The Chinese censors are at work again. A popular 15-episode web drama called Addiction was taken off air earlier this week after 12 episodes were shown.
The drama series, which centres around the homosexual relationship between two teenage Chinese boys, debuted in China in late January and has since garnered a huge following. Reports say that the series has accumulated more than 10 million viewers since it premiered.
Unfortunately, fans in mainland China will not be able to find out what happened in the final three episodes, as it's been completely removed from all Chinese streaming sites, reported South China Morning Post.
According to the show's Beijing-based production house's Weibo account, the last three episodes will however be available for streaming on YouTube later this week. Like Facebook, YouTube is blocked in China.
There has been no official statement from the Communist state or its censorship board as to why Addiction was pulled, but many have speculated that although homosexuality was decriminalised in China in 1997, the country's regulators remain conservative and uncomfortable with the idea of homosexuality being portrayed in mass media.
"There's no reason. It's a result of the broader context," said Chai Jidan, the writer of Addiction, Chinese news outlet ifeng.com reported.
Since Addiction was taken offline, netizens have taken to their Weibo accounts to express their disappointment and anger toward China's censorship.
One commenter wrote: "Why did they take away this drama? There are millions of reasons to cover their move, but the truth is that they are afraid of gay [issues]."
Another commenter called out Beijing's State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) on their decision. "The SAPPRFT is too much. Is it necessary? It's so unpopular."
Last September, China's regulators received praise after they approved the release of the French-Chinese film, Seek McCartney. The film featured gay leads who were played by Chinese singer/actor Han Geng and French actor Jeremie Elkaim.
Despite the watershed moment, many gay-themed films and videos are still being removed from the Internet. Most recently, the online drama Go Princess Go, which covered transgender topics was also taken off air.
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