Anime censorship on television is regrettable, but it is a compromise needed in the industry. While gore, nudity, and other mature themes are typically not allowed on television for understandable and puritan reasons, this often leads to unusual editing or cutting out of certain scenes. Some sensors even push the boundaries to the point of being comical, while others intentionally cause anger and ridicule from fans. In some cases, censorship becomes so intrusive that it ruins the anime and makes sensorship seem like a joke.
For those who have watched the latest episode of Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill, they will know that something has been censored. This anime is known for featuring relaxing scenes of food with unique ingredients in another world. However, it seems that the people who broadcasted this particular episode felt the need to censor a certain scene. What other anime have experienced the most extreme and unusual censorship? According to CBR, here are some of the top examples:
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is never shy when it comes to violence and disturbing visuals, so fans were surprised with the strict censorship on smoking with Jotaro Kujo in Stardust Crusaders. Whenever Jotaro is seen smoking, the scene is always blacked out, while bloody close-up scenes are left untouched. This is due to Japan’s strict censorship laws, which prohibit the depiction of minors smoking. Although Jotaro is a muscular and somewhat impolite teenage delinquent when traveling to Egypt, the censorship serves as a strange distraction to this entertaining series.
Blood-C
Blood-C is a very violent anime about Saya Kisaragi battling Elder Bairns, creatures feared for their brutal treatment of their victims. However, broadcasting something so bloody and violent was a challenge for any network. Unfortunately, the way this horror anime was aired was detrimental. To obscure the killings and mutilated bodies in Blood-C, the network either blacked out or whitened out the entire scene. This made almost all scenes unwatchable. Disappointing returning viewers of Blood: The Last Vampire, this heavy censorship was the final straw for fans who eventually gave up on the anime.
Tokyo Ghoul
As one of the goriest horror anime of the 2010s, censorship was hated by Tokyo Ghoul viewers. If not blurred or blacked out, the color inversion made the scenes incomprehensible. This was done because Tokyo Ghoul violated many of Japan’s censorship regulations. Reports said that Tokyo Ghoul was so violent that the only way to broadcast it in Japan was to censor it completely. This extreme step was watched by international audiences during the simulcast. Fortunately, an uncensored version of Tokyo Ghoul was later made available but many complained about its poor adaptation.
My Hero Academia
Momo Yaoyorozu’s revealing costume in My Hero Academia has been a topic of debate among fans. Some think the costume suits her Quirk, while others think it is inappropriate for a high schooler to wear. The debate was so heated that her costume in a mobile game ad caused a stir. In the Philippines, the criticism was agreed with by local television networks, which blurred out her cleavage using “rushed Photoshop edits.” This may not be surprising to Filipino viewers because of their conservative culture, but it still appears clumsy and absurd.
Rosario+Vampire
Kou, a bat demon who doubles as a narrator, is an exclusive character in the anime Rosario+Vampire. However, Kou is more than just a clever commentator. Whenever fan service scenes are about to appear, Kou steps in to cover up anything that is deemed too suggestive for TV. While this may sound perfect for comedy moments, Kou is too inconsistent to be funny. Besides appearing from nowhere, Kou doesn’t even cover all nude or fan service scenes. This sensorship only happened in the broadcast of Rosario+Vampire and is not present in its DVD version.
In conclusion, while censorship is necessary to ensure that anime is appropriate for television, some of the decisions made by networks are unnecessary and ridiculous. Nevertheless, they do not completely hinder the enjoyment of anime for passionate viewers worldwide. It only emphasizes the need for more creative solutions to these issues in the future.
