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HBO Max's launch lineup includes anime from Crunchyroll
When HBO Max launches on May 27th, it will offer 17 anime titles from Crunchyroll, a streaming service that’s also owned by WarnerMedia.
Crunchyroll details its first eight original anime productions
Following the likes of Netflix and other more mainstream video platforms, anime streamer Crunchyroll has started commissioning its own original content. The company detailed the first slate of "Crunchyroll Originals" today, one of which, In/Spectre, you can stream today, while most of the others will make their way to the service "soon."
How to get the most out of Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services
A Netflix or Hulu subscription alone won't cut it anymore. The streaming landscape is fracturing as bastions of old media rise up with their own services, offering a blend of originals and library material. Over the coming months, the streaming video options will multiply like Gremlins, as the likes of Disney, Apple, WarnerMedia, NBCUniversal and mobile platform Quibi hop into the game.
Gift cards and subscriptions to give as last-minute gifts
Sometimes it's better to pick out a gift for someone yourself and other times it's a good idea to let that picky loved one choose their own. (And if you've waited this long to buy gifts, that might be your easiest course of action.) This is where gift cards and subscriptions come in particularly handy, and we've selected a few of the best for our 2018 holiday gift guide. For TV lovers, we've recommended subscriptions for HBO Now, Hulu Live TV and YouTube Premium, but we've also got your gamers covered no matter which system they use. For the readers on you list, how about a curated book subscription based on their tastes or an unlimited subscription to Comixology? A pre-emptive note: Some services that you or your friends use (like Apple Music, say) didn't end up on this list. That doesn't mean we don't recommend them -- we do! -- but for people who are starting fresh without a paid music subscription or what have you, these are the services we feel bring the most value. Can't hurt, of course, to do some sleuthing first and see what your giftee is already using and go from there.
The best books, movies and graphic novels to give as gifts
It's cold outside! Which makes the holidays the ideal time to give the gift of indoor entertainment. We've curated a breadth of books, movies and music in our holiday gift guide to curl up to, all of them staff favorites. On the list you'll find some physical treats for film buffs, including The Matrix Trilogy 4K, the Mission Impossible series 4K Blu-ray, Stanley Kubrick's galactic masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey 4K, and animation Avatar: The Last Airbender Blu-ray collection -- due for the Netflix live-action treatment next year. Or you could nab a Crunchyroll streaming subscription for the anime fan in your life.
Hulu's expanded Funimation deal gives it first dibs on anime shows
Hulu likes to see itself as a go-to source for anime in the US (with certain exceptions), and it just cemented a deal reflecting that. The streaming service has struck an expanded "multi-year" deal with Funimation that gives it more access to desirable shows. It'll have "first look" at US streaming rights to anime series produced and released by Funimation from 2019 onward, while Hulu and Funimation will be the "co-exclusive" premiere outlets for key subtitled anime titles. You'll have to subscribe to one or the other if you want access to some shows the same day they launch in Japan.
Genre fans are getting milked by streaming services
Like Thanos at the end of Infinity War, Marvel has culled some of its Netflix universe, canceling both Iron Fist and Luke Cage in the past few weeks. That leaves Daredevil and Jessica Jones as the remaining Defenders on the streaming service, plus spinoff property Punisher. The company promised that this wasn't the last time we'd see either hero, just that it was the end of their respective shows "on Netflix," fueling speculation that they'd be heading to Disney's upcoming streaming service. Now we'll have to cough up even more money if we want to keep up with the continuing adventures of Luke, Colleen, Misty and maybe Danny. (Ed. note: Nobody wants to keep up with Danny.)
Funimation shows leave Crunchyroll following Sony's acquisition (update)
When Sony acquired Funimation, it apparently also meant the end of the anime localizer's partnership with Crunchyroll and VRV. According to Polygon, Funimation president Gen Fukunaga sent a memo to employees announcing that the company is leaving those streaming platforms as a direct result of Sony's purchase. Funimation specializes in distributing anime dubbed in English, including My Hero Academia and One Piece, providing a good complement to Crunchyroll's subtitled shows.
'High Guardian Spice' is Crunchyroll's first original series
Seemingly every streaming service is moving into original programming and AT&T-owned Crunchyroll is next to take a swing at it. Ellation Studios (also owned by AT&T) will start producing original shows for the anime-streaming service, starting with High Guardian Spice next year. Further details will be revealed at September's Crunchyroll Expo in San Jose, according to TechCrunch, but for now we know the show is about four girls at the magical High Guardian Academy where they'll train to become defenders of the city. Sounds a little like Hogwarts. The show will have an all-female writer's room and if you want a sneak peek, check out the video embedded below.
CrunchyRoll's first game is based on 'DanMachi'
Anime streaming network CrunchyRoll is making a video game based on the Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? series. The free-to-play Memoria Freese/Dan-Memo is available for both Android and iOS and will feature in-app purchases and an original storyline from the show's first season. Series creator Fujino Omori is handling writing duties, with Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Inori Minase, Saori Ōnishi and others lending their talents to the voice cast. And don't worry about dubs here: CrunchyRoll promises there will be Japanese voices with English subtitles.
Crunchyroll website hack tried to infect visitors with malware (updated)
Hacks that target major websites are nothing new, but Crunchyroll just suffered a particularly vicious attack. The anime streaming service was compromised for hours on November 4th after intruders planted a fake home page that pushed a malicious "CrunchyViewer" program to visitors. If Windows users were trusting enough to launch the file, it installed a mysterious background process that likely affected their systems. Mobile users were safe, although Crunchyroll noted that they weren't functional simply because the web team was fixing the website.
With Funimation deal, Sony's PS4 will be a must-have for anime fans
Japanese animation has exploded in popularity over the past few years, thanks to increased availability on streaming services like Crunchyroll, Hulu and Amazon. It was popular enough for Funimation, which specializes in translating anime for American audiences, to launch its own service in 2016. It's no surprise that larger media companies came looking for a piece of the pie, with Sony grabbing a 95 percent majority stake in Funimation this week.
What we're watching: 'Shirobako,' 'American Gods' and 'Robot & Frank'
Welcome once again to Video IRL, where several of our editors talk about what they've been watching in their spare time. This month brings a mixed bag: While one of us dived into season one of Starz' series American Gods, another is obsessed with a quirky UK game show that will make the jump to America soon. Meanwhile we've given anime another chance, and last but not least, there's even some robot-enabled larceny.
Twitch teams up with Crunchyroll for five-day anime marathon
Twitch marathons try to target different demographics, and an upcoming one specifically caters to anime and manga fans. The video streaming platform has teamed up with Crunchyroll for its first ever anime marathon, which will run from 6:30PM ET on July 27th up until August 1st. Twitch will reveal all 15 titles it plans to stream during the five-day event on July 21st. But we know that the list includes Mob Psycho 100, Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, and Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers and one of 2016's biggest hits, the figure skating anime Yuri on Ice.
Duolingo releases a Japanese language course for iOS
The days of teaching yourself Japanese exclusively through Crunchyroll shows are coming to an end. Online language learning company Duolingo announced on Wednesday that it has released a Japanese language course for its iOS app with an Android version dropping soon.
Crunchyroll's parent creates a streaming service for geeks
Ellation isn't content to serve geek culture solely through the anime you find on Crunchyroll. It's launching a new streaming service, VRV, that unites some of the biggest media producers in the field, including Geek & Sundry, Nerdist, Rooster Reeth and Crunchyroll itself. VRV will have a free ad-backed version, but there will also be an ad-free premium subscription. And no, it's not just aggregating what you'd see on YouTube -- there will be exclusives (such as all of Cartoon Hangover's content), including some that are only available for subscribers.
Please notice the Crunchyroll app on Wii U, senpai
Thousands of hours of anime are now available on Wii U consoles via the Crunchyroll app on the eShop, Nintendo and Crunchyroll have announced. The app, which hosts shows like Naruto Shippuden, One Piece and Sword Art Online, features sample videos for free, but if you want total access, you'll need a Premium membership. Crunchyroll offers several different Premium memberships: one that provides unlimited selection of manga ($4.95/month), one providing unlimited selection of anime ($6.95/month), and an "all-access" version which combines anime and manga while adding drama shows to the mix ($11.95/month). [Image: Crunchyroll]
Google brings WatchESPN, MLS and more to Chromecast
The response Google's received since opening up its Chromecast SDK has been phenomenal, as more and more services continue to bring support for the tiny streaming device. As of today, we can add some extra entertainment options to the list. WatchESPN, Major League Soccer, Crunchyroll and the search giant's own Google+ are all welcoming Chromecast compatibility, thanks to updates to their respective apps on iOS and Android. WatchESPN and MLS Matchday join MLB.tv in letting you Cast live sports right from your smartphone or tablet -- that's assuming you have the right subscription, of course. Additionally, the Google+ iOS and Android applications now let you use the $35 dongle to display photos and videos on a TV near you; Crunchyroll, meanwhile, does the same, but with popular anime shows instead of your own media.
Crunchyroll app now on Vita, Hulu Plus and Redbox Instant next week
Sony Computer Entertainment America is chucking new apps at the Vita to satiate ice hockey, anime and movie junkies. First off, anime streamer Crunchyroll and hockey hub NHL GameCenter Live are available now on the handheld, as is the Qello Concerts app. That trio of apps is being followed swiftly by another trio, starting with Redbox Instant and Hulu Plus on March 25 - new subscribers to Redbox get a free month of movies, in case you're feeling nice and comfy in that butt-shaped couch indent. If you'd prefer something healthier, the fitness and spirituality shows of Gaiam TV are due on Vita this spring. [Image: Sony]
Sony's bringing Hulu Plus and Redbox to the PlayStation Vita
Assuming you like to do more than just play games on your PlayStation Vita, the latest batch of media-centric apps available on Sony's handheld may be of interest. Crunchyroll, NHL GameCenter LIVE and Qello Concerts are now live on the PlayStation Store, catering for those with a taste for anime, sport and music. Sony also revealed that Hulu Plus and Redbox Instant apps will come to the Vita on March 25th, with fitness app Gaiam TV following later this spring. It's a nice boost for gamers who remain welded to their Vita, but the wide availability of smartphone and tablet apps means Sony is continually playing catchup.
