From sharing site to anime giant, Crunchyroll marches forward

Once a semi-legal sharing site, Crunchyroll is now a streaming giant credited with helping Japanese anime transform from a nerdy subculture into a lucrative global industry poised to conquer new markets.

This year, the US-based company held its annual Anime Awards in Tokyo for the first time, with the art form’s heavyweights gathering for what have become some of the industry’s highest accolades — and a sign of Crunchyroll’s influence.