Crunchyroll's Major Shift: One Piece Episodes Transitioning to Premium Access Starting December

As the landscape of streaming continues to evolve, Crunchyroll is making notable adjustments to its offerings for anime fans, particularly regarding the iconic series One Piece. A significant shift is on the horizon, impacting how viewers access these beloved episodes.

At this moment, every single one of the 1122 episodes of One Piece is available for free on Crunchyroll. However, this will soon change as the first 206 episodes will remain accessible without charge on the ad-supported tier, while the following episodes will transition to the premium tier in three distinct phases set to occur between December 23 and February 17.

The transition to the premium tier will be structured as follows:

• Phase One: Initial episodes moved on December 23
• Phase Two: Additional episodes to follow
• Phase Three: Final batch completed by February 17

Crunchyroll premium offers various subscription options starting from $7.99 per month. Although price increases were implemented for higher tiers earlier this year, the base subscription remains unchanged. While some viewers may be disappointed by the restriction, Crunchyroll emphasizes that this change aims to enhance accessibility to anime while ensuring a superior experience for paying subscribers. The phased transition will also provide fans ample time to revisit their favorite episodes and story arcs.

This alteration is an element of a wider plan by Crunchyroll that includes other updates made in the previous year, including the elimination of the comments section and the introduction of multiple profiles for subscribers. For those interested, a more detailed review of the platform and its offerings for 2024 is available.