Chinese gay drama pulled from internet, sparking backlash
Addiction, which revolves around four men, has drawn a large passionate following since its debut last month
A popular sitcom that explicitly depicts gay love has been taken down from broadcasting websites
The drama Addiction grabbed a large number of viewers since it first appeared in January. The first 12 episodes have been aired, but fans – at least for now – won’t get to see the final three. Searches on the website turn up empty or only return preview clips.
The series revolves around four gay young male students and is written by a well-known women author, Chai Ji Dan, a pen name. Another drama, Ni Xi, based on her novel also became a blockbuster last year.
The disappearance of Addiction has been met with anger by many internet users. “Why did they take away this drama?” on internet user wrote on Weibo. “There are millions of reasons to cover their move, but the truth is that they are afraid of gay [issues].”
Another said the censoring was expected but still disappointing. “I anticipated that it would be wiped out from the internet, but I still feel sad. When will our society become a multicultural and more tolerant one?”
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Cindy Li, author of the Yu Le Tian Tian Shuo, a smartphone-based independent media site, said Addiction was the latest instance of gay-themed work gaining popularity on the mainland.
