the film has been highly acclaimed around the world. In particular, the action scenes and themes are strongly supported by overseas fans.
“One Piece” – a hit anime with themes of adventure and friendship. In an era full of turmoil and adventure surrounding the “One Piece” treasure left behind by the King of Pirates, a young boy named Monkey D. Luffy sets out on the open seas with the aim of becoming the King of Pirates.
“My Hero Academia” – A story about the growth of a boy named Deku who has supernatural powers (quirks) in the world of heroes. The themes of action, friendship, hard work and victory have resonated with audiences overseas, and the series has become especially popular in the Western world.
“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” – a hit work in recent years, characterized by overwhelming artwork and a moving story. It is a sad story of humans and demons. It depicts a boy whose family was killed by demons, fighting the demons to turn his sister, the only survivor who was turned into a demon, back into a human.
“Spy x Family” – A comedy and action fusion film about three different characters, a spy, an assassin, and a psychic, living together as a “family.” The film has been attracting attention worldwide for its unique setting and the charm of its characters.
“Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light” – A live-action drama based on the popular MMORPG “Final Fantasy XIV.” The drama depicts the bond between gameplay and family, making it popular not only among game fans but also as a family drama.
“The Promised Neverland” – A suspense thriller about children living in an orphanage who discover a secret and try to escape. The unpredictable plot and tense atmosphere have made it a hit with fans overseas.
Summary and Notes
Anyone can easily create an account on Crunchyroll and enjoy streaming, so it’s a must-see service for anime fans. However, you should be aware that the free plan includes ads and that some of the latest episodes may not be available.
In addition, Crunchyroll offers many anime titles, but not all anime can be viewed for free; many are only available on paid plans. Still, there is a wide selection of anime that you can enjoy even with the free plan, so please try it out.
Make use of Crunchyroll and find your favorite anime.
