Crunchyroll News: Dragon Ball Franchise Comes To The UK, Samsung App Launches

The world of international liscencing is a peculiar thing. While streaming sites may be available worlwide, availability of titles varies from region to region to for rights reasons. Fans in the UK have long grumbled that numerous titles availble on Crunchyroll in the US are not available in the UK. One of the most notable absences is about to be rectified as Crunchyroll have announced that the entire Dragon Ball saga is to be finally available on Crunchyroll in the United Kingdom (and France).

Dragon Ball Super is already available in the UK with subtitles, but soon all five series, comprising over 800 episodes will be available to subscribers. The original Dragon Ball series (153 episodes) is scheduled from February 9, with both English-dubbed and subtitled versions. The 291-episode Dragon Ball Z will be available from March 1, Dragon Ball GT (64 episodes) will arrive on March 15 and Dragon Ball Kai (167 episodes) will stream from March 29.

The Dragon Ball phenomenon started nearly 40 years ago, but if anything it seems more popular than ever. Akira Toriyama's magnum opus follows the adventures of Son Goku from childhood, into adulthood and eventually into being a grandfather- and then back into being a kid again in Dragon Ball GT.

Adapted from one of the best selling manga of all time, the franchise has spawned five TV series (with another. Dragon Ball Daima, on the way) 21 movies and numerous video games.

In other Crunchyroll news, the streaming site has announced that it is finally coming to Samsung Smart TVs. It will allow Samsung users around the world the chance to enjoy the largest library of anime directly on their screens without need for additional devices.

Users in the United States will be able to download the app now, with international users able to gain access by the end of the week. Subscribers will have access to Crunchyroll's extensive library, which features over 46,000 episodes and movies, 3,300 Japanese music videos and access to the latest shows on demand, immediately after Japanese broadcast. Many shows are available with a choice of subtitles or dubs in more than 12 local languages including English, Spanish (Latin America and Spain/Castilian), Portuguese, French, German, Arabic, Italian, Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil.

"Anime is one of the fastest-growing entertainment mediums worldwide. We're thrilled to enhance access to Crunchyroll for Samsung's Smart TV users. Samsung is providing a seamless experience for both dedicated anime fans and the anime-curious, allowing them to easily sign up and access their favourite anime directly on their TV screens,” said Kaliel Roberts, Chief Product Officer at Crunchyroll.

The app will be compatible with all Samsung Smart TVs made between 2017-2023. Crunchyroll is already available on numerous other brands of Smart TV, plus desktop, iOS and Android Devices, Xbox, Playstation and Nintendo Switch Consoles, Amazon devices, Google devices and Roku.