Crunchyroll removes anime comments to 'not offend you'
The streaming platform Crunchyroll has announced a controversial decision: the elimination of the ability to post comments on anime episodes and place reviews. In an official statement, the company explained:
- "At Crunchyroll, we prioritize creating a safe and respectful community environment. To maintain this standard, we're hiding all user-generated content, including comments and reviews, across all of our platforms and experiences. We're always striving to improve the user experience for our fans, including how they connect with the content they love. We encourage fans to share feedback and connect with other fans on our social media channels. However, the user rating system will remain, allowing them 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 properly 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 removed from the platform.
The removal of these features has been heavily criticized by Crunchyroll's user base, who have expressed their displeasure through different forums and social networks. Here are some of the translated comments that reflect users' frustration:
- "The feedback is really the best part of Crunchyroll. Having someone 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 when putting descriptions, it helps to have someone who has read the manga or seen the episode to put a review of the series and show if it is worth my time. It looks like the price of the subscription is only going to keep going up while CR removes features."
- "I always look forward to reading the comments after every episode I watch and seeing people relating to what I'm feeling while watching any anime... It's the only reason I enjoy watching it instead of 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 all the gaps of the anime's plot with like 8 separate comments. It literally saved anime for me. Finally, when I got to the last episode, I tried to see the comments for people's reactions at the end and found that the comments section had disappeared. I can't see a comment explaining what happened, no emotion 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 'corporate shit' of 'we don't want to offend anyone' that someone decided at the top."
- "This is the worst change of all. I really enjoy reading the reviews 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 excitement 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. It seems that it is finally time to cancel the subscription. I'm 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 looking for new ways to maintain the interaction they appreciated so much.
Source: Official SIte
