High School DxD is a Japanese light novel, manga and anime series which has become one of the most popular anime series in the past few years. But, if you’re reading this, you probably know all this. However, there is, of course, a reason the series is censored. For those who are not familiar with High School DxD, this anime series revolves around gratuitous fan service and supernatural adventures of a boy named Issei Hyodo. The anime series features questionable scenes there were deemed to be censored by the distributors of the series outside Japan.

It seems that recently a lot of anime series are being censored for their explicit content or scenes. Japanese anime is known for a particularly explicit depiction of their characters, but usually, the depiction stays within the lines of tasteful. Nevertheless, certain anime series sometimes cross those lines and usually face censorship. For a better understanding and of course, possible sources of the uncensored version of High School DxD, continue reading.

The Censorship Issue

The first three seasons of High School DxD have not been censored. However, in the spring of 2018, when the fourth season has premiered, the fans of this anime series have been disappointed with all the censorship in the series. Nevertheless, they shouldn’t have been surprised by the censorship in the first place. From the very first episode, you quickly become aware of the reasons the anime distributors had these series undergo some changes.

However, the actual reason for the censorship lies in the specific broadcast requirements of premium cable. The problem started when the Japanese premium cable network AT-X decided to air censored episodes of High School DxD to viewers who aren’t paying directly to the premium cable channel. Other networks aren’t simply allowed to broadcast such explicit content without it being previously censored. Not to mention that foreign broadcasters have even tougher broadcasting requirements when it comes to anime. So, to put it simply; if the anime series is censored in Japan, it will be distributed like that to anime broadcasters outside the country; that is how every anime is actually determined to be broadcasted.

But, where can you watch the uncensored episodes?

For now, the uncensored version of High School DxD is only available via AT-X Japan (if you pay for the premium channel of course), and via illegal websites. However, we may have gathered a few other options that you may try;

  • Ordering via Playtech-Asia– allegedly, you can order the complete High School DxD uncensored edition for $14.99. The fans of this series seem to be thrilled about this opportunity, and the reviews are excellent. However, the fans stills point out that the uncensored version of this anime series can be too much for some viewers since there are depictions of nudity. Nevertheless, they also praise the uncensored version more since it seems to be a truthful depiction of the plot and character development throughout the series.
  • Ordering via Amazon – now, this option is only for the hardcore High School DxD fans. You can order the whole uncensored anime series collection on Blu Ray for $199. This collection is, of course, a limited edition. You can surely order the multi-format, DVD or other formats of this anime series for a significantly lower price, but you will probably get the censored version of the anime. The reviews for the Blu Ray series collection are excellent; the fans are satisfied with how the series looks and deem it worthy of their money.
  • Illegal anime websites – apparently, certain illegal anime websites, like Kissanime allow the uncensored version of High School DxD. The fans are, of course, thrilled that they might not have to buy series collections and pay a lot of money only to watch the uncensored version. However, Kissanime does take certain steps to point out and let the viewers know that what they’re about to see is mature content. Viewers who are guests at the site need to log in via Facebook or Google before being allowed to watch the series. Viewers also need to be over 18.
  • Waiting for Crunchyroll and FUNimation – this might be the safest thing to do, but it will require a lot of patience. Currently, Crunchyroll and FUNimation only have access to the censored version of High School DxD. However, it seems that these American anime distributors don’t want to deal with the whole censorship idea and they might be able to feature the uncensored episodes. Furthermore, they have pointed out that once the uncensored version of this anime is up and running, it will only be available for paid subscription; free subscribers will only have access to the censored episodes.

Conclusion

It seems that many anime fans are quite dissatisfied with all the anime censorship that is occurring lately. Just as the case is with High School DxD, other animes of similar themes and genre undergo the same censorship issues. Luckily, there are few ways you can access the uncensored version of your favorite anime. However, there seems to be a pattern; the uncensored versions are either very expensive or only available through illegal anime websites. So, how to watch High School DxD, for example, is now completely up to you. We, obviously recommend you wait for the official updates at Crunchyroll and FUNimation.