Anime fans who frequent Crunchyroll, the popular streaming service for Japanese animation, may have recently noticed a significant change: the comment sections are gone. If you’re wondering, “Why can’t I see comments on Crunchyroll anymore?” you’re not alone. This alteration has left many users searching for answers and expressing their disappointment.
Crunchyroll has officially removed the comment feature from both its anime streaming platform and news site. This decision was implemented to address a surge of harmful content, specifically review bombing and a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ remarks. These issues arose in response to the anime series Twilight Out of Focus and criticisms regarding the subtitle quality of My Deer Friend Nokotan. Some viewers even speculated that the subtitles were AI-generated due to perceived inaccuracies.
According to Crunchyroll’s support team, this measure is designed to “reduce harmful content, prevent misinformation, and improve overall user experience.” Further clarification was provided in an explainer posted in the help section of their website, titled “Why is Crunchyroll Disabling Comments?”. This explainer states: “At Crunchyroll, we prioritize creating a safe and respectful community environment. To maintain this standard, we are removing all existing user-generated content, including comments, across all our platforms and experiences. The user rating system will, however, remain, allowing you to express your opinions through star ratings.”
Crunchyroll, a part of Sony Pictures’ Funimation Global Group, boasts a massive library of over 45,000 episodes across 1,400 series and films. Popular titles on the platform include classics like Dragon Ball Z, Digimon, One Piece, and My Hero Academia, catering to both kids and young adult anime enthusiasts. The platform’s subscriber base has grown substantially, reaching approximately 13 million subscribers by January 2024, a significant increase from five million in 2021. Besides its subscription service, Crunchyroll also offers a free, ad-supported tier, an anime news website, and an online store for merchandise.
The anime industry has experienced a significant boom in recent years, and Crunchyroll has become a central hub for fans. However, the removal of comments has been met with considerable backlash from the community. Users have voiced their frustration and disappointment on social media platforms like Reddit and X (formerly Twitter). Many feel that the comment section was a vital space for connecting with fellow fans, sharing opinions, and engaging in discussions about their favorite anime. Instead of completely removing the feature, many users suggested that moderation would have been a more preferable solution.
This decision by Crunchyroll mirrors a similar move made by YouTube in 2019. YouTube disabled comments on videos aimed at children due to concerns about predatory behavior within comment sections. While the context is different, both platforms cited the need to create a safer environment as the primary driver for removing user comments. For Crunchyroll users, while star ratings remain as a form of feedback, the loss of community interaction through comments is a significant change to the platform experience.
