Crunchyroll is launching the third annual Ani-May celebration with global retail, digital, and streaming activities. New and exclusive products and promotions will be offered at Hot Topic and Uniqlo in the United States, Liverpool and Suburbia in Mexico, JB Hi-Fi and EB Games & Zing Pop Culture in Australia, and various retail locations across Europe and the Middle East, including HMV in the U.K. and Virgin Megastore Dubai, among others. Exciting new and exclusive product launches and promotional deals will also be available on the Crunchyroll Store throughout the month.
“Anime isn’t just an entertainment medium; it’s a lifestyle. To celebrate anime’s explosive growth, we’re offering fans a variety of ways to express their anime passion during Ani-May – from all-new products across apparel, collectibles, global activations, game collaborations, and new series streaming for free on Crunchyroll,” stated Anna Songco Adamian, Vice President, Global Consumer Products. “Whether it’s through showcasing their fandom or streaming their favorite series, Crunchyroll will support fans this Ani-May.”
Throughout May, fans can look forward to a wide variety of new, officially licensed merchandise from internationally beloved series. Solo Leveling, which was the top series streaming on Crunchyroll in 2024, will return alongside sci-fi monster series Kaiju No. 8; the charming series featuring kittens in bananas, Bananya; and the supernatural comedy Toilet-bound Hanako-kun. Merchandise will also include hit shonen series My Hero Academia, video game fantasy Overlord, and The Apothecary Diaries, a historical romance mystery set in a fictional country based on the Tang dynasty of Imperial China. These are just a few of the numerous shows available — fans can anticipate more across many global retail outlets.
Ani-May 2025 partnerships and activations in the United States include:
- Hart, Christopher (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 144 Pages - 07/07/2015 (Publication Date) - Drawing with Christopher Hart (Publisher)
- Shinjuku Press (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 128 Pages - 05/02/2022 (Publication Date) - Independently published (Publisher)
- Yoai, Yoai (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 144 Pages - 08/24/2021 (Publication Date) - Rock Point (Publisher)
- Throughout May, UNIQLO will be distributing Crunchyroll codes to customers, with eligible online UT purchases, redeemable for 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 N.Y.C. flagship locations: UNIQLO Soho and UNIQLO 5th Avenue. New York City-based fans are invited to visit UNIQLO’s 5th Avenue flagship on May 18 from 1-5 p.m. for a special activation with Remi, who will provide complimentary live manga portraits.
- Specialty retailer Hot Topic will celebrate Ani-May across its locations in the United States and Canada, and online at hottopic.com. Activities and special promotions, including exclusive anime merchandise, will be available all month long.
- Electronics retailer Best Buy will participate in the Ani-May festivities with select products both online and in-store, including an exclusive SPY x FAMILY pin with qualifying purchases at select locations.
- Planet Hollywood, the themed restaurant and resort chain, is teaming up with Crunchyroll to offer exclusive experiences, cocktails, dishes, and merchandise inspired by Ani-May’s select IPs.
- To celebrate a new JUJUTSU KAISEN x Funko Pop collection, Funko Pop will host an autograph signing with the English voice cast of JUJUTSU KAISEN on May 3. Special Funko Hollywood Event Bundles will also be available! Event details can be found on Instagram @originalfunko and @funko_funime.
- Returning for Ani-May, Bananya is once again collaborating with Fall Guys on a collection of skins, available from May 1 to May 8. Featured characters include Bananya and Droopy Eared Bananya!
- Demon Slayer fans can prepare for the first film of the eagerly-anticipated Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle trilogy coming to theaters this September with a special re-release of Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train in theaters this May.
The Crunchyroll Store will also partake in the Ani-May festivities with new and exclusive product launches, unbeatable deals, and an exciting gift-with-purchase offer: a new Crunchyroll-exclusive Ani-May pin. Each week in May will spotlight a different product genre – fans can look forward to deals on popular collector items, action/adventure titles, shonen shows, and fantasy favorites. Additionally, those tuning into the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards celebration on May 25th might want to check out the Crunchyroll Store the following day to celebrate this year’s nominees for Anime of the Year.
In the realm of home entertainment, Crunchyroll will release Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 1 Part 2 in a Limited Edition Blu-ray box set, with preorders starting on May 15. Crunchyroll will also re-release Perfect Blue and Paprika along with director Satoshi Kon’s psychological thriller series Paranoia Agent and the dark action fantasy GOBLIN SLAYER Season 1, both available on Blu-ray in SteelBook cases, exclusively from the Crunchyroll Store on April 30. To help organize these new SteelBooks at home, the Crunchyroll Store has introduced the SteelNook, an open display case made from premium SteelBook metal designed to fit four standard SteelBooks from anime series to films. The SteelNook will be available for purchase at the Crunchyroll Store starting tomorrow.
Crunchyroll Game Vault, a library of premium games available to Mega and Ultimate Fan members globally, is also joining the Ani-May celebration with the launch of Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth, available today on April 30. This tactical role-playing game is just one of several titles set to release each week throughout May — from praised visual novels like Grisaia Phantom Trigger to cult horror classics such as Corpse Party — all catered to anime enthusiasts.
Beginning on May 1 and continuing through the month, 20 hit series will be available to stream on Crunchyroll for free with ads. These series include Cowboy Bebop, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Haikyu!!, Jujutsu Kaisen, Shangri-La Frontier, the first seasons of Solo Leveling, and The Apothecary Diaries, amongst many others. (Movies and OVAs are not included in the promotion, and regional restrictions may apply.)