Why are some concerned about Sony buying Crunchyroll?

Following the announcement that Sony is in final negotiations to purchase Crunchyroll, there have been mixed opinions from fans who, in general consensus, are less than enthusiastic about the event. But what is it that worries them? We have compiled different opinions cataloged in different areas.

1. Censorship

Sony is known for censorship of its video games in the United States and beyond. Some people have been based there to ensure that the idea of "censorship" will come hand in hand with the purchase of Crunchyroll by Sony. It should be mentioned that these are just assumptions on the part of the fans, but in the face of Sony's monopoly on much of the anime distribution, they could be tempted to be greedy and authoritarian, which will inevitably lead to greater control of the content.

The first type of censorship could be of the physical type, that is, the customary reduction of the exposure of the breasts in female characters and other aspects. The second type of censorship could be said that until now it has been something exclusive to the United States, but that with the purchase it could be extended to other regions, and is related to translations.

It turns out that, according to fans, the Funimation platform "modifies" the subtitles and dialogue in the dubbing of various series to conform to political correctness or if the expression could cause some discomfort in certain sectors. In this case, the dubbing would be the main affected.

2. Mass shutdown of illegal anime sites

Anime piracy is a topic that never goes out of style, but has now been on everyone's lips like never before. Especially after the closure of one of the most popular illegal anime distribution sites, KissAnime, followed by the mysterious closure of HorribleSubs.

With new copyright laws going into effect in Japan in January 2021, and Sony's potential purchase of Crunchyroll, it's easy to see why fans are concerned about it. In Japan, specifically, you could face a jail term and a 3 million yen fine if caught pirating.

However, some believe that shutting down anime piracy sites would have the opposite effect due to region locks, limited catalog selection, and licensing issues that ultimately lead to the birth of more portals. of illegal distribution.

If Sony, like Disney, decided to aggressively target anime piracy sites to shut them down, things wouldn't end well, or so some believe. For many, the value of current anime services makes more sense to believe that they help the industry, but not to fully enjoy given region locks and the constant lack of distributed licenses on a variety of other services.

Finally, it should be mentioned that all of the above are not opinions on the part of Latin American fans, but outside of it like the United States. In fact, they have highlighted opinions such as:

“I have a paid subscription to Crunchyroll and I really enjoy the catalog they have, but I am much more concerned about censorship and whether they decide to push Sony's scum tactics. However, the Funimation app is bad from start to finish, but who knows, maybe something good will come out of this and they won't censor. "

I own crunchyroll premium and i enjoy alot of what they have, im more worried about censorship and if they decide to push sony's scum tactics. Funi app though is trash through and through but who knows maybe some good will come of this and they will not censor.
— Omni (@BurningxThunder) October 31, 2020

“Sony buying from Crunchyroll? The consequence of anime becoming more popular and now big companies want their share of the pie? Also, "all good things must come to an end," does this mean a massive return to piracy?

Sony buying Crunchyroll? Consequence of anime becoming more popular (now bigger companies wanting a bigger piece of the anime pie)? Also, "all good things must come to an end?" Is this a mass return of piracy?
— justaddScott (@justaddScott) October 31, 2020

“This has good points and bad points… bad points because it consolidates the already thin market for competing streaming services. Potentially good because it could improve Crunchyroll's service, which has always been bad, but that's a slim possibility when it comes to Sony. Companies without real competition tend to let the money keep flowing without worrying about improving. "