The Russian government blocked access to MyAnimeListthe world's largest anime and manga database, accusing it of spreading “extremist” content related to the community LGBTQ+. The measure was applied by the state agency Roskomnadzorwhich added the site to its national list of banned pages without offering an initial official explanation.
In later statements, Roskomnadzor stated that the decision was due to the “systematic placement of materials promoting non-traditional sexual relations.” According to the agency, the block could be lifted if the Tokyo-based platform removes content considered illegal under Russian laws. Users within the country now only receive an error message when trying to enter the site.
MyAnimeList and anime censorship in Russia
MyAnimeList has more than 20 million users around the world and serves as a global community to follow, review and rate anime and manga series. It is not the first time that the Russian government has targeted Japanese content: in 2021, a court in St. Petersburg banned the online distribution of titles such as Death note, Tokyo Ghoul and Inuyashikiarguing that they “negatively influenced young people.”
A growing pattern of censorship
Since 2013, Russia has tightened its laws against the representation of the LGBTQ+ community under the so-called “gay propaganda” framework. These restrictions were expanded in 2023, when the Russian Supreme Court declared “the international public LGBT movement” an extremist organization, opening the door to harsher sanctions against any expression considered “non-traditional.”
For now, the blockade MyAnimeList remains active. Will the anime community manage to regain access to the site in Russia, or will this be another step in the country's digital censorship?
