10 Banned Pokemon Episodes From Around The World (And Why)
1. South Korea Censors Japan (Various Episodes)
While it may be North Korea that most of the world associates with censorship, and for good reason, South Korea is the ultimate censor of Pokémon. Currently, the country has cut 12 episodes of the beloved anime, with them not even receiving an official Korean dub.
Call For Censorship:
South Korean censors have taken umbrage with the Pokémon anime since its forth episode Challenge of the Samurai came under fire due to the titular warrior. This started a trend of cutting episodes that featured references to Japanese culture.
For example, Pokémon Scent-sation! (Indigo League - Season 1, Episode 26) was skipped over entirely due to Erica wearing a kimono. Likewise, A Bout with Sprout (Indigo League - Season 3 - Episode 132) was banned due to the Sprout Tower taking inspiration from traditional Japanese architecture. Not even Ninjas (The Ninja Poké-Showdown - Indigo League - Season 1, Episode 32) or sumo wrestling (Ring Masters - Johto League Champions - Episode 37) were safe.
Though this seems petty to outsiders, the situation owes to the poor relations between the two countries that gained strength in the aftermath of World War II.