The streaming platform Crunchyroll has
announced a controversial decision: the elimination of the possibility
of posting comments on anime episodes and posting reviews . In an
official statement, the company explained:
- « At
Crunchyroll, we prioritize creating a safe and respectful community
environment. To maintain this standard, we are hiding all
user-generated content, including comments and reviews, across our platforms
and experiences. We always strive to improve the user experience for our
fans, including how they connect with the content they love. We
encourage fans to share comments and connect with other fans on our social
media channels. However, the user rating system will remain,
allowing users to express their opinions through star ratings .
It is speculated that this decision was motivated by
several recent incidents. One of the triggers would have been the anime
“My Deer Friend Nokotan”, whose subtitles in several languages were generated
with artificial intelligence by the distributor, which generated
criticism of Crunchyroll for not adequately reviewing the product. Another
important reason is that some Boys Love (BL) anime premieres were filled with
homophobic comments from users who wanted this type of content to be
removed from the platform.
The removal of these features has been strongly
criticized by Crunchyroll's user base, who have expressed their
discontent through different forums and social networks. Below are some of the
translated comments that reflect users' frustration:
- « Comments
are really the best part of Crunchyroll. Having someone to explain small
details or things you miss is important. However, the most important part
for Crunchyroll is the review system. With how lax CR is with putting
descriptions, it helps to have someone who has read the manga or seen the
episode to put up a review of the series and show if it's worth my time.
It looks like the subscription price is only going to continue to rise as
CR removes features .
- “ I
always look forward to reading the comments after every episode I watch
and seeing people relating to what I feel while watching any anime… It's
the only reason I enjoy watching it instead of on other sites like Hidive .”
- « I'm
devastated... I was watching Unnamed Memory right when they
disabled comments, the last comment I saw was from someone who filled in
every plot hole in the anime with like 8 separate comments. It literally
saved anime for me. Finally, when I got to the last episode, I tried to
look at the comments for people's reactions to the end and found that the
comments section was gone. I can't see a comment explaining what happened,
no excitement or confirmation of another season, just the ending .
- « Man,
that's a shame. Half the time I usually check the comments while I'm
watching because people are pretty honest about whether a show is worth my
time, and then if it is, it's great to see the enthusiasm for particular
shows and their respective episodes. "This definitely feels like some
'we don't want to offend anyone' 'corporate bullshit' that someone decided
at the top ."
- « This
is the worst change of all. I really enjoy reading the comments since I
don't have a single friend who is watching One Piece or anime at
all. I just can't share the feelings and emotion with anyone else. I hope
this will be reversed as soon as possible .
- « I'm
not going to lie, one of the main reasons I've kept my Crunchyroll
subscription all these years is because I loved the comments section and
being able to talk about and read the comments after watching something.
Looks like it's finally time to unsubscribe. I am not paying for fewer
features .
The removal of these features has left a
void in the experience of many users, who are now looking for alternatives to
share their opinions and connect with other anime fans. Crunchyroll
has left the door open to reconsider this decision in the future, but for now,
the community is in a state of discontent and searching for new ways to
maintain the interaction they appreciated so much.
Source: OfficialSite
