“It’s Embarrassing”: One Piece Studio Finally Releases Spring 2024 Anime in the U.S. – On Bizarre Platforms
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Toei Animation’s hit Spring 2024 original anime series, Girls Band Cry, is finally coming to North America. However, many anime fans are dismayed after learning that they will only have the option to purchase digital copies of the episodes — and from a seemingly bizarre selection of platforms.
On X (formerly Twitter), Toei Animation recently unveiled a special launch trailer for Girls Band Cry, announcing that it will become available on “digital stations” starting Aug. 13, 2024. The same day, @MangaMoguraRE, a popular anime and manga news hub on X, provided additional details about the anime’s North American release format. “Girls Band Cry will finally release in English…but not via your usual suspects aka streaming platforms. For some reason, it is only available as a digital purchase via Amazon, Hoopla and…the Microsoft Store.”
Compared to retail giant Amazon, Hoopla and the Microsoft Store are relatively obscure options for manga and anime. Additionally, the purchase-only format is rapidly becoming obsolete thanks to the rise of major streaming outlets like Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu and numerous others. Accordingly, the comment sections for both posts are equal parts celebration, confusion and disappointment. “Why digital purchase and not streaming? Why do you limit GBC, which could be a massive series if you just let people watch it…” queries one Toei follower. Others point out that, even though they enjoy the series, they refuse to purchase it unless there is a physical edition on the market.
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