Rejoice! Crunchyroll is on the iPhone.

Last Updated on Saturday, 16 January 2010 16:08 Written by Sean Russell Saturday, 16 January 2010 15:52

Crunchyroll finally released their iphone application. It’s free and extends many of the popular features found on the crunchyroll.com website. The most noteworthy function is the ability to watch any of their programs in the palm of your hands.

The graphic interface is streamlined and user-friendly. If you turn the phone horizontally, a featured video slide appears. The first prompt is for your username and password. Once you’re logged in, you have four main choices: profile, videos, search and an about section. The profile section consists of both your information and guestbook. It’s simple to reply to users using their text message style system. Meanwhile, the search function makes it easy to find any title in their extensive database. It doesn’t extend to a users search, which is kind of disappointing. Finally, the about section is your standard mission statement from the company.

While search, about and profile sections don’t scream excitement, the true news lies in the ability to watch Crunchyroll shows on your mobile device. It’s astounding that this application is free considering the magnitude of its service. After watching Durarara, it’s clear that Crunchyroll cemented its position as a leader in the digital distribution of anime series.

This application does come with a few flaws. If you answer a phone call, it’s necessary to restart the episode from the beginning. It took several attempts to advance to the correct part of the episode after this happened. Simply ignoring the call solves this problem. When you decline the caller, it picks up in the same spot. The application also tends to crash while using the search feature. This happened on three separate occasions. Another drawback is wi-fi only connectivity. This is to be expected, but disappointing nonetheless. It’s also perplexing that subtitles aren’t the default option for all episodes. Instead, there is an icon located on the control panel that needs to be selected. The final complaint is the limited selection for paid members. For example, the second episode of Durarara is released on the site, but not on the application.

There is one thing to keep in mind when looking at the list of problems. This is a free application that gives you anime on your phone. Crunchyroll made the right decision to develop this app and if anime fans are fortunate enough to have both a paid Crunchyroll account and an iPhone or iPod Touch, they’re in Anime Nirvana.