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From shocking endings to scenes that broke the internet, anime has never shied away from pushing boundaries. Join us as we count down the most controversial moments in anime history! Our list includes moments from "Neon Genesis Evangelion," "Pokémon," "Goblin Slayer," "Attack on Titan," and more! Which anime controversy shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments!
Transcript
00:10Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most controversial
00:15anime moments of all time.
00:29This is probably not how you should start your lighthearted isekai anime.
00:34The series begins with a disturbing assault on two women by bandits, before the protagonist
00:39Ark suddenly arrives and brutally takes down the attackers.
00:50While the scene was obviously made to establish Ark as someone willing to protect the innocents,
00:56critics argued that the moment crossed a line.
01:04It's especially bizarre considering how different it is in tone to the rest of the show, leaving
01:10a bad first impression to anyone expecting a fantasy comedy.
01:2229.
01:23The Dance of Nightmares
01:26Wondance Wondance caught a lot of flack for its CGI dance
01:29scenes, which were obviously a cost-cutting decision as dancing in an anime is going to
01:34look weird if it doesn't have a lot of frames.
01:36The show is full of them, but this one in particular is the one that everyone always
01:41zeroes in on.
01:42Here, the protagonist Kaboku Kotani shows off his dance moves in the middle of a classroom
01:47while his fellow peers look on.
01:53The moment caught instant meme status because out of context, it looks like he's throwing
01:59a massive temper tantrum.
02:09To add insult to injury, the original creator of the Wondance manga would post their own dance
02:15animations on social media, which looked better than anything the show produced.
02:2428.
02:25Truckkun's Origins
02:27Fairy Princess Minky Momo
02:29The last thing you'd expect in a light-hearted magical girl anime for children is something
02:35like this.
02:36The classic 80s series Minky Momo was about a princess from a dream realm who comes to Earth
02:42to restore people's hopes and dreams.
02:50It was a massive ratings hit, but unfortunately, the toy line connected with the show wasn't
02:56raking in the money, and for the folks at Poppy, that was no good.
03:00The toy company pulled funding from the show, and so the head writer, in a moment of rebellion,
03:05did the unthinkable.
03:13They decided to kill off the beloved character by having her flattened by a rogue vehicle.
03:19It was one of the earliest recorded instances of Truckkun, and it devastated an entire generation.
03:25It was one of the most important things to do, and it was one of the most important things
03:28to do.
03:2927.
03:31Defending the Abuser
03:32Heavenly Delusion
03:34Near the end of Heavenly Delusion, Kiruko finally reunites with the man she deeply admired
03:40and had spent years trying to find, Robin Inazaki.
03:58Unfortunately, he's not the man she thought he was, and things take an extremely dark turn
04:03in, when he subjects her to abuse and psychological torment.
04:14This moment was already extremely controversial, as people saw it as cheap shock value, but things
04:20get even worse after Maru discovers what has happened, and proceeds to violently beat the
04:25crap out of the scumbag.
04:37Shockingly, Kiruko protects Robin and tells Maru to stop, which frustrated viewers to no
04:43end.
04:44It's a bad moment in what is otherwise a very good show.
05:00I don't want to kill demons
05:02Promised Neverland Season 2 was already creating plenty of controversy when it started rushing
05:09through the plot and skipping entire arcs, but this was the moment that made fans want
05:14to stop watching.
05:20Despite the fact that these children's lives were being terrorized by monsters that preyed
05:25upon their flesh, the show decided to do a whole, killing is wrong thing.
05:29Emma went full moral preacher, proclaiming she didn't want to kill demons after all.
05:38This just didn't make sense after we witnessed the depravity of these utterly irredeemable
05:43creatures.
05:44When it was clear to viewers that they wouldn't get the satisfaction of seeing the demons get
05:49what was coming to them, they just switched off.
05:5625.
05:57Jeju Island Politics
05:59Solo Leveling
06:00The deep history of Japan and South Korea is obviously way too dense and intense to get
06:06into for an anime countdown video, so we'll let you do your own research there.
06:11Suffice it to say, there is some lingering resentment.
06:24That plays heavily into the Jeju Island arc of Solo Leveling, originally a Korean manhwa,
06:29which sees the introduction of Japanese hunters to help with the mysterious goings-on on the
06:34island located between these two countries.
06:37Well, the South Korean author did not hide his animosity, portraying the Japanese characters
06:42as arrogant scumbags.
06:51He even went as far as to humiliate them by making them get their asses absolutely annihilated
06:58by threats that Jinnu is able to quash.
07:01In anticipation of how poorly received this portrayal of Japanese characters would be, they
07:06even went as far as to change the nationality of the characters in the Japanese release to
07:11being from the fictional country DFN.
07:14It's little surprise that Solo Leveling is not very popular in Japan.
07:2224.
07:24Nasty
07:25Chainsmoker Cat
07:26You've got to appreciate anime's ability to make anything sexy, and with a title like
07:31Chainsmoker Cat, people walked into this one expecting something that'd get them going.
07:36That was certainly not the case.
07:39The show instead focuses on the dark side of nicotine dependence, with a protagonist who's,
07:44let's face it, pretty gross.
07:53One scene in particular that drove this point home was when we saw Yaniko taking a dump.
08:00Huh…
08:00I don't have a cigarette.
08:02I don't have a cigarette.
08:03I don't have a cigarette.
08:03If you don't have a cigarette, you don't have a cigarette.
08:06I don't have to cure it.
08:07It's a problem.
08:09Viewers were outraged by just how far the show was willing to go, with many dropping it from
08:14their watchlist as a result.
08:16Hey, if you can't handle a stinky, putrid cat girl at her worst, you don't deserve her at
08:21her best.
08:27Number 23 – Rudeus's Polygamy – Mushoku Tensei The first half of Mushoku Tensei's
08:35second season concluded with Rudeus and Sylviet finally reuniting after many years and getting
08:41engaged.
08:44Lovely stuff, but unfortunately, this heartwarming moment was ruined during the aftermath of
08:50Rudeus's father Paul's death.
08:52While in a state of mourning, Roxy decides that now would be a great time to make a move
08:57on a married man in order to get him through the grief, which he shockingly accepts.
09:06This upset a lot of people, as not only was it seen as Roxy taking advantage of a bad situation,
09:13but also the fact that Rudeus was being unfaithful to his pregnant wife.
09:17For people greatly bothered by this, it got even worse, as Rudy would go on to ask Sylviette
09:23if he could take Roxy as his second wife, which she surprisingly accepted.
09:33Number 22 – Zombie Man's Lollipop – One Punch Man People already had their pitchforks
09:40out over the absolute travesty that was the third season of One Punch Man.
09:45For a show that rose in fame thanks in part due to its excellent animation, this season
09:50was plagued with scenes that looked fresh out of powerpoints, with one of the most infamous
09:54being Garou sliding down a hill.
10:04That in itself would earn an entry on this list, but the episode featuring Zombie Man's
10:09battle against Pure Blood somehow outdid it in controversy.
10:13People were pissed that the fight was already heavily censored compared to the manga.
10:17But when Zombie Man, who was well known for being a smoker, instead pulled out a lollipop,
10:23they couldn't believe what they were seeing.
10:33The fact we were seeing something straight out of early 2000s American 4Kids censorship in
10:39a seinen series was borderline insanity.
10:48Number 21 – Kazuya's Cuck Fantasy – Rent-A-Girlfriend Anyone who has watched Rent-A-Girlfriend knows
10:56that Kazuya has a tendency to overthink absolutely everything when it comes to Chizuru, and often
11:02comes up with weird scenarios in his head.
11:07During the height of the drama of the Hawaiians arc, Kazuya's imagination goes beyond what
11:13we thought he was capable of when he starts going through a total emotional breakdown and
11:18starts thinking about Chizuru getting intimate with someone else.
11:22Now, this is already cringey enough, but the fact that he's crying during this and gets an
11:27erection makes it so much worse.
11:36This scene was just as controversial in the anime as it was in the manga, and we hope Kazuya
11:42will never hit this rock bottom again.
11:50Number 20 – The End of Eren Jaeger – Attack on Titan
11:54After ten years, almost a hundred episodes, and more jaw-dropping moments than we can count,
12:01the ending of Attack on Titan was never going to please everyone, especially since it committed
12:06to killing off Eren Jaeger himself.
12:09The vengeful Eldian spent the show's final season as a total renegade, so some vocal fans
12:15weren't happy to see him die as a crying kid mourning the life he could have had with Mikasa.
12:28It's a moving moment in a fantastic final episode, but clearly a subset of the fanbase would've
12:34preferred to see Eren go out on the top of his game.
12:37Either way, no one's forgetting this finale any time soon.
12:55Like most romance anime protagonists, Kyousuke has girls practically banging down his door,
13:01but he doesn't want any of them.
13:03He only has eyes for his little sister, Kirino.
13:07Unfortunately, she has eyes for him too.
13:16Look, it's one thing to hint at an unsavoury relationship, and another entirely to show a brother
13:22and sister pretending to get married.
13:24As you can imagine, it didn't take long for the masses to condemn Oreimo for its gross central pairing.
13:31There were even a select few defending Kyousuke and Kirino's romance, which only stirred up even more controversy.
13:37Given that the show is a very acquired taste, it's not even worth arguing about anymore.
13:43Plus, Kuranako was obviously best girl.
13:46Yeah, I've done it.
13:49I've done it.
13:50I've done it.
13:5018.
13:51Episode 4 – Goren Lagan
13:54Simon's time inside the titular mech may be considered a modern classic these days,
13:59but not every one of its episodes was as warmly received at the time.
14:03Looking at you, Episode 4!
14:09Helmed by a guest director, the divisive instalment used a very eclectic art style that left mech
14:16any wanting.
14:17Fans were extremely critical and made sure Goren Lagan's production company, Gainax, knew
14:23it.
14:23In response, Gainax's co-founder made some not-so-professional comments comparing fan criticism to his behind.
14:31That only fuelled the fire, and eventually he was forced to resign altogether.
14:36After all the hubbub, it's a wonder Goren Lagan is still as beloved as it is.
14:48What's in the dish?
14:50The Pet Girl of Sakuraso
14:52When it comes to anime, cooking food for a sick friend seems as innocent as you can get.
14:58But somehow, this show found itself in hot water anyway.
15:05Viewers noticed that Jin prepared Korean food for his pal instead of the Japanese dish he
15:12makes in the source material.
15:13Through some wild leaps in logic, fans began arguing the show was an offensive marketing ploy
15:20for Korean grub.
15:21Despite assurances from the production company, things only got worse when a future episode
15:26edited out the Japanese national anthem.
15:35Whether intentional or not, the Pet Girl of Sakuraso is now remembered more for its scandals
15:42than its plot.
15:4416.
15:45Impersonation Evasion – Gintama
15:47Even a show as funny as Gintama can go too far sometimes.
15:52In the name of a good joke, they released an episode in 2011 featuring some biting critiques
15:59for a well-regarded Japanese politician.
16:06He didn't take kindly to being parodied though.
16:09The word defamation started getting thrown around a lot, and before things got messy, the episode
16:15was yanked from airwaves and heavily censored.
16:19You can still watch it on streaming sites to this day, but just be prepared for a lot
16:24of bleeps and black bars.
16:27Honestly, given Gintama's subject matter, it's surprising stuff like this doesn't happen
16:32even more often.
16:3715.
16:38Karin's Peely Whites – Nise Monogatari
16:42There's a lot of feelings that come to mind when watching a scene like this.
16:46The first, of course, being plain and simple discomfort.
16:56While the Monogatari franchise is far from kid-friendly, Koyomi's up-close and
17:02personal look into Karin's mouth was something else.
17:06The question is, in what direction fans spent weeks debating the scene's creative merits?
17:11Is it plain and simple fan service?
17:14An animation flex?
17:16Or is it just meant to make you squirm?
17:18No one knew for sure, but boy, did everyone have an opinion.
17:21Who knew dental hygiene could cause such a fuss?
17:25Why didn't you cut your teeth and cut your teeth into the bed?
17:3214.
17:34The Cabbages – Crescent Love
17:36You heard that right.
17:38In this charming slice of life, there's no graphic violence, uncomfortable romances,
17:43or taboo themes.
17:44Nope, it garnered attention because it showed someone cutting a cabbage.
17:48Or rather, something that's supposed to be a cabbage.
17:52The animation left a lot to be desired, leaving most viewers in a state of shock, laughter,
17:58and amused bafflement.
18:03The production got wind of the backlash and fixed the visual for the DVD release.
18:08But it was too late.
18:10By then, the perfectly smooth vegetable was already a widespread internet meme.
18:15There is no outrunning a cabbage like this.
18:18What do you want to do with this?
18:2313.
18:24Karnaki's Love Life – Tokyo Ghoul
18:27The power of shipping knows no bounds.
18:30Even though Karnaki had heaps of chemistry with best girl Toka,
18:34a certain section of the fanbase wanted him to get in bed with his best friend Hide.
18:39But all those hopes went up in flames when Karnaki and Toka
18:43finally consummated their relationship.
18:55To say fans weren't happy would be an understatement.
18:59Some went as far as calling Tokyo Ghoul homophobic and even sent the author death threats.
19:04While we can appreciate wanting more diverse relationships in anime, this glorified hate
19:10parade went to the extreme.
19:11The unwarranted reaction is a black mark on the Tokyo Ghoul fanbase that won't be going
19:17away anytime soon.
19:2412.
19:26Not-so-super animation – Dragon Ball Super
19:29You'd think a property as beloved as Dragon Ball would get the time and care it deserves.
19:35But in only five episodes, the hotly anticipated Super turned fan excitement into internet-melting
19:42outrage.
19:49The show's rushed production schedule meant that animators couldn't keep up with the
19:54battle-heavy storylines.
19:56So even though Episode 5 was supposed to be Super's first big fight, it ended up looking
20:01like a duel between stick figures.
20:12The production company gave a few ham-fisted excuses, but in the end, Super went down as
20:17a cautionary tale amongst fans.
20:19On the bright side, the show did eventually get its act together, but the horrors of Episode
20:255 still haunt everyone's nightmares.
20:2811.
20:29Makoto's Murder – A Nice Boat – School Days
20:32In a scene that still drops jaws to this day, the shocking slice of life ends with some literal
20:39slices taken out of its leading man, Makoto.
20:53But that's not the most notable part of its finale.
20:56A day before the episode was supposed to air, a real-life tragedy in Kyoto forced the
21:02Japanese network to cancel its broadcast.
21:05Instead, they aired a scenery shot with the subtitles, Nice Boat.
21:10The internet exploded, frustration turning into confusion, turning into absolute hilarity.
21:16By the time School Days' final episode aired, Nice Boat had become the anime meme of the
21:22year.
21:22You gotta feel for Makoto, his death got upstaged by a bloody boat.
21:3410.
21:35Too Close For Comfort – Oshinoko While it may seem bubbly on the surface, this
21:40show is actually all about exposing the dark underbelly of the rich and famous.
21:46But in its sixth episode, Oshinoko blended fact and fiction a bit too well.
21:51The plotline follows Akane, an actress facing so much online harassment, she eventually
21:57tries to end it all.
22:08The specifics of her torment echo the situation of real-life pro wrestler Hana Kimura.
22:14Unfortunately, while Akane survived her circumstances, Kimura didn't.
22:18Later, the wrestler's mother denounced Oshinoko for using her daughter's death as
22:23a quote-unquote source material.
22:26Her comments struck a chord with a lot agreeing Oshinoko should be more sensitive with its
22:31real life going forward, while others argued that the manga was written much earlier.
22:49later.
22:55You only get one chance at a first impression, and for some, Shield Hero blew it.
22:59While its fresh spin on the isekai genre drew rave reviews, others were quick to point out
23:05some of its more problematic elements, namely that its first episode depicts slavery and
23:11false misconduct allegations.
23:19viewers who stuck around found that Shield Hero handled its tough subject matter with finesse
23:24and maturity, but unfortunately, several of its protesters had already written the show
23:29off.
23:30It's a real shame.
23:31If they'd just given Naofumi one more chance, they'd have seen that the first season, and
23:36only the first season, of The Rising of the Shield Hero is isekai at its very best.
23:42Number 8.
23:43The Endless Eight.
23:44The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
23:47In this malign storyline, Haruhi and her friends are stuck in a time loop, repeating the
23:53same summer vacation.
23:54Even though the second episode reanimated every scene, it rehashed the exact same events as
24:01the first.
24:02The third episode repeated the trend again, so did the fourth, the fifth, and so on, eventually
24:08wasting over half the season with the same identical plot points.
24:19Haruhi fans went into a tailspin, and we can't even blame them.
24:22The fanbase's meltdown reached such a boiling point, the show's former director had to
24:28issue an apology.
24:29But Sorry wasn't enough to stop The Endless Eight from becoming one of the most hated
24:34arcs in anime history.
24:42Number 7.
24:43Dio and the Koran.
24:45JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
24:47As if being a thorn in the side of the Joestar family isn't bad enough, Dio Brand
24:52decided to take on an entire religion too.
24:56During the 90s OVA adaptation of the series, the vampiric villain reads excerpts from something
25:02that looks an awful lot like the Koran.
25:12Obviously, Muslims weren't thrilled to see such flippant use of their sacred text, especially
25:17by a vampire who's talking about murder.
25:20In response, the manga's English release went on hiatus, and the OVAs were pulled from storefronts.
25:31Nowadays, there's a whole new version of JoJo's to fall in love with, and this one hasn't
25:36offended any religious groups yet.
25:38It's all about it.
25:39Number 6.
25:40Meet the Goblins.
25:41Goblin Slayer.
25:42If you turned on this anime expecting a light-hearted action-fantasy, you had another thing coming.
25:49In the very first scene of the very first episode, a group of unlucky adventurers get cornered
25:55by goblins, and it crosses more than a few lines.
26:02Let's just say that some of these party members got treated to a fate worse than death.
26:08Almost immediately after it aired, Goblin Slayer was accused of using extreme violence
26:13for shock value, and even worse, doing so without a content warning.
26:22For what it's with, the scandal did get a lot of eyes on the show, but something tells
26:27us most of those viewers didn't hang around for episode 2.
26:31Number 5.
26:32Nina and her table.
26:34Code Geass.
26:35Lelouch of the Rebellion.
26:37Love is love, but there's a time and a place for everything.
26:42This was most definitely not the time for Nina.
26:45She's caught red-handed in a dark room, examining a photo of her beloved.
26:58Given Nina's position, it's heavily implied that she got it on with the corner of a table.
27:04Sorry, we meant table-kun, as some cheeky fans started calling it.
27:08Jokes aside, the scene's almost unnecessary content drummed up its fair share of drama.
27:14This kind of weird fanservice scene feels incredibly out of place in a tense thriller like Code Geass.
27:21And yet, that's part of the reason Nina and table-kun remain the show's most infamous ship
27:27to this very day.
27:36It's almost ironic that an episode titled, Taboo Index, has a scene that literally had to
27:43be censored.
27:43To put it as vaguely as possible, Yuji-Oh almost had to watch as his comrades suffer
27:49the worst punishment imaginable.
27:58The moment went through heavy edits before it could even hit streaming sites, let alone
28:03public broadcast.
28:04But, clever cutting or not, the reality of the girl's situation isn't any easier to
28:09stomach.
28:13In the face of ever-mounting backlash, Sword Art Online's original author assured fans
28:19that he'd moved away from using violence as a subplot.
28:23If only he'd come to that conclusion a few years sooner.
28:263.
28:27The Real Kind of Revenge – Redo of Healer
28:31This show is like a contentious bag of chips, you can't just pick one.
28:37After all, the entire premise is basically a walking PR disaster.
28:46Without getting too deep into the nasty details, Redo of Healer is about the disgraced wizard
28:52Kiaru who goes back in time to get revenge on those who wronged him.
28:56And boy, does he get creative.
29:07Kiaru's vengeance is upfront, gratuitous, and so vile, we can't even talk about it
29:12on YouTube.
29:13Or hell, show any footage for that matter.
29:16Whatever you're thinking of, it's probably worse.
29:19You can't even watch Redo of Healer in some countries.
29:22And honestly, that might be for the best.
29:252.
29:25The Porygon Episode – Pokemon
29:28Gotta catch em all, unless it's Porygon.
29:37During the monster's debut episode of the anime, Pikachu went into the internet and delivered
29:43a shock that the industry is still reeling from.
29:46The repetitive flashing lights triggered a series of epileptic reactions across Japan.
29:52Sending more than 600 viewers to the hospital, Pokemon immediately pulled the episode down
29:58and went on a four-month hiatus to address the issue.
30:06By the time they returned to their regularly scheduled broadcast, Japanese networks had
30:11written up entirely new guidelines on light effects in anime.
30:15All these years later, shows are still being held to those standards.
30:19As for Porygon himself, he's been blacklisted from the anime ever since.
30:25Before we continue, be sure to check out WatchMojo's 24-hour livestream.
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30:32Always on, always live.
30:34Are you not entertained?
30:361.
30:38Congratulations – Neon Genesis Evangelion
30:51The characters may be congratulating Shinji, but for some, there's nothing to be happy
30:56about here.
30:57Especially if you're a hardcore theorist.
30:59Ever since the series ended with this ambiguous scene, the Evangelion fandom has been stuck in
31:05a complete controversy of interpretation.
31:08Did Shinji reject instrumentality?
31:10Or are they congratulating him because he joined their universal consciousness?
31:14Or is this all just because they ran out of budget?
31:17Yeah, probably that one.
31:19After all, the previews did show footage that would later be used in the end of Evangelion movie.
31:24Either way, thematic or not, many were still peeved about this anticlimactic ending.
31:30But of course, some argue that's the whole point.
31:42Things have of course become a lot more clear, and people don't care as much now that Thrice
31:47Upon a Time has wonderfully wrapped up the series.
31:50But either way, back then, people were livid.
31:54Which anime controversy surprised you the most?
31:57Let us know in those comments below!