by Even with the increasing availability of anime, it is still not possible to view it all at once everywhere. Certain anime may be difficult to locate because to bans in your area.
Why would an anime be banned in a nation? It was deemed offensive to certain cultures. India takes issue with how the Hindu god Shiva is portrayed in the Ragnarok Record. At other instances, some think the anime is excessively graphic. For instance, a number of anime series, such as Tokyo Ghoul, Death Note, and Attack on Titan, have been outlawed in China because of their graphic violence. In fact, Shoujo Tsubaki, a very contentious anime, was outlawed in Japan.
Continue reading to find out which anime has been outlawed in different nations.
Shoujo Tsubaki
Where in Japan Is It Banned?
What It Concerns: Midori, twelve, is tricked into going on a roadside freak show. She is mistreated by both her employer and her boss, and is made to perform arduous and demeaning duties. She has a romantic involvement with illusionist Wonder Masamitsu, whom she believes has the potential to transform her life, after he joins the group.
Why It’s Banned: Anime is rarely prohibited in its home nation. Although it’s somewhat of a cult classic, Shoujo Tsubaki is not for the weak of heart. In one especially unsettling incident, Midori is made to see a guy murdering many puppies. Then he assaults her sexually. This is only one of the film’s numerous gory and violent sequences.
Kite
Wherever in Norway it is Banned
What It’s About: Kite follows Sawa, an adolescent orphan who is adopted by a detective following the murder of her parents. Rather than giving her a secure place to live, the investigator trains her to be an assassin. The anime focuses on Sawa’s efforts to leave this awful way of life.
Why It’s Banned: A particularly disturbing scene shows a youngster being sexually assaulted. This would be considered child pornography in Norway. It is not allowed to be screened or sold anywhere in the nation. Due to limited printing or extensive editing, Kite is still hard to purchase even though it isn’t strictly prohibited in many other countries.
Pokémon
Wherever in Saudi Arabia it is banned
What It’s About: People spend their entire lives trying to comprehend, bond with, and prepare the Pokémon that live in this world for combat. Ash Ketchum’s goal is to become a Pokémon Master, which entails obtaining every Pokémon species and triumphing in numerous competitions.
Why It’s Banned: The Pokémon card game was outlawed in Saudi Arabia in 2001. In 2016, the restriction was reexamined to incorporate the well-known mobile game Pokémon Go, which entails locating Pokémon in actual locations. Authorities in Saudi Arabia view the franchise as anti-Islamic and as encouraging gambling.
Record of Ragnarok
Where India Has Banned It
What It’s About: Gods from all throughout the world are coming together to decide whether or not to allow humanity to carry on. One of the 13 Valkyries, Brunhilde, proposes a tournament in which the most formidable human fighters compete against the gods to be the ones who survive. It is Brunhilde’s responsibility to choose the appropriate lineup from the records of human history.
The reason it’s banned is that the series features gods from many different civilizations, notably Shiva, the Hindu god. American Hindu activist Rajan Zed encouraged Warner Bros. Japan to reevaluate the representation of Shiva after objecting to what he saw to be a disrespectful portrayal. “Outraging the religious feelings of any class of [citizens of India]” with “deliberate and malicious intention” is illegal, as stated in Section 295(A) of the Indian Penal Code. For this, foreign parties are still accountable.
In response, Netflix withdrew Record of Ragnarok from Indian streaming services but left it up elsewhere. “We at Netflix respect all religions, communities, and their cultures and traditions,” the firm added in an email to Zed. None of the stories on our platform are meant to offend or offend members of any community or organization.
Attack on Titan
Where China Has Banned It
What It’s About: Eren Jaeger and his pals are imprisoned behind a wall that shields them from enormous, human-eating beasts known as Titans, yet they are terribly eager to see the rest of the world. They choose to enlist in the Survey Corps, an organization tasked with eliminating the animals, when the wall is breached. Eren and his company were mistaken to believe that the world was the same, and that the Titans were hiding some horrifying secrets.
Why It’s Banned: China banned 38 anime and manga series in 2015, including Attack on Titan. The Chinese Ministry said that “scenes of violence, p*rnography, terrorism, and crimes against public morality” were among the shows that were banned. The incredibly violent television show Attack on Titan has gory scenes of victims being eaten alive.
Kinnikuman
Wherever in France it is banned
The plot revolves around Kinnikuman, a superhero who isn’t very skilled at what he does. When he finds out he’s truly the prince of an other world, the pressure mounts. He has to compete in tournaments and defeat numerous opponents to establish his value.
Why It’s Banned: The series was outlawed in France in 1990 due to a portrayal of a guy by the name of Brocken Jr. as a “good Nazi.” A military uniform featuring a swastika was part of his design; however, the uniform was eventually modified, probably as a result of the controversy it generated. Although ancient Buddhist iconography is a common use of swastikas in anime, this was obviously not the original purpose. Just 49 of Kinnikuman’s 109 episodes were shown in France because to Brocken Jr.
Puni Puni Poemy
Where in New Zealand Is It Banned?
The story revolves around 10-year-old Poemy Watanabe, who aspires to be a voice actor. She lacks any talents, so these aspirations appear pretty unattainable. Her existence, however, is turned upside down when she gains magical abilities due to an extraterrestrial invasion.
Why It’s Banned: Because the character in question is just ten years old, the miniseries features sexual content with a minor, which goes beyond the typical fan service found in anime. The series was outlawed because it encourages “the exploitation of children and young persons for sexual purposes,” according to the New Zealand Classification Office.
In 2021, the prohibition was lifted in response to a public review request. Puni Puni Poemy is rated R16 as of 2024, which means viewers in New Zealand under the age of 16 are not permitted to see it.
Excel Saga
Where in Japan Is It Banned?
What It’s About: Il Palazzo is the head of ACROSS, a group determined to rule the entire planet. Realizing that this is easier said than done, he chooses to begin with Fukuoka. He enlists the sickly Hyatt and the energetic Excel to help him with this endeavor. But the likelihood of the two of them messing things up is much higher than the likelihood of them making any progress, and they’ll do it in the most absurd way imaginable.
Why It’s Banned: The majority of Excel Saga is acceptable viewing in Japan, but the creators’ decision to make the final episode too long, pornographic, and violent broke broadcast regulations, so it was not allowed to show. Although it wasn’t broadcast on TV, the episode was sold on DVD. It was ironic that the title, “Going Too Far,” perfectly captured the creators’ aims.
Tokyo Ghoul
Where China and Russia Have Banned It
What It’s About: College student Ken Kaneki wakes up in the hospital with ghoul organs grafted into his body after a disastrous date. As a result, he becomes half-ghoul and must consume human flesh in order to live. He flees to Anteiku, an organization that provides ghouls with a peaceful manner of obtaining sustenance. But there is a real threat to the ghoul community from all directions, so Kaneki will need to change quickly.
Why It’s Banned: Tokyo Ghoul was prohibited in Russia in 2021 along with several other series, such as Inuyashiki and Death Note. As per the St. Petersburg Court System, “Cruelty, murder, and violence are present in every episode.” Although it’s unclear which series this comment was made in reference to, Tokyo Ghoul fits that description quite well.
Because of the series’ severe violence, which goes against Chinese public morality, China banned the entire production.
How Not to Summon A Demon Lord Omega
Where Australia Has Banned It
What It’s About: Takuma Sakamoto, a shut-in gamer, gets called to an MMORPG in the guise of Diablo, a Demon King. His summoners almost sell him into slavery, but he ends up becoming their master. Their efforts to revoke the contract are the main focus of the first season. Diablo gets confused for a god in the second season, Omega.
The Australian Classification Board rated the series RC, meaning that it “refused classification,” which is the reason it is banned. It cannot, therefore, be imported or sold into Australia. Technically speaking, the series is still accessible in Australia due to a loophole that allows streaming. The board gave no explanation for the prohibition.
Mr. Osomatsu
Where in Japan Is It Banned?
What It’s About: The Matsuno sextuplets’ situation is not good. They are all in their 20s, yet none of them have a job, are enrolled in school, or have a girlfriend. This humorous series mixes between real comments on the lives of young Japanese people and absurdist humor.
Why It’s Banned: Due to copyright violations, the first episode of Mr. Osomatsu was taken down from most sites. It has a plethora of anime parodies, ranging from Yowamushi Pedal to Naruto. While fair use might allow for this in the US, copyright laws in Japan are more restrictive.
Death Note
Where China & Russia Have Banned It
What It’s About: Light Yagami, a teenage boy, discovers a notebook that has the power to kill the lives of anyone whose name is written in it. Using this, he resolves to eradicate crime and elevate himself to the status of a deity. But first, he has to outwit “L,” the greatest investigator in the world.
Why It’s Banned: Middle school kids were found writing the names of their instructors and classmates in notebooks that were meant to resemble Light’s. This led to the first restrictions, which were imposed in 2005 by the school board in Shenyang, China. The board was concerned that this could threaten the students’ physical and mental well-being. Cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Lanzhou quickly felt the effects of the prohibition. The Chinese Ministry of Culture banned Death Note in 2015 for the entire country.
Russia forbade the series outright as well.
