What happened to Crunchyroll comments?

Streaming service Crunchyroll recently removed the comments section across the entire platform, which came as a surprise to its users. This means you can no longer add new comments to shows, nor can you read past comments that have been posted.

So, what happened?

The possible reason for removing comments

The closest thing to a reason provided by Crunchyroll that they needed to ensure “safe and respectful community environment” as stated in the site’s Support & Customer Service section. However, they say the star-rating system will remain in place.

On the Crunchyroll subreddit, one user shared their conversation with Crunchyroll Support after noticing the change. The user said they posted a comment in an episode they had just finished watching, and when they checked a bit later it had disappeared. Thinking it was a glitch, they reached out to Crunchyroll and got the response that the decision had been made to remove all new and existing comments. They replied “This change helps us reduce harmful content, prevent misinformation, and improve overall user experience”

Users are speculating the decision had something to do with the recent comments posted on some shows, particularly Twilight Out of Focus, in the boys’ love (BL) genre. Several users review-bombed the comments section, giving it one-star ratings and posting hateful comments about the homoerotic anime. Another anime, My Deer Friend Nokotan, went viral after users expressed their disappointment about the bad subtitles on the show, suggesting it was done by AI.

Users’ reactions to the removal of the comments

Crunchyroll users expressed their disappointment about no longer being able to comment or read other comments after they watch episodes. One said it this was what set Crunchyroll apart from other streaming platforms, such as Hidive, and it fostered a sense of community among the users. Yet another user said that the comments section is the best part of Crunchyroll. “Having someone explain small details or things you miss is important,” they said.

Another said they were devastated, as the comments section was a way for users to enjoy sharing their insights with other watchers: “Crunchyroll’s decision of this removal is the most lazy and unprofessional solution I have seen to improve user experience”.

One user wondered why Crunchyroll won’t just fix the problem of trolling and spamming by improving the moderation of the comments section instead of entirely removing the feature that, it seems, is one of the major reasons why users enjoy the platform.

Since the announcement, users have emailed their feedback requesting to bring back the comments. We’ll just have to wait and see if Crunchyroll reverses their decision.