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Ani-May 2025: Free Anime, Games, and New Merch at Crunchyroll

by Grace May 17,2025

IGN is thrilled to share exclusive details about Crunchyroll's third annual Ani-May, a month-long, global celebration dedicated to anime lovers. Kicking off on May 1, Ani-May promises an array of exciting events, including merchandise, deals, partnerships, and immersive experiences both in stores and online. Fans can enjoy free-to-stream anime, new additions to the Crunchyroll Game Vault, and much more throughout the month.

Ani-May is packed with thrilling activities that you won't want to miss, and we're here to break it all down for you.

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

Starting May 1, Crunchyroll is offering some of the most popular anime for free with ads throughout the entire month. From timeless classics like Cowboy Bebop to modern hits like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, this is your chance to catch up or relive your favorite anime stories. All you need is a free Crunchyroll account to access these titles:

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

Ani-May is the perfect time to celebrate your love for anime with a variety of officially licensed merchandise. Fans can look forward to new items from Solo Leveling, Kaiju No. 8, Bananya, Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, My Hero Academia, Overlord, The Apothecary Diaries, and more. The Crunchyroll Store will be launching new and exclusive products, offering deals, and giving away a Crunchyroll-exclusive Ani-May pin with qualifying purchases. Each week in May will spotlight different product categories such as collectors' items, action/adventure titles, shonen shows, and fantasy favorites. Additionally, the day after the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards on May 25, fans can celebrate the Anime of the Year nominees.

Beyond merch, Ani-May will offer a multitude of real-world celebrations, from retail and online stores to video games, restaurants, and movie theaters. Here's what you can expect, straight from Crunchyroll:

UNIQLO will distribute Crunchyroll codes with eligible online UT purchases for a 30-day free trial of Crunchyroll*. UNIQLO has also partnered with Manga artist Remi Yamamoto for UTme! Collection designs, exclusively available at their NYC flagship locations – UNIQLO Soho and UNIQLO 5th Avenue. NYC fans can visit UNIQLO’s 5th Avenue flagship on May 18th from 1pm-5pm for a special activation with Remi, who will offer complimentary live Manga portraits.
Hot Topic will celebrate Ani-May across its stores in the United States and Canada, as well as online at hottopic.com, with exclusive anime merchandise and special promotions.
Best Buy will join the festivities with select products available both online and in-store, including an exclusive SPY x FAMILY pin with eligible purchases at select stores.
Planet Hollywood is partnering with Crunchyroll to offer exclusive experiences, cocktails, dishes, and merchandise inspired by Ani-May's select IPs.
In celebration of the new JUJUTSU KAISEN x Funko Pop collection, Funko Pop will host an autograph signing with the English voice cast of JUJUTSU KAISEN on May 3rd. Special Funko Hollywood Event Bundles will also be available!
Bananya is partnering with Fall Guys again, featuring skins available from May 1 to May 8, including Bananya and Droopy Eared Bananya!
Demon Slayer fans can prepare for the first film of the 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 Game Vault Is Celebrating Anime With the Addition of Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth and More

The Crunchyroll Game Vault is joining the Ani-May festivities by adding games like Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth to its lineup. The addition will start on Wednesday, April 30, followed by other titles such as Corpse Party, Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol. 1, Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town, Shogun Showdown, and White Day throughout Ani-May. The Crunchyroll Game Vault, launched in November 2023, now offers over 50 titles to Crunchyroll members at the Mega and Ultimate Fan tiers in over 200 countries.

Own Your Favorites With Ani-May Home Entertainment Releases

Ani-May 2025 Home Entertainment Releases

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For fans eager to own physical copies of their favorite anime, Ani-May will feature the Crunchyroll Store's release of a Limited Edition Blu-ray box of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 1 Part 2 (pre-orders start on May 15!) and Blu-ray in SteelBook cases of Paranoia Agent and Goblin Slayer Season 1 (on sale April 30!). Additionally, Crunchyroll offers the SteelNook, an open display case made from SteelBook metal that can fit four standard SteelBooks, available for purchase on the Crunchyroll store on May 30.

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

Crunchyroll is ensuring Ani-May celebrations extend worldwide, allowing fans from all corners of the globe to immerse themselves in exciting anime experiences. Here's a detailed look at the global celebrations, as outlined by Crunchyroll:

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

Liverpool in Mexico will host a special meet-and-greet with select voice actors, alongside products from fan-favorite titles with in-store signage.
Suburbia in Mexico will delight fans with in-store signage and offer 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:

Funside/Games Academy in Italy and HMV in the UK, Ireland, and Belgium will participate in the Ani-May fun for the third year, while Cultura in France will renew the experience for a second year. These stores will feature signage, windows, and exclusive merchandise, offering shoppers a chance to win a weekend in Paris with VIP access to the Crunchyroll booth at Japan Expo*.
In Spain, FNAC will offer a special selection of Ani-May products and launch a nationwide e-commerce campaign. Purchases over 20€ will enter shoppers into a draw for free Crunchyroll subscriptions*.
ANVOL will celebrate Ani-May for the second year in the Baltic states and bring the festivities to the Nordics for the first time in 2025. Shoppers can win free Crunchyroll subscriptions for any Ani-May purchase*.
The Middle East will experience Ani-May for the first time through Little Things, activating in their 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 fans with Ani-May branded corners and an e-commerce takeover, offering free Crunchyroll subscriptions*.
For the third time, Thalia will present exclusive merchandising and manga in 200 stores in Germany and Austria, while Müller joins the celebration in 150 stores across Germany and Austria with 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 celebrate with dedicated Ani-May end caps in stores, featuring anime home video and collectibles, along with unique in-store signage. The May edition of STACK Magazine will include an editorial piece on anime, available in stores and online.
EB Games & Zing Pop Culture will join 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 across fan-favorite shows, including JUJUTSU KAISEN, SPY x FAMILY, Chainsaw Man, and My Hero Academia.