Introduction
In the previous article, I wrote about the history of danmei in Mainland China, including a section on the ban on danmei. When I showed the English translation to an American friend, she asked whether I could list danmei adaptations in more detail. Before that, she had only watched Word of Honor, Guardian, and The Untamed. So this article covers the situation of danmei adaptations based on Mainland Chinese IP from 2014 to the present. A complete list is attached above; if anything is missing, additions are welcome.
Early Danmei Dramas
The years 2015 and 2016 were probably the golden age of danmei dramas. Just as we were obsessing over Addicted, it was suddenly removed from every platform. At the time, even the remaining episodes had not finished airing. For many years, Chai Jidan's Addicted became the white moonlight of danmei dramas for many viewers. Only many years later did I finally find the full version on YouTube.
After that, Mainland China explicitly banned danmei dramas. Of course, at that stage the ban was specifically on "danmei adaptations," and there were still quite a few cases of productions pushing their luck. More often, these works turned into bromance, or what we call danmei adaptations.
| Original Work | Original Author | Series Title | Brief Summary | Release Region | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Even If You're a Man, I Love You (《你是男的我也爱》) | Angelina | Like Love (《类似爱情》) | A same-sex romance between a college student and an elite professional | Mainland China | 2014-09 |
| Counterattack (《逆袭》) | Chai Jidan | Counterattack: Falling in Love with a Rival (《逆袭之爱上情敌》) | A poor young man reinvents himself as a rich, handsome success and falls in love with his rival | Mainland China | 2015-08 |
| Are You Addicted? (《你丫上瘾了》) | Chai Jidan | Addicted (《上瘾》) | The forbidden campus romance between high school student Bai Luoyin and rich second-generation heir Gu Hai | Mainland China | 2016-01 |
| Advance Bravely (《势不可挡》) | Chai Jidan | Advance Bravely (《盛势》) | A power-couple romance between retired special forces soldier Yuan Zong and proud young master Xia Yao | Mainland China | 2018-02 (USB release) |
| A Round Trip to Love (《双程》) | Lan Lin | A Round Trip to Love (《双程》) | The painful, years-spanning romance of Lu Feng and Cheng Yichen | Mainland China | 2016-09 |
| Irresistible Love (《不可抗力》) | Lan Lin | Irresistible Love (《不可抗力》) | A heart-wrenching love story between a young master and his male servant | Mainland China | 2016-06 |
| Yandaixie Street No. 10 (《烟袋斜街10号》) | Jian Zou Pian Feng | Yandaixie Street No. 10 (《烟袋斜街10号》) | A neighborhood romance between a writer and a pet shop owner | Mainland China | 2016-05 |
| Love Is More Than a Word (《识汝不识丁》) | Su You Bing | Love Is More Than a Word (《识汝不识丁》) | An ancient case-solving romance between a playboy young master and a cold-faced private advisor | Mainland China | 2016-09 |
| Till Death Tear Us Apart (《愉此一生》) | Nan Zhi | Till Death Tear Us Apart (《愉此一生》) | A Republican-era romance between a young master and his steward | Mainland China | 2017-02 |
| Wrongly Born Pupils (《错生的瞳孔》) | Wang Pao Xiao Pao | Wrongly Born (《错生》) | A body-swap romance between a courier and an idol star | Mainland China | 2016-08 |
| My Roommate Is a Fox Spirit (《我的室友是狐仙》) | Na Tie Wei | My Roommate Is a Fairy Fox (《我的室友是狐仙之灵狐圣子》) | The fox spirit Lu Bai travels across a thousand years to repay a debt of gratitude and falls for his benefactor's reincarnation, Xiao Jingchen | Mainland China | 2017-08 |
| Beloved Enemy (《针锋对决》) | Shui Qian Cheng | Beloved Enemy (《决对争锋》) | A business-elite rivalry and romance with Yuan Yang | Mainland China | 2017 |
| Rebirth of a Supermodel / Rebirth of a Celebrity Superstar (《重生之名流巨星》) | Qing Luo Shan Zi | Revive (《重生之名流巨星》) | A reincarnation story of revenge and romance in the entertainment industry | Mainland China | 2016-03 |
| Variety-Show Rookie and Triple-Threat Superstar (《综艺小白和三栖巨腕》) | Su You Bing | Variety-Show Rookie and Triple-Threat Superstar (《综艺小白和三栖巨腕》) | A bickering romance between an entertainment-industry nobody and a superstar | Mainland China | 2018-11 |
| Turning a Corner to Love You (《拐个弯儿来爱你》) | Mao Ye | Meet You Around the Corner (《拐个弯儿遇见你》) | An urban romance between a designer and a photographer | Mainland China | 2018-05 |
The Danmei-Adaptation Era
The beginning of the danmei-adaptation era is usually marked by the broadcast of Guardian. Youku brought in a strong production team and actors whose performances were genuinely solid. Although the romantic plot was softened into brotherhood, the quality of the series itself held up well. That is how Guardian became that year's breakout hit.
The success of Guardian pushed major platforms to start preparing dramas in this genre. At that time, however, only platforms and production companies with real resources dared to experiment with new subject matter. In June 2019, Tencent Video released The Untamed, a work many people still cannot forget. From that point on, the "danmei adaptation 101" era began. Rights to major JJWXC novels were snapped up by platforms and production companies. By 2020, nearly one hundred danmei adaptations were reportedly in preparation.
In 2021, Word of Honor aired. The series used a large number of images and implied references to express romantic feeling. At the time, we even joked that Youku was "You-Pants," because ku and "pants" sound the same in Chinese. The show had an enormous impact in Mainland China and also brought a range of social issues in its wake. After that came the well-known ban on danmei. Many people believe it happened because of the actors, but that is not actually the case. I will discuss this in detail in the final section.
| Original Work | Original Author | Series Title | Brief Summary | Release Region | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guardian (《镇魂》) | Priest | Guardian (《镇魂》) | Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei's ten-thousand-year guardianship, wrapped in an urban supernatural investigation story | Mainland China | 2018-06 |
| Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (《魔道祖师》) | Mo Xiang Tong Xiu | The Untamed (《陈情令》) | Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji join forces to investigate mysteries in a xianxia world | Mainland China | 2019-06 |
| Faraway Wanderers (《天涯客》) | Priest | Word of Honor (《山河令》) | Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing come to know each other through jianghu intrigue and wuxia investigations | Mainland China | 2021-02 |
| S.C.I. Mystery (《SCI谜案集》) | Er Ya | S.C.I. Mystery (《SCI谜案集》) | Modern criminal investigations led by Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao | Mainland China | 2018 |
| Winter Begonia (《鬓边不是海棠红》) | Shui Ru Tian Er | Winter Begonia (《鬓边不是海棠红》) | The Republican-era opera-world bond between Cheng Fengtai and Shang Xirui | Mainland China | 2020-03 |
| The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua (《成化十四年》) | Meng Xi Shi | The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty (《成化十四年》) | Tang Fan and Sui Zhou solve cases as partners in the Ming dynasty | Mainland China | 2020-04 |
| The Strongest God (《最强男神》) | Die Zhi Ling | The Strongest Men of God (《最强男神》) | The growth story of dual male leads in an esports team | Mainland China | 2018 |
| How to Wrongly Seduce a Demon Sect Leader (《论如何错误地套路一个魔教教主》) | Yi Zhi Da Yan | The Birth of the Drama King (《少年江湖物语》) | A ridiculous jianghu romance in which hero Zhao Jiangui "seduces" demon sect leader Ji Han | Mainland China | 2019-07 |
Danmei Adaptations Released Through "Guerrilla Warfare" After the Ban
After the ban on danmei, the vast majority of danmei adaptations did indeed stop filming and production. Some completed or nearly completed dramas were permanently shelved. During this period, however, Mainland China's three major video platforms, iQIYI, Youku, and Tencent Video, each quietly released one danmei adaptation, only for the shows to be pulled at lightning speed. They were A League of Nobleman, adapted from The Mystery of Zhang Gong; Justice in the Dark, adapted from Silent Reading; and The Spirealm, adapted from Kaleidoscope of Death.
The years 2023 and 2024 marked the beginning of Mainland Chinese short dramas going global, with apps such as ReelShort and DramaBox emerging. This overseas expansion of short dramas opened up new possibilities for danmei television. At that point, producers of completed but unaired dramas began preparing to release them "around Mainland China."
| Original Work | Original Author | Series Title | Brief Summary | Release Region | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Mystery of Zhang Gong (《张公案》) | Da Feng Gua Guo | A League of Nobleman (《君子盟》) | Courtroom and imperial-case investigations involving Ministry of Rites vice minister Lan Jue and case-obsessed young man Zhang Ping | Mainland China | 2023-01 |
| Silent Reading (《默读》) | Priest | Justice in the Dark (《光·渊》) | A criminal-investigation suspense story centered on Luo Wenzhou and Fei Du; paused after eight episodes aired in Mainland China | Mainland China | 2023-02 |
| Kaleidoscope of Death (《死亡万花筒》) | Xi Zi Xu | The Spirealm (《致命游戏》) | An infinite-flow horror survival story featuring Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu, released in micro-drama form | Mainland China | 2024-02 |
Chinese Danmei Adaptations Released "Around Mainland China"
"Around Mainland China" means keeping the original Chinese dubbing while releasing the work on overseas platforms with multiple subtitle options in regions surrounding Mainland China. Examples include the return of Justice in the Dark and the release of The On1y One.
Of course, there are also newly produced series released in this way. Without the restrictions of bromance, the newly produced dramas of this period are usually danmei outright. Here we have to bring up "President Chai" again（ Chai Jidan): 2025's Revenged Love is her work. Personally, I also really like Desire and Kill to Love (Mountains and Rivers, Forever Silent).
Around the first half of this year, 2026, new rules were introduced: actors and production staff who participate in danmei or danmei adaptations will be barred afterward from acting in or producing films and television dramas in Mainland China. Today, we can still see all kinds of danmei dramas being released around Mainland China. All I can say is: cherish them while we can. These actors are gambling with their careers.
| Original Work | Original Author | Series Title | Brief Summary | Release Region | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dage / Big Brother (《大哥》) | Priest | Unknown (《关于未知的我们》) | A gritty redemption romance between older brother Wei Qian and his non-blood-related younger brother Wei Zhiyuan | Taiwan | 2024-02-24 |
| A Certain Someone (《某某》) | Mu Su Li | The On1y One (《某某》) | A pure campus romance between top student Sheng Wang and his stepbrother Jiang Tian | Taiwan | 2024-08-22 |
| Counterattack (《逆袭》) | Chai Jidan | Revenged Love (《逆爱》) | Chi Cheng and Wu Suowei's revenge-turned-true-love story, written for screen by Chai Jidan herself | Taiwan / Global (GagaOOLala) | 2025-06-16 |
| Desire (《垂涎》) | Nong Jian | ABO Desire (《垂涎》) | An ABO setup involving the power struggle and romance between S-rank Alpha Sheng Shaoyou and Enigma Hua Yong | Taiwan / Global | 2025-07-12 |
| Mountains and Rivers, Forever Silent (《山河永寂》) | Han He | Kill to love (《紫陌红尘》) | Adapted from the real historical story of Li Yu, the last ruler of Southern Tang, and Zhao Kuangyin, Emperor Taizu of Song | Global | 2025-08-25 |
| Silent Reading (《默读》) | Priest | Justice in the Dark (《光·渊》) | The complete 30-episode version, released exclusively on WOWOW in Japan | Japan (Around Mainland China) | 2025-03-07 |
| Meet You at the Blossom (《花开有时，颓靡无声》) | Shui Qian Cheng | Meet You at the Blossom (Thai version of 《花开有时颓靡无声》) | A wuxia-style painful romance between flirtatious young master Jin Xiaobao and the "beauty" Huaien | Thailand | 2024-07-11 |
Thai Remakes of Chinese Danmei Novel IP
Almost alongside the "around Mainland China" strategy, another route emerged: selling the rights directly to overseas production companies, with overseas actors and production teams handling production and release. This is undoubtedly a very wise choice. Thailand has become an especially good outlet. Japan and South Korea both have developed comics and animation industries and are not short of IP sources, while Thailand has a mature BL television industry. It complements Mainland China very well. Shui Qian Cheng's Professional Body Double, for example, became the Thai series My Stand-In, which I think is well produced and highly faithful to the original.
| Original Work | Original Author | Series Title | Brief Summary | Release Region | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Body Double (《职业替身》) | Shui Qian Cheng | My Stand-In (Thai version of 《职业替身》) | Ming and Joe's painful substitute-lover romance, with a rebirth setup | Thailand | 2024-04-26 |
| Are You Addicted? (《你丫上瘾了》) | Chai Jidan | Addicted Heroin (Thai version of 《上瘾》) | The forbidden campus romance between Gu Hai (Hero) and Bai Luoyin (Poppy) | Thailand | 2024-08-13 |
Personal Thoughts
I imagine most people who have read this far are already criticizing our regulatory measures. But after ten years in the pan-entertainment industry, including several years working directly on danmei-related projects, I personally think regulation is very reasonable and necessary. When I was at MissEvan, the average user age was fifteen. Europe, the United States, Japan, and South Korea tend to have strong age-rating systems. Mainland China has actually tried similar mechanisms, such as youth restrictions in games and entertainment platforms. But just a few days ago, when I went to buy colored pens for the small cards we write for customers, I saw merchandise for Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation and Ashes of the Kingdom (a game that clearly should not be appearing there) in a stationery shop outside an elementary school. I chatted with the owner for a bit. She did not even know what the works were about, and she was later frightened because her own twelve-year-old child liked them too.
Age-based regulation can only work when parents, teachers, and even the auntie running the stationery shop outside the school all clearly understand that 13+ and 16+ content should not be given to children. In the 1990s, Mainland China formally established and popularized nine-year compulsory education. Many children today are raised by grandparents. They do not know what 13+ or 16+ works actually contain. Very often, whatever the child asks for, the child gets. So even if youth-protection mechanisms or rating strategies exist, they can easily become decorative rather than effective.
An even stranger example comes from a friend of mine. She lives in another city, and in the past two years her job was organizing anime and comic convention events. Each week there were usually two or three events with different themes. Last year, I often took her calls. She was under tremendous psychological pressure because, in the course of her work, 90 percent or more of the event participants were between fifteen and eighteen years old. Many vendors were guiding them to buy things and compare purchases. In those groups, people who did not buy merchandise could be excluded, and straight girls could also be excluded. Early this year, under enormous mental strain, her health began to suffer, and she quit.
None of the above is meant to whitewash anything. This is simply reality. When seemingly correct measures are powerless, strong policies really are needed to make the whole of society build the road first.
Some Note：
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This article is based on my personal observations and industry experience. Some parts are subjective and should not be read as an official statement.
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I know many international fans call these works “overseas releases.” In this article, I use “around Mainland China” as a direct translation of a phrase used among some people in Mainland China. It is not the standard English term, but I am keeping it as industry slang rather than replacing it completely.
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When I mention new broadcasting or regulatory rules, I am referring to updates circulated to video platforms and production teams under the online audiovisual content regulatory changes around September 2025 [视听内容监管新规（202509）]. I cannot post the original document because I still work in the industry, and I am not willing to risk my main job over a side project.
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The original version of this article was written in Chinese and then translated into English, so some naming and classification choices may sound different from the terms used in English-speaking fandom spaces. I will correct factual errors when I can verify them, but there are also some local terms and framing choices that I prefer to keep. Sorry for any confusion this causes.
1 comment
Girl, you really don’t hold back, but that’s honestly the truth.