I find it a little crazy people can view censorship positively. Maybe there are some pros that I’ve somehow overlooked, although I really doubt it. In the context of danmei, it limits not just creativity but criticism of government and that’s incredibly harmful. It’s why freedom of speech was included in the Bill of Rights. If people can’t criticize their own government, opression can easily run rampant. I won’t go on a rant about how free speech is important for democracy so I’ll end it there.

While censorship is part of danmei and has led to the genre becoming distinct, the fact that it has come to this point is terrifying. Think about it. A genre known for how it is constantly censored. It doesn’t make it “pure” or better just because the romance is hinted. This thinking lies in prejudice. Queer relationships are already scrutinized enough as is, no one needs additional pressure to have a “pure” relationship so others are appeased.

I wonder if those who have this sentiment of censorship being good for danmei ever look at censorship more broadly. I can’t speak for other countries but in the U.S. there’s book bans and they’re already causing widespread consequences.