In 1 Month, The Uncensored Version Of 2026's Most Controversial Anime Episode Will Officially Release
Updated
Vanessa Piña has been writing as a journalist for over two years. As a senior writer, she focuses on timely coverage of the latest anime releases and popular comic franchises.
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There aren't many words that can single-handedly upset the entire anime fandom, but there is one that's stood the test of time. For better or worse, any talk of censorship never fails to rile up netizens. As the anime industry continues to globalize, censorship has become more of an issue than ever before, leaving fans to file more and more complaints. Anime fans don't often win the war against censorship, but thanks to a new report, we've learned one hit TV series is trying to make amends with upset viewers.
In many series, censorship stems from restrictions on explicit content that exceed the limits permitted by both the broadcast time and the standards for Japanese television content. This was the case with the controversial harem series Rent-a-Girlfriend.
Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 5, Episode 2, which premiered on Crunchyroll in April 2026, adapted Chapter 218 of Reiji Miyajima's manga. Said chapter contains one of the series' most infamous scenes (and perhaps in the rom-com anime genre as a whole), featuring an explicit sequence framed within a fantasy of Kazuya's. In the anime, the scene was censored using a black-and-white color palette and multiple flashes of light. Following the uproar among fans, the anime's production team announced that an uncensored version would be released soon.
Rent-a-Girlfriend’s Most Infamous Scene Is Finally Getting an Uncensored Version
According to the anime's official website, the uncensored version of Episode 2 of Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 5 will be included with the release of the season's Blu-ray volume 1. This first Blu-ray volume includes the first six episodes of Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 5 and is officially scheduled for release in Japan on November 25, 2026. Meanwhile, the second volume (which will collect episodes 7 through 12) will be available in late January 2027.
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01
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) became one of the most-watched anime on Crunchyroll. The story takes place in a world where humanity lives behind massive walls to protect themselves from giant humanoid creatures. What are these creatures called?
✓ Correct! The giant humanoid creatures are called Titans. In the original Japanese, they’re referred to as “Kyojin” (giants). Eren Yeager’s quest to destroy all Titans after they breach Wall Maria became one of the most gripping storylines in anime history.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Titans. Kaiju are giant monsters from Japanese cinema like Godzilla, Hollows are the enemy creatures in Bleach, and Demons appear in series like Demon Slayer. In Attack on Titan, these towering humanoid creatures are specifically called Titans.
02
Studio MAPPA has become one of the most prominent anime studios in recent years, producing several massive hit series. Which of these popular anime was NOT produced by MAPPA?
✓ Correct! Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) is produced by ufotable, not MAPPA. Ufotable’s stunning animation quality — especially the breathtaking fight sequences — became a hallmark of the Demon Slayer franchise. MAPPA produced Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan: The Final Season, and Chainsaw Man.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Demon Slayer. Demon Slayer is animated by studio ufotable, renowned for its gorgeous visual effects. MAPPA has produced Jujutsu Kaisen, took over Attack on Titan: The Final Season from WIT Studio, and animated Chainsaw Man.
03
Solo Leveling became a massive hit anime in 2024 after being one of the most popular manhwa (Korean comics) in the world. The story follows a weak hunter who gains the unique ability to level up. What is the protagonist’s name?
✓ Correct! Sung Jin-Woo is the protagonist of Solo Leveling. Originally the weakest E-Rank hunter, he gains the power of the mysterious System, allowing him to level up infinitely. His transformation from the “World’s Weakest Hunter” to the most powerful Shadow Monarch captivated millions of readers and viewers.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Sung Jin-Woo. Jin-Woo Sung reverses the name order (Korean names place the surname first). Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk are protagonists from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, another popular Korean series. Sung Jin-Woo is the iconic Shadow Monarch of Solo Leveling.
04
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards celebrate the best in anime each year. Which anime won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards?
✓ Correct! Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. This beautifully contemplative series about an elven mage reflecting on mortality and the passage of time after her hero party’s quest ends charmed audiences and critics alike with its unique, introspective storytelling.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. While Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, Oshi no Ko, and Vinland Saga Season 2 were all critically acclaimed, it was Frieren’s meditative exploration of time, memory, and connection that captured the top prize at the 2024 ceremony.
05
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is consistently rated as one of the greatest anime of all time. The story follows two brothers who attempted a forbidden alchemical technique. What taboo did Edward and Alphonse Elric commit?
✓ Correct! Edward and Alphonse attempted human transmutation to bring their deceased mother back to life. The attempt failed catastrophically — Edward lost his left leg and then sacrificed his right arm to bind Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armor. This event drives the entire series as they search for the Philosopher’s Stone to restore their bodies.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is human transmutation — specifically, attempting to resurrect their dead mother. In the world of FMA, human transmutation is the ultimate taboo in alchemy. The brothers’ failed attempt cost Edward his limbs and Alphonse his entire body, setting the stage for their epic journey.
06
Spy x Family became a worldwide phenomenon with its wholesome yet action-packed story of a found family. The father, Loid Forger, is secretly a spy. What is his spy codename?
✓ Correct! Loid Forger’s spy codename is Twilight, and he’s considered the top agent of Westalis’s intelligence service, WISE. His mission, Operation Strix, requires him to build a fake family — leading him to adopt the telepathic Anya and marry the assassin Yor, creating one of anime’s most beloved found families.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Twilight. Agent Dusk and Shadow are fictional names, while Nightfall is actually the codename of another WISE agent, Fiona Frost, who has a crush on Loid. Twilight is Westalis’s greatest spy and the heart of Spy x Family’s charming story.
07
Crunchyroll merged with another major anime streaming service to become the dominant platform for anime. Which streaming service was absorbed into Crunchyroll?
✓ Correct! Funimation was merged into Crunchyroll after Sony’s acquisition of Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2021. The merger consolidated the anime streaming market, bringing Funimation’s massive library of dubbed anime together with Crunchyroll’s simulcast catalog, making Crunchyroll the world’s largest dedicated anime platform.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Funimation. Netflix Anime is part of Netflix and operates independently, HIDIVE is Sentai Filmworks’ streaming service, and AnimeLab was a smaller Australian service. Funimation — once Crunchyroll’s biggest rival — was fully absorbed into the Crunchyroll platform.
08
Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are legendary in the anime world. Miyazaki’s final film was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. What is the title of this film?
✓ Correct! The Boy and the Heron (Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka) was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2024. The deeply personal, surrealist fantasy film was widely considered Miyazaki’s farewell masterpiece, exploring themes of grief, imagination, and the passage between worlds.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is The Boy and the Heron. Spirited Away 2 and Ponyo Returns don’t exist. The Wind Rises was Miyazaki’s previous “final” film from 2013. The Boy and the Heron marked his true farewell, winning the Oscar and cementing his legacy as anime’s greatest storyteller.
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At this point, no information has been given regarding whether these Blu-ray editions will be available outside of Japan. Unfortunately, Rent-a-Girlfriend does not appear on Crunchyroll's list of home media releases for December 2026. However, given that the Blu-ray editions of the series' third and fourth seasons are available in the Crunchyroll store, it may only be a matter of time before fans in the West can purchase this new release with English subtitles and dubbing.
As for whether these scenes will eventually be available on streaming platforms, that is a separate matter. Traditionally, this kind of uncensored content is exclusive to Blu-ray releases, but streaming services like HIDIVE have made such content available with age restrictions. For now, fans will have to wait and see where the decision lands.
Rent-A-Girlfriend Isn't The Only Modern Anime Sparking Censorship Debate
Given the risqué nature of Rent-a-Girlfriend, the harem anime knows the drill when it comes to censorship. Fans may want the anime to adapt the hit manga scene for scene, but network television has its own standards to uphold. In order to keep its time slot, Rent-a-Girlfriend must adhere to certain content guidelines, and that means nudity is often a no-go. The team behind Rent-a-Girlfriend must work in tandem with these guidelines lest the show be canceled entirely, so this Blu-ray exclusive is a fair middle ground for fans to explore.
It must also be noted that Rent-a-Girlfriend isn't alone in its war against censorship. A slew of modern anime have faced content adjustments and cuts in Japan. Famously, My Dress-Up Darling faced censors when its anime began in 2022 as certain fan-service elements featuring nudity were cut from the show. Other hit anime such as Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation and Interspecies Reviewers faced censorship for similar reasons.
Even A-list anime titles like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba have faced pushback from censors for excessive violence and visual gore, so no series is immune when it comes to television standards. If giants like Dragon Ball have to play by the rules, then Rent-a-Girlfriend will have to do the same.
Rent-a-Girlfriend Will Face Even More Censorship in the Future
As a harem series, Rent-a-Girlfriend has also faced censorship in its manga. The manga receives a simultaneous release on the K Manga platform, where explicit or risqué panels are intentionally censored. This means that access to the uncensored versions is only available upon the release of the collected manga volumes.
Even so, based on the manga's latest arcs, fans should expect further censorship in future seasons of the anime. The series has been renewed for a sixth season, and the manga recently featured a suggestive scene that will likely spark debate among fans once animated and will almost certainly face heavy censorship on screen. Nevertheless, fans wishing to purchase the Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 5 Blu-ray should keep an eye out for updates from the anime's platform. For viewers who want to catch up on Rent-a-Girlfriend despite its recent censorship, the anime series is streaming on Crunchyroll (subbed and dubbed).
Rent-A-Girlfriend
- Release Date
- 2020 - 2026-00-00
- Network
- TBS, MBS, CBC, Tulip Television, BSN, tys, NBC, HBC, RKK, i-Television, SBS, IBC, BSS, MRO, OBS, TUF, RSK, TUY, tbc, RKB, SBC, KUTV, RBC, UTY, RCC, MRT, atv, MBC
- Directors
- Shinya Une, Akira Mano, Fumio Maezono, Taku Yamada, Yurika Fukaya, Hidehiko Kadota, Naoyuki Kuzuya, Takashi Tanazawa, Yoshitsugu Kimura, Taiki Nishimura, Mizuki Iwadare, Ken Ando, Akira Yamada, Fumihiro Ueno, Yuki Morita, Hisaya Takabayashi
- Writers
- Fumi Tsubota
-
Masayuki Akasaka
Yoshiaki Kibe (voice)
-
Rie Takahashi
Sumi Sakurasawa (voice)
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.