The removal follows similar moves by other prefectures to remove series, including the romance manga Sasaki and Miyano
Kodoani.com – School district Horry County Schools in South Carolina has decided to remove the popular manga Assassination Classroom belong to Yūsei Matsui from school libraries on Friday, after receiving a complaint from a parent.
Content of Controversy
The manga, which revolves around a group of students assigned to assassinate their homeroom teacher (an alien with superpowers), has been criticized for:
Description of weapons and violence: Parent Jennifer Hannigan said the manga contained many pages depicting handguns, rifles, knives, poison and scenes involving killing.
Sensitive factors: Hannigan also mentioned images of “girls in underwear jumping on men” and content that she deemed inappropriate for high school students.
In accordance with district policy, decisions to remove books will not be reviewed within 5 years.
Other Schools Take Similar Actions
“Assassination Classroom” is not only banned in South Carolina but also faces opposition in many other areas:
Florida: Gifford Middle School removed the manga from its library in March 2023 after receiving complaints.
Wisconsin: Elmbrook School District removed the stories from the school's electronic library around the same time.
Additionally, states such as Utah, Tennessee, Idahoand Florida There is also a new law that allows books to be banned on a statewide scale if the content is judged to be obscene or inappropriate.
Similar Controversies with Other Works
Other comic series such as Sasaki and Miyano belong to Shō Harusono censorship is also inevitable:
Brevard County, Florida: The first volume of this manga was banned on the grounds that content related to “sexual orientation” should not appear in school libraries. Objections also included concerns that the book contained “sexually explicit, age-inappropriate” content.
Perspectives on the Banning of Manga in the US
Banning manga in school libraries has caused fierce controversy, with many conflicting opinions:
Supporting party: Emphasize the importance of protecting children from inappropriate content.
Opposing party: Concerns about limiting students' access to knowledge and creativity.
Although controversy continues, this move shows growing concerns about cultural content in educational environments in the United States.
