Organizers of the 18th Shanghai International Film Festival confirmed that "Attack on Titan: Guren no Yumiya" has been removed from the screening lineup. An event official with the surname of Cang told Shanghai Daily that the Japanese animated film will no longer be shown during the festival due to "technical reasons." The withdrawal came two days after China's Ministry of Culture released its black list on anime and manga titles popular in the country.

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The movie spinoff to the animated series was scheduled for a three-day showing throughout the festival's duration. According to Yahoo!, selection director Ju Li insisted that he was "unclear" about the reasons for the cancellation. In a further statement, Cang assured that tickets bought in advance may be fully refunded. The three vacated time slots will be filled by other movies.

In the wake of the festival's opening, Chinese cultural officials banned a number of famous anime and manga from being distributed in print and online. Thirty eight titles comprise the initial list, including "Death Note," "Black Butler," "High School of the Dead," "Ergo Proxy," and "Devil May Cry." Senior ministry official Liu Qiang stated that experts' opinion, investigators' evaluation, and the ministry's review resulted in the compilation.

Qiang further noted that more anime and manga will be added to the list. More than 20 websites have been ordered to put down the banned materials and levied with fines, Yibada reported. The ministry described the Japanese animations as depicting "violence, pornography, [and] terrorist activities."

The anime adaptation of Attack on Titan became an instant hit among otakus when it was released in 2013. Known in Japanese as "Shingeki no Kyojin," the story revolves around the struggle of humanity against "titans." These colossal subhuman creatures prey on people to the brink of extinction. An elite squad takes on the responsibility of slaying the titans, which often results in a bloody destruction.

Although Shanghai's movie fest is known to be the longest-running film presentation event in China, it has gained its share of infamy. According to industry players, compliance with censorships has dragged the film fest behind events of its kind in Asia.

TagsAttack on Titan, Shanghai International Film Festival, Anime Ban, Death Note, Black Butler, High School of the Dead, Ergo Proxy, Devil May Cry