Award-winning 9/11-inspired anime from Jujutsu Kaisen studio was banned for shocking reason

The events of 9/11 have reverberated culturally ever since, and there’s one anime inspired by the catastrophe that garnered a particular reputation.

There aren’t many anime shows or anime movies drawing directly from the destruction of the Twin Towers. Though historical, it’s a moment that divides opinion quickly, and creatives in the medium often resist being so overtly political in their work.

That said, one series was quite on-the-nose in its invocation of the tragedy. Terror in Resonance, a single-season production from Cowboy Bebop director Shinichirō Watanabe and studio MAPPA, contains some clear references, and got in hot water as a result.

Released in 2014, Terror in Resonance follows a pair of teenage boys, Nine and Twelve (yes, really) who use an atomic bomb to hold Tokyo hostage. They demand people solve a puzzle they created, otherwise they’ll detonate the explosive.

They were part of a secret program for breeding super-soldiers, and it turns out they have an aptitude for being close to unstoppable. It lasts 11 episodes, and the parallels to extremism – radicalizing young men in hidden bunkers, posting threatening or graphic videos online – are obvious.

The poster makes these ideas a touch more overt, with the three main characters standing in front of a skyline with a pair of skyscrapers on fire. There are country music ballads that are more discreet – just sayin’.

Crunchyroll

Shinichiro once commented on the political intentions, revealing he wanted to reflect the administration of former Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe.

“It’s very much linked to the Abe administration. There’s a minister who’s said that he believes Japan should have nuclear weapons. So it’s a possibility,” he told Otaku News.

“So there’s that influence of reality on the work. And also I wanted to give an opportunity to make young Japanese people a lot of whom lack interest in politics to think and to be interested.”

If shockwaves were the goal, then Terror in Resonance succeeded. While it was critically acclaimed in many regions, the show was banned by the Chinese Ministry of Culture for terrorism-related content.

Meanwhile, it received several statues, including for Anime of the Year, at the inaugural Anime Trending Awards. If you’d like to check it out for yourself, it’s all on Crunchyroll.