HBO Max is looking to become the next contender to Netflix after the launch of Disney+, and it hopes to become as much with help from anime. As the streaming service prepares to launch on May 27, fans have been keeping tabs on the exclusive titles HBO Max will debut with, and Studio Ghibli was just the start. The service has made a deal with Crunchyroll which will bring some of the anime site’s biggest titles to HBO Max on day one and bring even more series as time goes on.
In the press release announcing the line ups, the Chief Content Officer for HBO Max, Kevin Reilly, had this to say:
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“Anime is a celebrated, diverse art form with a rich culture rooted in imaginative worlds and vibrant characters. Crunchyroll has centralized these fantastic adventures for everyone to enjoy.”
The current general manager of Crunchyroll, Joanne Waage, also shared her thoughts:
“The HBO brand is known for premiere content and innovative storytelling. By bringing series from Crunchyroll to HBO Max, we hope to introduce anime to a wider audience who appreciates compelling stories told through this dynamic medium. Together with HBO Max, we are delivering the maximum reach for these incredible anime series, and we can’t wait for new fans to fall in love with anime.”
Needless to say, the launch for HBO Max is looking to have a lot of content under its belt, anime and otherwise!
Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood
“Disregard for alchemy’s laws ripped half of Ed Elric’s limbs from his body and left Al’s soul clinging to a suit of armor. To restore what was lost, the brothers seek the Philosopher’s Stone. Enemies and allies – the corrupt military, the Homunculi, and foreign alchemists – will alter the Elric’s course, but their purpose will remain unchanged and their bond unbreakable.”
Re:ZERO – Starting Life In Another World (Director’s Cut)
“Natsuki Subaru, an ordinary high school student, is on his way home from the convenience store when he finds himself transported to another world. As he’s lost and confused in a new world where he doesn’t even know left from right, the only person to reach out to him was a beautiful girl with silver hair. Determined to repay her somehow for saving him from his own despair, Subaru agrees to help the girl find something she’s looking for…”
In/Spectre
“Iwanaga Kotoko became the god of wisdom to the supernatural beings and spends her days solving problems for them. However, the boy who she fell head over heels for, Sakuragawa Kuro, is someone that is feared by all supernatural creatures. The two of them face various mysterious incidents involving the supernatural in this love x romance x mystery series. Where will these fantastical incidents lead them and what will happen with Kotoko’s crush?”
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken
“First year high schooler Midori Asakusa loves anime so much, she insists that “concept is everything” in animation. Though she draws a variety of ideas in her sketchbook, she hasn’t taken the first step to creating anime, insisting that she can’t do it alone. The producer-type Sayaka Kanamori is the first to notice Asakusa’s genius. Then, when it becomes clear that their classmate, charismatic fashion model Tsubame Mizusaki, really wants to be an animator, they create an animation club to realize the “ultimate world” that exists in their minds.”
Rurouni Kenshin
“Welcome to the Meiji Era. Japan is a land experiencing times of troubled peace and renewal after a long and bloody civil war. Swords and killing are outlawed, but all is not as well as it would seem. Lurking in the shadows are many survivors of the revolution awaiting their chance for vengeance. Only the former government assassin, Kenshin Himura can keep the peace. Kenshin gives up the life of “Battousai The Man Slayer” and sets off as a lone wanderer. His travels lead to the Kamiya Dojo where he discovers the chance to start life over.”
Konosuba – God’s Blessing On This Wonderful World
“After a traffic accident, Kazuma Sato’s disappointingly brief life was supposed to be over, but he wakes up to see a beautiful girl before him. She claims to be a goddess, Aqua, and asks if he would like to go to another world and bring only one thing with him. Kazuma decides to bring the goddess herself, and they are transported to a fantasy world filled with adventure, ruled by a demon king. Now Kazuma only wants to live in peace, but Aqua wants to solve many of this world’s problems, and the demon king will only turn a blind eye for so long…”
Bungo Stray Dogs
“Kicked out of his orphanage and on the verge of starving to death, Nakajima Atsushi meets some strange men. One of them, Dazai Osamu, is a suicidal man attempting to drown himself in broad daylight. The other, bespectacled Kunikida Doppo, nervously stands by flipping through a notepad. Both are members of the “Armed Detective Agency” said to solve incidents that even the military and police won’t touch. Atsushi ends up accompanying them on a mission to eliminate a man-eating tiger that’s been terrorizing the population…”
Berserk (2016)
“Spurred by the flame raging in his heart, the Black Swordsman Guts continues his seemingly endless quest for revenge. Standing in his path are heinous outlaws, delusional evil spirits, and a devout child of god.Even as it chips away at his life, Guts continues to fight his enemies, who wield repulsive and inhumane power, with nary but his body and sword—his strength as a human. What lies at the end of his travels? The answer is shrouded in the “night.” Strain your eyes and stare into the dark!”
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress
“At a time when the industrial revolution was carrying the world into the modern age, a horde of undead monsters suddenly appeared. They could not be killed unless their hearts, which were protected by a layer of iron, were pierced. These undead, which would later be known as “Kabane,” exploded in population until they finally overran the world. The people of Hinomoto, built fortresses known as “stations” that have allowed them to survive the threat of the Kabane. Ikoma is a young steamsmith living at Aragane Station, working on developing a unique anti-Kabane weapon called a “piercing gun”.”
Kill La Kill
After 6 years since their collaboration on the ground breaking anime series, ‘Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann,’ Hiroyuki Imaishi and Kazuki Nakashima are back to shock the world! Ryuko Matoi is a vagrant school girl traveling from place to place searching for clues to the truth behind her father’s death—the ‘woman with the scissor blade.’ The journey has led Ryuko to Honnouji Academy.
Your Lie In April
“Kousei Arima was a genius pianist until his mother’s sudden death took away his ability to play. Each day was dull for Kousei. But, then he meets a violinist named Kaori Miyazono who has an eccentric playing style. His monotonus life was about to change forever.”
ERASED
“Satoru Fujinuma is a young manga artist struggling to make a name for himself following his debut. But, that was not the only thing in his life that Satoru was feeling frustrated about…he was also living with a strange condition only he was able to experience. – REVIVAL A strange phenomenon where one is transferred back to the moment right before something life-threatening occurs. This continues to happen until the cause of the threat is erased. It is as if somebody is forcing Satoru to stop it from happening.”
Kiznaiver
“The story takes place in Sugomori, a city built upon reclaimed land that once prospered as a futuristic city. One high school boy living there, Agata Katsuhira, is somehow unable to feel any pain. One day just before the start of summer break, Katsuhira is called by a mysterious girl named Sonozaki Noriko and chosen to become one of a group of people who share one another’s pain: a “Kiznaiver.” Several of his classmates have also been chosen as part of this group, but they’re all people from different circles who normally wouldn’t associate with each other.”
Schwarzes Marken
“In 1983, the East German Army 666th TSF Squadron, “Schwarzes marken,” is a special-response force tasked with assaulting BETA forces. They specifically target Laser and Heavy Laser class BETA to disable their enemy’s immense firepower. This merciless team’s orders are given the highest priority, and they follow them so exactly that the 666th is known to ignore allied distress calls that would interfere with an ongoing mission, even if only for a moment.”
91 Days
“During Prohibition, the law held no power and the mafia ruled the town. The story takes place in Lawless, a town thriving on black market sales of illicitly brewed liquor. One day, Avilio receives a letter from a mysterious sender, prompting him to return to Lawless for revenge. He then infiltrates the Vanetti family, the ones responsible for his family’s murder, and sets about befriending the don’s son, Nero, to set his vengeance in motion. Killing brings more killing, and revenge spawns more revenge. How will the 91-day story of these men guided by a tragic fate end? “
The Testament of Sister New Devil
“Thanks to his father’s sudden remarriage, Tojo Basara finds himself with two beautiful new step-sisters. Their names are Naruse Mio and Maria. Mio wakes him up in the morning, while Maria stands in the kitchen wearing a suggestive outfit.”
Rokka – Braves of the Six Flowers
“Legend says, when the Evil God awakens from the deepest of darkness, the god of fate will summon Six Braves and grant them with the power to save the world. Adlet, who claims to be the strongest on the face of this earth, is chosen as one of the “Brave Six Flowers,” and sets out on a battle to prevent the resurrection of the Evil God. However, it turns out that there are Seven Braves who gathered at the promised land…”
