One day while scrolling through Viki, I landed upon the Chinese animation, donghua, Cure. On Viki, there was no romance or BL tag, but I knew in my heart of hearts, this was a BL story. Based on a popular web novel turned manhua, Cure/ Jie Yao is a story about two unlikely guys growing closer and forging a new future together. In this video, I discuss why Cure can’t outright call itself a BL story due to censorship but how the story conveys the love all the same.
The following is the outline of the script I used to record:
Pre-Intro
- It’s no secret to fans of Asian media that BL is heavily censored in China, to the point where danmei and manhua authors and artists can face legal repercussions for creating BL media. Even though the media is banned, writers still find a way to share thoughtful and romantic stories involving men, often time without any love confessions or kissing scenes. The Chinese animation, dongua, Cure / Antidote has no BL tag on the streaming service Viki, but anyone with eyes can see this is a heartwarming story about two men labeled as outcasts coming together to move forward from their pasts. Adapted from a popular danmei turned manhua, Cure has mixed reviews on the platform from some fans seeing it as a friend story and wishing it had more for the couple, while others saw it the love story it is, even with the censorship.
Intro
- Welcome back to The Wonder of Anime, my name is Lisa and in this video I’ll be diving into the donghua Cure and why it’s a beautiful Boy’s Love story, despite not having typical romantic moments we’re used to seeing.
- I discovered this animation on Viki and immediately knew it was a BL, even if it didn’t have a BL tag. I even upgraded my subscription in order to watch the entire thing. I watched a few episodes a night and really allowed the story to sink into my heart.
About Cure/ Antidote / Jie Yao
- Cure as it’s called on Viki, is also known as Jie Yao/ Antidote. It was animated by Seven Stone Entertainment. It is based a light novel and also manhua by Wu Zhe.
- Its 13 episodes, each about 18 minutes.
- It’s about a privileged man Cheng Ke who leaves his parents house after a fight to live his own life. Through a weird fight, he meets Jiang Yu who later becomes his landlord. While they butt heads at first, they eventually grow closer and help each other navigate through life. The story covers trauma, PTSD, mental illness and stigma, family issues, and more
Censorship
- To understand the confusion with whether this story is a BL or not, it’s important to talk about the censorship in Chinese media.
- As a result writers and artists can face legal consequences for creating BL content. This has resulted in a new genre of Chinese media often refered to as “bromance” where the outright romantic plotlines are removed or censored and the leads are “Friends.”
- This is just a brief overview as the issue is more complex so I’ll provide some resources in the description of this video.
Thoughts
- While the censorship and the reasons behind it are frustrating, I find such a deep appreciation for the Chinese writers and artists who still create compelling love stories within the confines of the censorship. The animation for Jie Yao is proof of how a good story teller can get the message of love across without being explicit.
- Through the 13 episodes, we can see how Cheng Ke and Yiang Yu go from being enemies to caring for each other very deeply. Despite their different upbringings, they are able to be vulnerable and help each other succeed in their endeavors.
- To me, the moment where it becomes undeniable that this is a story about their love is through the arc of Yiang Yu’s mental health issues. Cheng Ke is confused but believe’s Yiang Yu and promises to help him through this. He doesn’t judge Yiang Yu and wants to support him as much as he can.
Conclusion
- The animation for Jie Yao is not perfect by any means. Some parts move very quickly, it’s hard to tell how much time has passed, and some moments feel weirdly out of place. I have not read the manhua or danmai, but from research I know the story is longer and it’s not always possible to adapt 1 to 1. But it’s still a great watch for someone looking for something different
Sources:
How censorship changed the landscape of China’s queer audio dramas
Taking the B out of Bromance: Subtext Vs Censorship in Word of Honor
Why is China banning Boys’ Love (BL) and why should we care?
The Chinese government’s unlikeliest standoff is with … fandom
Yes, I have been impressed over and over again at how wonderfully some manhua BL stories are crafted, even with such heavy censorship. The author’s ability to express their story under such limitations, really shows how talented they are! I’m totally going to look this one up, it sounds really good!