Entertainment

Crunchyroll in Hot Water After ChatGPT Subtitle Blunder!

2025-07-02

Author: Noah

Anime streaming giant Crunchyroll is facing a furious backlash from fans following revelations that they've been using ChatGPT for subtitle translations. This controversy erupted right after the debut of their new Summer 2025 anime series, *Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show*, on July 1.

The issue was first flagged by X (formerly Twitter) user CheeseGX, who shared a screenshot of a peculiar German subtitle that read, "ChatGPT said: Wenn ich die Welt von hier an weiter genießen kann." This post went viral, leading to rampant speculation that the subtitle files were generated with little to no human input. To add fuel to the fire, viewers noticed multiple errors in the English subtitles, including a baffling line that credited the translation to a generic placeholder: "Translated by: Translator’s name."

Crunchyroll's Subtitle Quality Under Fire!

This isn't the first time Crunchyroll has come under fire for poor subtitle quality. Fans remember the chaotic premiere of *Re:Zero Season 3* in October 2024, where a slew of inaccuracies led to a swift backlash and forced the platform to correct the subtitles within a day. Despite their quick actions, the incident left a bitter taste among viewers who expect better.

Last year, rumors had already been swirling regarding Crunchyroll's use of auto-generated closed captions for its English dubs. A Reddit post dissected how their efforts to catch up on older titles seemingly involved a flawed auto speech-to-text service, resulting in hilariously incorrect captions for popular series like *One Piece* and *Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury*. Fans were not amused.

AI Subtitling: A Risky Strategy?

Crunchyroll's President, Rahul Purini, previously discussed the company's experimentation with AI to enhance subtitle efficiency. In an interview with *The Verge*, he stated, "We're focused on testing subtitling and closed captioning, aiming to optimize our processes to launch subtitles as close to the Japanese release as possible." While this may sound promising, many in the anime community worry that reliance on AI may compromise quality.

The blunder involving ChatGPT in *Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show* has confirmed many fans' fears about the potential pitfalls of automated translations. However, this latest snafu isn't the only trouble Crunchyroll is dealing with. The platform has faced significant backlash, from eliminating user comments to controversially delaying promotions for shows like *Dandadan*. They've frequently sidestepped requests for comment on these issues, further alienating their user base.

A Shrinking Trust Among Fans

Perhaps the most scandalous incident involved voice actor David Wald, who left Crunchyroll, accusing them of destroying fan mail addressed to him. Although Crunchyroll denied these claims, Wald has confirmed that he won't be returning to voice the character Gajeel in the English dub of *Fairy Tail*. This incident only adds to the growing list of controversies surrounding the streaming platform, as fans begin to question whether their trust can be restored.