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Anime fans are buzzing after a possible artificial intelligence (AI) blunder by Crunchyroll. Eagle-eyed viewers noticed what appears to be a ChatGPT-generated subtitle in the new Summer 2025 anime series, Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show, leading to speculation that the streaming giant may be cutting corners on translation quality.
The controversy erupted when X (formerly Twitter) user CheeseGX shared a screenshot from the anime’s first episode. The German subtitles displayed the phrase: “ChatGPT said: Wenn ich die Welt von hier an weiter genießen kann.” This immediately raised concerns about the level of human oversight in Crunchyroll’s subtitling process.
Further fueling the fire, English subtitles for the same episode contained errors, including a generic “Translated by: Translator’s name” placeholder, indicating a lack of attention to detail.
History of Subtitle Issues
This isn’t the first time Crunchyroll’s translation quality has been called into question. Back in October 2024, the premiere of Re:Zero Season 3 was plagued by inaccurate subtitles, prompting swift corrections after fan outcry. A Reddit post from the past year also pointed to auto-generated closed captions for English dubs, resulting in nonsensical text in popular series like One Piece, Solo Leveling, and Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury.
Crunchyroll’s Stance on AI Subtitling
Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini has previously discussed the company’s interest in AI subtitling, telling The Verge that they are “very focused on testing subtitling and our closed captioning…How do we improve and optimize our processes where we can get the subtitles done in various languages across the world faster so that we can launch as close to the Japanese release as possible?”
While AI could potentially speed up the subtitling process, many fans fear it will come at the expense of accuracy and nuance. The recent Necronomico and the Cosmic Horror Show incident seems to confirm those fears, raising questions about Crunchyroll’s commitment to quality translations.
More Than Just Subtitles: Other Controversies
Crunchyroll has faced other criticisms, including removing comments from its platform and alleged mishandling of promotions for anime like Dandadan. The most notable incident involved voice actor David Wald, who quit after accusing the streamer of mishandling fan mail, an accusation Crunchyroll denied.
The anime community is watching closely to see how Crunchyroll responds to this latest controversy. Will they address the concerns about AI-generated subtitles and prioritize quality over speed?
Source: X (formerly Twitter)
Categories: Anime, Crunchyroll, Artificial Intelligence