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It had been rumored for some time that China’s government would be clamping down on sites that stream Japanese anime. The likes of Naruto and One Piece especially were hotly tipped for the Chinese government’s chopping block, but when an official list of prohibited shows recently went public, not only were anime fans in China saddened to see the aforementioned titles pulled from streaming sites, but another 38 popular Japanese anime were blacklisted due to their lewd and violent content.

Did your favorite series get pulled from the Chinese Internet? Check out the list of the fallen after the jump.

After an earlier announcement in March which placed some less popular shows on their blacklist, China’s Ministry of Culture announced that a more comprehensive list was forthcoming. Now we know what sort of anime won’t be shown on Chinese streaming sites, so if you find yourself on a Chinese ISP, don’t expect to find any of these titles readily available. If you’re not in China, meanwhile, you may want to consider the following a list of awesome anime to check out!

Terror in Resonance
Blood-C
Highschool of the Dead
Ergo Proxy
Parasyte

ban 4Skull Man
Another
Inferno Cop
Afro Samurai
Tokyo Ghoul
Sword Art Online

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Tokyo ESP
Tokyo Ravens
Devil May Cry
Mnemosyne RIN – Daughters of Mnemosyne –
The Testament of Sister New Devil
Attack on Titan
Corpse Party
Strike the Blood
Death Note

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Deadman Wonderland
Date A Live
Psycho Pass
Devil Lady
Those Who Hunt Elves
Elfen Lied

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Highschool DxD
Hyakka Ryoran: Samurai Girls
So, I Can’t Play H!
Girls Bravo
Kanokon
Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero
Sakura Diaries
Black Butler 3
CLAYMORE
Dance in the Vampire Bund
Assassination Classroom

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The Chinese government is enforcing this list through warnings and fines levied against streaming sites. They have already cracked down on 29 sites, while eight others have closed down completely.

These blacklisted shows, which “encourage juvenile delinquency, glorify violence and include sexual content,” are being banned in order to “protect the healthy development of youth,” according to the Xinhua News Agency. Critics of the list, however, see this move as part of a broader movement of the Communist government’s attempts to control online content.

Many Internet users are slightly skeptical that this action is going to actually prevent the consumption of any of these shows and may conversely prompt curious Chinese citizens to seek them out through illicit means.

“Won’t people just watch them through illegal uploads, and then nothing will have changed? And controlling that will be a considerable task.”

“It’s not because it’s harmful for children, but because it’s harmful for the Communist Party.”

“Attack on Titan is definitely like the Chinese government vs. Chinese citizens.”

Will this blacklist protect the development of Chinese youth? Or is this just another useless case of government overreach? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Source: My Game News Flash
Additional Information: Japan Times
Top image: Gaming City
Inset Images: Amazon JP 1, Sword Art Online Wikia, Amazon JP 2, 3, 4