China Adds More Restrictions On Anime: No More Middle School Romance & Stories On Overthrowing Government

Anime as a medium of entertainment is growing both in Japan and across the globe. But, despite the growing global appeal, China has imposed more restrictions on anime that can be broadcast in the country.

Mantan Web reported that anime with stories on overthrowing the government or those depicting middle school romances are now are now being rejected for broadcast.

This means popular anime like Code Geass, or even The Dangers In My Heart could be banned in the country.

One Piece too deals with themes of fighting against an authoritarian government. But it needs to be seen if the new restrictions impose any ban on the series, given its popularity in the country.

In the past, popular series, like Attack on Titan, have been banned outright in China due to regulations concerning violence or “crimes against public morality.”

China is seen as a stable and lucrative market for anime distribution, with a potential to generate a steady revenue stream. However, the restrictions have made it increasingly difficult to navigate this market.

While these restrictions affect how anime will be consumed by the audiences in the country, there is an added problem of these changes affecting production schedules too.

Anime requires overseas sales, including to China, to be profitable, and content checks for the Chinese market must occur months before broadcast, impacting production schedules. And as things stand, it will only put more strain on the already problematic production ecosystem.

The anime industry’s internal issues are well documented. Production costs have escalated significantly, with estimates ranging from 20 million yen to potentially 80 million yen for a single 30-minute episode, compared to under 10 million yen for some live-action variety shows.

Costs are expected to continue rising, potentially doubling or tripling compared to a decade ago.

Anime production also involves long lead times, often requiring two to three years from initiation to completion, making it difficult to align with the quarterly scheduling of television networks.

A shortage of experienced animators and production staff further strains the industry, sometimes forcing studios to rely on less experienced personnel to meet deadlines, which can impact quality and timelines.

While the anime industry did hit new records, added restrictions from markets like China will prove to be a major roadblock in Japan’s plan to make anime globally resonant – especially since overseas markets have outperformed the local one.

Even with these difficulties, the anime sector saw renewed interest domestically, marked by increased programming slots on terrestrial television networks like TV Asahi and Fuji TV, which added late-night anime broadcasts. This contrasts with the late 2010s when anime largely disappeared from prime-time schedules outside of TV Tokyo.