Hulu may lose most of its anime catalog come June

Hulu might be best known for its catalog of network TV shows, but for fans of Japanese animation it’s been a great resource for anime titles both new and old. That looks like it’s changing on June 1st, with a significant bulk of Hulu’s anime catalog disappearing as the service streamlines its catalog to include only the most popular titles.

The list of expiring anime includes programs from Anime Network, Funimation, Sentai Filmworks, Toei Animation, NIS America and Viz Media. But it’s not Attack on Titan and InuYasha fans who need to worry about losing access to their favorite shows — the list is limited to older and more obscure titles like RahXephon, Le Chevalier D’Eon and Excel Saga.

Justin Sevakis of Anime News Network says that Hulu stopped accepting back catalog programs months ago, and has been gradually purging lower-performing titles since then. June 1 just represents a grander sweep — possibly an attempt by Hulu to streamline its offerings before it begins offering live TV in 2017.

Viewers who’d still like to give some of these titles a spin aren’t completely out of luck — many of the expiring titles are still available on anime-dedicated services like Funimation, Crunchyroll and Anime Network. However, some titles like Alien 9, Arjuna and Strawberry 100% aren’t available on any streaming service or DVD and Blu-ray, leaving those fans high and dry.

Aniplex/Bandai/TMS titles below expire Jun 1 https://t.co/TmL4YcoYxO https://t.co/CwSnY33TRO https://t.co/JEcaDUJ7GG pic.twitter.com/tg7wWQHqzT

— WTK (@WTK) May 24, 2016

Been working out the damage from the Great Hulu Anime Purge, this is what I have so far. All of these will be SOL. https://t.co/0c3Lspkhve

— Detroit Smash City (@rootsofjustice) May 27, 2016

Anime fans aren’t the only media devotees who will find a lot less to watch on Hulu; the launch of Turner Classic Movie’s FilmStruck service means that the Criterion Collection will be leaving Hulu in December.

We’ve reached out to Hulu for comment, and will update if we get a response.

Source: Anime News Network