Beijing Government Calls for Full Stop on Idol Variety Shows and Danmei Adaptation Films and Dramas

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On December 6, the Beijing MunicipalRadio and Television Bureau held a conference to discuss China’s broadcasting industry. One of the topics discussed was online governance. The director of theBeijing MunicipalRadio and Television Bureau, Yang Shuo, made a statement about the need to promote a combination of cultural entertainment. He cited the “Youth With You 3” milk incident was handled resolutely and new measures were promptly issued to manage online variety shows.

Yang Shuo also called for “carrying out in-depth special surveys, full stop to all idol cultivation online variety shows and danmei adaptation online films and series, seriously develop online film and tv dramas, short videos, dedicated inspection in the field of live broadcasting, to strive hard to create a space for clear and healthy online culture in the capital.”

Since May, the central government has been clamping down on the internet, entertainment industry, and fandom behavior due to several major scandals that have occurred. Back in August, iQIYI announced they were canceling survival shows for the next few years in response to the government’s “Qinglang” campaign. In the following month, the NRTA had called for the boycott of “abnormal aesthetics” and “trend of danmei adaptations”.

These new guidelines put several BL drama adaptations in jeopardy. The biggest one is “Immortality” also known as Hao Yi Xing and 2HA, which has been delayed ever since it finished filming in September 2020. The drama’s official Weibo account hasn’t been updated since December 2020. There is also “Eternal Faith”, the “Heaven Official’s Blessing” adaptation, which has been filming since July 2021 and set to wrap up in January 2022.

With this news, many BL fans expressed concern about BL adaptations that have already finished filming and been waiting to air. However, some netizens cheered on the government for taking this measure. The top comment with over 100,000 likes under Sina Entertainment’s report on the news was, “Banning danmei adaptations is the only correct thing the NRTA did.” Other comments included, “It’s quite good. Some people don’t think about getting popular by taking the plunge (filming BL). Just filming steadfastly is top priority.”, “Even though I am not interested in danmei, but since it’s already filmed as a BL adaptation, still need to cut everything, time travel, fantasy, palace fighting dramas, whatever is popular gets banned. This seems a bit feudalistic. If it continues like this, mainstream television will also be boycotted by young people.”, “Domestic entertainment doesn’t retain everyone. It has its own place. Thai and Japanese BL aren’t banned. Everyone is running to see the foreign ones.”, and more.

Credit: Weibo (1)

7 thoughts on “Beijing Government Calls for Full Stop on Idol Variety Shows and Danmei Adaptation Films and Dramas”

  2. I love BL but I am kinda glad of this ban too. In the sense, now we don’t need to tolerate how badly made BL can highlight certain topics and themes. The mass public is too “immature” to handle topics without calling them fetishes, bad behavior, stereotyping, controversial, etc anyway. Then it would good, these topics can continue to flourish, underground in China’s deep dark black BL community, safe and sound from the prying eyes of the public. In a sense, only people who are into this will put in the effort to find it. Those of us who majority are demanding well, we move on with our lives. Chinese fans are powerful and have always been powerful. What they can’t get in China, well, welcome to to the other parts of the world which can provide them what they want. I just pray they stay out of Japan. They already spoiled Thailand fandom market anyway.

  3. I have been following CEnt world since forever and I totally understand the band on BL. BL’s adaptations produced the most toxic of both fandom, antis and ships. The ships’ fetishes and delusions are on another level of insanity, fandom reaches new level of possessiveness and antis’ vengeance and hatefulness are off the chart. This type of behaviors obviously don’t sit well with China government.

    So for BL’s normal fans, just look to Thai or Jap if you want to watch any BL dramas. As a fan of Cdrama, I won’t watch sci-fi by C production. I would go for Hollywood instead. Each production have their own strength.

    1. Straight ships no matter the age of the actors attracts rabid fans too. How many actors and productions will be left if we follow your kind of reasoning?

  4. No more survival shows and now BL dramas! I personally love the BL adaptations for the wonderful brotherhood and bromance they portray. There’s also nothing in the Chinese ones to warrant a full out ban. Please just give us immortality we have been waiting for so long

  5. You know why most people run off to watch Japanese or Thai BL’s instead of Chinese? That is because of this stupid ban. Making BL adaptations while not having any ‘BL’ in that. And now you also want to ban two men being portrayed in a censored adaptation? All the cast, directors, producers, film-makers and everyone who is behind creating a drama has done a lot of work and anyone shall not have any right to just waste their effort. BL’s such as Immortality, Winner is King, Seizing Dreams and more which have already completed filming should be aired.

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