Chinese Anime Fans Were Arrested for Being “Anti-Government” in China
An uncertain report about China is circulating, claiming that anime fans were arrested for participating in a community considered “anti-China.” The community is called “Fan’er Community,” an online group with around 800,000 users that was labeled by the government as an “anti-China” criminal organization. The situation reportedly led to a wave of detentions and serious accusations against young participants.
Chinese Anime Fans Were Arrested for Being “Anti-Government” in China
The Fan’er Community originated on Baidu, where young people shared content, opinions, and discussions about Japanese anime. The environment was marked by humor, memes, and satirical comments, which is common in online communities like this.
However, authorities in Zhejiang province, specifically in the city of Yuhuan, claimed that the group was linked to “foreign forces.” As a result, the community came under investigation, leading to the detention of more than 20 administrators, as well as the formal arrest of at least 10 people. More than 200 young individuals were also summoned or taken into custody for questioning.
A large portion of those accused are teenagers, making the case even more sensitive. They were charged with crimes such as “subversion of state power” and “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” mainly based on their online interactions. Comments, jokes, and debates were treated as criminal evidence.
Reports indicate that, to support the accusations, authorities allegedly used controversial methods such as coerced confessions and fabricated evidence. In addition, young people were reportedly pressured to report other members of the community, further expanding the scope of the investigation—all for being fans of Japanese anime.
Another concerning point involves allegations of abuse during detention. Some individuals claim they suffered physical violence, sleep deprivation, and threats. There are also reports that minors were among those affected by these practices.
The crackdown was not limited to Chinese territory. Participants living abroad were reportedly threatened with arrest if they returned, while family members still in China faced intimidation and pressure.
The case was reported by journalist Terence Shen, who frequently reports on China. He is critical of the Chinese Communist Party and shared photos of the detained ახალგაზრდ individuals, as well as documents and evidence of their injuries.
I tried to research further, and basically only alternative Chinese media is reporting this case. No official Chinese media outlets have reported it as far as I could find. If you want to see the photos of the detained youths, click here.