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Summary
- Crunchyroll has funded the production of original anime shows exclusive to their platform, but they still have room for improvement in terms of quality.
- Some Crunchyroll Originals, like Ex-Arm and Gibiate, suffer from poor animation quality and overall subpar storytelling.
- Despite some flaws, there are standout Crunchyroll Originals worth checking out, such as So I'm A Spider, So What?, Dr. Ramune: Mysterious Disease Specialist, and TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You.
The realm of anime is full to the brim with some truly amazing shows that have become a staple of pop culture. Now, with the advent of streaming services, more and more Western audiences have the means to watch their favorite anime without having to resort to more unscrupulous means. Crunchyroll is easily the most notable streaming service in this regard, with the platform being full to the brim with some of the most popular and noteworthy anime around. In fact, Crunchyroll has gone the extra mile by funding the production of original anime shows that would be exclusive to their platform as well!
There's no denying that Crunchyroll still has a long way to go before their shows reach the same levels of excellence as most other excellent anime series... But it's only a matter of time before their original products reach this level of excellence. It's hard for any company to hit the ground running with their shows, and Crunchyroll can definitely greenlight a hit sooner rather than later once they become more experienced in this department.
Updated on September 20, 2023 by Ritwik Mitra: Crunchyroll is one of the most popular anime streaming platforms around that fans can check out if they want to enjoy a massive library of great anime. The sheer number of great shows that viewers can check out on Crunchyroll is seemingly limitless, and the best part is that the company is spearheading the development of some original shows too. With each passing year, more series are brought exclusively to Crunchyroll as their library grows even more immense than it already is.
15 Ex-Arm
Out of all the Crunchyroll Originals that have come out, Ex-Arm is easily the worst of the lot. The show is full to the brim with uninteresting characters, a forgettable story, and passable sound design at best.
However, it would be impossible to talk about the bad aspects of Ex-Arm without mentioning its absolutely horrendous animation, which needs to be seen to be believed. It seems that studios still have a lot to learn from the disaster which was the latest Berserk adaptation, which served as a lesson on what bad CGI can do to take away from the amazing source material.
14 Gibiate
Another anime that suffers from horrendous animation is Gibiate. This anime and Ex-Arm should be avoided like the plague due to their horrid animation quality, which is easily the biggest flaw of this show.
Of course, the fact that the story, characters, and music are also subpar should be pointed out as well. All in all, Gibiate is an anime that no self-respecting anime fan should waste their time on. It's simply not worth it!
13 FreakAngels
Unlike most of the other anime on this list, FreakAngels is actually an adaptation of a webcomic created by Western artists. The show focuses on the lives of two psychics who try and survive in post-apocalyptic London.
It's a great premise and a riveting story, but the anime adaptation definitely doesn't do justice to its source material. The show spans nine episodes and is an absolute mess, which is a shame since the webcomic itself is pretty excellent and thought-provoking.
12 Blade Runner: Black Lotus
The idea of an anime centered in the Blade Runner universe sounds incredibly exciting. This particular show serves as a prequel to Blade Runner 2049 but fails to justify the hype.
The show is an absolute mess and completely squanders all its potential with horrid voice acting and flat animation. It's a shame since there definitely was the formula for a great show in Blade Runner: Black Lotus that is never realized.
11 High Guardian Spice
After a two-year delay, High Guardian Spice finally made its debut to a rather mixed reception. While the anime was pretty lighthearted and interesting, a simple premise and odd pacing brought the quality of the show down a peg.
That being said, the LGBTQ+ representation in the show was a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, this also led to the series being unfairly review-bombed as well.
10 Noblesse
All the cards were set in place for Noblesse to become one of the greatest manhwa anime of all time. However, Crunchyroll royally dropped the ball on this adaptation, leading to a messy show with weird pacing and excluded plot points as well.
People who want to get into the story of Noblesse should just check out the webtoon itself. Trying to watch the anime makes for a half-baked viewing experience due to this adaptation squandering most of what made this series so special in the first place.
9 In/Spectre
For what it's worth, there's a ton of potential present in In/Spectre, with the premise and characters being quite interesting to peruse at first glance. However, what ultimately leads to the series being largely forgettable is the overly long and uninteresting dialogue.
The writing of In/Spectre's anime adaptation is easily the worst part of the overall experience, which becomes even more egregious when people find out that the majority of this show is just people talking. This leads to scenes that feel downright painful to get through at times and suck away any fun that people might be enjoying while watching In/Spectre.
8 Onyx Equinox
Onyx Equinox is easily one of the most unique Crunchyroll Originals on this list. Unlike the other anime adaptations on this list, Onyx Equinox is an anime-inspired Western animated series that is clearly aimed at adult audiences.
One need only check out the copious amounts of gore, nudity, and swearing in this show to understand what this series is trying to aim for. While the story and dialogue may be somewhat jarring to get through the first time around, people who stick with Onyx Equinox will definitely enjoy its unique take on Mesoamerican culture and mythology.
7 Shenmue The Animation
Shenmue: The Animation is a series that many people were hyped for. The adaptation of the popular video games series certainly looked absolutely beautiful in previews and the idea of witnessing Ryo's journey of getting revenge made for a tantalizing prospect indeed. Given how poor the reception to the third Shenmue game was, fans were hoping for this anime to redeem this glorious series in some way.
There's no denying that this anime adaptation does some things right, and fans of the game would certainly have a great time watching this show. However, just like most other Crunchyroll Originals, the show is a bit too fast-paced for its own good. As a result, characters feel underdeveloped and their relationships feel rather strained. The series should've definitely gone for a full 24-episode route instead of trying to fit in the stories of two full games in a single season, which was bound to be a disaster for obvious reasons.
6 So I'm A Spider, So What?
Isekai anime has become the latest trend, with numerous shows coming out that make the most of this genre. So, at a glance, one might understandably write off So I'm A Spider, So What? As nothing more than a show that's riding the isekai hype train.
However, people who give this show a chance will realize that So I'm A Spider, So What? Is one of the better isekai shows around. Any fan of this genre owes it to themselves to give So I'm A Spider, So What? A shot. They certainly won't be disappointed!