WarmMittens

The "straight" stories of men and women forming a bond under unimaginative circumstances often escape society's scrutiny. One accidental shoulder brush and they’re planning their wedding. Yet, when two men or two women exchange a knowing look, their bond's subjected to a convoluted saga of existential torment to establish its validity

"Coming out" stories that fixate on the singular theme of revealing one's sexuality have drained my interest. There's more to being gay than pain and perseverance

"That first line was a direct quote from that first article I linked"

Please enclose the words of others in quotation marks to differentiate them from your own opinions and words

“But they demonstrably haven't"

Exceptions don't show up on day one. The CCP will pick what fits their agenda

"I'm going to go do something fun with my time"

Go enjoy every second of it!

"Chinese netizens were unanimously baffled"

Did you poll 1.4 billion of them during your lunch break?

“ABO is considered pretty wild in China too"

And yet, it’s everywhere on Chinese platforms

“The CCP is conservative"

The CCP's policies and actions are contradictory. They've prohibited time travel movies/dramas only to air them later on. They've shamed effeminate men only to feature "flower boys" in national TV hits. It's possible that they'd make an exception for omegaverse

Chinese censorship isn't a unified and all-knowing force. Its outcomes are subject to the whims and inconsistencies of those tasked with its enforcement. Content might slip past undetected

"Either way, it definitely has nothing to do with being allowed through because of heteronormativity"

Heteronormativity is the loophole. Why else would "bromances" be structured around ambiguity? They satisfy heteronormative expectations while smuggling in "gay" subtext

"They get fined alongside the rest of them, and jailed if they can't pay"

Fines are issued to producers of explicit content. The regulation of omegaverse isn’t motivated by its illusory connection to gay themes. Rather, it’s part of a wider effort to control explicit content across various media formats

Your confusion about omegaverse is justified. By design, it defies logic and anatomical realism

Omegas are a blend of human and non-human characteristics. The potential for pregnancy's made possible through the possession of a womb/uterus, as well as the human female's ability to sustain a pregnancy. They give birth either rectally or through c-sections

In a manner similar to the heat cycles of non-human species, omegas endure periods of heightened fertility. They release pheromones that draw in alphas and raise the possibility of unwanted advances or unplanned pregnancies

I'm not criticizing or condemning the drama for its less-than-cheerful conclusion. I've mentioned in another comment that it's "a commendable work in its own right"

My point is that preferring happy gay stories isn't something to be shamed

The labeling of male relationships in BL as fetishization seems to imply that other forms of media are immune to this criticism, which isn't the case. Almost everything's fetishized to an extent, even things that are unrelated to sexuality. The constant pursuit of money, academic degrees, certain foods, the latest gadgets, etc, is a form of fetishization. People have become preoccupied or obsessed with them, sacrificing well-being and moral considerations in the process

The fetishization of women's bodies and the romanticization of toxic relationships have been staples of mainstream media. BL isn't a unique offender

"But we do need more of stories like THIS"

Alongside the tragic stories, we should have a greater variety of uplifting and happy gay stories that allow us to dream of a better society

Are your standards buried underground? Nunew and Zee are icons

People are using clothing, jewelry, and Instagram captions as "proof?" At this rate, breathing the same air means marriage

Believe it or not, that was me agreeing with you. I wasn't trying to start a fight

Mainland China's ruling party is known for suppressing narratives deviating from conservative ideologies. Omegaverse's heteronormative power dynamics and childbearing themes adhere to the conservative social norms designed to increase a nation's birth rate. Therefore, I believe it's unlikely for omegaverse to undergo the same censorship as gay media, or for the same reasons

The absence of pregnancy and children within gay relationships is a source of apprehension for society and the homophobic majority. They believe that a relationship's purpose is linked to the bearing and raising of children. Omegaverse reshapes previously gay relationships into a heteronormative mold where one partner's feminized and pregnancy is possible. This satisfies the demands of the homophobic majority and doesn’t incite enough controversy to be censored or banned

There's nothing wrong with fluffy, cute, and fairytale-ish BLs

There's no one right way to be gay or experience a gay relationship, and there's no one right way to tell a story about it. Whether it's an account of reality or a warm, comforting romance, every shade of the gay storytelling rainbow deserves its place in the sun

Those who enjoy "queer/LGBT" stories have a responsibility to uphold the values of mutual respect and inclusivity within the LGB community by not engaging in the stigmatization of BL or its fans. Romanticizing hardship and mental health issues doesn't place "queer/LGBT" stories above the BL stories of wonder and joy

Fiction has the power to transport us to a less homophobic world through the art of storytelling, and while it can touch on real-world problems, its primary purpose isn't to be a political battlefield or a stage for reenacting global human rights conferences

Gay stories aren't a competition to determine who's endured the most hardship. And limiting the spectrum of gay stories to tragic ones does a disservice to the range of experiences within the LGB community. Gay people are capable of feeling sadness and happiness

BL reminds us of the power of love, passion, and happiness. It's a much-needed dose of positivity to counter the negativity dominating our lives

"Go and watch any other countless and tasteless bls if you only care about hot kisses and happy endings"

There's no one right way to be gay or experience a gay relationship, and there's no one right way to tell a story about it. Whether it's an account of reality or a warm, comforting romance, every shade of the gay storytelling rainbow deserves its place in the sun

Those who enjoy "queer/LGBT" stories have a responsibility to uphold the values of mutual respect and inclusivity within the LGB community by not engaging in the stigmatization of BL or its fans. Romanticizing hardship and mental health issues doesn't place "queer/LGBT" stories above the BL stories of wonder and joy

"Love in the Big City" is a commendable work in its own right. However, you're right that there’s a whole world of better BL/gay stories, each worthy of attention and visibility

It's an adequate contribution to gay media, though it might not be considered exceptional among its peers or the multitude of better BLs/gay stories available

Fiction has the power to transport us to a less homophobic world through the art of storytelling, and while it can touch on real-world problems, its primary purpose isn't to be a political battlefield or a stage for reenacting global human rights conferences

Gay stories aren't a competition to determine who's endured the most hardship. And limiting the spectrum of gay stories to tragic ones does a disservice to the range of experiences within the LGB community. Gay people are capable of feeling sadness and happiness

BL reminds us of the power of love, passion, and happiness. It's a much-needed dose of positivity to counter the negativity dominating our lives

“Pretty boys performing for the female gaze"

The male gaze reduces women to one-dimensional accessories and gay men to cautionary tales sacrificed or buried for other people's character arcs. The introduction of the female gaze into storytelling has sometimes allowed for a more thoughtful exploration of gay characters and relationships than your average "queer/LGBT" trauma dump

"Often by straight actors playing roles for profit"

One of the truths of modern society is the need for each person to participate in the workforce, generate income/profit, and maintain their livelihood. Everyone works for survival and profit. Actors achieve this by embodying characters that differ from their own persona, be they a gay character, a legal professional, a medical practitioner, etc. There should be no reservations about a "straight" identifying actor taking on a gay role

I don't care that the siblings aren't blood-related. Siblings are siblings, and any kind of non-platonic relationship would be considered incestuous, inappropriate, and not socially condoned

You raise a fair point

Omegaverse's normalization of sexual violence is as dangerous as the normalization of incest and pedophilia in other forms of media