What's Happening With Crunchyroll's ‘Gundam' Related Blu-Ray Restocks?
A few weeks ago, a Redditor posted a worrying response regarding restocking certain Blu-rays on Crunchyroll, so I reached out to them to find out more.
To give a bit of context, when it comes to Gundam-related Blu-rays, those used to be handled by RightStuf. They did great work on multiple classic shows, all of which I dutifully reviewed.
Back in October 2023, Crunchyroll announced that they had absorbed RightStuf and their massive Blu-ray catalogue, and they too followed up with multiple current Blu-ray releases for newer Gundam shows, such as Witch from Mercury.
However, it seems that regarding the restocking of older Blu-ray releases, the initial customer service response was a tad bleak.
The good news is that Crunchyroll is actually trying to figure out a way to restock older Blu-ray releases, as the following Crunchyroll spokesperson explained when I reached out to them for more details.
A lovely piece of artwork by Mamoru Ito for 'Gundam: Char's Counterattack', which is currently out ... More of stock on Blu-ray at Crunchyroll.
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Crunchyroll is proud to produce and distribute a wide and diverse range of home entertainment and collectibles, including Blu-ray, for anime fans at the Crunchyroll Store and through third-party retailers. We are currently out of stock on a limited number of select titles and are always evaluating how and when to replenish those titles. Other Mobile Suit Gundam merchandise can also be found here at the Crunchyroll Store.
On background, I can also share:
Overall, we just don't have news to share or a timeline.
Compared to the initial customer service response, it's definitely more hopeful, and they are stocking all manner of Gundam merchandise, from toys to model kits and yes, Blu-rays.
My only concern is that Crunchyroll is part of Sony, and Sony recently announced their intent to cease Blu-ray production.
While the mantra of 'you'll own nothing and be happy' may excite some soulless corporate executives, in my case, they will have to take my treasured Gundam Blu-rays from my cold, dead hands.
Here's hoping Crunchyroll can fix its supply chain issues and keep up with the increasing fan demand for Blu-rays of popular anime.
Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
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