IGN is thrilled to unveil the exciting details about Crunchyroll's third annual Ani-May, a month-long global celebration set to captivate fans with a plethora of events, including exclusive merchandise, enticing deals, unique partnerships, and immersive experiences both online and in physical stores. This year's Ani-May promises a lineup of free-to-stream anime, new additions to the Crunchyroll Game Vault, and much more, ensuring an unforgettable experience for anime enthusiasts worldwide.
Ani-May is packed with an array of exciting offerings that you won't want to miss. We've got all the details lined up for you, so let's dive in and explore what's in store.
Cowboy Bebop, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, and Chainsaw Man Lead the Selection of Free-to-Stream Anime During Ani-May
Starting May 1, Crunchyroll will offer a selection of popular anime titles for free streaming with ads throughout the month. This is the perfect opportunity for fans to either catch up on series they've missed or revisit their beloved favorites. The lineup includes iconic shows like Cowboy Bebop, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, and many more. All you need is a free Crunchyroll account to enjoy these titles:
Black Clover (Seasons 1-4), Chainsaw Man, Cowboy Bebop, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (The Complete Series), Fruits Basket (Seasons 1-3), Haikyu!! (Seasons 1-4), Heaven Official's Blessing (Seasons 1-2), Hell's Paradise, Jujutsu Kaisen (Seasons 1-2), Junji Ito Collection, Kaiju No. 8, My Hero Academia (Seasons 1-7), Overlord (Seasons 1-4), Shangri-La Frontier (Seasons 1-2), Solo Leveling (Season 1), Soul Eater, SPY x FAMILY (Seasons 1-2), The Apothecary Diaries (Season 1), Toilet-bound Hanako-kun (Seasons 1-2), Tokyo Ghoul (Seasons 1-3)
Merch, Partnerships, Food, Autographs, and Other Partnerships Based on Solo Leveling, My Hero Academia, and More of Your Favorite Anime
Celebrate your love for anime with a range of new, officially licensed merchandise from popular titles like Solo Leveling, Kaiju No. 8, Bananya, Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, My Hero Academia, Overlord, and The Apothecary Diaries. The Crunchyroll Store will be launching exclusive products, offering deals, and providing a Crunchyroll-exclusive Ani-May pin with qualifying purchases. Each week in May will focus on different product categories, including collectors' items, action/adventure titles, shonen shows, and fantasy favorites. Additionally, fans can celebrate the Anime of the Year nominees the day after the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards on May 25.
Beyond merchandise, Ani-May will offer numerous ways to celebrate anime in the real world, from retail and online stores to video games, restaurants, and movie theaters. Here's what you can expect, as shared by Crunchyroll:
Throughout May, UNIQLO will offer Crunchyroll codes with eligible online UT purchases, providing a 30-day free trial of Crunchyroll*. UNIQLO has also collaborated with Manga artist Remi Yamamoto to create UTme! Collection designs, available exclusively at their NYC flagship stores – UNIQLO Soho and UNIQLO 5th Avenue. New York City-based fans can visit UNIQLO’s 5th Avenue location for a special activation on May 18th from 1pm-5pm, where Remi will be offering complimentary live Manga portraits. Hot Topic will celebrate Ani-May across its United States and Canada locations, and online at hottopic.com, with activations and special promotions, including exclusive anime merchandise. Best Buy will join the festivities with select products available both online and in-store, including an exclusive SPY x FAMILY pin with eligible purchases at select stores. Planet Hollywood will partner with Crunchyroll to offer exclusive experiences, cocktails, dishes, and merchandise inspired by Ani-May’s select IPs. In celebration of the new JUJUTSU KAISEN x Funko Pop collection, Funko Pop will host an autograph signing with the English voice cast of Jujutsu Kaisen on May 3rd, with special Funko Hollywood Event Bundles available. Bananya is partnering with Fall Guys on a collection of skins available from May 1 to May 8, featuring Bananya and Droopy Eared Bananya! Demon Slayer fans can prepare for the first film of the highly-anticipated Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle trilogy with a special re-release of Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train in theaters this May!
The Crunchyroll Game Vault Is Celebrating Anime With the Addition of Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth and More
The Crunchyroll Game Vault will also join the Ani-May festivities by adding titles like Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth as part of its weekly releases throughout May and early June. Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth will kick off the celebrations on Wednesday, April 30, and will be joined by Corpse Party, Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol. 1, Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town, Shogun Showdown, and White Day. The Crunchyroll Game Vault, launched in November 2023, now offers over 50 titles for Crunchyroll members at the Mega and Ultimate Fan tiers in over 200 countries.
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For fans who enjoy owning physical copies of their favorite anime, Ani-May will feature the release of a Limited Edition Blu-ray box of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 1 Part 2 (pre-orders begin on May 15!) and Blu-ray in SteelBook cases of Paranoia Agent and Goblin Slayer Season 1 (on sale on April 30!). Additionally, Crunchyroll has introduced the SteelNook, an open display case made from SteelBook metal that can fit four standard SteelBooks, available for purchase on the Crunchyroll store starting May 30.
Ani-May Is a Global Party and Everyone's Invited
Crunchyroll has planned even more Ani-May celebrations around the world, ensuring that fans from every corner of the globe can enjoy experiences based on their favorite anime in fun and exciting ways. Here's a detailed look at the global experiences for Ani-May:
In Latin America, the following partners will celebrate Ani-May:
Liverpool in Mexico will host a special meet-and-greet with select voice actors, alongside products from fan-favorite titles with in-store signage. Suburbia in Mexico will delight fans with in-store signage and an offer of 20,000 free trial subscriptions with purchases of eligible products*. Ani-May celebrations and activations will continue at CCXP Mexico!
The following European retailers from EMEA will celebrate Ani-May:
For the third year, Funside/Games Academy in Italy and HMV in the UK, Ireland, and Belgium will participate in the Ani-May fun, while in France, Cultura will renew the experience for a second year. The three chains will activate all their stores with signage, windows, and a selection of exclusive merchandise. Shoppers will have the opportunity to fully experience the Crunchyroll lifestyle and win a "nothing that money can buy" prize: an amazing weekend in Paris with VIP access to the Crunchyroll booth at Japan Expo*. In Spain, FNAC will offer a special selection of Ani-May products and launch a nationwide e-commerce campaign celebrating all things anime. For purchases of Ani-May products over 20€, shoppers will get the chance to win free Crunchyroll subscriptions*. ANVOL will return for a second year in the Baltic states and bring the Ani-May festivities to the Nordics for the first time in 2025. In addition to massive social media exposure, all stores will adopt Crunchyroll-approved Ani-May branding. Shoppers will have the chance to win free Crunchyroll subscriptions for any Ani-May purchase*. The Middle East will experience their first episode of Ani-May fever thanks to Little Things. The distributor will bring the activation to their own stores in the UAE, as well as Virgin Mega Store in Dubai and two ToysRUs locations, in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. In Poland, Yatta will surprise anime fans with Ani-May branded corners and an e-commerce takeover. Shoppers will have the chance to bring home free Crunchyroll subscriptions*. For the third time, Thalia is presenting an exciting range of exclusive merchandising and manga in celebration of Ani-May in 200 stores in Germany and Austria. New to Ani-May in Germany and Austria is Müller, which offers anime fans across 150 stores a wide range of manga, merchandising, and home entertainment.
Australia and New Zealand-based fans can look forward to the following retail activations:
In Australia, JB Hi-Fi will celebrate with dedicated Ani-May end caps in stores, encompassing anime home video and collectibles, with unique in-store signage created by talented store staff! The May edition of STACK Magazine will feature an editorial piece on anime, available in all stores and online. EB Games & Zing Pop Culture – the Home of Pop Culture & Gaming will join the Ani-May fun! Customers who sign up to EB WORLD PLUS will receive a 30-day Crunchyroll Premium trial membership*. EB Games will also celebrate with digital signage, ceiling banners, and exclusive products available for purchase across fan-favorite shows, including JUJUTSU KAISEN, SPY x FAMILY, Chainsaw Man, and My Hero Academia.
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