Crunchyroll doesn't always have the rights to uncut simulcasts from Japan due to licensing complexities, as rights are often tied to different distributors, specific regions, or even different versions of a show acquired at different times. It's also possible they've licensed the content but have a contractual obligation to present a more heavily edited, "cut" version for their platform or to avoid geo-restrictions that may apply in certain regions, making the uncut version unavailable to them.
Reasons for lack of uncut rights
- Contractual limitations:
The rights to stream an anime can be sold to different entities for different territories or for different formats (e.g., broadcast, home video).
- Regional restrictions:
Licensing can be specific to regions, and Crunchyroll may not have the rights for all regions, including the uncut version for certain territories.
- Version differences:
There may be different versions of a show, with a less edited or "cut" version being the one Crunchyroll is licensed to show.
- Censorship concerns:
In some cases, a more censored version of a show might be licensed to avoid issues with content ratings or to meet the requirements of certain broadcasting or streaming platforms.
- Production committee agreements:
The rights to a show are managed by a production committee, and this committee may have negotiated separate deals with different companies for different rights, leading to the fragmentation of content rights.