These scenes were not without their naysayers. Join Ashley as we look over the anime moments that had some fans crying foul
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00:00 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most infamous anime
00:09 scenes that sparked full-on scandals.
00:18 20.
00:19 The End of Eren Yeager – Attack on Titan
00:23 After ten years, almost a hundred episodes, and more jaw-dropping moments than we can
00:28 count, the ending of Attack on Titan was never going to please everyone, especially since
00:33 it committed to killing off Eren Yeager himself.
00:36 The vengeful Eldian spent the show's final season as a total renegade, so some vocal
00:42 fans weren't happy to see him die as a crying kid, mourning the life he could have had with
00:48 Mikasa.
00:51 It's a moving moment in a fantastic final episode, but clearly a subset of the fanbase
01:01 would have preferred to see Eren go out on the top of his game.
01:05 Either way, no one's forgetting this finale anytime soon.
01:13 19.
01:15 Lover's Quarrel – Aremo
01:23 Like most romance anime protagonists, Kyosuke has girls practically banging down his door.
01:29 But, he doesn't want any of them.
01:31 He only has eyes for his little sister, Kirino.
01:34 Unfortunately, she has eyes for him too.
01:41 Look, it's one thing to hint at an unsavoury relationship, and another entirely to show
01:49 a brother and sister pretending to get married.
01:52 As you can imagine, it didn't take long for the masses to condemn Aremo for its gross
01:57 central pairing.
01:58 There were even a select few defending Kyosuke and Kirino's romance, which only stirred
02:03 up even more controversy.
02:05 Given that the show is a very acquired taste, it's not even worth arguing about anymore.
02:10 Plus, Kureneko was obviously best girl.
02:16 18.
02:19 Episode 4 – Gurren Lagann
02:21 Simon's time inside the titular mech may be considered a modern classic these days,
02:27 but not every one of its episodes was as warmly received at the time.
02:31 Looking at you, Episode 4.
02:36 Helmed by a guest director, the divisive instalment used a very eclectic art style that left many
02:43 wanting.
02:45 Fans were extremely critical and made sure Gurren Lagann's production company, Gainax,
02:50 knew it.
02:51 In response, Gainax's co-founder made some not-so-professional comments comparing fan
02:56 criticism to his behind.
02:59 That only fuelled the fire, and eventually he was forced to resign altogether.
03:04 After all the hubbub, it's a wonder Gurren Lagann is still as beloved as it is.
03:12 17.
03:16 What's in the Dish?
03:17 The Pet Girl of Sakurasou
03:19 When it comes to anime, cooking food for a sick friend seems as innocent as you can get.
03:25 But somehow, this show found itself in hot water anyway.
03:33 Fans noticed that Jin prepared Korean food for his pal, instead of the Japanese dish
03:39 he makes in the source material.
03:41 Through some wild leaps in logic, fans began arguing the show was an offensive marketing
03:46 ploy for Korean grub.
03:49 Despite assurances from the production company, things only got worse when a future episode
03:54 edited out the Japanese national anthem.
04:03 Whether intentional or not, The Pet Girl of Sakurasou is now remembered more for its scandals
04:09 than its plot.
04:11 16.
04:12 Impersonation Evasion – Gintama
04:15 Even a show as funny as Gintama can go too far sometimes.
04:20 In the name of a good joke, they released an episode in 2011 featuring some biting critiques
04:26 for a well-regarded Japanese politician.
04:33 He didn't take kindly to being parodied, though.
04:36 The word "defamation" started getting thrown around a lot, and before things got
04:41 messy, the episode was yanked from airwaves and heavily censored.
04:46 You can still watch it on streaming sites to this day, but just be prepared for a lot
04:51 of bleeps and black bars.
04:54 Honestly, given Gintama's subject matter, it's surprising stuff like this doesn't
04:59 happen more often.
05:03 15.
05:04 Karen's "Pearly Whites" – Nisei Monogatari
05:09 There's a lot of feelings that come to mind when watching a scene like this.
05:13 The first, of course, being plain and simple discomfort.
05:24 While the Monogatari franchise is far from kid-friendly, Koyomi's up-close and personal
05:29 look into Karen's mouth was something else.
05:32 The question is, in what direction?
05:35 Fans spent weeks debating the scene's creative merits.
05:38 Is it plain and simple fan service?
05:41 An animation flex?
05:43 Or is it just meant to make you squirm?
05:45 No one knew for sure, but boy did everyone have an opinion.
05:48 Who knew dental hygiene could cause such a fuss?
05:57 14.
06:00 The Cabbage's "Crescent Love"
06:03 You heard that right.
06:05 In this charming slice of life, there's no graphic violence, uncomfortable romances
06:10 or taboo themes.
06:11 Nope, it garnered attention because it showed someone cutting a cabbage.
06:15 Or rather, something that's supposed to be a cabbage.
06:19 The animation left a lot to be desired, leaving most viewers in a state of shock, laughter
06:25 and amused bafflement.
06:30 The production got wind of the backlash and fixed the visual for the DVD release, but
06:35 it was too late.
06:37 By then, the perfectly smooth vegetable was already a widespread internet meme.
06:42 There is no outrunning a cabbage like this.
06:48 13.
06:50 Kaneki's Love Life
06:52 Tokyo Ghoul!
06:54 The power of shipping knows no bounds.
06:57 Even though Kaneki had heaps of chemistry with Best Girl Touka, a certain section of
07:02 the fanbase wanted him to get in bed with his best friend Hide.
07:06 But all those hopes went up in flames when Kaneki and Touka finally consummated their
07:11 relationship.
07:22 To say fans weren't happy would be an understatement.
07:26 Some went as far as calling Tokyo Ghoul homophobic, and even sent the author death threats.
07:31 While we can appreciate wanting more diverse relationships in anime, this glorified hate
07:36 parade went to the extreme.
07:38 The unwarranted reaction is a black mark on the Tokyo Ghoul fanbase that won't be going
07:43 away anytime soon.
07:48 12.
07:52 Not-So-Super Animation – Dragon Ball Super
07:56 You'd think a property as beloved as Dragon Ball would get the time and care it deserves.
08:02 But in only five episodes, the hotly anticipated Super turned fan excitement into internet-melting
08:08 outrage.
08:17 The show's rushed production schedule meant that animators couldn't keep up with the
08:21 battle-heavy storylines.
08:22 So, even though episode five was supposed to be Super's first big fight, it ended
08:27 up looking like a duel between stick figures.
08:39 The production company gave a few ham-fisted excuses, but in the end, Super went down as
08:44 a cautionary tale amongst fans.
08:46 On the bright side, the show did eventually get its act together, but the horrors of episode
08:51 five still haunt everyone's nightmares.
08:54 11.
08:55 Makoto's Murder and Nice Boat – School Days
09:00 In a scene that still drops jaws to this day, the shocking slice of life ends with some
09:05 literal slices taken out of its leading man, Makoto.
09:20 But that's not the most notable part of its finale.
09:22 A day before the episode was supposed to air, a real-life tragedy in Kyoto forced the Japanese
09:29 network to cancel its broadcast.
09:31 Instead, they aired a scenery shot with the subtitles "Nice Boat."
09:37 The internet exploded, frustration turning into confusion, turning into absolute hilarity.
09:42 By the time School Days' final episode aired, "Nice Boat" had become the anime meme
09:48 of the year.
09:49 You gotta feel for Makoto.
09:50 His death got upstaged by a bloody boat.
09:57 10.
10:01 Too Close for Comfort – Oshinoko
10:04 While it may seem bubbly on the surface, this show is actually all about exposing the dark
10:09 underbelly of the rich and famous.
10:12 But in its sixth episode, Oshinoko blended fact and fiction a bit too well.
10:18 The plotline follows Akane, an actress facing so much online harassment, she eventually
10:23 tries to end it all.
10:34 The specifics of her torment echo the situation of real-life pro wrestler, Hana Kimura.
10:40 Unfortunately, while Akane survived her circumstances, Kimura didn't.
10:44 Later, the wrestler's mother denounced Oshinoko for using her daughter's death as a quote-unquote
10:51 "source material."
10:52 Her comments struck a chord, with a lot agreeing Oshinoko should be more sensitive with its
10:57 real life going forward, while others argued that the manga was written much earlier.
11:05 9.
11:13 False Allegations – The Rising of the Shield Hero
11:21 You only get one chance at a first impression, and for some, Shield Hero blew it.
11:26 While its fresh spin on the isekai genre drew rave reviews, others were quick to point out
11:31 some of its more problematic elements.
11:34 Namely, that its first episode depicts slavery and false misconduct allegations.
11:46 Viewers who stuck around found that Shield Hero handled its tough subject matter with
11:50 finesse and maturity, but unfortunately, several of its protesters had already written the
11:55 show off.
11:56 It's a real shame.
11:58 If they'd just given Naofumi one more chance, they'd have seen that the first season – and
12:02 only the first season – of The Rising of the Shield Hero is isekai at its very best.
12:08 8.
12:09 The Endless Eight – The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
12:14 In this malign storyline, Haruhi and her friends are stuck in a time loop, repeating the same
12:19 summer vacation.
12:21 Even though the second episode reanimated every scene, it rehashed the exact same events
12:26 as the first.
12:28 The third episode repeated the trend again, so did the fourth, the fifth, and so on, eventually
12:34 wasting over half the season with the same identical plot points.
12:45 Haruhi fans went into a tailspin, and we can't even blame them.
12:48 The fanbase's meltdown reached such a boiling point, the show's former director had to
12:54 issue an apology.
12:55 But "sorry" wasn't enough to stop The Endless Eight from becoming one of the most
13:00 hated arcs in anime history.
13:05 7.
13:09 Dio and the Quran – JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
13:13 As if being a thorn in the side of the Joestar family isn't bad enough, Dio Brando decided
13:19 to take on an entire religion, too.
13:22 During the 90s OVA adaptation of the series, the vampiric villain reads excerpts from something
13:27 that looks an awful lot like the Quran.
13:31 Obviously, Muslims weren't thrilled to see such flippant use of their sacred text, especially
13:43 by a vampire who's talking about murder.
13:46 In response, the manga's English release went on hiatus, and the OVAs were pulled from
13:52 storefronts.
13:53 Nowadays, there's a whole new version of JoJo's to fall in love with, and this one
14:02 hasn't offended any religious groups yet.
14:05 6.
14:06 Meet the Goblins – Goblin Slayer
14:08 If you turned on this anime expecting a light-hearted action fantasy, you had another thing coming.
14:15 In the very first scene of the very first episode, a group of unlucky adventurers get
14:19 cornered by goblins, and it crosses more than a few lines.
14:25 Let's just say that some of these party members got treated to a fate worse than death.
14:33 Almost immediately after it aired, Goblin Slayer was accused of using extreme violence
14:38 for shock value, and even worse, doing so without a content warning.
14:48 For what it's worth, the scandal did get a lot of eyes on the show, but something tells
14:53 us most of those viewers didn't hang around for episode two.
14:56 5.
14:57 Nina and Her Table – Code Geass
15:00 Lelouch of the Rebellion
15:02 Love is love, but there's a time and a place for everything.
15:08 This was most definitely not the time for Nina.
15:11 She's caught red-handed in a dark room, examining a photo of her beloved.
15:24 Given Nina's position, it's heavily implied that she got it on with the corner of a table.
15:29 Sorry, we meant "table-kun", as some cheeky fans started calling it.
15:34 Jokes aside, the scene's almost unnecessary content drummed up its fair share of drama.
15:40 This kind of weird fan-service-y scene feels incredibly out of place in a tense thriller
15:45 like Code Geass.
15:46 And yet, that's part of the reason Nina and Table-kun remain the show's most infamous
15:52 ship to this very day.
15:57 4.
15:59 Taboo Content – Sudo Online
16:01 It's almost ironic that an episode titled "Taboo Index" has a scene that literally
16:07 had to be censored.
16:09 To put it as vaguely as possible, Yujiro almost had to watch as his comrades suffer the worst
16:15 punishment imaginable.
16:23 The moment went through heavy edits before it could even hit streaming sites, let alone
16:28 public broadcast.
16:29 And clever cutting or not, the reality of the girls' situation isn't any easier
16:34 to stomach.
16:39 In the face of ever-mounting backlash, Sudo Online's original author assured fans that
16:45 he'd moved away from using violence as a subplot.
16:48 If only he'd come to that conclusion a few years sooner.
16:52 3.
16:53 The Real Kind of Revenge – Redo of Healer
16:57 The show is like a contentious bag of chips.
17:00 You can't just pick one.
17:02 After all, the entire premise is basically a walking PR disaster.
17:11 Without getting too deep into the nasty details, Redo of Healer is about the disgraced wizard
17:17 Kiaru who goes back in time to get revenge on those who wronged him.
17:22 Boy does he get creative.
17:29 Kiaru's vengeance is upfront, gratuitous, and so vile we can't even talk about it
17:37 on YouTube.
17:38 Or, hell, show any footage for that matter.
17:41 Whatever you're thinking of, it's probably worse.
17:44 You can't even watch Redo of Healer in some countries, and honestly, that might be for
17:49 the best.
17:50 2.
17:51 The Porygon Episode – Pokemon
17:53 Gotta catch 'em all, unless it's Porygon.
18:03 During the monster's debut episode of the anime, Pikachu went into the internet and
18:08 delivered a shock that the industry is still reeling from.
18:11 The repetitive, flashing lights triggered a series of epileptic reactions across Japan,
18:17 sending more than 600 viewers to the hospital.
18:20 Pokemon immediately pulled the episode down, and went on a four-month hiatus to address
18:26 the issue.
18:31 By the time they returned to their regularly scheduled broadcast, Japanese networks had
18:36 written up entirely new guidelines on light effects in anime.
18:40 All these years later, shows are still being held to those standards.
18:44 As for Porygon himself, he's been blacklisted from the anime ever since.
19:08 3.
19:21 The Evangelion Fandom – Shinji
19:22 The characters may be congratulating Shinji, but for some, there's nothing to be happy
19:25 about here.
19:26 Especially if you're a hardcore theorist.
19:28 Ever since the series ended with this ambiguous scene, the Evangelion fandom has been stuck
19:34 in a complete controversy of interpretation.
19:37 Did Shinji reject instrumentality?
19:39 Or are they congratulating him because he joined their universal consciousness?
19:43 Or is this all just because they ran out of budget?
19:48 After all, the previews did show footage that would later be used in the end of Evangelion
19:53 movie.
19:54 Either way, thematic or not, many were still peeved about this anticlimactic ending.
19:59 But of course, some argue that's the whole point.
20:11 Things have, of course, become a lot more clear, and people don't care as much now
20:15 that "Thrice Upon a Time" has wonderfully wrapped up the series.
20:19 But either way, back then, people were livid.
20:23 What anime scandal surprised you the most?
20:26 Let us know in those comments below.
20:40 And as always, thanks for watching.