It seems that even the anime series Death Note is scribbled in the banned list of a few countries from airing. The massive success of a few popular anime shows almost always comes with some sort of controversy in a few countries.
Death Note has been hailed as a masterpiece and fans around the world loved the show, there are several communities and cults also, yet it has also been banned in several countries. It’s accessible on many popular video-streaming services like Netflix.
The manga “Death Note,” by the well-known duo Tsugumi and Takeshi Obata, is based on a dark premise. Light Yagami is a high school student with a prodigious intellect who finds a mysterious supernatural notebook dubbed the “Death Note.”
It turns out that Ryuk, a god of death known as a Shinigami, used to keep this notebook, and that whoever currently possesses it has the power to kill anyone simply by writing their name and the manner of their death in its pages.
The series, which consists of 37 episodes and an OVA Special Episode, follows Light Yagami as he plots a global massacre of mostly criminals in order to create a society free from crime for himself, all the while being pursued by an elite Japanese police task force led by a detective named L, also known as Ryuzaki.
Reason For Death Note Being Banned & Controversy Explained
The series’s success can be attributed to its gripping plot and exploration of dark psychological topics. The clever and compelling storytelling it employs has not, however, won over all readers. Here are some of the reasons why Death Note has been banned in several countries.
1. Mature And Dark Content Inappropriate For Children
The show’s subject matter, including mass murder and morality, has reportedly caused authorities to label it as unsuitable for minors.
The anime is also infamous for playing with viewers’ emotions by giving them a tough moral choice to make, which is obviously not something parents would want their kids to see.
2. Multiple Reports of Kids Writing Names
There have been several cases of kids in the United States & China making fake Death Notes since the anime’s premiere. Students filled these notebooks with the names of their opponents and teachers, which alarmed the authorities and worried the parents.
3. Russian Suicide Controversy
The Death Note Manga was also involved in a suicide case in Russia on 20th February in Yekaterinburg.
A girl of 15 years old jumped to her death from the thirteenth-floor window of her home. Her suicide note said, “I can’t live anymore,” and four volumes of the Death Note manga were discovered in the room she jumped from by police.
At the time, authorities looked into whether or not the manga had anything to do with the suicide.
Although the investigation concluded that the manga was not to blame for the child’s death, this did little to redeem the franchise’s reputation. In response, a local parents’ group openly petitioned the president to outlaw the show in all of its media forms.
“Every episode contains cruelty, murder, violence,”
Said: St. Peterburg Court System
Source: TheMoscowTimes / EnGadget / AnimeNewsNetwork
An article in The Voice of Russia speculated about a possible connection between anime and a recent spate of suicides among Russian youth. Six Russian middle schoolers committed themselves in the week before the original article was published. The majority of them came from stable homes and excelled academically, according to the article.
4. Belgium Controversy
The Belgium murderers was nicknamed “Manga Murderers” after leaving notes at the scene of the crime that draws inspiration from Kira.
5. Chinese Controversy
The use of a particular brand of the stationery notebook as “Death Notes” led to its outright ban in several schools in Shenyang, China, at the start of 2005. Many Chinese parents and instructors still believe that Death Note is “a poison that produces wicked souls,” and they are doing what they can to keep their children away from the “evil notebook,” despite the fact that some people think the ban was overreacted.
Source: ComiPress
A middle school kid was quoted in the Shenyang Night Report saying that many of his classmates had death note notebooks and that they used them to keep track of the names of professors they didn’t like so that they might burn them when they finally burned out from all the studying.
6. Various Other Unreported Real Life Incidents
Apart From the Russian, Belgium, and Chinese incidents which got mainstream media attention. There are still several unreported cases and incidents around the globe of Death which have an indirect connection to the manga Death Note.
Countries Where it is Banned
| Country | Date | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| China (Partially) | 2005 | Corrupting Influence on Children |
| Russia | 2013 | 15 Years Old Kids Suicide Case |
| Belgium (Partially) | – | Using Death NoteManga as leaving note after murdering |
Some Chinese and Russian regions have put a ban on Death Note. The Chinese government deemed this psychological thriller and supernatural anime series, which received a rating of R for its excessive violence and obscenity, to be inappropriate for public consumption. It wasn’t only that, though; there were other reasons why this anime was banned.
The violence in the show and the prevalence of knockoffs selling their own “death notes” led a Russian court to ban the anime in 2021. The film was previously given a 16+ age rating certificate without any cuts before being banned.
Despite the reasonable outrage of the Russian anime fandom, it appears that no compromise is possible. The court’s ruling is still very much in effect. While this may seem like bad news for Death Note, it’s not the only banned anime several other shows and episodes were also blacklisted.
Episodes Censorship
The dub underwent light censorship, though most of the adjustments aren’t detailed here because they were more of a localization tweak than a censorship measure.
Check Out: Death Note Filler Guide List
Episode 2
The scene where Light says
“And those who have done wrong fear that heaven’s judgement will strike down upon them.”
was changed to:
“While those who have done wrong are on the run. They are forced to hide from a unknown enemy.”
Episode 8
The line
“The ICPO has decided to dispatch 1500 investigators from various developed countries to Japan.”
was changed to
“Interpol has decided to dispatch 1500 investigators to Japan. These investigators were drawn from various member nations.
Episode 9
The scene where Light says
“The Death Note is a pain in the ass!”
was changed to
“It’s inconvenient that’s the flaw with the Death Note!”
Episode 17
The scene where Light’s Dad says
“If the killings don’t stop then he’ll take responsibility and end his own life.”
was changed to
“if the killings don’t stop he to will be executed.”
The scene where Misa says
“Too guys chained together is kinda gross…”
was changed to
“Looking at you I never would have guessed…”
Episode 19
The line
“This is heaven…”
was changed to
“Man we got to do this more often.”
Episode 23
The scene where Light says
“Could Kira’s power be from heaven or something.”
was changed to
“Could it really be Kira’s power comes from another world or some bein?”
Episode 25
The line
“You bastard!”
was changed to
“Light that’s what your plan is…”
Death Note Age Rating, Is It Inappropriate For Kids Parents Guide
No, absolutely not if you mean children above the age of 10-13+ years old, maybe suitable. (Under the age of 10, it could be inappropriate)
The word “death” is right there in the title, so it’s no surprise that young children shouldn’t read it. However, some children of a certain age might also find it frightening, particularly because of the Shinigami.
Essentially the program is about a clever brilliant highschooler who finds a notebook that previously belonged to a shinigami, the notebook kills everybody whose name is put on it.
In my Point of View, Children who watch the show can get to learn the following skills:
- Detective skills
- Patience
- Having good IQ
- Rules & Regulations
After all, many Death Note viewers began the series at age 14 or older, and some began much earlier.
Parents who are worried about the show’s content or potential impact on their children are encouraged to give it a try before making any firm conclusions. Death Note, however, is generally appropriate for anyone over the age of 12.
However, it’s probably best to keep kids under the age of 10 away from the anime/manga, as some of them may be frightened by the designs of the characters even if they don’t fully get the plot.
