It’s never been a better time to be an anime fan and there’s endless content to explore that covers every genre imaginable. Hundreds of new anime series hit the market each year and this constant material used to be overwhelming before streaming services decided that it was time to make anime their priority. There is no wrong way to consume anime, but Crunchyroll–a subscription-based video-on-demand anime streaming service–has emerged as the top name in anime streaming. Crunchyroll’s focus is on the distribution, licensing, and more recently the production of anime, but the company has made tremendous strides since its 2006 start. Now, more than 25 years later, all of the biggest anime from the fall 2022 season have made Crunchyroll their home. Crunchyroll has been a major player in SVOD ever since the start, but it’s evolved its service into the premier anime destination for more than 100 million worldwide users. There’s over 1000 anime series–including both retro classics and the newest crazes–in Crunchyroll’s expansive library. However, its services don’t stop there and there’s also a growing collection of more than 80 manga titles to explore. Crunchyroll’s growing audience has also allowed the company to engage in more atypical celebrations, like its annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards. The Crunchyroll Anime Awards started in 2017, which is also the same year that it started running its own fan convention, Crunchyroll Expo, which is still going strong after six years and even expanded to include its own music festival. As of 2020, Crunchyroll has even started producing its own anime content under its Crunchyroll Originals label. This has led to more than 15 series at this point, including Tower of God, So I’m A Spider, So What?, and Blade Runner: Black Lotus. Chainsaw Man’s anime had seemingly impossible expectations to satisfy and yet it’s somehow managed to surpass them. The ultra-violent shonen series follows Denji, a beleaguered outcast who gets a new lease on life after he acquires the power of the Chainsaw Devil and becomes a vicious vigilante who helps fight for the greater good. Chainsaw Man’s premiere episode has received universal acclaim and this subversive new anime has only gotten started. Like many of the titles in Crunchyroll’s library, Chainsaw Man is available in both its original Japanese with subtitles, as well as dubbed in different languages. Chainsaw Man is guaranteed to become the audience’s next big anime obsession, but this fall also includes the return of some of the decade’s most popular series. The kinetic intensity of competitive soccer reaches new heights in the second season of breakout sports anime, Blue Lock. Meanwhile, everyone’s favorite shonen and superhero hybrid, My Hero Academia, returns to celebrate its sixth season and its war between the heroes and villains has never been more dangerous. The psychically-inclined cast of Mob Psycho 100 also get pushed out of their collective comfort zones as the Studio Bones favorite returns for its highly-anticipated third season after a three-year hiatus. For those who like a little wholesomeness with their chaotic action sequences, last season’s Spy x Family is back for more quaint espionage with the Forgers. Crunchyroll has anime fans covered so they can binge-watch to their hearts’ content. However, it’s also accommodating for those who want to mingle with other otaku. Crunchyroll has a steady presence at conventions across the world where it’s able to connect with fans on a personal level. MCM London Comic Con, one of the biggest fan gatherings in the United Kingdom with close to 150,000 attendees, was held from October 28 to October 30th, and guests were able to enjoy screenings of some of Crunchyroll’s biggest supercharged hits, including Chainsaw Man and Spy x Family, with thousands of adoring fans. The convention coincided with the unveiling of a new mural at Shoreditch to commemorate this fall season’s returning favorites and the new titles that are destined to become the next big pop culture phenomena. The vibrant mural (shown above) features Crunchyroll’s trademark orange-on-black along with shows from the Supercharged autumn season is expected to be an Instagram favourite with anime and street art fans, tourists and passers-by. The mural, which has been a favorite destination for anime and street art fans, will remain in place until November 20, 2022. Whether it’s through a passionate mural, supportive conventions, or the thousands of series carefully curated for its streaming service, Crunchyroll knows how to celebrate anime because the Crunchyroll gang are fans themselves.
