In 2025, Chinese Women Were ARRESTED for Writing Yaoi Novels
Last year I published here on Você Sabia Anime that China was arresting women who write gay novels, more specifically yaoi, and I think the post didn’t get that much attention.
I didn’t see that the BBC released a much more detailed article about this case in June last year and, well, the internet ended up reviving this news and I’m here bringing you what the BBC found out about the arrests of yaoi authors.
In 2025, Chinese Women Were ARRESTED for Writing Yaoi Novels
The crackdown in China on adult yaoi novels gained attention when reports on Chinese social media platforms like Weibo began describing the detention of women in their 20s, accused of violating pornography laws for “producing and distributing obscene material.” According to lawyers involved in the cases, at least 30 writers have been arrested since February, many still awaiting trial or release on bail (not sure if that is still the case).
The works were published on the Haitang Literature City platform, based in Taiwan, famous for danmei stories, which portray romantic relationships between male characters and are extremely popular among young Chinese women. Although compared to erotic romance like “Fifty Shades of Grey,” the genre faces stronger repression due to homoerotic representation and explicit sexuality.
Critics point out that heterosexual sexual descriptions appear more freely in recognized Chinese literary works, while homoerotic narratives are more often targeted for repression because China is a dictatorship, and if the leadership doesn’t like something, it bans it.
On social media, the case sparked intense debates about freedom of expression and the definition of obscenity. Some users questioned whether sex should be treated as taboo, while legal experts warn that even low view counts can be used as a criterion for criminalization.
Many of the authors reported public shame, police interrogations, and fear of family consequences. Some claim their lives were destroyed after being exposed, while others continue defending writing as a form of expression and community. In this new wave of repression, reports indicate that even people with minor involvement have been investigated or detained.
Legal professionals also raised criticism about how investigations are being conducted. In some cases, police from certain regions allegedly acted outside their jurisdiction, summoning suspects from different parts of the country for interrogations. Additionally, there are allegations that indebted local governments may be using these operations to generate revenue through fines and penalties.
At the center of the accusations is the way literary production is being treated as criminal evidence. Some authors report that view counts and small earnings from their stories are being used against them in investigations.
The writers involved describe a situation of fear, shock and frustration, saying their works — often created over years with very small audiences — ended up being turned into criminal evidence. Still, part of the community says they intend to keep writing despite pressure and the risk of further punishment.
According to the Instagram page Freewritersofhaitang, many authors were arrested and others paid heavy fines to avoid harsher punishment, and even authors who never profited from their novels were detained.
I don’t know what the situation is like today, but most likely nothing has changed.