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.”
Russian Manga Platform Fined Over Non-Traditional Romance Series
Ivan Kvast, the manager of Russia’s largest online platform for comics, manga, and anime, also recently came under fire and received a 200,000 rubles ($2,400) fine for hosting the series, The Great Snake’s Bride. The manga, written and illustrated by Fushiashikumo, tells the tale of a romance between a girl and a mythological serpent. According to Meduza, Russian authorities accused the series of promoting “non-traditional” relationships, and the court upheld the claim.
The fine against Kvast adds to a growing list of penalties that have now gone up to over one million rubles ($12,100). MangaLIB has faced even heavier consequences, with more than 14 million rubles ($169,600) in fines across seven separate cases. Regulators have flagged multiple titles on the site for including same-sex relationships or sexual content, which has led MangaLIB’s administrators to introduce pre-moderation of all newly-uploaded material.
Beyond the anime and manga ban, Russian authorities have been pursuing several other unusual cases under the country’s expanding anti-LBGTQ+ laws. In Kaliningrad, a Viking-themed recreational center called Kaup was fined 800,000 rubles ($9,700) after police claimed a rented event on its grounds featured a “BDSM” photo booth and photos of two women kissing. Similarly, two brothers in Tatarstan were recently fined 100,000 rubles ($1,200) each for allegedly “promoting non-traditional relations” on their lifestyle blog.
The team behind MyAnimeList has not responded to the ban yet. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
