Two men exchange longing glances, a frisson of sexual tension in an on-screen relationship which must otherwise go unspoken — China’s “boys’ love” phenomenon is gripping video streamers, slipping by censors of LGBTQ themes with their subtlety.
The genre rose to prominence in 2018, as adaptations of Web novels about same-sex couples, known as dangaiju, were increasingly picked up by on-demand services, propelling Chinese actors to stardom.
In Word of Honor, a blockbusting adventure from video platform Youku, two handsome martial arts heroes develop a close bond, but refer to each other only as “brothers,” as the heavily insinuated romance between protagonists fails to emerge.
Photo: AFP
Although China decriminalized homosexuality in 1997, same-sex marriage is illegal and taboo trails LGBTQ issues. The community is facing renewed pressure, with Web content censored and depictions of gay romance in films banned.
Yet “boys’ love” adaptations are booming, screened by streaming giants such as Youku and Tencent Video, mostly fueled by demand from straight women and their growing interest in a more delicate form of masculinity.
Tickets for a Word of Honor-themed concert in Suzhou sold out in seconds earlier this month, as hundreds of thousands rushed for a spot.
The series quickly racked up millions of views after it was released in February, while Tencent Video reportedly made 156 million yuan (US$24.5 million) from advance viewings of a similar show.
For video platforms in China’s boisterous, competitive streaming sphere, changing social mores means one thing: money.
“In pop culture, creators look to subcultures for new stories or original material,” said Liaoning University lecturer Bai Meijiadai (白梅嘉岱), an expert in fan culture. “The rise of ‘boys’ love’ content suggests the on-screen industry is aware of young women’s consumption power.”
The red pen of the state might have supported the video phenomenon.
Authorities have cracked down on “illegal” writing on the Web, censoring content deemed too risque for Chinese readers.
In 2018, a novelist was sentenced to 10 years in jail for writing and selling “pornographic” books.
“Sexual content in [same-sex] Web novels has reduced since authorities embarked on cyberspace cleanups and platforms introduced review-and-report mechanisms,” Bai said.
This makes their storylines — many of grand, period adventures flecked with martial arts — easier to adapt for television, with more sexually explicit content removed, she added.
About 60 TV adaptations are underway, but the genre attracts mixed reviews among China’s queer communities.
“They break the mold of heterosexual relationships being the norm on screen,” said a gay civil society worker who wanted to be known only as Shuai. “But they do not reflect the LGBT community’s struggles and difficulties.”
Once lead actors attain fame, they also avoid suggestions of gay identity to maintain popularity, he added, doing little to counter the airbrushing out of LGBTQ lives.
The television adaptations mainly appeal to women.
An e-commerce worker surnamed Xu said that “boys’ love” allowed her an escape, unlike many other TV shows that serve a barrage of stereotypes in their depictions of women’s gender roles.
“It allows me to think about fewer things and relax,” the 29-year-old added.
For now, the “boys’ love” industry has steered clear of regulators through subtle portrayals of same-sex moments or “normalizing” shows’ endings.
“For example, you may have deviations in your teenage years, but once you grow up, you still go back to reproductive ‘normalcy,’” Bai said.
OPTIMISTIC: A Philippine Air Force spokeswoman said the military believed the crew were safe and were hopeful that they and the jet would be recovered A Philippine Air Force FA-50 jet and its two-person crew are missing after flying in support of ground forces fighting communist rebels in the southern Mindanao region, a military official said yesterday. Philippine Air Force spokeswoman Colonel Consuelo Castillo said the jet was flying “over land” on the way to its target area when it went missing during a “tactical night operation in support of our ground troops.” While she declined to provide mission specifics, Philippine Army spokesman Colonel Louie Dema-ala confirmed that the missing FA-50 was part of a squadron sent “to provide air support” to troops fighting communist rebels in
PROBE: Last week, Romanian prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against presidential candidate Calin Georgescu accusing him of supporting fascist groups Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Romania’s capital on Saturday in the latest anti-government demonstration by far-right groups after a top court canceled a presidential election in the EU country last year. Protesters converged in front of the government building in Bucharest, waving Romania’s tricolor flags and chanting slogans such as “down with the government” and “thieves.” Many expressed support for Calin Georgescu, who emerged as the frontrunner in December’s canceled election, and demanded they be resumed from the second round. George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), which organized the protest,
ECONOMIC DISTORTION? The US commerce secretary’s remarks echoed Elon Musk’s arguments that spending by the government does not create value for the economy US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Sunday said that government spending could be separated from GDP reports, in response to questions about whether the spending cuts pushed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency could possibly cause an economic downturn. “You know that governments historically have messed with GDP,” Lutnick said on Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures. “They count government spending as part of GDP. So I’m going to separate those two and make it transparent.” Doing so could potentially complicate or distort a fundamental measure of the US economy’s health. Government spending is traditionally included in the GDP because
Hundreds of people in rainbow colors gathered on Saturday in South Africa’s tourist magnet Cape Town to honor the world’s first openly gay imam, who was killed last month. Muhsin Hendricks, who ran a mosque for marginalized Muslims, was shot dead last month near the southern city of Gqeberha. “I was heartbroken. I think it’s sad especially how far we’ve come, considering how progressive South Africa has been,” attendee Keisha Jensen said. Led by motorcycle riders, the mostly young crowd walked through the streets of the coastal city, some waving placards emblazoned with Hendricks’s image and reading: “#JUSTICEFORMUHSIN.” No arrest
RSS