Japanese Streaming Service Sparks Controversy After Announcing ability to Skip Anime Openings and Endings

A Japanese streaming service has found itself in controversy after announcing a new feature that Crunchyroll and Netflix have had for a long time: the ability to skip anime openings and endings.

On November 27, dAnimeStore announced that viewers could now skip both opening and ending sequences in anime episodes.

As you can see in the screenshot above, the post reached nearly 10 million views, as some Japanese fans consider this feature a huge sign of disrespect toward the creators who worked on the opening and ending animations.

Let’s take a look at some reactions:

“Weak, cowardly, shameful, pathetic, powerless, useless, spineless, a man without honor.”
“If it doesn’t skip automatically, then it’s fine.”
“Anyone who uses this should leave the anime club.”
“If you cut OP, ED, commercials, transformation scenes and previews, a 30-minute episode of Precure becomes 16 minutes.”
“People who use this are basically saying: ‘I’m a dopamine-addicted Gen Z kid who can’t stand even 3 minutes of a 25-minute episode.’”
“A feature made for dopamine-addicted children.”
“I just complained about Netflix skipping credits automatically, and now this? At least leave it off by default, please!”
“I hate war and I hate people who skip OP/ED in anime.”
“Skipping OP/ED is like not saying ‘itadakimasu’ and ‘gochisousama,’ my grandma used to say.”

“I love dAnime, but this I cannot forgive.”
“I’d rather they add a ‘go back 5 seconds’ button. 10 seconds is too much.”
“OP and ED require more artistic sense than the episode itself. People who skip them are missing out on life.”
“dAnime, come to the teachers’ office after class.”
“Please don’t do this. It’s shameful, pathetic, and disrespectful to everyone involved.”
“If someone wants to skip OP/ED, let them, but I want an option where the button doesn’t show up at all. Just don’t put a giant button on the screen like Netflix and Amazon.”
“The ending is necessary, whether in anime or drama. It’s where the staff credits appear. It’s not a matter of culture.”
“It’s simple: I don’t skip, so you can’t skip either.”
“It annoys me when Prime Video cuts the ED automatically as soon as it starts.”

Another group of commenters didn’t understand the controversy:

“Gross otaku raging over this is ridiculous. If you don’t use it, fine. Chill.”
“This became a controversy? I thought: it’s already Reiwa, right? But I checked the comments and… how is this a fight? We’re in Reiwa!”
“They’re really complaining about this? Did you guys watch the One Piece opening 1000 times?”
“If it’s optional, what’s the problem? Amazon can go to hell.”
“Openings and endings are from the era of watching anime on TV. They don’t fit streaming. Why do they still exist?”

“It makes no sense, just don’t use it. Some people act like anime producers and want to force others to watch everything.”
“If it were automatic, then it’d make sense to complain, but this is optional.”
“People in this country always complain about everything.”
“If Amazon skips the ED automatically, that’s worth criticizing.”
“You can turn it on and off, no need to freak out, filthy otaku.”
“Every platform already has this, why complain now?”
“People who watch anime have some kind of mental issue?”
“You just need to not use it, what’s the problem?”

Isn’t it curious how a simple skip opening and ending feature creates a war among Japanese viewers, while in the West it’s considered completely normal?