J100

What annoyed me the most is that they started censoring . That entire behind-the-scenes scene that supposedly leaked from the production wasn’t even aired, and it ruined episode 10 for me.

I’d rank China second—if at all—since there aren’t many series, and when there are, they’re bold and unrestrained, which makes them unique. Korea comes third—they’re very creative and talented, but it seems they don’t release truly great works, likely due to economic considerations. Thailand comes last—they produce a massive quantity of shows with little quality. Recently, I watched GEL BOY, and it's a truly high-level production, though on the other hand, it’s not exactly BL. If they continued in that direction, they could easily surpass the Koreans.
Taiwan isn’t part of the equation—I haven’t seen anything from them in a long time, and it doesn’t seem particularly interesting. I don’t think it’s what it used to be, so I can’t include them in the ranking.

For me, despite the huge obsession with certain series like this one, I still think the Japanese are always ahead. They have depth, immense wisdom, and a profound understanding of human pain and suffering-naturally, because it stems from the tragedies they’ve experienced as a nation. In contrast, I find the Chinese emotionally closed off. Even though I do like the characters, they often feel shallow and not entirely human. Most of the films are fantasy-based with very little realism, and there’s a tendency to exaggerate everything—there’s always a rich versus poor dynamic, never a middle class or anything in between, and the same goes for the storytelling in general.
Japanese works, on the other hand, tend to strike a balance between fantasy and realism in a much more nuanced way.

Part of the sponsorship

I wonder why you're putting so much energy into something you have no real influence over — and something that, arguably, is relatively minor. China poses a very real threat to all of humanity… and here you are talking about a single actor whose life, despite the current hardship, is likely better than that of most people in China.

I actually thought it was to protect him—from the fascist Chinese government—by giving an official stamp to prevent them from destroying his life just because he might be perceived as gay. But I'm curious to know where you're getting this information from…

I can really understand your concern, and I feel the same way — but saying you were hoping the Chinese government would ease up on its homophobia sounds very out of touch with reality, even naïve. The whole world is moving toward extremes, so expecting a dictatorship that already mistreats its own citizens — even when they're not gay — to suddenly soften up? That’s unrealistic.

In any case, I really hope the producers have learned from past experiences and found ways to bypass Chinese censorship laws. It would make sense for them to move the entire production to another country and reject everything that cruel regime stands for.

There are 24 episodes in total, and only 8 have been released so far to YT.. There's still plenty of time for censorship and changes. It gets me down because I like the series, and I remember similar situations happening in the past. So in this case, I can understand the fans' concern.

Are you sure? there is a video by someone named BL TEA TIME on yt who said that even broadcasts outside of China aren't completely safe. The censorship can spread through indirect means, or the episodes might be released in censored versions with scenes cut, blurred, or reframed as bromance.

That’s like saying 90% of romance dramas are the same just because they follow the formula of the Pride and Prejudice book. It’s still not a remake, and it’s not the same thing.

I watched the series. There are some similar ideas, but it's not the same at all.

What do you mean? Is it a remake?

They released the first two episodes?

If only someone would take down this cruel, brutal regime already

And what about the actors who have to return to China? What’s happening with them, and how are they treated there?

As time goes on, stories are becoming increasingly bland due to constant censorship. In the U.S., romance has become one of the least profitable genres—people just don’t watch it anymore.

But in my view, what’s really dead is sanity and critical thinking. People can no longer distinguish fantasy from reality. They’re unable to watch anything that breaks the mold—unless, of course, it comes from China.

I haven’t read the novel, I'm curious how big the gap is.

Does it change later on?

Korean dramas have a much larger audience, so you hear less criticism, whereas with a Jseries that most of the Western audience doesn't watch, the minority tends to be more vocal.

I understand your distress, and I do think it’s inappropriate to do something like that in real life—especially if the other person isn’t interested or aware of it.

But because films have become increasingly censored, they’ve also become more boring. That’s why I believe genres that allow boldness without the constant moral lens will become more extreme and more sought-after—and this is already proving true.

For example, Chinese dramas are very daring, and the fact that international Western audiences are preferring to watch Chinese or Japanese series says a lot. The more censorship increases, the more people will want to break boundaries. Humans are driven by instinct; they have unrealistic desires, and they seek escape through the screen. They watch a series and enjoy it—even if they’d never actually do those things in real life.
That said, it’s also possible that there are violent people who will act on it, regardless of censorship.

In short, don’t take people’s comments to heart as if they’re absolute truth or reflect the moral state of humanity.