New Removal Wave from Crunchyroll: Black Lagoon, Grimgar and More Leave the Platform
Although Crunchyroll is known as a giant platform in the anime world, its catalog is constantly changing. Recently, many beloved series such as Black Lagoon, Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions, Blood Blockade Battlefront, Orange, Rokka: Brave of the Six Flowers, As the Gods Will, and Barakamon have been removed from the platform. The reason behind this removal is the expiration or non-renewal of licensing agreements.
According to Anime News Network, the list also includes all seasons of Black Lagoon, the first season of Blood Blockade Battlefront, and the only season of Grimgar. The departure of a show like Orange, remembered for its emotional moments, especially saddened drama lovers. Most of the removed series were among the most popular titles from the mid-2010s.
Crunchyroll has similarly removed content with expired licenses in the past. For example, series like Hunter x Hunter and Yuri!!! on Ice were temporarily removed and later re-released on different platforms. This once again shows how critical licensing wars are in the streaming world. Since different licensing agreements apply in different regions, some series may remain accessible only in certain countries.
So what can fans do? Some of the removed series, such as Black Lagoon, may be available on other platforms (e.g., Netflix or Amazon Prime). Alternatively, purchasing Blu-ray or DVD collections or buying from digital stores is an option. Whether Crunchyroll will re-license and bring back these series in the future is uncertain. For now, fans will have to follow the episodes they missed from other sources.
As the anime streaming world changes rapidly, such removals are unfortunately becoming more frequent. Investing in more original productions in the new era, Crunchyroll may be focusing on its own content by reducing licensing costs. Regardless, this news has left a bittersweet memory for fans bidding farewell to a nostalgic period. All eyes are now on whether the removed series will be reborn on another platform.
