Published on February 27th, 2023

During the modern era, otaku culture has become pretty bold. Now, anime is not shy of depicting anything too controversial in the eyes of the masses. Some countries took it upon themselves to ban some series, preventing people from watching things they shouldn’t be watching (according to censorship board). That time Russia banned live-action because it was too gruesome, and also, when a U. S. Politician tried to ban an anime because of its s*xual content, we saw it all. So, here we shall discuss the 15 anime series considered too sensitive by country’s officials for their citizens, so they banned them.

Here are the 15 anime series banned in different parts of the world. We shall also see why these series were banned.

Shojo Tsubaki

• Country: Almost every country in the world.
• Reason for being banned: Gruesome/S*xual Content, P*dophilia.

Shojo Tsubaki tells us the story of Midori, a high school girl whose mother died when Midori was in high school and now, to make ends meet, she has to work in a circus. In this circus, everything is messed up. Midori has to suffer daily because of the acts the circus staff order her to do. She is abused physically and mentally, and she has no escape. One day, a dwarf offers Midori a choice to escape this hell hole and live happily with him. Will this change Midori’s fate, and will she find happiness?!

The reason Shojo Tsubaki is banned almost everywhere in the world is self-explanatory. It has g*re, which almost feels like a taboo. When you see a little girl being abused both physically and s*xually, this makes you creep out and not watch it anymore! So, it’s best to avoid this series, even if you find it somehow on the internet.

Record of Ragnarok

• Country: India
• Reason for being banned: Their God is not depicted correctly

“Record of Ragnarok” follows the story of humanity’s last chance for survival. Every 1,000 years, the gods of various mythologies hold a tournament called Ragnarok, where they pit their strongest warriors against humanity’s champions in a one-on-one battle to determine the fate of humanity. The series focuses on a team of human champions with unique strengths and abilities as they prepare to face off against the gods in a battle for the ages.

The ban on the Record of Ragnarok in India was pretty obvious because it shows one of the Gods of Hinduism, Shiva, as a free-spirited deity who is laughing most of the time. The President of the Universal Society of Hinduism banned this anime for disrespecting their diety in the anime series. The series was even removed from Netflix India.

Attack on Titan

• Country: China
• Reason for being banned: Too gruesome for children

Attack on Titan is set in a world where humanity lives inside cities surrounded by three enormous walls that protect them from the gigantic man-eating humanoids referred to as Titans; the story follows Eren Yeager, who vows to exterminate the Titans after a Titan brings about the destruction of his hometown and the death of his mother.

Attack on Titan is the most popular anime series right now on MAL, and it is entering its climax with its last season in a few days. It is banned in China because of the g*re and bloodshed present in it, which is too sensitive for children. It was banned in 2015 in China after the second season, along with 30 other anime series (Death Note, High School DxD, etc.), which shows that it was not banned because it is an evil series, but because China has stringent regulations regarding digital media.

Hetalia: Axis Power

• Country: South Korea
• Reason for being banned: Offensive Image of the Country

Hetalia: Axis Power occurs in a post-World War II setting where characters impersonate different countries. It features anthropomorphic representations of various countries and historical events. The show portrays the interactions between these characters in a comedic and often satirical manner, often using exaggerated stereotypes of their respective cultures and national identities.

Hetalia: Axis Powers was banned in South Korea because of its controversial image in the series. South Korea was a man in the show who was pretty friendly with Japan, which was pretty offensive for some Korean viewers, as after World War II, Japan and Korea split. They didn’t have that much of a good history, which was not depicted correctly in the show. The show removed South Korea from the series, but that was not enough, so South Korea banned the whole series.

Kinnikuman

• Country: France.
• Reason for being banned: Wrong Image of Na*i.

Kinnikuman follows the adventures of a clumsy superhero wrestler named Kinnikuman, also known as Suguru Kinniku. Alongside his fellow “Choujin” wrestlers, Kinnikuman battles evil forces and saves the world from destruction. The series is known for its humorous tone, action-packed storylines, and over-the-top wrestling moves.

Kinnikuman was banned for a very trivial reason in France. A character in the series named Brocken Jr. wore a Na*i uniform. While the character did not subscribe to Na*i beliefs and was portrayed as sympathetic, Na*i imagery was still deemed inappropriate and offensive. For this reason, France banned this anime in the country, and this character of controversy even went out as merchandise because of the whole Na*i controversy.

Pokémon

• Country: Saudia Arabia.
• Reason for being banned: Promoting Christianity and Zionism

“Pokémon” follows the adventures of a young boy named Ash Ketchum as he sets out on a journey to become a Pokemon Master. Along the way, he befriends various Pokemon and battles other trainers to strengthen his skills and capture new creatures. With the help of his loyal Pikachu, Ash travels across various regions of the Pokemon world, encountering new challenges and making new friends.

Pokémon recently just completed its anime after 25 years. It was banned in Saudia Arabia for some pretty strange reasons. It was more so the card game of Pokémon, which led to the series being banned as it involved gambling among people using cards. Also, Saudia Arabia’s officials declared this series to promote Christianity for some reason, which no one can specify why.

Inuyashiki: Last hero

• Country: Russia
• Reason for being banned: Lack of Age Restriction

Inuyashiki follows Ichiro Inuyashiki, a middle-aged man diagnosed with cancer who feels disconnected from his family and society. One night, he is suddenly transformed into a cyborg with superhuman abilities. Alongside another young cyborg named Hiro, Inuyashiki navigates his new powers and decides to use them to help others, becoming a reluctant hero. However, Hiro’s motivations are more sinister, and the two cyborgs are on a collision course with each other.

Inuyashiki was banned in Russia because the series had no age restriction, despite its g*re. The ban was reportedly imposed by the Russian government’s Roskomnadzor agency, which regulates media and communications in the country, in 2018. Fortunately, the ban was lifted when the series added an age restriction.

Kodomo no Jikan

• Country: The United States of America.
• Reason for being Banned: P*dophilia.

Kodomo no Jikan follows the story of Daisuke Aoki, a new elementary school teacher assigned to teach a class of third-grade students, including Rin Kokonoe, a young girl who develops a crush on him. The series explores the themes of love, sexuality, and personal growth.

The synopsis of Kodomo no Jikan is enough to explain why this anime series is banned in some areas of the world. It is also an ecchi anime, so it shows the n*dity of a little girl, which crosses the line of p*dophilia in many ways. Interestingly, the source of this anime series (the manga) was serialized. Still, after this controversy, the serialization of it was cancelled, which means that the physical volumes of this series are no longer being printed.

High School DxD

• Country: New Zealand
• Reason for being banned: Explicit N*dity

High School DxD follows the story of a perverted high school student named Issei Hyodo, who is killed by a girl on his first date but is revived by a devil named Rias Gremory. Issei is then recruited into Rias’ devil clan, where he becomes a devil and starts attending Kuoh Academy, a school for humans and supernatural creatures. As Issei learns more about the world of devils, angels, and fallen angels, he gets involved in dangerous battles and romantic entanglements while trying to protect his friends and uncover the truth about his powers.

High School DxD is a borderline anime-h*ntai series with explicit n*dity and is not considered healthy for young adults. New Zealand had the same perspective, and the country’s Office of Film and Literature Classification banned this anime series in 2013. This ban is still functional in this country.

How not to Summon a Demon Lord

• Country: Australia
• Reason for being banned: Explicit N*dity

 follows the story of Sakamoto Takuma, a teenage boy who spends most of his time playing the game “Cross Reverie” and has become a master of it. One day, he was suddenly reincarnated into the world of this game by two females, “Shera” and “Rem”, who wanted to enslave Takuma after summoning him. Being the strongest player in the game results in the reversal of their Enslavement spell, and now, both these girls are slaves to our protagonist. So, the life of our protagonist starts as he tries to break their Enslavement spell and travel to the new world he was transported into.

Like High School DxD, this anime also features some borderline anime-h*ntai scenes that are too sensitive for young minds. Australia also has a rigid censor board, so censoring this show wouldn’t have done anything, as the n*dity scenes are very accessible in this show. The Australian Classification Board banned this series in 2019.

Crayon Shin-Chan

• Country: India
• Reason for being banned: Bad influence on children, N*dity

“Crayon Shin-chan” follows the adventures of a mischievous and crude kindergartener named Shinnosuke Nohara, also known as Shin-chan. The series is known for its humorous and satirical take on modern Japanese society and features a wide cast of characters, including Shin-chan’s family, friends, and neighbours. The show follows Shin-chan as he navigates everyday life, often getting into trouble with his antics and unconventional behaviour.

Crayon Shin-chan was banned in India because it depicted themes parents thought were bad for their children. This show violated India’s Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act and was banned in 2008. Fortunately, this ban was short-lived, and the anime returned to India after a year, heavily censored and edited.

Tokyo Ghoul

• Country: Russia
• Reason for being banned: Cannibalism, G*re.

“Tokyo Ghoul” follows Kaneki Ken, a college student who becomes a half-ghoul after encountering a female ghoul. As Kaneki navigates the dangerous world of ghouls and humans, he struggles to come to terms with his new identity while facing various enemies, including rival ghouls, human investigators, and influential organizations.

Tokyo Ghoul was banned because of its gore and also because of the cannibalism scenes that take place in some of its episodes. This ban was imposed by Russia’s St. Petersburg court system, which urged that this series is not suitable for the brains of ordinary, sane people. The anime fans in Russia did not appreciate the ban on this anime as they considered this act “too ironic“.

Death Note

• Country: China
• Reason for being banned: Bad influence on children.

“Death Note” follows the story of a high school student named Light Yagami, who discovers a mysterious notebook that grants him the power to kill anyone whose name he writes in it. Light becomes obsessed with using the notebook to rid the world of criminals, and he soon attracts the attention of a brilliant detective known only as L, who is determined to stop him. How will this crime fiction end?

Death Note was banned in China, specifically in the Guangzhou province of China, because of a particular act. The children in high schools of this province were creating “Death Note” labelled books and writing the names of students they didn’t like. This started to scare some students, which led to the province banning this series. Death Note is not entirely banned in China.

Voltes V

• Country: The Philippines
• Reason for being banned: Promotes Violence.

“Voltes V” follows the story of the Voltes V team, a group of young pilots who must protect the Earth from the evil Boazanian empire. Led by Kenichi, the team pilots five powerful machines that combine to form the giant robot Voltes V. Together, they battle against Boazanian forces, which are led by Prince Zardoz and his minions, and defend the planet from destruction.

Voltes V ban was probably the most interesting of these series on this list. The series aired in the 1970s in Japan and also in The Philippines. It gained very high popularity in The Philippines, which was considered “dangerous” by Ferdinand Marcos, the President of The Philippines at the time. He imposed a ban on this series during that time, and after his presidency ended, the ban was lifted, and this series became a phenomenon in The Philippines. Ferdinand’s ban on this series is now considered a symbol of free speech.

Kite

• Country: Norway
• Reason for being banned: S*xual and Violent Content.

“Kite” follows the story of Sawa, a young girl who was orphaned and taken in by a corrupt detective. Sawa is trained by the detective to become an assassin and uses her skills to track down and eliminate criminals. Along the way, she meets a young man named Oburi, who also has a tragic past and a desire for revenge. Together, they seek to unravel the mystery behind their shared past and take down those who have wronged them.

Kite was a two-episode OVA series, and despite being so short, it was banned in Norway because it violated the law of Child S*xual Assault Material (CSAM). It was banned in Norway in the late 1990s because of the gore and s*xual content present in the series. The ban was lifted in 2003, but no one has made any moves to promote this series in Norway because of how controversial it is considered in this country.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think some of the reasons these bans were inducted seem overkill? Let us know in the comments down below. We here at Anime Senpai would love to know what you think.

Source: Sportskeeda