People can watch any anime series whenever and wherever they want. Almost all animes are available in every country. But sometimes, an anime goes off the rails and has to be banned. And there are several animes that are banned in certain countries.

Surprising but true. It's just an animation, what harm can it do. Even so, some countries in the world have banned some anime shows in their region. Even children's shows like Pokémon are banned and the list is very long.

So, in this article, we will take a look at various animes that are banned in certain countries and find out the exact reason behind their ban.

Let's get started then.

Parasyte (Banned in China)

The popular seinen anime series Parasyte: The Maxim is known for its body horror themes and sci-fi elements. It was a huge hit when it first premiered. However, due to its dark themes, the show was banned in China.

China has been known to ban anime for a long time, and Parasyte is one of them. The exact reason behind Parasyte's ban has never been disclosed. But some journalists have proclaimed that it was banned due to the violence and bloodshed in the series.

Tokyo Ghoul (Banned in China and Russia)

One of the best-selling fantasy manga, Tokyo Ghoul was also banned in China and Russia for featuring several scenes of extensive violence and “crimes against public morality,” as reported by the media.

In China, some teenagers have started a dangerous trend of sewing thread and embroidery into their skin after being inspired by a Tokyo Ghoul character, Juzo Suzuya. To prevent more scenarios like this, the Chinese government has banned the adaptation of comic books and anime in their country.

High School DXD (Banned in New Zealand)

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

The plot of angels and demons did not please the people of New Zealand and they banned the program stating that it brings sexual content and nudity in all scenes, which is not a good indicator for their children.

Elfen Lied (Banned in China and Russia)

Elfen Lied is a dark fantasy anime series based on the interaction between humans and mutant species. It was a critically acclaimed series for its gripping storyline and relentless action. However, in 2021, Russia removed the series from some streaming sites due to age restrictions.

The reason given for this ban was extreme violence, nudity, and blood scenes that are not suitable for children. Elfen Lied also encountered the same situation in 2015 when the Chinese government banned this series from their country.

Kinnikuman (Banned in France)

A simple and decent story from the classic anime series Kinnikuman can also become a controversial topic, no one ever thought of that. But, it has become a heated topic in France over a particular character named Brocken Jr.

Brocken was portrayed as a “good Nazi” because he never held to any explicit beliefs. He was seen wearing a Nazi uniform, as his father was a German Nazi. But, all of these things seemed uncomfortable to many and as a result, he was banned in France.

In addition to France, his toys were never brought to the US and Nintendo also ignored him in several games related to the series. In the end, the manga had to change his design, leaving him without using swastikas.

Death Note (Banned in China and Russia)

Death Note is one of the best anime series ever made and almost everyone has watched this series, whether they are anime fans or not. However, countries like China and Russia did not appreciate the dark theme of Death Note and ended up banning this anime in their region.

The Russian jury said the show featured 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 have even claimed that children in China have started writing their teachers' names in notebooks because of their grudge against them. This action allegedly originated from the main character of Death Note, Light Yagami.

Attack On Titan (Banned in China)

Hajime Isayama's thrilling action anime series, Attack On Titan is a fan favorite for its never-ending series of action, drama, mystery, character development, and gruesome visuals of the so-called great giants, Titans.

However, this infamous series has been banned in China due to its disturbing visuals. China has proclaimed that the show depicts a lot of excessive violence and bloodshed, which is unhealthy for younger audiences and therefore makes it unavailable to its audience.

Record Of Ragnarok (banned in India)

Record of Ragnarok premiered this year in June as a Netflix original series produced by Studio Graphinica. The series was highly praised before its release but faced a huge backlash from Indian fans.

The show was criticized for presenting Lord Shiva in a very abrupt manner that did not please Indian anime fans. Many religious organizations in India raised their voice against the poor characterization of Shiva and as a result, Netflix India has banned the release of Record of Ragnarok in India.

Pokémon (Banned in Saudi Arabia)

Pokémon is being banned! It sounds hilarious, but it’s true. The seemingly simple children’s show, which can be watched by any age group, has been banned in Saudi Arabia due to a conspiracy surrounding the show’s theme.

The ban was implemented by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Religious Scholars, which viewed the Pokémon anime and game as a form of gambling, which is illegal in the country.

Furthermore, they claimed that the show promotes symbols of the Japanese Shinto religion and Christianity, which was too Zionist for them. It is worrying that Pokémon was banned in Saudi Arabia.

Shoujo Tsubaki (Banned everywhere)

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

The film depicted child sexual abuse and unbearable gore. Many viewers claimed to be traumatized by the horrific and disturbing visuals of the show. It became such a nightmare that many people destroyed tapes of the film.

Ultimately, the film was banned in almost every country, including Japan.

With that, our list of '10 anime banned in certain countries' comes to an end. We hope you enjoyed 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 otaku friends so we can create more exciting anime articles like this.