Crunchyroll started as a piracy website that would steal the work of fansub groups and lock it behind paywalls, which caused Fansub groups to literally encode messages during the "Brought to you in part by these sponsors" segments, warning viewers that if you paid for the subs, you got scammed
Share a piece of anime lore that lives rent-free in your head.
I'm pretty sure the "if you paid for this, you got ripped off" warnings came BEFORE Crunchyroll started stealing fansubs in their early days.
If i recall correctly the AnimeKeep fansub group had big problems with CR over this back in the day.
I didn't start seeing these paywalls until about 2014, and it was only for really popular shows like Naruto.
This lore has been brought to you by ScrapKingKeita, no thanks to Crunchyroll - I remember what you did to me at Dragoncon!
And they act like such a clean company too ๐
I forgot about that!
I was there when it first appear back in 2006 of my sophomore year in highschool.
Didnโt one of the first legit thing they got was Digimon 02? Am I trippinโ? Like I recall someone getting that lisence at some point
I tried signing up for Crunchyroll, but every time I put in a username to use, it told me it was already used. I tried several times, but yet every name was taken. I tried multiple times to sign up, but it was useless. Kind of random, but I just wanted to share.
I don't remember there ever being a paywall until they transitioned to becoming a legitimate streamer
granted, there were a bunch of years I didn't really pay attention to the website since it coincided with graduating and going college
but at least in 2009 I watched all of LoGH on there for free
๐
I have the impression that this same thing happened with fansub kdrama groups with a similar app
Ah, the old days
i seem to remember whatever company got the license to the hellsing manga doing a similar thing with the scanlations
Oh I got one remember when Sony/crunchyroll/Funimation said they wanted to be a monopoly in the west
Thats what it was!!! I avoided them for so long and i couldnt remember why. But it was this!!!
Iโll point out that todayโs Crunchyroll is basically a rebranded Funimation, not the Crunchyroll of old.
[I knew CR was a piracy website, but I didn't know they paywalled subs. shame on them]
Never thought the messages warning me about crunchyroll back in 2001 would be relevant with how they keep fucking raising their goddamn prices and offering shittier quality lol..
Oh man, that's why all those fansubsive watched have that?
Nah this predates Crunchyroll. You could buy fansubs off of eBay once upon a time.
Not uh not that Iโd know about that or anything.
That practice predates CR by a decade. People would sell other groups fansubs on VHS at conventions and such.
Fan-subs have almost always been superior, to boot. A work of passion, generally.
Is there any proof of that? I know it originally started out as piracy site. but it was originally ad supported, and the optional membership came later (before or after it got Naruto and had to turn legit I don't know.)
it's crazy how much better fansubs are compared to official
god forbid you're watching something with music or someone walks past a building with a sign in front
hell, if you're watching Madoka: Rebellion you're missing an entire character's dialogue
Those messages are absolutely older than crunchyroll.
Very cool anime lore, make sure to share it with all of your friends!
I always press the issue that piracy and early video streaming (Shoutcast) saved Family Guy. The Family Guy Shoutcast channel was packed with thousands of viewers.
Piracy CAN have positive benefits for creators and producers.
Remember when it was just 100% free?
Damn I new crunchy roll was garbage but I didn't realize the ick went that far
