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

The third Pikachu short - Comes with Pokémon The Movie 3: The Spell of the Unknown

Plot:

The 20 minute mini-movie is a Pokémon-heavy adventure with the humans planning a surprise for their Pokémon companions. Pikachu encounters the Pichu Brothers and they have a cross city adventure to Pichu Bros' playground, where we and Pikachu meet a variety of Pokémon friends. He has so much fun he loses track of time, and must rush back before Ash notices his absence. The short ends with a surprise party to celebrate Ash and Pikachu's one year anniversary.

Call For Cancellation:

Reading the above synopsis it is hard to believe the almost sickly sweet short was banned, if only in Japan. However, it was not the content of the mini-movie that caused controversy and cancellation but rather a case of guilt by association.

The short was released in Japan on 8th July 2000 and remained untainted until 2009, when its Japanese narrator was arrested for drug possession. Sakai Noriko, former idol singer and current actress, was embroiled in further scandal after she briefly went on the run rather than face charges. All of her current and previous projects and contracts were withdrawn as a result.