This is our list of the top 13 Anime Bans In China. Banning shows and series is not a new concept in any country. But in the past few years, China has banned numerous anime shows for pretty weird reasons. Two of the most shocking bans Attack on Titan And Death Note. Global viewers were furious after knowing that the Chinese government does not want the anime industry to flourish in their territory.
But there is nothing we can do in the face of a strong firewall. Today, we have here a list of the 13 most shocking anime bans in China. Do check out the reasons that were given following the takedown. So, here is a list of the 13 Anime Bans In China!
1. Deadman Wonderland
Back in 2015, the Chinese Ministry of Culture put a lifelong ban on 38 anime shows. Deadman Wonderland was one of them. While the reason for the ban for each was not clear, but we can easily speculate why this one exists no more. Deadman Wonderland is a pretty dark show with several inappropriate visuals. The inaugural arc of the show itself has a pool of bloodshed in a massacre scene. Thus, the Chinese government marks this anime as unfit for impressionable audiences.
2. Attack On Titan
This was one of the shocking events when China put a ban on this massively famous anime. Attack On Titan was outlawed among many other anime shows because of its excessively violent depictions. Moreover, fans believe that Attack on Titan displays the story of resistance towards an authoritative system. The Chinese government does not want its citizens to entertain such ideas. Hence, the Chinese audiences can never enjoy this grandeur of a show.
3. Devil May Cry
Anime Devil May Cry is yet another gritty anime that had to say goodbye to the Chinese audiences. Fans believe that the murder scenes of this show were a little too much for even adult viewers. Even the dark visuals went too far in depicting demons. Therefore, the streaming of this one is on a break since 2015.
4. High School DxD
Almost every anime that was put off from China was because of excessive violence, graphic pornography, or acts of terrorism. As for High School DxD, many global audiences believe that the contents of this show have highly sexual visuals. Being a high school-based drama, the target audience of this show is not fit to watch the sexualization of high school pupils. Hence, this anime is available no more in China.
5. My Hero Academia
This is a pretty recent ban that came in April 2020 after a long stretch of controversies. All this starts after one of the characters in the show turns out to be Maruta Shiga. Little to the knowledge of the creators, Maruta is not a household name in China. Maruta was a symbolic codeword during the Second World War, which led to the deaths of many Chinese and Korean soldiers. Thus, China put a lifelong ban on My Hero Academia.
6. Highschool Of The Dead
The China Digital Times reports in 2015 that a number of violent anime will say goodbye to Chinese viewers. One of the anime on the list was Highschool Of The Dead. The authorities stamp the contents of this anime to be overly sexual in nature. Some people believe that the ban is only a ploy to kick-start a homegrown anime industry in China so as to keep the revenues in the country itself.
7. Tokyo Ravens
Anime Tokyo Ravens are yet another show among the 38 bans. Much like the earlier anime that got a mention, this one was also taken down because of the violent nature of its filmography. There are also fan theories that suggest that the Chinese government does not like the idea of Supernatural concepts that prove to be stronger than the authorities. Thus, even a sprinkle of supernatural belief might get an anime banned in China.
8. Aesthetica Of A Rogue Hero
Another member of the fallen thirty-eight was Aesthetica Of A Rogue Hero. If you have seen this show, you probably know why the Chinese government does not want the viewers to watch this one. The story follows a group of rebels who overthrow a dystopian system of governance. Thus, this anime never saw the light of the day in Chinese territories.
9. Parasyte
Anime Parasyte is a massively popular show worldwide. But it seems like the North-East did not like the show. Even though the concept and visuals of Parasyte are pretty, dog Show could not make it past the censor board of China. CBR suggests that the visuals of bodily transformations are a bit too much to project on the screens. If that’s the reason the show is no more in China, then we don’t know how many anime shows will survive in the future.
10. The Testament of The Sister New Devil
Another anime that the Chinese Ministry of Culture showed the back door was The Testament of The Sister New Devil. The decision came after the show’s portrayal of supernatural elements. The existence of a devil, a dark lord, and a hero who takes them down was enough to make this anime vanish from China. It’s sad that Testament of The Sister New Devil is on the list of Anime Bans in China.
11. Sword Art Online
Many isekai anime series struggle to release in Chinese and Russian territories. This is because of the creative content of these shows. The idea of a separate world where the protagonist can operate at his will is not acceptable in these nations. The same happens with Sword Art Online is it displays a separate world of video games where the protagonist can escape from his own world.
12. Tokyo Ghoul
Along with Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul was also taken down from many websites. This came after the show was considered too dark for younger audiences. CBR reports that the imagery of Tokyo Ghoul is not acceptable in the country of China. This comes after the representations of demons and ghouls are taken to be ‘violent inciting.’
13. Death Note
Anime Death Note has seen a ban in many countries already. And now, it is one of the saddest ones on the list of Anime Bans In China. Whatever be the core theme of the show, its impact on impressionable minds is not desirable. After the ban, the Chinese Ministry of Culture explains that the concept of a Death Note can turn regular people into criminals. However, according to a report by BBC, the ban came after authorities noticed that many young kids were making their own death notes and writing down the names of officials. Hence, the new viewers can never witness how awesome this show is.
So, these are all the anime shows that are no more available in China. What are your thoughts about these bans? Let’s discuss this in the comment section down below. For more such articles on anime, keep visiting The Anime Daily.