10 Banned Pokemon Episodes From Around The World (And Why)

10. Beauty And The Beach

Pokémon: Indigo League - Season 1, Episode 18

Plot:

Ash and his companions have a day off soaking up the sun, however, after crashing a boat into a ferry, they must work off their debt at the ferry owner's restaurant. Meanwhile, a rival restaurant owner employs Team Rocket, bringing trouble to the hero's repayment efforts. Not content with this, Team Rocket's meddling spills into a beauty contest that Misty is hoping to win.

Call For Censorship:

It was the beauty contest portion of the episode that provoked the ban. Set on a beach, the dress code for contestants was bikinis. Though, there is nothing inherently sexual about swimwear, the team behind the episode certainly pushed it. Yet, it was not the teenage Misty that provoked ire, rather James of Team Rocket. James cross-dressed in a bikini to try to thwart Misty's victory. Audiences in 1997 were not ready for this, but it was James' use of jiggling inflatable breasts and a comment to Misty that "maybe one day, [she'll] have a chest like [his]" that pushed the boundaries.

The episode was banned in the United States, but after edits it received an English dub.