Crunchyroll Saw Gains Thanks to Netlfix's One Piece, New Report Confirms

Crunchyroll saw some major gains thanks to the Straw Hat Pirates that aren't on its streaming service.

By Evan Valentine

Crunchyroll has earned its place as one of the premiere spots when it comes to streaming anime. While the platform does house the vast majority of One Piece's anime series, Crunchyroll does not house the live-action take on the Grand Line that has seen serious success on Netflix. In a surprising twist of fate, Crunchyroll chief operating officer Gita Rebbapragada revealed that the live-action One Piece has helped the streaming service as shonen fans wait for the second season to arrive that will further Monkey D. Luffy's live-action quest to be the king of the pirates.

On top of discussing the live-action Straw Hats' impact on Crunchyroll, Gita also discussed the role that Crunchyroll has in presenting new anime, "What we actually have seen that anime has done is bring back appointment viewing. [Anime is] actually very correlated to the Japanese broadcast schedule, so we'll see appointment viewing for an episode of an anime that is super exciting and highly anticipated."

The Live-Action Straw Hats' Influence on Crunchyroll

Rebbapragada recently talked all things Crunchyroll with outlet The Wrap, stating how the live-action One Piece helped fuel the premiere anime streaming platform, "Netflix has a massive platform, and more people watch live-action than animation. So between those two things, a lot more people got exposed to the franchise. It's not just Crunchyroll that benefits from that. 'One Piece' merch sales went up more. There was more streaming of the original 'One Piece' series. We have it on our platform, but others do too. So all boats rise when a franchise has a big moment. That's why we think it's a sustainable ecosystem. We're just trying to build great franchises, regardless, for the industry and not just necessarily for us,"

At present, Netflix is currently in production for the second season of One Piece's live-action adaptation. While it is far too early to confirm a release date for the Straw Hats' return, various casting has been revealed as rumors swirl which anime characters from Drum Island, Loguetown, and Alabasta will join season two. 

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Want to stay up to date on the live-action Straw Hat Pirates and their return to Netflix? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for the latest updates on the Grand Line and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and Monkey D. Luffy. 

Via The Wrap

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