10 Popular Anime That Are Banned In Certain Countries And Why

With the rise of streaming platforms, people can now watch almost any anime series whenever and wherever they want. Nearly every anime produced in Japan is available in most countries, but sometimes, an anime goes so far off track that it needs to be prohibited in certain regions.

It may come as a surprise, but it’s true. It’s just animation—what harm could it do? Yet, some countries have banned certain anime series. In this article, we’ll explore some of these anime and examine the reasons behind their prohibition. So, let’s dive in!

Parasyte (Banned In China)

The popular Seinen anime series, Parasyte: The Maxim is well-known for its body horror theme and sci-fi elements. It was a big hit when premiered for the first time. But, due to its obscure theme, the show got banned from China.

China is famous for banning anime for a long time, and Parasyte is one of them. The exact reason behind the ban of Parasyte was never made public. But, some journalists proclaimed that it was prohibited due to violence and bloodshed in the series.

Tokyo Ghoul (Banned In China & Russia)

One of the best selling fantasy manga, Tokyo Ghoul also got banned from China and Russia as it showcased several scenes of extensive violence and “crimes against public morality”, as reported by the media.

In China, some teenagers started a dangerous trend of sewing threads and embroidery into their skin after getting inspired by a Tokyo Ghoul character, Juzo Suzuya. In order to prevent more scenarios like this, the Chinese Government banned both graphic novel and anime adaptation in their country.

High School DXD (Banned In New Zealand)

Not a surprising name in this list, High School DXD is popular among teenagers and adults as well for its harem fantasy theme and sexually appealing scenes. The show is about Issei Hyodo who gets killed on his first date and then reincarnated as a demon.

The plot of angels and demons didn’t suit the taste of the people of New Zealand and they banned the show stating that it features sexual content and nudity in every scene which is not a good indicator for their kids.

Elfen Lied (Banned In China & Russia)

Elfen Lied is a dark fantasy anime series based on the interaction between human beings and mutant species. It was a critically hit series for its edging storyline and ruthless action. But, in 2021, Russia took down this series from certain streaming websites because of age restrictions.

The reason given behind this ban was extreme violence, nudity and gore scenes which are not suitable for a child. Elfen Lied encountered the same situation in 2015 as well when the Chinese Government banned this series from their country.

Kinnikuman (Banned In France)

A simple and decent looking story of classic anime series Kinnikuman can also become a matter of controversy, no one ever thought about it. But, it became a heated topic in France on a particular character named Brocken Jr.

Brocken was portrayed as a “good Nazi” because he never cling to explicit beliefs. He was seen wearing a Nazi uniform as his father was a German Nazi. But, all these things seemed to be uncomfortable for many and as a result, it was prohibited from France.

Other than France, his toys were never brought to the USA and Nintendo also ignored him in various games related to the series. In the end, the manga had to change his design, with him no longer wearing swastikas.

Death Note (Banned In China & Russia)

Death Note is one of the best anime series ever made and almost everyone has watched this series, whether they’re an anime fan or not. But countries like China and Russia didn’t appreciate the dark theme of Death Note and ultimately banned this anime in their region.

The jury of Russia stated that the show features cruelty, murder and violence in every episode. They said the show is about death, justice, brutality and sadism that can have a corrupting influence on a child’s mind.

Some reports even claimed that the kids in China started writing the names of their teachers in the notebook because of the grudge against them. This action was allegedly originated from the main character of Death Note, Light Yagami.

Attack On Titan (Banned In China)

The thrilling action anime series by Hajime Isayama, Attack On Titan is a favorite of many fans for its unending series of action, drama, mystery, character development and horrifying visuals of the so-called big giants, Titans.

But, this infamous series is banned in China due to its disturbing visuals. China proclaimed that the show illustrates a lot of excessive violence and bloodshed which is unhealthy for the younger audience and thus, making it unavailable for their audience.

Record Of Ragnarok (Banned In India)

Record of Ragnarok premiered in June 2021 as a Netflix original series produced by Studio Graphinica. The series was very hyped before its release but it suffered a major backlash from the Indian fans.

The show was criticised for presenting Lord Shiva in a very abrupt manner which was not liked by the Indian anime fans. Many religious organizations from India raised their voice against the bad characterization of Shiva and as a result, Netflix India prohibited the release of Record of Ragnarok in India.

Pokèmon (Banned In Saudi Arabia)

Pokemon getting banned! Sounds hilarious, but that’s true. The simple-looking kid show that can be watched by any age group got banned in Saudi Arabia due to a conspiracy surrounding the theme of the show.

The ban was implemented by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Religious Scholars who saw the Pokemon anime & game as a form of gambling, which is illegal in the country.

Moreover, they claimed that the show promotes symbols of Shinto Japanese religion and Christianity which was too Zionist for them. As a matter of concern, Pokemon was banned from Saudi Arabia.

Shoujo Tsubaki (Banned Everywhere)

Shoujo Tsubaki is a 1992 anime film about a young girl whose life changes completely after her father lefts and mother dies. It was one of the most controversial anime movies at that time because of its dark, depressing and intense storyline.

The movie portrayed child sexual abuse and unbearable bloody scenes. Many viewers claimed to be traumatized by the horrifying and disturbing visuals of the show. It became such a nightmare that many people destroyed the tapes of this film.

At last, the movie got banned from almost every country including Japan as well.

With this, our list of ’10 anime banned in certain countries’ comes to an end. We hope you liked it. Let us know in the comments section, which anime is banned in your region and for what reason.

And don’t forget to share this article with your fellow otaku friends so that we’ll come up with more exciting anime articles like this one.