I have a first-world problem. My kids want Crunchyroll for the house, but I can't afford it. Not yet, anyway.
Now, it's not like Crunchyroll is outrageous when it comes to its pricing. In fact, it's QUITE affordable. For one stream (fan tier), it's only $7.99 a month, and just $9.99 (Mega fan tier) for four streams. “Ultimate” fan tier is $14.99. So, yeah. Not bad at all. However, I'm already paying over $20 a month for my Disney+ subscription, and $20 for my Netflix subscription.
Again, neither breaks the bank by itself, but combined, it starts to be a bit much for my budget. So, one of these streaming services has to go to make way for Crunchyroll, but which one? Well…
On One Hand, My Wife Really Likes A Lot Of The Korean Content On Netflix
When I posed this question to my wife, she immediately said, “If you have to get rid of one, get rid of Disney+,” and I kind of had a feeling she would say that since she regularly watches Korean movies and TV shows, and Netflix has a wide assortment.
My wife also occasionally likes to watch the original movies and TV shows on Netflix, like Unabomber, and she even reminded me that I like their documentaries, such as the recent one I covered about the breakdancer, Raygun.
So, my wife made some good points, but then I thought about my daughter…
On The Other Hand, My Daughter Regularly Watches The Simpsons On Disney+
Now, while my wife would be a bit miffed if she could no longer watch her K-dramas, my daughter would also be upset if I took away her comfort show, that being The Simpsons.
In a lot of ways, it's my fault that she's such a big fan since I got her into the show, but now that she's watched all of the episodes (yes, even the banned one, which I found a way to show her), she regularly rewatches episodes as it’s her comfort show.
Which is kind of crazy, since The Simpsons is pretty much the ONLY thing my family and I watch on Disney+, which I'll get into next.
My Son And I Barely Watch Either Streaming Service
Here's the thing about Disney+: While my friends with kids always say that Disney+ is their most-watched streaming app, I've kind of stopped using it altogether. I mean, I used to watch the Marvel TV shows, but given their current status, I find myself more and more disinterested in them, and I don't see myself getting back into them any time soon.
As for my son? I don't think he's turned on the app since we got it, which was way back in 2019. Sure, my son loves Spider-Man, but at no point in his life has he ever had the desire to watch any of the Spider-Man movies on the service (except for the Spider-Verse movies, which are sporadically on Netflix).
As for me, well…I also have an HBO Max subscription, and I’m not getting rid of that since I watch it all the time. Besides, like a Prime subscription, it comes with commercials, and…wait a minute…
Duh! Why Don't I Just Get The Ad Versions Of Both Netflix And Disney+?
Okay, so maybe I DON'T have to get rid of Netflix OR Disney+ because they both have ad tiers. Now, with HBO Max and Amazon Prime, the ads don't disrupt the overall movies or shows, so they're manageable, but I don't know how Netflix or Disney+ places ads. That said…
It is an option. Netflix with ads runs for $8.99, and Disney+ with ads is $12.49, so both are doable. It kind of sucks that all of my streaming services will now resemble basic cable with all of the commercials, but the kids want even more anime than Netflix can provide, and Crunchyroll is the answer.
I guess I'll pay for the fan tier. Thanks for reading while I thought out loud.
