This Anime Is Almost Impossible To Watch Today (Because It's Banned Everywhere)

It takes a lot of truly gnarly grit to land yourself a worldwide ban, but "Shoujo Tsubaki," otherwise known as "Midori," has achieved that stunning feat. The anime has become so notorious it's been banned in multiple countries, including Japan. Since it involves the sexual and physical abuse of a 12-year-old girl, which is portrayed in a realistic and nauseatingly horrifying manner, it's no wonder that it's been banned nearly unilaterally across the world.

The events of the film — which was translated from the manga "Mr. Arashi's Amazing Freak Show" and is itself a variation on the  "Shoujo Tsubaki" folktale — concern the innocent Hanamura Midori the Camellia Girl, who sells flowers to keep herself alive after the horrific death of her mother and the abandonment of her father. Midori's luck seems to change when she's approached by Mr. Arashi, who asks her to join his traveling freak show. But her life only worsens. Midori not only must endure sexual assault and emotional abuse from all of her colleagues at the circus, but she also witnesses multiple instances of animal abuse, torture, and death. The anime and manga both end with the girl — driven mad by all that's happened to her  — dying by suicide.

That's heavy stuff for any audience to endure, and even in Japan, it has been banned. The anime version of the manga rarely plays in theaters and has been made available via only one release.

"Shoujo Tsubaki" has been released just once on DVD despite the controversy surrounding it; the anime got one Region-2 DVD printed and distributed in 2006 by Ciné Malta in France. The film is rare to watch and remains unavailable for streaming. This is unsurprising as the anime version of the manga only exists because creator Hiroshi Harada produced the movie with his life savings and it took five years to complete. He explained that the anime and manga were influenced by the intense bullying he'd received as a child. Good intentions or not, the anime remains banned worldwide.

While other anime series have been banned the world over — "Ragnarok" in India, "Attack on Titans" in China, and "Interspecies Reviewers" from multiple streaming services — none have encountered such backlash. And yet, despite the controversy that has enveloped "Shoujo Tsubaki," the manga was turned into a live-action feature in 2017. Starring Risa Nakamura, "Midori the Camilla Girl" screened in Germany at the Japan-Filmfest Hamburg. It was subsequently released on a limited DVD, to little outcry. Time may change the moral fibers of nations worldwide, but some things are timeless.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault or is struggling or in crisis, help is available.

• Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
• Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org