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

IGN is thrilled to unveil exclusive insights into Crunchyroll's third annual Ani-May, a month-long global celebration kicking off in May. This event promises a plethora of exciting features for anime enthusiasts, including exclusive merchandise, special deals, partnerships, immersive experiences both in stores and online, free-to-stream anime, and new additions to the Crunchyroll Game Vault.

Ani-May is packed with thrilling offerings, and we're here to guide you through all the highlights so you can fully enjoy the festivities.

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 will offer some of the most beloved anime titles for free with ads throughout the entire month. This is a fantastic opportunity for fans to dive into new series or revisit classics. The lineup includes:

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). All you need is a free Crunchyroll account to access these gems.

Merch, Partnerships, Food, Autographs, and Other Partnerships Based on Solo Leveling, My Hero Academia, and More of Your Favorite Anime

Celebrate your passion for anime with a range of new, officially licensed merchandise from titles like Solo Leveling, Kaiju No. 8, Bananya, Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, My Hero Academia, Overlord, The Apothecary Diaries, and many more. The Crunchyroll Store will launch exclusive products, offer deals, and provide a Crunchyroll-exclusive Ani-May pin with qualifying purchases. Each week in May will highlight different product categories, from collectors' items to 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.

Ani-May isn't just about merchandise; it's a celebration that extends to the real world, with events at retail and online stores, video games, restaurants, movie theaters, and more. Here's what you can look forward to, courtesy of Crunchyroll:

• Throughout May, UNIQLO will distribute Crunchyroll codes for a 30-day free trial with eligible online UT purchases*. UNIQLO has also teamed up with Manga artist Remi Yamamoto to create exclusive UTme! Collection designs available at their NYC flagship locations – UNIQLO Soho and UNIQLO 5th Avenue. New York City fans can visit UNIQLO’s 5th Avenue store for a special event on May 18th from 1pm-5pm, where Remi will offer complimentary live Manga portraits.
• Hot Topic will celebrate Ani-May across its locations in the United States and Canada, and online at hottopic.com, with activations and exclusive anime merchandise.
• Best Buy will join the festivities, offering select products online and in-store, with an exclusive SPY x FAMILY pin included with eligible purchases at select stores.
• Planet Hollywood will partner with Crunchyroll to offer exclusive experiences, cocktails, dishes, and merchandise inspired by select Ani-May IPs.
• In celebration of the new JUJUTSU KAISEN x Funko Pop collection, Funko Pop will host an autograph signing with the English voice cast on May 3rd. Special event bundles will be available, with details on @originalfunko and @funko_funime on Instagram.
• Bananya will again collaborate with Fall Guys on a collection of skins available from May 1 to May 8, featuring characters like Bananya and Droopy Eared Bananya.
• Demon Slayer fans can prepare for the first film of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle trilogy 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 also joining the Ani-May celebration by adding games like Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth to its lineup starting April 30. Other titles joining the Vault throughout May and early June include Corpse Party, Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol. 1, Shin Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town, Shogun Showdown, and White Day. Since its launch in November 2023, the Crunchyroll Game Vault has grown to over 50 titles available to Mega and Ultimate Fan tier members in over 200 countries.

Ani-May 2025 Home Entertainment Releases

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For those who cherish owning physical copies of their favorite anime, Ani-May will feature the release of a Limited Edition Blu-ray box set of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 1 Part 2 (pre-orders start on May 15) and Blu-ray SteelBooks of Paranoia Agent and Goblin Slayer Season 1 (on sale April 30). Additionally, Crunchyroll introduces the SteelNook, an open display case made from SteelBook metal that can hold four standard SteelBooks, available for purchase on the Crunchyroll store starting May 30.

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

Crunchyroll has planned even more Ani-May celebrations around the world, ensuring fans everywhere can partake in the festivities:

In Latin America:

• Liverpool in Mexico will host a meet-and-greet with select voice actors, alongside in-store signage for fan-favorite titles.
• Suburbia in Mexico will offer in-store signage and 20,000 free trial subscriptions with eligible product purchases*.
• Ani-May celebrations will extend to CCXP Mexico.

In Europe (EMEA):

• Funside/Games Academy in Italy, HMV in the UK, Ireland, and Belgium, and Cultura in France will participate with store-wide activations, exclusive merchandise, and a chance to win a VIP weekend in Paris with access to the Crunchyroll booth at Japan Expo*.
• FNAC in Spain will offer a special selection of Ani-May products and a nationwide e-commerce campaign with free Crunchyroll subscriptions for purchases over 20€*.
• ANVOL will expand Ani-May to the Baltic states and the Nordics for the first time, with social media exposure and store branding, offering free Crunchyroll subscriptions for Ani-May purchases*.
• Little Things in the Middle East will bring Ani-May to their stores in the UAE, Virgin Mega Store in Dubai, and ToysRUs locations in Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
• Yatta in Poland will feature Ani-May branded corners and an e-commerce takeover, with free Crunchyroll subscriptions available*.
• Thalia in Germany and Austria will present exclusive merchandising and manga in 200 stores, while Müller in the same regions will offer a wide range of manga, merchandise, and home entertainment across 150 stores.

In Australia and New Zealand:

• JB Hi-Fi will feature dedicated Ani-May end caps in stores with anime home video and collectibles, unique in-store signage, and an editorial piece in the May edition of STACK Magazine.
• EB Games & Zing Pop Culture will offer a 30-day Crunchyroll Premium trial for EB WORLD PLUS sign-ups*, with digital signage, ceiling banners, and exclusive products available across fan-favorite shows like JUJUTSU KAISEN, SPY x FAMILY, Chainsaw Man, and My Hero Academia.

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