People can watch any anime series whenever and wherever they want. Almost all anime are available in every country. But sometimes an anime goes off the rails and needs 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 around the world have banned certain 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 several 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 and science fiction elements. It was a huge hit when it first premiered. However, due to its dark subject matter, the show was banned in China.

China has long been known for banning anime, and Parasyte is one of them. The exact reason behind Parasyte's ban has never been revealed. However, some journalists claimed it was banned due to the series' violence and bloodshed.

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 started a dangerous trend of sewing thread and embroidering on their skin after being inspired by Tokyo Ghoul character Juzo Suzuya. To prevent further scenarios like this, the Chinese government banned the adaptation of comic books and anime in the country.

High School DXD (Banned in New Zealand)

Not a surprising addition to this list, High School DXD is popular among teens and adults alike for its harem fantasy theme and sexually charged scenes. The show centers on 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 claiming that it contains 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 critical success 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 that it contained extreme violence, nudity, and scenes of blood, making it unsuitable for children. Elfen Lied also faced the same situation in 2015, when the Chinese government banned the series in its country.

Kinnikuman (Banned in France)

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

Brocken was portrayed as a "good Nazi" because he never held to 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.

Besides 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, removing the swastikas.

Death Note (Banned in China and Russia)

Death Note is one of the best anime series ever made, and almost everyone has watched it, whether they're anime fans or not. But countries like China and Russia didn't appreciate Death Note's dark themes and ended up banning it in their regions.

The Russian jury found 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 claim that children in China began writing their teachers' names in notebooks out of resentment toward them. This action allegedly originated with Death Note's main character, 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 was banned in China due to its disturbing visuals. China has declared that the show depicts 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 significant backlash from Indian fans.

The show was criticized for presenting Lord Shiva in a very abrupt way that displeased Indian anime fans. Many religious organizations in India spoke out against Shiva's poor portrayal, 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, was 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 program promotes symbols of the Japanese Shinto religion and Christianity, which they found too Zionist. It's concerning 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 program's horrific and disturbing visuals. It became such a nightmare that many people destroyed their tapes.

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 why.

And don't forget to share this article with your otaku friends so we can create more exciting anime articles like this.