Latest news with #Purini
Express Tribune
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Most anticipated summer 2025 anime, Gachiakuta sees low viewership on Crunchyroll
Gachiakuta, described as one of the most anticipated series of the summer 2025 anime season, has struggled to live up to its high expectations on streaming platforms, according to FlixPatrol data. The anime, streaming on Crunchyroll in North America and available on Prime Video in some Asian regions, has yet to appear in the top rankings on either service. Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini previously described Gachiakuta as 'the biggest anime show in Japan' while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter. Purini said, 'It is one of those shows where, if you watch the trailer, you're hooked.' However, current streaming numbers have not reflected the series achieving widespread popularity internationally. Gachiakuta has received varied critical responses. A review by CBR described the anime as 'formulaic and unoriginal,' while IGN's Kirsten Carey noted that the series' characters and emotional narrative 'feel too shallow to sell itself on its own terms.' Crunchyroll's official synopsis for Gachiakuta describes a floating city where the protagonist, Rudo, is framed for murder and thrown into the Pit, where he must navigate a world of mutated creatures while seeking justice. While Gachiakuta's viewership has not yet matched its domestic reputation, fans have noted that future episodes may impact streaming numbers as the series continues. Gachiakuta Episode 2 releases July 13.
Engadget
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Crunchyroll's lazy AI subtitles have anime fans furious
At the start of last year, Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini told The Verge the company was "very focused on testing" generative AI tools for subtitling and captioning speech to text. The comment came just months after the streamer temporarily took down the debut episode of one of its newest shows, The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons, after people complained about poor subtitles. Much of the translation was nonsensical, with missing punctuation in many sentences. At the time, some fans speculated the company had used AI to translate the episode. Now there appears to be definitive proof Crunchyroll is using ChatGPT to translate new anime episodes, and the results are about as bad as you would expect. On July 1, Bluesky user Pixel spotted that the German subtitles for Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show , one of the new series Crunchyroll is streaming this anime season, read "ChatGPT said..." during a pivotal scene in the show's debut episode. Engadget was able to independently verify the episode contains the AI-generated translation. If you're curious, the English subtitles aren't much better, as seen in the screenshots above and below. Crunchyroll did not immediately respond to Engadget's comment request. People are understandably upset about the subtitles. Crunchyroll subscriptions start at $8 per month, and since its acquisition by Sony, the service is the dominant player outside of Japan. "This is not acceptable. How can we be expected to pay for a service that clearly doesn't care about the quality of its products?" wrote Pixel in their original post. As of the writing of this article, their post has been quoted more than 300 times and reposted by thousands of other people. Many fans say they're turning to torrented fansubs, calling the official AI-generated translations "unwatchable." Ironically, when Purini revealed Crunchyroll was testing generative AI tools for subtitles, he said part of the motivation was to prevent piracy. He reasoned the tech would allow the company to start streaming new, translated anime episodes as close to their original Japanese release as possible, adding the lag between official releases was sometimes what pushed fans to torrent shows.
Daily Record
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
‘I'm CEO of one of the biggest streaming services and TV fans are missing out on these 10 incredible shows'
Stream these amazing shows totally free of charge right now A top streaming service boss has shed light on some lesser-known yet brilliant picks accessible on their platform. Boasting a library that's an exclusive hub for many of the greatest and most beloved series, the platform ensures there's something for all who subscribe with its extensive selection of titles. Furthermore, viewers can enjoy a vast range of episodes entirely free via an ad-supported subscription option without having to spend anything. For those looking to cut out ads, the platform's first premium tier is priced at a modest £4.99 per month, offering streaming on multiple devices and offline downloads on its slightly higher £5.99 a month tier. Anime lovers will find a haven in Crunchyroll, regarded as one of the best value streaming services, about which Express Online recently spoke to CEO Rahul Purini, seeking his top show suggestions for those new to Japanese animation, reports the Express. "We say there's anime for everybody," he asserted. "Every individual has different interests and passions. So we have shows for everybody." As Crunchyroll has seen its subscriber numbers triple from 2021 to 2024 and now prides itself on 15 million paying members, while its overall user count exceeds 120 million, the global fervour for anime shows no signs of waning. "There are what we call Shonen shows, which are fighting shows targeted at boys and male audiences, everything from Dragonball to Naruto and now Demon Slayer," Purini elaborated. "There are [shows with] great female protagonists, like Frieren or Sailor Moon, that are amazing shows." Yet, his most glowing endorsement was reserved for a series that concluded its second season earlier this year, with Purini recently telling Deadline "we hope" work on the eagerly awaited third season will commence soon. "I would say, right now, one of the most popular shows, globally, on our platform is a show called Solo Leveling. It just came back for its season two earlier this year and it's breaking records. Fans love it," Purini said. "So, there's great shows for every fan and, depending on what kind of shows they like for their entertainment, there's definitely anime filling that. "It's got stunning visuals, great storytelling, all of that from an amazing studio. But I also think, one, it's a simple story told really well. It's also got a lot of themes that younger audiences are familiar with. "Audiences who are gamers who have played RPG games, they understand and have grown up with these themes, so all of that being brought into a story format is just connecting really well with audiences." Solo Leveling is set in a world overrun by monsters from another dimension, where select individuals awaken as 'hunters' to combat these evil forces. Hunters typically have static power levels upon awakening, but the story follows Sung Jin-woo, a notoriously weak hunter who receives the unique ability to level up through a mysterious system, sending him on a perilous journey. Purini also shone a spotlight on Frieren, a female-led fantasy epic with a "huge audience" of its own, though it hasn't quite matched Solo Leveling's fame, suggesting it may deserve more attention than it currently receives. The CEO remarked: "There are also countless new series starting every year as well as anime staples returning for their next seasons over the next few months. "This quarter we have an amazing lineup of shows. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, which is a new show from the same IP as My Hero Academia, which is really popular. "There's another new show called To Be Hero X, which seems to be a fan-favourite. We have One Piece returning, Fire Force season three. So some really great shows in the spring lineup and I think we have some amazing shows for the rest of the year as well." With a vast array of shows spanning action, adventure, horror, romance, and slice-of-life drama, signing up to Crunchyroll is an easy decision for those eager to explore the expansive universe of Japanese anime.
Daily Mirror
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Free streaming service that ‘tripled its userbase' offering countless ‘unmissable' shows
This streaming service is home to some of the best and most popular shows ever made, and their CEO has shared some of the underappreciated gems available on the platform The CEO of a leading streaming service has pointed out some hidden treasures and fan favourites available on their platform. Boasting an archive that includes some of the most acclaimed and beloved series, subscribers are spoilt for choice with hundreds of options catering to every possible taste. An extra perk is the platform's free, ad-supported tier, offering viewers the chance to binge-watch thousands of episodes without spending a penny. For those who'd rather skip the ads, a minimum monthly fee of just £4.99 unlocks the first premium tier; and for only £5.99 a month, subscribers can stream on four devices simultaneously and download content to view offline. Anime powerhouse Crunchyroll offers one of the most budget-friendly streaming experiences around, and Express Online recently chatted with CEO Rahul Purini, who shared his top picks for those exploring Japanese animation for the first time, reports the Express. "We say there's anime for everybody," he explained. "Every individual has different interests and passions. So we have shows for everybody." Crunchyroll has seen its paying membership balloon to 15 million between 2021-2024, while the overall user count has soared past the 120 million mark, clearly indicating that the global hunger for anime shows no signs of waning. "There are what we call Shonen shows, which are fighting shows targeted at boys and male audiences, everything from Dragonball to Naruto and now Demon Slayer," Purini explained. "There are [shows with] great female protagonists, like Frieren or Sailor Moon, that are amazing shows." Yet, the most glowing praise was reserved for a series that has recently concluded its second season, with hints dropped to Deadline about an eagerly awaited third season on the horizon. "I would say, right now, one of the most popular shows, globally, on our platform is a show called Solo Leveling. It just came back for its season two earlier this year and it's breaking records. Fans love it," Purini said with enthusiasm. "So, there's great shows for every fan and, depending on what kind of shows they like for their entertainment, there's definitely anime filling that. "It's got stunning visuals, great storytelling, all of that from an amazing studio. But I also think, one, it's a simple story told really well. It's also got a lot of themes that younger audiences are familiar with. "Audiences who are gamers who have played RPG games, they understand and have grown up with these themes, so all of that being brought into a story format is just connecting really well with audiences. Solo Leveling unfolds in a reality besieged by monsters from another dimension, with select humans awakening as 'hunters' to combat these dark forces. Hunters typically have static power levels upon their awakening, but the narrative takes a twist with Sung Jin-woo, a notoriously feeble hunter who receives the unique chance to enhance his abilities through a mysterious system, sending him on a perilous journey. Purini also shone a light on Frieren, a female-fronted fantasy saga that commands a "huge audience" despite not quite matching the fame of Solo Leveling, suggesting it may be an underappreciated gem. The chief executive further remarked: "There are also countless new series starting every year as well as anime staples returning for their next seasons over the next few months. "This quarter we have an amazing lineup of shows. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, which is a new show from the same IP as My Hero Academia, which is really popular. "There's another new show called To Be Hero X, which seems to be a fan-favourite. We have One Piece returning, Fire Force season three. So some really great shows in the spring lineup and I think we have some amazing shows for the rest of the year as well." With a plethora of series spanning action, adventure, horror, romance, and slice-of-life drama, subscribing to Crunchyroll emerges as an obvious choice for those eager to explore the vast universe of Japanese anime. Sign up to ad-supported Crunchyroll for free or remove ads from as little as £4.99 a month.
Forbes
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
A New Disappointing Update About ‘Solo Leveling' Season 3
Solo Leveling Solo Leveling is one of the most popular animes in recent memory, but one thing about the series has been confusing. Why isn't season 3 confirmed yet? What's going on there? All we are getting are hints about the 'hopes' for season 3, but with a new update, that appears to be all they are still, hopes. In a Deadline interview with Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini, which airs the show, he was asked about season 3 plans for Solo Leveling, and his answer is at least somewhat disconcerting: 'We hope so,' Purini said. 'The creators want to work on lot of shows. Anime is really popular, so there's a lot of demand, and so we have to find the right time to get started on the next season.' It's unclear why the creators wouldn't immediately prioritize a new season of Solo Leveling due to its stunning popularity, but nothing seems to be worked out yet, and the fact they they are still in the stage of 'figuring out the right time to get started' means that season 3 is apparently nowhere right now, and it will be a wildly larger gap than we saw between seasons 1 and 2. At least 2-3 years from here, it would seem. Solo Leveling FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder This reluctance extends back a few months which Solo Leveling animation producer Atsuhi Kaneko said that Solo Leveling 'may or may not' continue from there, despite an obvious cliffhanger and loads of source material to adapt. Whatever's going on here, Solo Leveling has been such a hit that it's changing the core of Crunchyroll development. Back to Purini and the Deadline interview: 'It definitely makes us want to take more experiments. Ghost of Tsushima is an example. It is a game IP that we know gaming fans love, and that's one of the reasons we want to bring it to anime; to see if we can recreate that same phenomenon.' Ghost of Tsushima is the critically-acclaimed Sony video game that has a sequel out, Ghost of Yotei, in October of this year. Many video game animated series have found themselves performing extremely well, but mostly over on Netflix, from Arcane to Cyberpunk: Edgerunners to Castlevania. Though I think expecting a Ghost of Tsushima anime to come close to something like Solo Leveling will not be realistic. It really is not clear about why Solo Leveling season 3 feels this up in the air. Even juggling projects, even with anime development taking a while, this show is so big it should be a priority for everyone over everything else. Hopefully we'll get some actually good news soon, but like season 3, that may too be far away. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
