Last month, Crunchyroll announced that it would restructure its online store. The streaming giant clarified that beginning in August 2026, its online store would limit it to the Mega and Ultimate Fan subscription tiers. Since then, otaku the world over have glared at Crunchyroll with suspicion. What would the updated store look like? Crunchyroll got rid of physical manga, light novels, manhwa, and danmei. And to add insult to injury, their promised “Crunchyroll-exclusive merch and drops” are nothing more than overpriced basic otaku clothing. I took a look at the Chainsaw Man drop, and I’ve seen better anime appeal in bootleg markets in Mexico City and Kingston.
Summer is winding down, and J-List is saying goodbye with a Sayonara Summer Days Sale! Through August 31st, take 15% off all in-stock products shipping from Japan. That means awesome manga and doujinshi from Japan, all JAV and hentai DVDs and Blu-rays, Japan’s best-selling naughty toys for men, the best Japanese lube and lotion, and more. Start browsing now!
Jabs at Crunchyroll aside, it’s rather concerning that the West’s biggest anime store delisted physical manga and light novels. I know that, from a business standpoint, digital media often incurs lower production costs, but it takes away something invaluable. When you “buy” digital media, you’re merely renting it (unless you’re allowed to download it). And if you’re renting, your ability to enjoy what you have depends on plenty of external factors. This isn’t the first time that Crunchyroll has billed something that disenfranchises fans as a “win.” The Funimation merger resulted in a bigger library. But anyone who lost digital copies won’t see that as something to celebrate. Likewise, anyone who loved Right Stuf (because they sold lewd stuff) won’t see the Crunchyroll buy-out as positive.
Newer subscribers may not know, but there was a time when you could read manga on Crunchyroll. It was accessible to most tiers and globally available (though there were regional differences). The company discontinued that service a few years ago, then plugged the re-addition of digital manga in the US and Canada as a glorious win for all of otaku-kind.
Crunchyroll Doesn’t Want You to Have Physical Manga… But We Do!
Do you remember a while back when Amazon Kindle delisted some manga and light novels because they went against company policies? I do. I also remember when they removed FAKKU titles. Physical material, whether it’s manga, light novels, cash, or some other thing, guarantees privacy and ownership. Once you have something in your possession, it becomes a “come and take it” ordeal. That gives power to the consumer and individual, and that’s a no-no. But unlike Crunchyroll, which wants to sell you basic weeb clothing and digital manga, we’re here to sell you physical manga and the best otaku clothing.
Most of all, we would like you to own the pervy stuff that most companies shy away from. If you want doujins, we have them! Do you find yourself in need of eromanga? We stock those! Are art books something you desperately need? There are plenty of those in the J-List store. You can’t find onaholes on Crunchyroll’s store. Crunchyroll ain’t got no onaholes! But we do. I, in particular, want you to own a copy of Shake Style’s The Open Bud Blooms and Hatsushio Polaris! That way, when the government comes for your doujins, you look at them and remember Kashou warned you about it years ago.
Source: Crunchyroll Online Store
©Crunchyroll
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Summer is winding down, and J-List is saying goodbye with a Sayonara Summer Days Sale! Through August 31st, take 15% off all in-stock products shipping from Japan. That means awesome manga and doujinshi from Japan, all JAV and hentai DVDs and Blu-rays, Japan’s best-selling masturbation toys for men, the best Japanese lube and lotion, and more. Start browsing now!
