Crunchyroll Ruined Its Store Over The Summer With One Simple Change
Updated
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Crunchyroll has made a major change to its online store, and the backlash from anime fans suggests the company may have seriously misjudged what its customers wanted. Since August 2026, shopping at the Crunchyroll Store has been restricted to Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan subscribers, shutting out free users and customers on the basic Fan tier. What was once an online destination for anime merchandise, manga, Blu-rays, and collectibles is now another reason to pay for a premium subscription, leaving many fans questioning why buying physical merchandise should require a recurring membership.
The decision is especially frustrating for longtime collectors who remember when Right Stuf was one of the most reliable places to buy anime and manga online. After Crunchyroll acquired the retailer in 2022 and subsequently folded its storefront into its own operation, customers had already raised concerns about product availability, pricing, and the loss of features they valued. Restricting access to the revamped store has intensified those complaints, making the latest overhaul feel less like an improvement for shoppers and more like another step toward limiting their options.
Two Months Later, Crunchyroll's Store Changes Are Still Frustrating Fans
Nearly two months after the new store launched, the reaction has continued to highlight the gap between Crunchyroll's promise of exclusive shopping experiences and what some customers say they have actually received. Although the company has begun promoting limited merchandise collections, including an exclusive Chainsaw Man drop, fans have also complained about missing manga selections, lost membership discounts, and difficulties managing existing preorders.
Some have even questioned whether maintaining a paid subscription remains worthwhile when the store no longer offers the selection or purchasing experience they previously valued. While individual customer reports do not establish how widespread these problems are, they illustrate why the redesign has struggled to win over collectors: exclusive merchandise means little if shoppers feel they are losing access to the products and conveniences that made the store useful in the first place.
Crunchyroll Has Locked Its New Store Behind Premium Memberships
Crunchyroll revealed the changes on July 14, confirming that its revamped online store will launch sometime in August. While an exact release date has not been announced, the company said the new experience will focus on convention-style shopping for fans, featuring curated product drops, limited-release collectibles, and merchandise exclusive to Crunchyroll.
Crunchyroll · Anime Knowledge Edition
The Official Crunchyroll
Anime Quiz
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01
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) became one of the most-watched anime on Crunchyroll. The story takes place in a world where humanity lives behind massive walls to protect themselves from giant humanoid creatures. What are these creatures called?
✓ Correct! The giant humanoid creatures are called Titans. In the original Japanese, they’re referred to as “Kyojin” (giants). Eren Yeager’s quest to destroy all Titans after they breach Wall Maria became one of the most gripping storylines in anime history.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Titans. Kaiju are giant monsters from Japanese cinema like Godzilla, Hollows are the enemy creatures in Bleach, and Demons appear in series like Demon Slayer. In Attack on Titan, these towering humanoid creatures are specifically called Titans.
02
Studio MAPPA has become one of the most prominent anime studios in recent years, producing several massive hit series. Which of these popular anime was NOT produced by MAPPA?
✓ Correct! Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) is produced by ufotable, not MAPPA. Ufotable’s stunning animation quality — especially the breathtaking fight sequences — became a hallmark of the Demon Slayer franchise. MAPPA produced Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan: The Final Season, and Chainsaw Man.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Demon Slayer. Demon Slayer is animated by studio ufotable, renowned for its gorgeous visual effects. MAPPA has produced Jujutsu Kaisen, took over Attack on Titan: The Final Season from WIT Studio, and animated Chainsaw Man.
03
Solo Leveling became a massive hit anime in 2024 after being one of the most popular manhwa (Korean comics) in the world. The story follows a weak hunter who gains the unique ability to level up. What is the protagonist’s name?
✓ Correct! Sung Jin-Woo is the protagonist of Solo Leveling. Originally the weakest E-Rank hunter, he gains the power of the mysterious System, allowing him to level up infinitely. His transformation from the “World’s Weakest Hunter” to the most powerful Shadow Monarch captivated millions of readers and viewers.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Sung Jin-Woo. Jin-Woo Sung reverses the name order (Korean names place the surname first). Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk are protagonists from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, another popular Korean series. Sung Jin-Woo is the iconic Shadow Monarch of Solo Leveling.
04
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards celebrate the best in anime each year. Which anime won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards?
✓ Correct! Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. This beautifully contemplative series about an elven mage reflecting on mortality and the passage of time after her hero party’s quest ends charmed audiences and critics alike with its unique, introspective storytelling.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. While Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, Oshi no Ko, and Vinland Saga Season 2 were all critically acclaimed, it was Frieren’s meditative exploration of time, memory, and connection that captured the top prize at the 2024 ceremony.
05
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is consistently rated as one of the greatest anime of all time. The story follows two brothers who attempted a forbidden alchemical technique. What taboo did Edward and Alphonse Elric commit?
✓ Correct! Edward and Alphonse attempted human transmutation to bring their deceased mother back to life. The attempt failed catastrophically — Edward lost his left leg and then sacrificed his right arm to bind Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armor. This event drives the entire series as they search for the Philosopher’s Stone to restore their bodies.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is human transmutation — specifically, attempting to resurrect their dead mother. In the world of FMA, human transmutation is the ultimate taboo in alchemy. The brothers’ failed attempt cost Edward his limbs and Alphonse his entire body, setting the stage for their epic journey.
06
Spy x Family became a worldwide phenomenon with its wholesome yet action-packed story of a found family. The father, Loid Forger, is secretly a spy. What is his spy codename?
✓ Correct! Loid Forger’s spy codename is Twilight, and he’s considered the top agent of Westalis’s intelligence service, WISE. His mission, Operation Strix, requires him to build a fake family — leading him to adopt the telepathic Anya and marry the assassin Yor, creating one of anime’s most beloved found families.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Twilight. Agent Dusk and Shadow are fictional names, while Nightfall is actually the codename of another WISE agent, Fiona Frost, who has a crush on Loid. Twilight is Westalis’s greatest spy and the heart of Spy x Family’s charming story.
07
Crunchyroll merged with another major anime streaming service to become the dominant platform for anime. Which streaming service was absorbed into Crunchyroll?
✓ Correct! Funimation was merged into Crunchyroll after Sony’s acquisition of Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2021. The merger consolidated the anime streaming market, bringing Funimation’s massive library of dubbed anime together with Crunchyroll’s simulcast catalog, making Crunchyroll the world’s largest dedicated anime platform.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Funimation. Netflix Anime is part of Netflix and operates independently, HIDIVE is Sentai Filmworks’ streaming service, and AnimeLab was a smaller Australian service. Funimation — once Crunchyroll’s biggest rival — was fully absorbed into the Crunchyroll platform.
08
Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are legendary in the anime world. Miyazaki’s final film was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. What is the title of this film?
✓ Correct! The Boy and the Heron (Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka) was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2024. The deeply personal, surrealist fantasy film was widely considered Miyazaki’s farewell masterpiece, exploring themes of grief, imagination, and the passage between worlds.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is The Boy and the Heron. Spirited Away 2 and Ponyo Returns don’t exist. The Wind Rises was Miyazaki’s previous “final” film from 2013. The Boy and the Heron marked his true farewell, winning the Oscar and cementing his legacy as anime’s greatest storyteller.
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Are you an anime sensei — or still on episode one?
However, there is one major catch. Access will be limited to Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan subscribers. Fans using the free version of Crunchyroll, or those without a qualifying Premium membership, will no longer be able to purchase from the redesigned store. Beyond promising exclusive merchandise, Crunchyroll has shared few details about how the service will operate.
Before the transition, Crunchyroll is holding a Summer Sale beginning July 14, offering up to 50% off select merchandise. At the same time, it introduced stricter purchasing rules. Effective July 13 at 11:59 p.m. PT, designated items become final sale, meaning returns, exchanges, and refunds are only available if products arrive damaged or defective.
Fans Question The Timing Following Right Stuf's Disappearance
The controversial announcement from Crunchyroll has gotten immediate backlash online, largely because it follows Crunchyroll's acquisition of Right Stuf, back in 2022. The beloved retailer, founded in 1987, spent decades building a reputation as one of the largest online destinations for anime Blu-rays, manga, figures, collectibles, games, and licensed home video releases before being absorbed into Crunchyroll's growing business.
Although Crunchyroll originally described the acquisition as a way to expand merchandise offerings for collectors, some fans argue the opposite has happened. Complaints about shrinking product availability, discontinued items, and pricing have circulated ever since Right Stuf's storefront was phased out. The decision to reserve the new Crunchyroll store shopping experience for paying subscribers has only intensified those frustrations.
Crunchyroll insists existing orders will continue shipping normally after the transition, and customers will still have access to their account history. Gift cards will remain usable through August 14, 2026, while customer support will continue handling shipping issues, address changes, and defective products. Nevertheless, the membership restriction has become the dominant talking point, with many collectors questioning whether exclusive merchandise should require an ongoing streaming subscription to Crunchyroll.
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