The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled against three paid YouTube ads for a game based on High School DxD after finding that they sexualised characters who appeared to be under 18. The ruling applies to the ads in the form complained about—not to the anime or the franchise.
What was removed?
The case concerned three paid YouTube advertisements by CTW Inc for a High School DxD-based game. The ASA records that the ads were seen in June 2025. CTW told the regulator it had withdrawn them.
The ASA described the ads as follows:
- One showed two anime girls looking over naked shoulders and used phrases including “gentlemen’s harem” and “titillating browser game.”
- Another included “boobtastic game,” “Get your hands full!” and a reference to “high school.”
- A third showed an anime girl with a visible breast profile and partially obscured thigh, buttock and string-style knickers. Its text included “HIGHSCHOOL,” “Boobtastic,” “gentlemen’s harem” and “titillating.”
These are the regulator’s descriptions in its ruling on CTW Inc, complaint reference G25-1298070.
Why did the ASA uphold the complaints?
Three complainants objected that the ads portrayed someone who seemed to be under 18 in a sexual way. The ASA agreed. It said the characters appeared young and below 18, and considered their youthful appearance, sexualised poses and partial nudity alongside the “high school” references and sexualised wording. Taken together, those elements invited viewers to see the characters as sexual objects.
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The regulator found the ads irresponsible and offensive, and said they reinforced a harmful gender stereotype by portraying female characters as sex objects. It found breaches of the CAP Code (Edition 12): rule 1.3 on social responsibility and rules 4.1, 4.8 and 4.9 on harm and offence.
What did the ruling require?
The ASA’s action was specific: “The ads must not appear again in the form complained about.” It also told CTW to ensure future advertising was socially responsible, avoided serious or widespread offence and harmful gender stereotypes, and did not sexualise anyone who was or seemed to be under 18.
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CTW said it had withdrawn the ads, recognised that they did not meet UK advertising standards and societal expectations, and was reinforcing its review and approval processes. The company described its intended tone as playful and parodic, and said it meant to reflect elements of the anime’s humour and motifs rather than sexualise the advertising.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was High School DxD itself banned?
No. The ASA decision concerns three advertisements and the way they were presented. It does not ban the anime, the game, or the wider franchise.
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A separate New Zealand Classification Office decision dated 15 August 2022 classified the High School DxD Series Collection DVD R16. That decision concerns a physical-media collection in New Zealand, not the UK ads or the ASA case. It is a different decision by a different authority under a different classification system; the two outcomes should not be treated as equivalent.
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