Crunchyroll’s Ani-May 2025 Is Filled With Free Anime and Games, New Merch and Retail Experiences, and More

IGN can exclusively reveal exciting new details about Crunchyroll’s third annual Ani-May, which is set to be a month-long, global celebration that includes merchandise based on beloved anime, deals, partnerships, and experiences in stores and online, free-to-stream anime, new additions to the Crunchyroll Game Vault, and so much more.

Ani-May will be filled with a ton of things to be excited about, and we’ll be breaking them all down below so you don’t miss a thing.

Cowboy Bebop, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, and Chainsaw Man Lead the Selection of Free-to-Stream Anime During Ani-May

Beginning on May 1, Crunchyroll will be offering up some of the most popular anime for free with Ads for the entire month. From Cowboy Bebop to Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and so many more, this will be a great chance for fans to either catch up on an anime they’ve missed or revisit some of their favorite stories.

The full list of free-to-stream anime with ads that will be available on Crunchyroll during Ani-May are as follows, and all you’ll need is a free account;

• 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

One of the best ways to celebrate your love of anime is with merch, and this Ani-May will allow fans from around the world to get their hands on new, officially licensed items from Solo Leveling, Kaiju No. 8, Bananya, Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, My Hero Academia, Overlord, The Apothecary Diaries, and so much more.

The Crunchyroll Store will also be celebrating Ani-May with new and exclusive product launches, deals, and the chance to get a Crunchyroll-exclusive Ani-May pin with qualifying purchases. Additionally, each week in the month of May will focus on a different type of product, including collectors, action/adventure titles, shonen shows, and fantasy fan-faves. Oh, and there will also be a way to celebrate the Anime of the Year nominees the day after the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards celebration takes place on May 25.

While merch is great, Ani-May will feature so many other ways to celebrate all things anime out in the real world, from retail and online store to video games to restaurants to movie theaters and more!

Here is a look at what fans can expect, directly from Crunchyroll;

• Throughout May, UNIQLO will be distributing Crunchyroll codes to customers, with eligible online UT purchases, that can be redeemed for a 30-day free trial of Crunchyroll*. UNIQLO has also partnered with Manga artist Remi Yamamoto to create UTme! Collection designs, available exclusively at their NYC flagship locations – UNIQLO Soho and UNIQLO 5th Avenue. New York City-based fans are invited to stop by UNIQLO’s 5th Avenue flagship location for a special activation on May 18th from 1pm-5pm with Remi, who will be providing complimentary live Manga portraits.
• Specialty retailer Hot Topic will celebrate Ani-May across its United States and Canada locations, and online at hottopic.com. Activations and special promotions, including exclusive anime merchandise, will be available all month.
• Electronics retailer Best Buy will be joining in on the Ani-May festivities with select products available both online and in-store, with an exclusive SPY x FAMILY pin included with eligible purchases at select stores.
• Planet Hollywood, themed restaurant and resort chain, is partnering with Crunchyroll to offer exclusive experiences, cocktails, dishes, and merchandise inspired by Ani-May’s select IPs.
• In celebration of a new JUJUTSU KAISEN x Funko Pop collection, Funko Pop will be hosting an autograph signing with the English voice cast of JUJUTSU KAISEN on May 3rd. Special Funko Hollywood Event Bundles will also be available! Event details can be found at @originalfunko and @funko_funime on Instagram.
• Back to celebrate Ani-May, Bananya is once again partnering with Fall Guys on a collection of skins, which will be available from May 1 to May 8. Featured characters include Bananya and Droopy Eared Bananya!
• Demon Slayer fans can gear up for the first film of the highly-anticipated Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle trilogy coming to theatres this September with a special Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train re-release in theatres this May!

The Crunchyroll Game Vault Is Celebrating Anime With the Addition of Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth and More

The Crunchyroll Vault is also getting in on the fun of Ani-May as it will be adding such games as Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth as part of its weekly releases planned throughout May and Early June.

Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth being added to the vault will kick things off 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 throughout the run of Ani-May.

Crunchyroll Game Vault launched in November 2023 and now has over 50 titles that Crunchyroll members at the Mega and Ultimate Fan tiers in over 200 countries.

Own Your Favorites With Ani-May Home Entertainment Releases

For those who want to own physical copies of their favorite anime, Ani-May will see the Crunchyroll Store releasing 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!).

Furthermore, Crunchyroll has released a way to organize SteelBooks at home with their SteelNook, an open display case that’s actually made from SteelBook metal and can fit four standard SteelBooks. The SteelNook will be available for purchase on the Crunchyroll store on May 30.

Ani-May Is a Global Party and Everyone’s Invited

Lastly, Crunchyroll has revealed their will be even more Ani-May celebrations around the world, meaning fans from all over the globe will be able to enjoy experiences based on their favorite anime in fun and exciting ways.

The full list of global experiences for Ani-May is as follows, as detailed by Crunchyroll;

In Latin America, the following partners will celebrate Ani-May:

• Liverpool will join the month-long celebration in Mexico with a special meet-and-greet with select voice actors, alongside products from fan-favorite titles with in-store signage
• Suburbia in Mexico will also 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 in a row, Funside/Games Academy in Italy and HMV in the UK, Ireland and Belgium will take part in the Ani-May fun, while in France, Cultura will renew the experience for a second year. The three chains will activate the totality of their stores with signage, windows, and a selection of exclusive merchandise. Shoppers will be offered 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 bring forth 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 come back for a second year in the Baltic states and bring the Ani-May festivities to the Nordics for the very first time in 2025. In addition to massive exposure on social media, 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 in a row, 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 in Germany and Austria 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 be celebrating 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, and will be available in all stores and also online.
• EB Games & Zing Pop Culture – the Home of Pop Culture & Gaming will be joining 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.

To end, we wanted to share a message from Anna Songco Adamian, Vice President, Global Consumer Products at Crunchyroll, and encourage you to check out our Top 25 Best Anime of of All Time List and our favorite anime for 2024.

“Anime isn’t just an entertainment medium; it’s a lifestyle. To celebrate anime’s explosive growth, we’re giving 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,” said Anna Songco Adamian, Vice President, Global Consumer Products. “Whether it’s through wearing their fandom on their sleeves or streaming their favorite series, Crunchyroll will have fans covered this Ani-May.”

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.