New Year, new controversy. If you thought 2025’s legal controversies would be left behind, then you are certainly wrong.
Oh boy, would you look at that! If you thought 2025’s Armageddon of controversy and censorship issues in anime and manga would be left behind, well, friend, smell the coffee because this stuff ain’t leaving anytime soon. So, what’s going on this time? More censorship, or controversy in the community? Well, you could say both. Since last year, there’s been a rampant attack not just on anime and manga, but on the internet as a whole—ranging from age verification laws, to restrictions on certain freedoms of expression, and corruption in the free market. Most specifically, banks and credit card companies have been exposed for refusing payments and services to select individuals or platforms unfairly deemed problematic. The latest incidents are yet another example of this sad continuation of censorship.
MangaDex, one of the most well-known piracy sites for manga, recently announced that it has removed certain manga titles from its website to comply with the law and avoid legal troubles with officials. The question you’re probably asking is: what exactly did MangaDex remove?
The year 2025 has been a huge roller coaster for me. It was a year of unprecedented revolution, but at the same time, a year when frustration and setbacks ultimately held me back from fulfilling my potential. For the first time in my entire life since I started Animangemu, I went fully social. I showed my face, dramatically changed Animangemu’s course, and transformed it from a simple brand into an interactive one that embraces social media, personality, and the importance of individuality. Meeting new people, finalizing Animangemu’s true identity, and finally awakening my passion for cosplay and events after years of keeping them on the back burner felt incredible. Animangemu also experienced unprecedented levels of growth and recognition. My knowledge expanded, and embracing this new Floridian otaku identity feels amazing—I’m truly glad I made this change for both myself and the brand.
Sadly, this year will also be remembered for the big plans that ultimately failed to materialize. I missed out on many amazing events and found myself more bitterly waiting for change than actually living in the moment—constantly walking up and down, watching others have fun while I did… well, nothing. Not to mention how angry and bitter I feel knowing how many awesome 2025 events I missed. My anime, manga, and video game consumption also hit its lowest point ever. The year suffered from massive droughts of activity, and in the end, the really big moments didn’t arrive until December.
So for 2026, I’m going to dramatically change everything for the better. Still, this year had some truly memorable moments. Here’s a recap of everything that happened for me in 2025.
When I first started 2025, Animangemu remained pretty basic, and most of my interests from 2024 simply carried over into the new year. For a short while, everything stayed the same. But during the winter of that year, something felt off—a glaring issue was beginning to surface. At first, I couldn’t quite pinpoint what was wrong, but by the time March rolled around, it became obvious: things were getting stale. Time was moving forward for me, and what once felt basic and mandatory no longer did. Indeed, things changed later on, and the ride was bumpy. I achieved some major milestones, but I also suffered some serious hits and setbacks. Around the middle of the year, I realized nothing was going to improve as long as I kept relying on the same stale methods as the sole foundation of my platform. So, I dramatically reshaped Animangemu’s brand along the way. By August, it hit me hard: as long as Animangemu stayed the way it was, things would never get better. Cosplay and anime conventions had been my constant desire, but they remained out of reach due to various issues. Eventually, though, it happened. I purchased a lot of awesome merchandise, and I genuinely enjoyed some notable anime, manga, video games, toys & games, and even some Tokusatsu. Finally, cosplay became the absolute highlight of 2025 for me—and so did my event schedule. This forever changed Animangemu and ultimately kicked off a new era of interactivity—not just for my brand, but for my life as a whole. In other words, I began to live life again, fully engaging with others over the cringe otaku stuff that still makes me happy to this day. Of course, none of this would have happened without the revolution of Animangemu’s brand change. Over the months, my brand grew bigger and bigger, and even some big-name figures in the community took notice of my work. Animangemu became a full-time job for me, and I loved publishing hit articles that caught the attention of so many people. Now, in 2026, expect things to go into overdrive. I already have a HUGE amount of big plans ready for next year, and unlike 2025, I won’t be missing out on any of them. I hope you enjoy what I have in store. Here’s a recap of everything that happened for me in 2025.
Disclaimer: I have no interest in Lolicon/Shotacon. I am 100% against all cases of abuse and exploitation against children, both physically and material wise, and I fully support and advocate for their protection and safety.
NOTE: Common words based on the topic of this article will use alternative words to avoid controversy or unfair cuts due to issues and incidents with companies.
It was the year 2006. During that year, anime airing on American television stations, most notably, Toonami/Adult Swim, were rocking the country. Anime hits like Naruto, Bleach, and other anime were taking the American otaku world by storm. Anime con attendances were rising, distributions were increasing, and popularity of anime and manga as a whole, thanks to the rise of fan subs on the internet, and the numbers were significantly rising in numbers. In other words, it was a turning point for American history of anime and manga. Meanwhile in Japan, often regarded by many (including myself) as the greatest year in anime history, saw the airings of a great amount of legendary anime during that year. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Death Note, and Code Geass. All aired on that same year, and to this day, are still beloved among both the otaku, and the mainstream viewer. As of today, such legends are still talked about as if they were brand new. Also, my favorite anime of all time, Kanon, aired on that year, and is still my favorite even after 14 years when I first watched it back in 2011.
But would you believe me if I were to tell you on that same year, a legal case was about to commence in 2006 that would not only rock much entertainment based communities, like comics, cartoons, movies, TV shows, and, yes, anime and manga as a whole, but an entire legal system here in America? In May 2006, a case known as United States v. Handley was about to occur that would become a cautionary tale for otakus, anime and manga fans, and fans of fiction like comic books, and cartoons in general.
My fellow otakus. Right after, the censorship issue that plagued nearly all of July happened, We have another issue that to deal with… What’s this issue? Well, this time, it involves our collection of otaku goodies. From media, merchandise, and cosplay. Bans aren’t involved, but, instead, economics are involved.
So, the question you’re probably asking? What’s going? Well, recently, according to an update by X user MangaAlerts#uw7s, the De Minimis exemption has been officially suspended by president Donald Trump. There is also the official statement by the White House website for more information. This is a massive blow for many of us otaku, but your first question is, what is the De Minimis exemption anyway?
So I’m sure most of you are already aware with what’s going on with internet censorship lately. Of course, for those who don’t, let me sum it up on what’s going on.
Since the start of 2025, The internet has been taking a lot of hits lately. From government censorship, to credit card company corruption, grassroots groups taking down freedom of expression, and cancellation of businesses operating in the name of safety. In other words, censorship at it again as always. So the question you probably ask is, why does this matter? What does this have to do with us otaku? Why are anime, manga, and video games involved? Well, of course this issue involves us. If there is government intervention with censorship, then that means our beloved passion is in massive danger of suffering corrupt regulations all in the name of “child safety”. Which is obviously false. If this continues, things will get hideous for us otaku. All material involving the eroge section of anime, manga, and video games will be used as a common scapegoat to censor even the least incriminating stuff. We will even get in trouble and be falsely accused of something we’re not by the justice system. As much as this sounds bad, it’s a lot worse than you think it is. So, here’s a summary of what’s been happening lately.