Top 10 Banned Anime Episodes
#10: “Satoshi and Nagetukesaru! Touchdown of Friendship!!”
“Pokémon” (1997-)
In his quest to catch 'em all, Ash decided to bond with some Passimian by trying out their face paint. Despite his good intentions, all he did was get the whole episode barred from English territories. The dub skipped over the installment due to Ash’s paint-job looking an awful lot like blackface. The implications were too much to ignore or edit around, leaving the Pokemon Company with no choice but to outright ignore it. Considering how many times this has happened to Ash, he should just be glad this is the only episode from the “Sun and Moon” seasons that was skipped.
#9: "Am I Beautiful? Kuchisake-onna"
“Ghost Stories” (2000-01)
It’s hard enough to get an episode banned. It’s even more impressive to get it banned before it ever airs! To this day, the only public footage of this “Ghost Stories” episode is a short, fifteen second preview that aired the week before its intended broadcast. It was supposed to chronicle the story of the Kuchisake-onna, a woman with a disfigured mouth who stalks kids. But, many parents found it offensive that the ghoul’s appearance resembled a cleft palate, and protested against the episode’s release. In the hopes of avoiding a PR disaster, network Fuji TV completely removed the chapter, even taking it off the eventual DVD release. Kuchisake-onna won’t be haunting anyone, now.
#8: “Hot Springs Planet Tenrei”
“Outlaw Star” (1998-99)
Ah, the good, old hot springs episode. It’s basically an anime tradition. Better yet, in “Outlaw Star,” it wasn’t just one hot spring - it was a whole planet! You can probably guess where this is going. The sexual humor and overall lack of clothing meant it couldn’t air within ten miles of an American network. So, the original dub release just casually passed over it. At least, on TV, that is. The episode was fully dubbed, but it wasn’t allowed to air for another seventeen years. Given that most banned anime never see the light of day, we should be happy we got to witness this at all.
#7: “The Beach, the Island and a Vacation: The Guardians' Break”
“Sailor Moon” (1992-97)
Not quite as lewd but just as controversial, beach episodes are another anime staple that are hit or miss when it comes to overseas dubbing. Sorry, “Sailor Moon” fans, but this vacation landed on “miss,” and not for the reasons you’d expect. There wasn’t any offensive or sexual content; the original dubbing company just didn’t want to pay for more episodes than they needed. Since “The Guardian’s Break” was 100% filler, it was easy to exclude without affecting the overall plot. However, its absence from broadcast and DVD releases led fans to name it the “lost episode.” English audiences wouldn’t be able to see it until Viz’s new release in 2014.
#6: “Going Too Far”
“Excel Saga” (1999-2000)
With a title like that, is it really any surprise that this episode crosses some lines? Now, what if we were to tell you that was on purpose? Allegedly, director Shinichi Watanabe wanted to go as far as possible with “Excel Saga’s” finale. He knew it would be way too much for television, and only meant for it to be released on the DVD set. And, well, he got his wish. Japanese broadcasters gave “Going Too Far” a big, fat “no,” leaving it as a special bonus for fans who bought the physical disc. Say what you will about his storytelling, but Watanabe’s definitely got guts.
#5: “Beauty and The Beach”
“Pokémon” (1997-)
Even if you don’t recognize the name, you’ve probably seen the screencaps of this episode. You know, the one where James from Team Rocket is in a bikini and has a big, old chest? Yeah, that’s from this episode! Now, do we really need to tell you why “Beauty and the Beach” went behind bars? To be fair, the dub episode actually aired twice, albeit with several edits for the more risque moments. But, ever since 2000, it hasn’t been included in any release, streaming or physical. Given that James’ rack only grows more problematic as the years go by, that’s probably for the best.
#4: “Osomatsu-kun Returns!”
“Mr. Osomatsu” (2015-)
Twenty five years after he last appeared onscreen, Mr. Osomatsu returned to broadcast… only for his first episode to be locked away for good. Then again, they were kind of asking for it. In order to catch up on all the anime trends of the last few decades, Mr. Osomatsu spends this premiere episode parodying some of the most popular shows around. He cycles through “Attack on Titan,” “Pokemon,” “Bleach,” “Naruto,” “Dragon Ball Z,” and more! But, due to the massive breach in copyright, the episode was scrubbed from streaming services and promptly removed from all future releases. It was a good joke - just one that could only be done once.
#3: "School Days"
“School Days” (2007)
Anyone who wanted to tune in for the finale of this high-school romance ended up waiting a whole extra week to see the bloody conclusion. “School Days’” slice-of-life storyline ends with cold-blooded murder, but on the day it was supposed to air, it was abruptly pulled due to its similarities to another crime recently committed in Japan. Several major networks refused to air it even after the delay, leading many to fear the brutal episode would be buried for good. While “School Days’” grisly finale did eventually make it to TV, it had to be on a smaller channel where the subject matter wouldn’t make as many waves.
#2: “Wild Horses”
“Cowboy Bebop” (1998)
Five years after its release and three since the dub, an episode of “Cowboy Bebop” got quietly pulled from rerun circulation. It had nothing to do with the show or content at all. Instead, the installment just so happened to feature a NASA spaceship, which was a very sensitive image following the disastrous reentry of the Columbia shuttle in 2003. To avoid any potential backlash, Adult Swim plucked the episode out of its routine schedule without a word. Luckily, “Bebop” fans didn’t have to wait long before it was reinstated. But, that’s still a lot of fanfare for an episode that, all things considered, is pretty tame.
#1: “Electric Soldier Porygon”
“Pokémon” (1997-)
Being banned is the very least of this episode’s problems. It changed television as we know it. The story sounds innocent enough; it’s about Ash and co. following a stray Porygon into the world wide web. However, in doing so, they traveled through a series of flashing lights that hospitalized hundreds of real viewers across Japan. Not only was the episode pulled from TV and retired forever, it sparked a whole governmental movement about strobe effects in animated programs. So, if your favorite anime ever looks dim, you have Porygon to thank - assuming you can even track down the episode anymore.
Which of these banned episodes do you want to see the most? Let us know in the comments below!