Huge news has hit the anime and manga industry in the US as anime streamer Crunchyroll, a division of Sony Entertainment Group, has announced that they will shutter Right Stuf Anime’s website, RightStufAnime.com and migrate all merchandise and mail order operations to their own storefront, Crunchyroll Store (store.crunchyroll.com).

This change comes a bit over a year after Right Stuf was acquired by Crunchyroll in August 2022. Since then, they’ve kept the site running as is, with the exception of the migration of all 18+ material to BuyAnime.com. However, today’s announcement makes it much clearer that the longtime online retailer of anime, manga and figures will be closing entirely to make way for some corporate synergy with the “Unified Crunchyroll Family.”

The news came via an email message sent to partners and retailers yesterday, which outlined that October 10, 2023 will be when the Right Stuf website and ecommerce operations would transition to becoming a Crunchyroll Store. The letter explained that this transition will not change the online retailer’s existing relationships with publishers and partners. Companies that are already selling their books, Blu-Rays/DVDs and other merchandise through Right Stuf will continue to receive purchase orders from Crunchyroll Store, while Crunchyroll will “pursue partnership opportunities with (its suppliers), from exclusive items and mutually beneficial promotions,” with the opportunity to leverage Crunchyroll’s “already expansive into anime fandom” to reach new customers. The letter then mentions that they plan to hold their annual Holiday Sale similar to what Right Stuf has been known for, relabelling it as the “Crunchyroll Holiday Sale.”

Here’s a screenshot of the letter:

RightStuf Letter about Crunchyroll Store Change

 

 

As of now, there isn’t much clarity about how this change might impact customers who buy from Right Stuf. Will the pricing and discounts now offered by RightStuf change? Will items still be available earlier than their street dates? Will the RightStuf high standards for customer service and packaging quality still be maintained by the Crunchyroll Store team? These questions and more are currently swirling around on social media. Here are a few comments from X (Twitter); 

 

As for myself, I’ve been a customer of Right Stuf for years. The uncertainty about how this will change how I order and buy from this site has left me concerned. Right Stuf earned my loyalty over the years because of what they’ve offered to me compared to other retailers, such as quick turnaround time for orders and early availability of new releases. Without the latter, I might be tempted to switch to another site to do my anime/manga shopping. I’ve put together some of my own thoughts in a YouTube video published earlier this morning;

 

Right Stuf Anime has been a stalwart of the manga and anime industry in the US since 1987, when they were still operating via mail order catalogs. For those keeping up, that actually has Right Stuf pre-dating Amazon by seven years (founded as Cadabra in 1994). Even if everything else stays the same at Right Stuf, there’s the loss of brand equity that has been built up over the years that’s now going to be lost. But as we’ve seen with their other acquisitions, Crunchyroll is no stranger to disposing of existing brands they purchase, as we’ve seen when they purchased anime distributor Funimation in February 2022.

UPDATE: Crunchyroll have updated their help-center with information about the move. Several frequently asked questions from customers have answers while some important ones still do not. Among the new information is;

  • Anyone with a US/CA RSA account will be able to see their orders as far back as January 1, 2020.
  • Right Stuf gift cards and coupons will be usable at the Crunchyroll store starting on October 10, 2023.
  • US/CA Right Stuf accounts with at least one order since 1/1/2020 will be transitioned to a new Crunchyroll account on October 25th, 2023. If you would prefer not to have account information migrated you can email [email protected]. After October 25th your account will be automatically transferred unless you opt-out
  • Your Right Stuf password will not transfer to Crunchyroll, so if your account is transferred you will need to request a new password using your email and the “Forgot Password” link on the login page.
  • For Got Anime? members after October 10th you will be sent a one-time code for 10% off. Additional codes can be requested by emailing [email protected] with your Right Stuf Got Anime? membership details. Codes can be used through November 8, 2023 after your first initial purchase. Codes are limited to one per member and may not be transferred or gifted. Members may not request additional codes until current codes have been used.
  • Your Got Anime? membership will automatically move to the Crunchyroll store on October 25th but if you would prefer not to continue your membership on the Crunchyroll Store you can email [email protected] to cancel your membership and request a pro-rated refund.
  • All open orders and pre-orders at Right Stuf will still be processed by Right Stuf.
  • Any Right Stuf account with at least one order since January 1, 2020 will have their wishlist rolled over to their Crunchyroll Wishlist.
  • The affiliate/partner program will end on October 10th, 2023. In the upcoming weeks current affiliates and partners will receive information about how to sign up to become a Crunchyroll Store Affiliate Marketing Partner. 
  • Current dealer partnerships will be evaluated on a case by case basis as of September 25th they are no longer accepting new dealer applications. 
  • Nozomi Entertainment will continue with production of licensed titles and their products will begin to be added to the Crunchyroll Store on October 10th, 2023. They will remain available for purchase on Right Stuf until October 9th, 2023.
  • For returns Right Stuf and Crunchyroll will continue to process their own orders, so you will not process Right Stuf returns with Crunchyroll as of yet.
  • Crunchyroll members will not get a discount at Right Stuf. 

As of yet we do not have information in regards to if Rightstuf’s inventory will be physically moved from their Iowa warehouse or if they will stay put with the same staff, and as well there’s been no word on whether items in the Crunchyroll store will be sold with the same discounts that they have been at Right Stuf Anime.

Second Update: Crunchyroll has spoken and shared information with some X (Twitter) users, clarifying some remaining questions about the move.

https://twitter.com/MangaAlerts/status/1706445396967362970

From @MangaAlerts, Crunchyroll confirmed to him via DM that they’ll continue to have the same discounts that Righ Stuf did after the merge on 10/10.

https://twitter.com/MangaAlerts/status/1706450805325193571

As well, @MangaAlerica shared that Crunchyroll responded to another X (Twitter) user that they would not be changing the quality of their packaging. In that response Crunchyroll referred to “both of our warehouses” which does seem to indirectly suggest that the inventory is staying at the Right Stuf warehouse in Iowa rather than being physically moved to the Crunchyroll warehouse. 

For all intents and purposes right now this seems as if the merge is simply the Right Stuf Anime name being stripped from the website and replaced with “Crunchyroll Store.” There are some changes happening, as have been outlined above, but most things as far as customers are concerned should operate similarly to how they have been at Right Stuf. One big remaining item yet to be revealed being in regards to how the “Got Anime?” membership will change, as we’ve only had information given about how they’re looking to phase out the membership once the merger happens. 

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