the streaming platform Crunchyroll has established itself as a global anime giant. Its catalog represents approximately 75% of all the anime available in the international market. The service belonging to Sony has more than 17 million subscribers all over the world. In addition, the library grows every year with hundreds of new titles. By adding classic series, the platform has become the main reference for anime fans when watching legal content.
However, despite the great dominance of the industry, Crunchyroll failed to secure one of the most successful series of 2024, , Delicious in Dungeon, exclusive of the giant Netflix.
Delicious in Dungeon: Netflix’s masterstroke in the anime field
In a recent interview with the BBC, the president of Crunchyroll, , Rahul Purini, spoke about the growing competition in the anime world. recognized that platforms like Netflix They are more and more aggressive in purchasing series exclusively for their platform. Although he did not directly mention Delicious in Dungeon, yes you accepted that there are more than 300 new Japanese productions each year. the goal of Crunchyroll it is Purchase as much exclusive content as possible.
Delicious in Dungeon It is a series animated by the prestigious animation studio Trigger (d)kill the kill, , Cyberpunk: EdgerUnners) that became a global phenomenon. Unlike the traditional model of massive launches of Netflix, this series adopted a weekly format. This generated constant interactions between fans and dominated the anime ranking in Netflix during All the first half of 2024.
with more than 90.6 million display hours, , Delicious in Dungeon outperformed anime series as popular as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, , Jujutsu Kaisen and Spy x Family. Despite not having succeeded in the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025, where the series went unnoticed in important categories, it remained one of the most watched series of the year.
Crunchyroll responds with only leveling and aggressive expansion
meanwhile, Crunchyroll continues betting on original productions and acquiring exclusive licenses for its global distribution. One of his current greatest successes is Just leveling, produced by aniplex, a distributor belonging to Sony who owns a part of Crunchyroll. This is an adaptation of the popular Manhwa Korean that has swept since its debut. According to Purini, , The anime was the number one series in almost all regions. In addition, the Second season, released in January 2025, has broken all internal records.
Purini He explained that the overall success of Just leveling It is due to its connection with the generations that grew up with video games. “For all these fans who grew up with games, seeing those mechanics and themes within a narrative attracts them naturally.” This anime has been a clear example of the type of content that Crunchyroll wants to enhance. They focus on titles with global reach, high quality productions and strong gamer identity.
Is Crunchyroll a monopoly?
Currently, Crunchyroll is part of the conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. Thanks to multiple acquisitions, including the purchase of your former competitor funimation, has gathered under its platform a Anime library with an unprecedented number of titles. This has sparked debates about the possible monopoly of anime outside of Japan. However, from the company they defend themselves by stating that they are simply Responding to global demand With content accessible, localized and available in multiple languages.
Purini assured that Crunchyroll does not sleep on the laurels. Your focus is on follow expanding your catalog So fans around the world can watch their favorite series simultaneously with Japan. They also offer high quality dubbing and purchase options for official licensed products.
Netflix, a real threat to Crunchyroll?
Though Crunchyroll It has a wide advantage Netflix continues to advance strategically in the anime world. In addition to the popular anime Delicious in Dungeon, has produced or licensed high-profile titles such as Baki Hanma, , Castlevania and Beastars. Its hybrid model, mixing its own productions with acquired licenses, allows it to compete for the interest of young audiences without relying exclusively on traditional Japanese studios.
The fact that Netflix Beech Renewed Delicious in Dungeon for a second season Confirm that the experiment was a total success. In addition, it shows that the platform is committed to betting on niche titles that can become global phenomena if handled properly.
What does this mean for anime fans?
For fans of otaku culture, competition between Crunchyroll and Netflix It may be good news. This increases the quality of Japanese animated series produced during the year with the aim of capturing the largest number of customers. Both platforms are investing heavily in offering Better content, simultaneous releases, multi-language dubbing and personalized experiences. This raises the quality standard in the anime world. Thus, more people can enjoy their favorite series legally, accessible and in high quality.
However, it also poses new challenges such as The fragmentation of content. Some series will be available only on a specific platform. For the most passionate fans, this means that you will probably have to subscribe to multiple services so you don’t miss anything. And this can lead them to spend much more to watch all the Japanese animated series that they like.
Crunchyroll is still on top, but can’t underestimate Netflix
Crunchyroll has built a empire of streaming anime, having more than 75% of the entire global anime catalog available. Although in some regions there are fewer series available, titles as powerful as Just leveling They lead their rankings. On the other hand, Netflix has proven to be a cunning and effective player. has managed to position a series as Delicious in Dungeon Like the most watched anime of the year.
The future of streaming anime is far from an absolute monopoly. Instead, it is outlined as a healthy competition between giants, where the real beneficiaries are the global audiences.
