Crunchyroll’s Premium Subscription: Why You Should
As I’ve talked about before, there are plenty of options out there for those who wish to watch anime legally without spending a dime. Crunchyroll is one of those options. With a wide variety of anime series to choose from, viewers will most definitely find something interesting to watch there. The site is constantly updated with the newest, latest, and greatest hit shows from Japan. For those who aren’t into the big hits, Crunchyroll also caters to niche audiences with shows that don’t exactly sell like hotcakes, but still make enough to get by.
While the free option is nice, in order to fully appreciate the Crunchyroll experience, a premium membership option is available for those willing to spend $6.95 per month. Personally, I feel the subscription offers an array of benefits that make it more than worthwhile.
For most people, the most attractive benefit of the premium subscription is the ability to watch shows within an hour of when they air in Japan. That latest episode of Bleach is just a few clicks away, available to you the day it airs on TV. In addition to Bleach, Crunchyroll has also acquired other hit shounen action titles like Naruto: Shippuden, Fairy Tail, and Durarara!! If those kinds of shows aren’t your thing, then sit back and enjoy other hits like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Saki, or Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou.
Another great feature of the premium subscription is access to HD streams. Though not available for all titles, this is a great feature for technophiles like me who are enthusiastic about the quality what they watch. If you have a computer that can handle it, the HD streaming option is an excellent feature that allows you to view your favorite shows the way they were meant to be seen.
If you’re someone who enjoys anime and wants it fast and easy to access, then I highly recommend the Crunchyroll premium subscription. In addition to removing those pesky ads, the service allows viewers to access the latest episodes of their favorite shows quickly and in HD quality. If you’re still on the fence, you can get a free 2-week trial of the service and see for yourself. The Crunchyroll site is not without its issues (many of which being with their video player, which Scott & I go over on this podcast episode) but overall, I’d say the premium option is worth the money you’d invest in it.
For a more in-depth look into the Crunchyroll site and its features and issues, check out Scott Spaziani’s ongoing 3-part review.
Posted on 2010-06-26, in Uncategorized and tagged crunchyroll. Bookmark the permalink. 7 Comments.
Janai
Antz
OtakuAnthony
jaysteevee
vtine
matty
machineslife
Nyanman
Great new layout on the site. Maybe now NEXT will see what they were missing!
Thanks! =)
I don’t think I need or really want a premium membership. To have one would be nice, but I don’t want to pay for it. Here is my reasoning why:
1.I don’t need instant access to shows. For shows that get simulcast, I’m fine with waiting a week for the next episode to come out. In any case, you have to wait a week for each next episode anyway. Premium members are just one episode up on those who don’t pay.
I know there are some shows which are immediately available only to premium members. Hayate no Gotoku is an example, with the first season being released on crunchyroll about a month ago. While the entire first season was available to premium members, regular members were only allowed to watch the first 4 episodes and from a week on are being given 4 more episodes. Even with that though, I feel I that I don’t need it all immediately. What’s wrong with waiting? I feel that in a sense, being forced to pace, will allow you to enjoy the episodes more. I do understand that’s not for everyone though.
I can’t think of any shows which are premium only, and ones that I’d like to watch.
2.: About the HD thing…I don’t even have a HD monitor, and I don’t really need HD anime. Most things of course don’t really have it, and most don’t even have noticable differences.
That is just me of course.
@Morendo
Clearly you haven’t seen much stuff in HD. There is a clear difference, even on streaming sites like Crunchyroll.
Once you go HD, you NEVER go back.
irk. I mean to say there are differences, but I just think few actually have dramatic noticeable ones.
But hey, I have not spent a lot of time comparing screens and such so you are probably right. I would like to watch more things in HD, provided I had the screen to do so.
Pingback: Otaku in Review Podcast – The Crunchyroll Special | JanaiBlog
Pingback: Anime!