There's Already A Clear Contender For 2026's Most Controversial Anime

In every anime season, there always seems to be one anime that gets a lot of attention for the wrong reasons. Not too long ago, One Punch Man (2015) was ridiculed for its poor animation, and Gushing Over Magical Girls (2024) was raked over the coals for its controversial depiction of magical girls and BDSM.

Of course, there are different flavors of controversy. Sometimes a show’s controversy can be hilarious, but other times, it is a bit uncomfortable. And this Spring 2026, a show that debuted on HIDIVE is already vying to be one of the most controversial anime of the year. It radiates edgelord energy even in its first episode, and people online are torn over this series not because of how edgy it is, but because of how it discomfortingly commits to its premise. Few anime take big swings like Petals of Reincarnation (2026), but while it may seem approachable in its first episode, it isn’t afraid to ruffle some feathers.

What Is ‘Petals Of Reincarnation’ About?

Petals of Reincarnation is a historical action anime that, despite being based on a 2014 manga, takes a ton of cues from Tougen Anki (2025). That alone should tell you anything and everything you need to know about the show’s presentation. It’s the kind of series that an adult would look at as trashy, but a teenager may think it’s the coolest thing ever in an ironic way (hopefully).

In the world of Petals of Reincarnation, descendants of major historical figures or Returners can draw upon the skills of their ancestors. Sometimes these skills are directly related to their own heritage, like how Miyamoto Musashi is an expert swordswoman, and other times, they’re more interpretations of their impact, like how the person channeling Nostradamus can see the future via a book of prophecy.

All of that is well and good if you’re a genetic nepo baby, but for ordinary people like Toya Senji, who is obsessed with being talented, not so much. He constantly lives in the shadow of his older brother and thinks that he’ll never amount to anything, but after a brief encounter with Mushashi’s descendant and the organization she represents, the Forest of the Greats, he discovers that he is actually the inheritor of Ishikawa Goemon’s skills, which enables him to steal anything. Motivated now more than ever, he has one goal: to become the most talented person in history and steal everyone’s powers, hero or otherwise.

So… Why Is There A Loli Hitler?

That premise helps set the stage for what Petals of Reincarnation is like, but if you’ve heard anything about the series, it’s because of one reason. Adolf Hitler, as in THE Adolf Hitler, is reincarnated as a loli and is trying to take over the world.

There’s a lot to unpack here. First, it’s important to note in the series that Adolf Hitler is not the only infamous historical figure to be revived. Hitler is one of many Sinners, a group of Returners who are in direct opposition to the Forest of Giants and their goal of world peace. Some Sinners include famous war criminals like Pol Pot, conquerors like Julius Caesar, and even lesser-known serial killers like Albert Fish. Hitler is the most prominent of the Sinners, but at the very least, they’re not the only ones.

As for Hitler being a loli, calling them that may actually be incorrect. Kind of. See, Hitler is androgynous in Petals of Reincarnation. They’re certainly young and child-like, but it’s not exactly clear if they’re male or female. Why Hitler is presented that way is never explained within the series, but it’s one of those concepts that you really shouldn’t put too much thought into. After all, this is a series where anime school children gain the magical powers of historical figures to fight a war for good and evil. The whys and hows don’t matter all that much. Just think of it as Bungo Stray Dogs (2016), only more sophomoric.

Why Does Anime Include References To Hitler And Nazis?

Hitler is in Petals of Reincarnation, whether fans like it or not, but many members of the anime community are asking why Hitler and Nazism in general tend to pop up in anime. And no, I’m not referring to the idea that the swastika was originally a Buddhist symbol reconstituted by the Nazi party for their own purposes; I mean legitimate Nazi iconography and ideologies. The answer is complicated.

Despite being a major member of the Axis Powers, Japan doesn’t really teach about WWII. If it does, it teaches about it from the perspective of the Eastern theater and the impact of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan was far removed from the horrors of Nazi Germany, so when Nazis show up in anime, they’re far removed from the atrocities they’ve committed. Instead, they’re shown as shorthand for villains. The Sinners in Petals of Reincarnation are villains, so why not use the greatest historical villain of all time to make that point clear? Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn (1995) has the denizens of Hell unleashed upon Earth, so why not show Hitler driving around in a tank? Need a villain in an anime? Just throw in some Nazis! It gets the job done remarkably well.

There’s some unease in the West about using infamous historical figures or groups in anything removed from proper context, since it may implicitly say they’re condoning their actions, doubly so for Nazism. When Man in the High Castle (2015) premiered, people were worried about it condoning Nazism and serving as a dog whistle for Neo Nazis, but in reality, it was a brutal takedown of it. Context is key, and no one is looking at the Hitler present in Petals of Reincarnation, or any anime for that matter, and fears that Japanese animators are sympathizing with Nazis. Petals of Reincarnation is too silly for that. It is more interested in being a more accessible historical battle anime like Drifters (2016) than making its androgynous Hitler be anything other than edgy shock value.