Anime enthusiasts are well aware that the content can occasionally be a little too bizarre for comfort. The plot occasionally takes a tumultuous path via violence, gore, body horror, and explicit sexual material.
Censors judge them unfit for viewers in such instances, and they are accordingly added to the extensive list of prohibited anime. Anime has gained a lot of popular attention in the last decade or two, but it hasn’t stopped the ban culture that exists in many nations.
We’ll walk you through some of the most gruesome R-rated anime that have been banned in several countries in this video! This is a good time for the squeamish to turn away since things are about to get nasty.
Attack on Titan – Banned In China
Attack on Titan is set in a fantastical world where huge animals known as Titans are threatening humanity’s extinction. These beasts enjoy spreading chaos and devouring victims as they travel. The few human survivors are trapped in a city surrounded by walls taller than the Titans.
When a Titan larger than usual demolishes a section of the wall, the other smaller Titans storm the metropolis, all hell breaks free. Eren is a small kid who watches in horror as his mother and several other people are devoured alive. He swears that one day he will avenge himself by murdering all Titans. Will Eren be able to avenge mankind, or will he too succumb to the monsters?
This is a masterpiece that demands every bit of the attention that it gets. The story is brilliantly written and comes with numerous twists and turns. The moment you start thinking that the anime cannot surprise you anymore, it changes course completely.
The dialogue is epic, and the attention to detail deserves a special word of appreciation. The violence that the Titans unleash is a bit too much, and you must have the stomach for gruesome scenes if you want to enjoy the thrilling narrative.
Despite the fact that this anime has millions of fans, it has not been well received in nations such as China. It’s been years since China removed Attack on Titan from official circulation, and it’s now illegal to acquire or sell any form of the anime anywhere in the country.
The Chinese Ministry of Culture has a lengthy history of banning anime that it deems to be improper, with any sexual elements or crimes against morality receiving the boot. As one of the world’s most censorious media settings, it’s unsurprising that the severe violence of Attack on Titan was forbidden.
Kite – Banned in Norway
Would you ever guess a sweet college student of becoming a ruthless vigilante? Sawa, the orphaned young girl, is a terrifying hitman, and that is exactly what you have here. Her parents were brutally murdered, and she was taken into custody by the detective agency that was investigating the case.
They watched as more and more offenders escaped justice, and Sawa became the pawn who would carry out the cold-blooded executions that these criminals deserved. When Sawa is brought in to assist another orphan named Oburi, they develop a unique friendship.
Sawa slowly realized that her controllers were committing as big a crime as the criminals they were killing through her. She must break away from them before it is too late!
The dark and desperate theme of Kite is pretty unnerving, and it begins with a jaw-dropping scene of violence where a child molester is killed. It goes on to narrate a dark, erotic tale of an underage assassin who serves justice with a drop of blood – maybe a splash!
It is a thrilling storyline that has some cruel twists to offer, but the amount of violence can get a bit too disturbing at times. Our only complaint is that it was a bit too short, and more time could have been invested in strengthening the relationships between the characters properly.
Returning to the violence, the exploding bullets are a disaster, and some of the moments, like the one in the men’s restroom, are among the most thrilling you’ll ever see. Kite is brutal in terms of the content it provides, and there is some child pornography thrown in for good measure.
Norway takes a hard line on this issue, and Kite has been prohibited due to sequences that are regarded to be child pornography. The censors didn’t like the highly realistic eroticism and nudity in the film.
However, you can access an edited form, and anime fans in Norway can watch this version.
High School DXD – Banned in New Zealand
Issei Hyodo is your typical dim-witted high school kid. He is slain by a female on his first date, and the lecherous young man is resurrected by the most beautiful lady in school. Rias Gremory is a high-level demon who resurrects him as a demon. Issei is now Rias’s underling and has been recruited into her devils’ club. There’s a lot of action after that, and the story gradually becomes a clichéd romantic story.
This harem ecchi anime is not all about fan service that many people seem to think. The target audience is obviously young men, and there are a lot of attractive girls with lots of nudity. Beyond all the nudity and sexually explicit scenes, there is actually a fairly engaging storyline. The animation quality is impressive, and the characters are well-drawn out.
There are some thrilling battle sequences, and the narrative is hilarious to keep the humor game on top. We loved the interactions between the characters, and Issei, in particular, was fun to watch. The only possible glitch in this otherwise perfect anime is the dialogue that is often embarrassingly cheesy.
Although fans of High School DxD will agree that the content is incredibly sexual, they will also agree that it is widely popular. Issei’s character is almost a conduit for the naughtiest and most perverse fantasies. The censor board in New Zealand deemed the concepts of a harem and sexual perversions to be highly objectionable. The anime was prohibited because they believed it was sexually exploitative of children.
If you’re not too bothered by the notion, however, this may be a pretty amusing show.
Death Note – Banned in China
Light Yagami is a clever but cynical high school student. He discovers a notepad with the secret ability to kill anyone whose name is written on it. He used it to assassinate notable criminals, and he considers himself to be more akin to a God who administers justice.
To put an end to the killings, a mysterious detective known only as L is chasing him. It’s a battle of wits between the world’s top detective and a pupil who wants to rule this new planet as God.
Not all things animated are set for a happy ending! Death Note is a harsh, slick, and suspenseful drama that unfolds as psychological warfare brews between the two main characters. Thebuildup is fascinating, and the tension is palpable throughout the narrative.
You will be biting your nails as the two protagonists try to outsmart each other and uncover the other’s identity. It is obviously a dark series where the lead is not your conventional good guy, and the concept tests morality time and again.
School authorities in China started to notice that the students were getting a bit too influenced by this anime. Some were writing their own Death Notes where they mentioned the names of people they disliked, and it seemed that their physical and mental health was at risk.
It began in one region and quickly spread to other regions of the country, where Death Note was outlawed since it was deemed unsuitable for the young demographic it aimed at.
Regardless of the controversy, Death Note will go down in history as a classic, and if you love a well-written psychological thriller, this will be a treat for you.
Violence Jack – Banned in Australia
The survivors in a post-apocalyptic Japan are separated into two groups: the weak and the strong. The majority of the infrastructure has been destroyed, and the society has either victims or oppressors. In this chaotic state, criminals and gangs thrive, and killers and rapists command large squads of thugs.
Violence springs from the wreckage. Jack is a vigilante who uses greater violence to combat violence. He defends the country by assisting the weak without demanding anything in return. However, because of his terrible fighting technique, he has a very unpredictable disposition, and bystanders frequently experience the wrath of his violence.
The synopsis is enough to hint toward the violence that lies in store for the audience. The narrative can be somewhat disturbing with the sexual nature of the violence at times. The protagonist is an unusual hero who fights ruthlessly and doesn’t speak much except for a few grunts and growls.
There are some notorious baddies, and you wouldn’t feel sorry for their horrifying deaths. The sheer rawness might be unnerving for many, and the makers surely had the courage to portray the dark scenes.
Many censor boards did not approve of the frank content, resulting in a slew of issues. The second OVA was prohibited in Australia because to its graphic violence and gore, which they deemed inappropriate for children.
The raunchy sex scenes didn’t help this anime’s case either. We have to admit that Violence Jack isn’t for everyone, but if you can handle the gore, you’ll be in for a thrilling action adventure.
Midori: ShoujoTsubaki – Banned Everywhere
Midori was like any other young, lively schoolgirl, but her world was turned upside down when her mother died suddenly. Her father cut all relations with her, and she was duped into going to a circus producer’s funfair.
Then her nightmare began, as she was routinely raped and abused by circus performers. She was pummelling and humiliated, with no hope in sight, until a mysterious, enigmatic magician entered the show. Her world transforms with a ray of light in the form of her new acquaintance, and she finds support just as she was about to give up hope.
We have the star of the evening, gentlemen! This particular anime was banned pretty much everywhere in the world because of the inappropriate content that was deemed unsuitable for anyone.
The story about the misadventures of a young girl who joined a freak show involved some dark and depressing moments. The girl was harassed and abused, and some of these scenes were pretty explicit.
The abundance of nudity, sexual assault, and violence towards animalscemented its embargo. Even the discriminatory language is terribly offensive, and the tapes were destroyed,with production immediately stopping.
People in Japan were outraged by the vicious content and went and destroyed some of the footage that had to be replaced. A live-action film adaptation was released in 2016, but this version had substantial changes that were made to make it fit for the audience.
Although we appreciate the visual style, the representation was distressing. The scenes of child trafficking, rape, and handicap humiliation will leave you scarred for life, so avoid this anime if you are even mildly sensitive.
While the film was entertaining, the finale was a little abrupt because we never learn what happens to the little girl at the end! It’s a harrowing experience, but if you can face your fears, you’ll have something to see.
PuniPuniPoemy – Banned in New Zealand
Despite the fact that the plot revolves around the magic girl genre, this is more of a spoof of other anime. Poemi, who hopes to be an anime voice actress, is the protagonist of the story. During the broadcast, though, she frequently breaks out of character and refers to herself as the genuine actress who is supplying her voice.
When she gets home from school one day, she discovers that her parents have been crucified by an unknown extraterrestrial. Futaba is a friend who is secretly in love with her and invites her to live with him.
She, on the other hand, is enamoured by a boy who turns out to be an alien with an octopus body! More of such bizarre events unfold, and she battles various threats, but the plot is only secondary to the nonstop jokes.
Initially, it was intended to be an in-joke from an episode of Excel Saga, but the makers decided to make it into a full-blown series. You can understand the plot is barely there, but the nonstop rapid-fire parody is very entertaining. The humor is sick but hilarious, and PuniPuniPoemy is worth watching just for the laughs!
The unfiltered sexual content of this anime was not well-received in New Zealand. What added to the problem was the fact that the sexual content involved some young characters! Young lesbians, incest, occasional nudity, and a plethora of innuendo were all used as justifications for the show’s cancellation.
It wasn’t the most popular anime, and it wasn’t even on the radar of the general public. This is most likely why they banned it while allowing some of the other popular anime to pass them by.
This can be a good show to see over a couple of beers if you have a cruel sense of humour.
Angel Cop – 1989 (Censored heavily in the US and UK)
The plot takes place in the late twentieth century, when the Secret Security Force is founded to combat the communist terrorist group Red May. Angel is a brand-new member of the anti-terrorist unit, and her first operation puts her abilities to the test.
However, there is a strange third party at work here, as Red May members are being brutally murdered in mysterious circumstances. Who is responsible for the murders, and why is this mystery third party so eager to put the terrorists to death?
It is essentially an indie style of anime, and even with a great concept, the makers couldn’t escape the flaws. The animation quality is as good as it could be with the limited resources, and the voice-acting is pretty average.
However, it still is violent anime at its best! From heads exploding to flesh burning, the gut-wrenching gore is not for everyone to handle. The simplistic plot will have your attention in a jiffy, and the characters are full of mean-spiritedness!
No one is perfect or all-good in this narrative, and there are some mean fight scenes to enjoy. The psychic vigilantes were fun to watch, and we loved seeing them in action.
This anime contains some of the genre’s standard tropes, such as powerful near-indestructible cyborgs and mighty psychics, yet it is still a fun programme to watch. If the filmmakers had taken care to tone down the gore, they might not have been subjected to the numerous prohibitions that have surrounded Angel Cop. The UK and US versions of the film were modified to remove an allusion to a multinational Jewish conspiracy.
Aside from the anti-Semitism, this is an exciting action anime that will provide a rush of adrenaline to diehard anime fans.
Adventure Kid – 1992
Norikazu is a computer expert who manages to unearth a computer in his backyard that dates back to World War II. He has no idea that the computer is being controlled by the ghost of a Nazi scientist from World War II.
When he and his pals become trapped in an other realm within the system, trouble begins to brew. This world is a virtual hell, filled with disgusting, horny zombies capable of doing awful things to people. Is there a way out of this parallel dimension, or are they doomed to suffer for the rest of their lives?
It is easy to mistake Adventure Kid as some demented Japanese pornography, but you would then miss out on the rich storyline underneath! The plot combines elements of the Hiroshima bombing and modern-day computer hacking to give you a narrative that also features demons from another dimension. The tone of hardcore horror is hard to miss, and the humorous interludes are a necessity.
However, the makers felt the need to punctuate the fascinating storyline with spasms of pornography. The gratuitous sexuality and violence can be off-putting for many, and it often gets a bit too disturbing. The title can be misleading for parents, and many would think that it is an anime suitable for kids.
Given that it is a hentai series, censor boards asked that the title be changed before it could be released in many regions. Before it was allowed in the United States, it was renamed Adventure Duo, and some of the apparent sexual content was stripped out.
There were some gruesome moments of nudity, sex, and even female masturbation that would never make it past the censorship maze.
Fist of the North Star – 1984
It’s a planet where nuclear war has obliterated human civilisation. In a post-apocalyptic world, survivors compete over the last remaining food and water sources. As lawlessness spreads over the country, there is no room for the weak.
Kenshiro, the successor of an ancient, lethal martial art, strives to provide some justice in such a terrible scenario. He wields an iron fist on his foes, using his infamous combat style! Kenshiro is joined by an orphaned child and a young robber as the unusual combination attempts to work for humanity’s sake. Their journey is not without dangers such as suffering and solitude that come with grandeur.
We have heard of several stories of wasteland warriors, but this one is unique in its presentation. They don’t mince words in the narrative, and the theme is pretty dark and harsh as you see innocents being slaughtered by the scum of society.
The animation quality is outstanding, and the makers did a fabulous job of recreating the haunting imagery of the original manga. The martial art types explored here are pretty unique, and each one of them is based on real-life self-defense systems.
The action is a violent gore-fest with an excessive number of creative kills that include heads exploding and bodies being ripped apart. The scenes where they show Ken and his buddy Rei taking down an entire army of baddies is something that would make Rambo envious! The over-the-top violence caused a few issues with this classic shonen action series.
The fact that some of these violent sequences featured children became a major issue for countries with strict child protection laws like Norway. In the UK and the US, large parts of this violent content had to be cropped for permitting viewership.
It’s a shame because the content is actually rich and thought-provoking, and a little caution would have allowed them an escape from the glare of the censor boards!
Bastard!! – 1992
We’ve travelled 500 years into the future, to a world where an unimaginable evil has enslaved humanity. The world has reverted to mediaeval kingdoms, and terrifying beasts prowl the countryside.
A dark lord named Abigail attacks one of these kingdoms, Meta Rikana. He’s a well-known wizard, and it’ll only be a matter of time before he bursts through the kingdom’s mages’ seal. Meta Rikana is protected by the daughter of the greatest priest, who summons a mighty warrior. Will good triumph over evil in the end?
We were smitten by the protagonist, the ancient warrior Dark Schneider, and he was quite the character. The story revolved around him, and the narrative promised everything from hilarious moments, to gritty action, to some serious drama.
If you are a fan of heavy metal and acquainted with a few popular heavy metal bands, this anime hits even harder. It gets predictable at times, but come on guys, this isn’t a suspense thriller! In one of the earlier episodes, things become a bit too graphic and embarrassingly hentai-like. Anime purists might be annoyed with the abrupt ending, and we got the feeling that the lack of budget brought about this sudden finale.
Because of the anime’s random graphic nature and vicious violence, it was prohibited in China, where such tales are frowned upon. It also drew criticism in the Middle East, where it was outlawed in numerous nations.
This will be an amusing anime that will evoke the sword and sorcery genre if you are not too bogged down by crazily adult features.
Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend
Over the years, the human, beast, and demon worlds have managed to coexist. The emergence of the Overfiend, however, may change everything. Overfiend is a monstrously powerful demon capable of shattering the three realms’ boundaries.
He is resurrected every 3000 years, and nothing can stop him from fulfilling his objective of remaking the world to his pleasure. The other dimensions are frantically searching for the Overfiend before it’s too late!
Do you recall how many people dismiss anime as being overly violent and sexual? Legend of the Overfiend, for example, has a large part to play in the negative reputation anime has. However, you surely noticed us say anime gem to describe this perverted narrative. This is because, even with the sadistic violence and extreme sexual interactions, there is a critical plot that is a brilliant idea.
It is a story of love, desperation, war, misunderstanding, and ultimately inevitable change! This is a sick and twisted fantasy where there are obscene amounts of unnatural sex that outline the fight between good and evil. It might be ahentai with a plot, but it ishentai nonetheless!
The amount of sex involved in the narrative was not going to go unnoticed, and some of these explicit scenes were censored in the UK. Despite the edits, and the ban implemented in a few countries, it still went on to become one of the most successful hentai titles and a cult classic for the fans!