Psycho-Pass presents a world where an AI system constantly scans citizens' mental states for criminal intent. China reportedly banned the series due to its themes of state surveillance and rebellion against an authoritarian government. The show's graphic violence and its challenge to a ruling power's legitimacy were likely also contributing factors. | © Crunchyroll
Midori: The Girl in the Freak Show is one of the most infamous anime ever made, known for its extreme and graphic content. The story follows a young girl who joins a circus, but this is no ordinary troupe: the performers subject her to constant physical and sexual abuse. Its sheer depravity pushed the limits of the medium, leading to its ban in multiple countries. | © Cinelicious Pics
Mr. Osomatsu follows the Matsuno sextuplets, six identical brothers in their twenties who are all spectacularly unsuccessful at life. The show's very first episode landed it in hot water for its rampant parody of other major anime series, such as Naruto. Japanese copyright law is notoriously strict, leading to the episode's removal from most official platforms in the country. | © Crunchyroll
Hetalia: Axis Powers personifies World War II nations as bickering characters, giving a deeply dark chapter of history an absurdly lighthearted tone. Countries like Italy and Germany are depicted as jovial, fun-loving figures, which many found deeply offensive. South Korea, in particular, banned the series for turning its national suffering during the war into a series of shallow jokes. | © Crunchyroll
High School DxD is a flagship series in the ecchi genre, renowned for its explicit sexual humour and fan service. While not as dark as other banned anime, its content is far from innocent, focusing heavily on sexualized high school characters. This explicit portrayal led countries like New Zealand to ban the series outright. | © Crunchyroll
How Not to Summon a Demon Lord follows a shut-in gamer who gets summoned to a fantasy world as an overpowered Demon King. Australia's Classification Board refused to rate the series, effectively banning its sale and import. The board didn't specify its reasons, but the show's frequent sexual situations and themes of magical enslavement were almost certainly contributing factors. | © Crunchyroll
Puni Puni Poemy is a chaotic spin-off where a 10-year-old girl gains magical powers to fight aliens. New Zealand outright banned the series for its sexualized depiction of its underage main character, stating it supported the exploitation of children. While the ban was lifted in 2021, the show still carries a strict R16 rating there. | © ADV Films
Kite tells the grim story of Sawa, a teenage girl trained as an assassin by the detective who took her in. A particularly graphic scene depicting the sexual assault of a minor led Norway to ban the film, classifying it as child pornography. While not universally banned, its content has also led to heavily censored versions and limited availability in many other countries. | © Media Blasters
Pokémon is the highest-grossing media franchise ever, a global powerhouse of games, anime, and movies. Despite its worldwide fame, it faced bans across several Middle Eastern countries, like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, in the early 2000s. Authorities there alleged the series promoted Zionism and gambling, leading to a prohibition that remains in place in some nations today. | © The Pokémon Company International
Kinnikuman is a massive wrestling anime that faced an unexpected ban in France. The issue was a character named Brocken Jr., who wore a uniform covered in swastikas and was modeled after a Nazi soldier. This blatant use of forbidden symbols violated France's strict anti-hate laws, getting the series pulled from broadcast. | © 4Kids Entertainment
Tokyo Ghoul is a cult classic famous for its intensely graphic and frequent depictions of violence. This extreme content led Russia to ban the series in 2021, with courts claiming its gratuitous nature could inspire teenagers to recreate its scenes. This reasoning mirrors the long-debated and largely unfounded argument that video games cause real-world violence. | © Crunchyroll
Attack on Titan is a global phenomenon built on themes of violent revolution and rebelling against oppressive world powers. This core message of overthrowing authority led to its ban in China, which cited both its graphic violence and its dangerous political undertones. Russia also prohibited the series for similar reasons, viewing its revolutionary narrative as a threat. | © Crunchyroll
Record of Ragnarok pits legendary gods from various mythologies against history's greatest humans in epic one-on-one duels. While not officially banned everywhere, it was pulled from Netflix India due to its controversial depiction of the Hindu god Shiva. The creative liberties taken with this major deity were deemed deeply disrespectful, leading to its removal. | © Netflix
Sailor Moon is a foundational anime that defined the magical girl genre and gave the West a powerful female protagonist. However, its empowering themes led to a nationwide ban in Saudi Arabia. The country's censorship rules clash with the magical girl genre, objecting to its depiction of women as heroes and other themes contrary to its cultural norms. | © Viz Media
Death Note is a classic psychological thriller about a genius student who gains the power to kill by writing a name in a notebook. Fearing its dark themes could inspire real-world violence, both China and Russia enacted bans on the series. Authorities specifically cited the show's depiction of cruelty as the primary reason for its prohibition. | © Viz Media
It might be hard to believe, but some of the most popular and critically acclaimed anime series have been deemed too dangerous for certain countries. Governments have pulled these shows from the air for their extreme violence, challenging political themes, or controversial content. This is our look at the anime that were considered too hot for TV.
