| Russian authorities have blocked MyAnimeList, the world’s largest anime and manga social networking and cataloging platform, after accusing it of promoting extremist LGBTQ+ content. Roskomnadzor, Russia’s federal media watchdog, recently blacklisted the Tokyo-based site and cut off access for millions of anime fans across the country. The ban marks the latest move in the regulator’s push to crack down on online media and pop culture.
Roskomnadzor told state-owned outlet RIA that MyAnimeList systematically publishes “materials containing information propagating non-traditional sexual relations and/or preference.” The regulator noted that the ban could be reversed if the Tokyo-based platform removes the flagged content. However, for now, the move effectively locks Russian users out of one of the internet’s most popular hubs for Japanese pop culture, which hosts more than 20 million anime fans globally.
This is not the first time Russian authorities have banned anime, though. In 2021, a St. Petersburg court banned streaming platforms from distributing titles including Death Note, Tokyo Ghoul, and Inuyashiki. The court claimed these shows encouraged violence among teens. Oleg Erlikh, an expert from the prosecutor’s office, claimed that the content they banned was damaging the psyche of minors, per Meduza. The case was one of several lawsuits prosecutors filed to block additional titles, including Naruto, Terror in Tokyo, Elfen Lied, and Ishuzoku Reviewers. Since then, authorities have expanded their “gay propaganda” laws and criminalized what they refer to as the “international LGBT public movement.” |
