MyAnimeList was banned in Russia for allegedly extremist Content
The MyAnimeList ban in Russia surprised millions of fans after the government blocked access to the platform in October 2025. The official justification was that the site hosted Yaoi and Yuri content classified as “extremist”.
MyAnimeList is the largest anime and manga database in the world, with around 20 million active users. With the blockade, people in Russia trying to access the site encounter only error messages.
Why Was MyAnimeList Banned in Russia?
The decision was made by the media watchdog Roskomnadzor, which added the site to the list of prohibited platforms on October 22, 2025. According to official statements, the reason is material that “promotes non-traditional sexual relations”.
Authorities claim that the ban may be reversed if the platform removes content deemed illegal under Russian law.
Since 2013, the country has strengthened laws that prohibit what they call propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations. In 2023, the Russian Supreme Court declared the “international LGBT public movement” an extremist organization, which further tightened the repression of works, expressions, and activism related to the topic. As a result, various anime and manga content became targets of scrutiny.
MangaLIB, the largest Russian-language manga platform, was fined more than 14 million rubles for hosting works with relationships between people of the same sex. Its manager, Ivan Kvast, was also penalized individually for hosting the manga The Great Snake’s Bride, considered non-traditional for portraying a romance between a human and a mythological creature.
Russia is not the only country that imposes such restrictions. In China, since 2021, regulations explicitly prohibit gay characters and men considered effeminate in entertainment productions. Several danmei authors were arrested and convicted after publishing works with queer themes, some being detained directly in universities.
Censorship of MyAnimeList is not new within the Russian context. In 2021, a court in St. Petersburg prohibited the online distribution of popular anime such as Death Note, Tokyo Ghoul, and Inuyashiki. At the time, authorities claimed that teenagers were reenacting violent behaviors inspired by the works.