The Chinese mainland isn’t favorable to homoerotic depictions, they mostly release censored versions of BL novels which are heavily neutered to meet the censorship needs. Despite that, the ensuing bromances always manage to depict a crisp, soft rendition of longing and yearning; the romantic tones though subtle are undeniable. In the recent years, most directors have been using unwarranted female leads as the third angle to pass censorship. Today, we are going to talk about some recently on-air Bromances which deliver a healthy side dose of mutual pinning!

Unnatural Fire

Leon Zhang (My Roommate Is a Detective) and Dai Xu (Live Room Surgery) star in this new crime thriller as a firefighter and a police captain. Both actors are already quite popular and this isn’t their first time playing the main lead in a bromance. As my current obsession, the romantic tones between their characters is unfiltered. Xu Tong Sheng (Leon), a passionate and intelligent young fireman, joins the fire brigade’s arson team in order to continue investigating the people he feels were responsible for the deaths of his parents 18 years earlier. There, he meets Shen Ye (Dai Xu), the captain of the criminal police and reconnects with Jin Chun (Elvira Cai), a forensic coroner known for her skills in uncovering the truth. Together, at the request of Xu Tong Sheng, they become a formidable team. Even though we have a female lead, she doesn’t get in the way of their romance; she is close friends with both of them and even tries to resolve their misunderstandings. The twist in the tale is that Shen Ye is actually He Xi, Tongsheng’s childhood friend who was at home with his parents when they perished in the fire accident. Unfortunately, Shen Ye doesn’t remember his past, and he is currently living with a shady guy who is masquerading as his birth father. Leon Zhang & Dai Xu have an amazing chemistry, don’t miss out on this one!

Justice in the Dark

Possibly the most awaited release in the history of Chinese Bromances, “Justice in the Dark” is currently streaming on the Japanese platform WOWOW. Adapted from the novel “Silent Reading” (默读) by Priest, it had 30 episodes initially, but it was cancelled after 8 episodes. The show got picked up in 2025 by WOWOW, with two episodes released each week on Friday. The story is set in a sci-fi-esque Xinyuan Civilization Year 253, where the rising crime rate and its relation to “zero-degree empathy” have become a topic of interest. The murder of a deliveryman leads to a criminal organization, and the culprit turns out to be someone with “zero-degree empathy”. Police officer Luo Wei Zhao (Fu Xin Bo), who is in charge of the case, finds that things are not as simple as they seem. In subsequent cases, the wealthy Pei Su (Zhang Xin Cheng) also seems to be caught in the middle. The romantic tones between the main leads were so unmistakable, that Chinese censorship couldn’t bear the heat and had the show scrapped entirely. Pei Su is the rich, spoiled heir to a business empire. He first met Luo Wei Zhou when he was investigating Pei Su’s mother’s death. Even though the case was closed as a suicide attempt, Pei Su firmly believes that his father killed his mother. As such, Pei Su has had a strained relationship with Luo Weizhou since then. Despite the antagonist vibes they share, both care about each other and their chemistry is undeniably strong. Await the release of the new episodes from 4th April!

Sadistic Love

An adaptation of 掌中雀 (The Bird in the Palm) by Fengfei, the show stars Dai Gaozheng & GuanYue in the lead roles. A story of obsession, love and hatred, the drama is yet again a censored adaptation with the homoerotic tones visibly toned down to pass censorship. Helian Zheng (Dai Gao Zheng) deeply loved his stepsister, He An Ran, but witnessed her father imprisoning and causing his mother’s death. Five years later, Helian Zheng returns as a warlord, capturing his stepfather and forcing marriage with his stepsister to avenge his mother. Mo Yu Tang (Guan Yue), who grew up depending on Helian Zheng, lost the ability to walk properly because of him. Years later, they reunite, but beneath Mo Yu Tang’s stunning stage makeup hides a deep, bone-chilling hatred. I’m not so sure about the original content, but this show is an atypical love triangle. Helian Zheng is in love with his wife and considers Mo Yu Tang as his younger brother, but Mo Yu Tang is unusually obsessed with Zheng. Guan Yue does an excellent job portraying Mo Yu Tang’s psychotic tendencies; he wants to control Helian Zheng and separate him from his wife. The show has distinct “Winter Begonia” feel but with an antagonistic vibe!

Keep watching this space for future announcements!