Fan Site Blocked Over Novel Row

The internet’s largest fan-fiction site has been blocked in China, and users are saying the angry fans of a Chinese actor are to blame. Users of the site Archive Of Our Own (AO3) have accused fans of Chinese actor Xiao Zhan of mobilizing en masse to purposely flood authorities with complaints over a fan-written novel they found offensive. The novel depicts the star of web series The Untamed as a mentally challenged sex worker at a salon who falls for a high school boy based on his real-life co-star Wang Yibo. Furious fans claimed the novel tainted Xiao’s image and reported AO3 to authorities for “unhealthy content.” The site has been inaccessible in China since February 29. Enraged, Chinese users of the site hit back with boycotts of products that Xiao endorses. Their efforts were enough for Xiao’s management team to issue an apology for not reining in his fervent fans.