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China's 'Game of Thrones' Fans Try Torrents, VPNs For Uncensored Episodes (scmp.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the game-changers dept.

"Winter is coming for fans of the hit television series Game of Thrones, with the final season set to hit screens around the world after a near two-year hiatus," reports the South China Morning Post. There were 96 million views for a discussion about the show on China's Twitter-like platform Weibo.

"But those watching inside China are also bracing for the chill of censorship." In recent years, Chinese authorities have ramped up the pressure on the television and film industries to clean up content they deem vulgar or politically incorrect. This has led to some serious censorship of foreign productions. Recent examples include the removal of scenes of smashed heads and bare flesh from the American superhero film Logan, and the apparent manipulation of a scene in Oscar-winner The Shape of Water so that a naked woman is made to appear to be wearing clothes...

In a bid to get around the censorship, many Chinese Game of Thrones fans have turned to virtual private networks and torrent download websites to access unexpurgated versions of their favourite episodes.
Tencent Video holds the exclusive distribution rights for the show in China, leaving one Weibo user to post "I'm begging Father Tencent not to censor too much, thank you."

Another added "This censored version is not interesting. I would pay money to watch the uncut version."

47 comments

  1. Making some big withdrawals against... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...their Social Credit Scores.

    I am amazed anyone would have the shortsightedness to post comments like this under the current chinese regime. I mean holding views like 'I would like to see more nudity or violence' does not really factor in to the acceptable cultural and personal values that the current Chinese administration wishes to cultivate in its citizens. Perhaps these people are due for reeducation.

    1. Re:Making some big withdrawals against... by Tablizer · · Score: 1

      I have relatives who immigrated from China. Essentially there seems to be an unwritten contract between Chinese citizens and the Chinese gov't: "Keep our lives smooth and relatively prosperous, and we'll go ahead and let you run everything."

      Part of this viewpoint is the "village's big eyeball" of Chinese culture. (The name varies.) The typical village kept a collective eye on everybody; there was no real privacy. The village elders ran the show and everybody accepted that as long as there were no big problems, such as starvation.

      Contrast this to the USA where young couples generally left their original families to start their own farm: YOU ran the show, but had to do everything, including protect the land with your life on the line.

      The Chinese gov't is essentially an extension or scale-up of the "village's big eyeball" concept.

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
  2. Chinese History by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "In recent years, Chinese authorities have ramped up the pressure on the television and film industries to clean up content they deem vulgar or politically incorrect."

    Just wait until the Chinese authorities learn about this thing called Chinese history. That reminds me of how so many people were upset with Christian parents bringing their children to watch "Passion of the Christ". Then there's the thing called "The Children's Bible". Of course, large parts of the Bible are really Adults Only. In fact, rating the Bible (and most history books, for that matter) could have all sorts of interesting positive (and negative) consequences.

    Seriously, though, that's the one aspect of Games of Thrones I can appreciate: it at least remotely tries to depict the vulgarness that is, well, life. Makes me wish Disney would take a similar stand, given the vulgarity that was the basis of most folk tales that are the basis of Disney's most cherished works. Too bad no body with the money and the lawyers--*cough*Lucas*cough*--is willing to pull out that "parody" and put it on Youtube. That would be, quite honestly, such awesomeness that it'd outshine any way in which Disney could possibly fuck over what will likely be--*cough*Star Wars going down the toilet*cough*.

    1. Re: Chinese History by Evtim · · Score: 1

      It seems that most, if not all old stories have a moral that has to do with something unseemly about human nature.
      Rumplestillskin? Yhea, it is what you think it is (or was anyway).

    2. Re:Chinese History by butchersong · · Score: 1

      I don't believe that Hollywood has improved the state of culture of the US over the last 100 years. Any entertainment produced by a certain group of people is going to be propaganda for that culture's view of the word and if I were viewing the US from outside... there isn't really any chance I'd want my people exposed to unlimited downward spiral of debasement and misanthropy that is US entertainment.

  3. I'm not in China by bobstreo · · Score: 1

    Once the "final" season is over, I guess I will probably binge the whole thing.

    I think I have the first seven seasons on my NAS someplace.

    I'm also kind of surprised nobody in China can buy the DVD/Blu-Rays, rip them and sell them in a nice open-air market like they do with everything else.

      In other words, article is claptrap.

    1. Re:I'm not in China by Calydor · · Score: 2

      China has well over a billion people. Just setting up a market stall in some little village in a province isn't going to provide all of China with uncensored episodes.

      --
      -=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
    2. Re:I'm not in China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      China has well over a billion people. Just setting up a market stall in some little village in a province isn't going to provide all of China with uncensored episodes.

      Common sense says there are not a billion GoT fans in China. See if you can rip through the parents comment again and figure out the rest as to how this works.

    3. Re:I'm not in China by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      Chinese fans release subtitles online. From what I can tell they are very high quality, and you can choose to have extras like characters names appear on screen when they are shown for the first time in an episode. I could actually do with that in English sometimes.

      I imagine GoT is widely pirated over there. Fibre gigabit internet is fairly common in cities, they haven't been installing any new copper for years.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    4. Re: I'm not in China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Trumpsterfire?

      What is this obsession with GoT?

      Plenty of other shows are just as good or better

    5. Re:I'm not in China by Bert64 · · Score: 1

      I'm sure there will be uncensored copies available at all the local DVD outlets in a few days, it takes time to download the show and burn it to sufficient copies of physical media.

      --
      http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
    6. Re:I'm not in China by butchersong · · Score: 1

      I attempted this over the weekend. The first season didn't age all that well... the production quality just isn't what I was braced for when I started the show. I'm sure as it progresses that will improve.

    7. Re:I'm not in China by Lorens · · Score: 1

      Once the "final" season is over, I guess I will probably binge the whole thing.

      Same here. I had my credit card out, ready to buy it, and I tried three different places (reputable places! My country's exclusive distributor, my ISP/TV company, and HBO directly), but none of them wanted my money, for different reasons. So if they don't want my money... they're not getting it. I have friends who will buy the DVD set when it comes out, I'll just borrow it, nah.

  4. Finally! by rmdingler · · Score: 5, Funny

    We finally have conclusive evidence why Democracy is worth fighting for: The Shape of Water character is available to us uncensored, and more importantly, unclothed.

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

    1. Re:Finally! by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      Actually TV in China, while heavily sanitized for violence and sex (not even cleavage is shown), is strangely horrific.

      For example they have a show about the how great the police are, your basic propaganda stuff. One regular feature is where they find people who where kidnapped as children and who are now young adults, and re-unite them with their families. On national TV. The first time they see their parents in maybe two decades and it's in front of an audience of millions. I guess it could be fake but half of them break down and can't even walk down the catwalk to press the button that opens the doors behind which their family is waiting, and the reactions seem pretty real.

      There is lots of other disturbing stuff too. They have one show where people basically beg for money. One guy was there with his daughter asking for money to cover her medical bills. He had gone away for work for a few months, leaving her with her mother. Her mother died and no-one noticed, and when he got home is daughter was unconscious from starvation. Apparently allowing them to beg for money on TV is the way they "help" people like that.

      And that's not to even mention the "secret news" that gets passed around on social media, which is often very graphic. I saw a photo of a father holding his son, whose head had been half crushed in some kind of traffic accident.

      So actually a lot of what happens in GoT, while more graphic than what gets shown on Chinese TV, is actually a lot closer to what sometimes happens in China than most Westerners would ever experience.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And so that even Chinese would gain access to little completely unavoidable incestuous sisterly action now and then.

    3. Re:Finally! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And that's not to even mention the "secret news" that gets passed around on social media, which is often very graphic. I saw a photo of a father holding his son, whose head had been half crushed in some kind of traffic accident.

      This doesn't surprise me, traffic safety is pretty bad in China (i've visited multiple times) so I can imagine more people must be exposed the results of some pretty nasty accidents - not that this is particularly unique to China, and I know everyone drives a lot slower to accommodate this type of driving of whoever is biggest / most pushy wins - however when I visited recently this has gotten way less safe because of people driving with smartphones - if you think people driving with phones is bad in the west, you haven't seen anything - people will literally stare straight down at their phone for 10s of seconds while driving, on both cars and electric scooters (there are at least as many scooters as cars, and they are often loaded up with kids if it's a family).

    4. Re:Finally! by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      I've been there too, and completely agree. Traffic safety is basically non-existent. People use their horns a lot, often when making ordinary manoeuvres, just to make sure everyone else is paying attention. Of course the problem is that people quickly start to tune the sound out.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  5. Re: Slashdot is DEAD. DIAD, BizX. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Dude, it's hard to tell what's legit and what's not. I doubt that someone is paying for *every* story. It would be interesting to see a breakdown.

    e.g.
    20% slashvertisement
    30% political propaganda
    50% filler

    It would be interesting if you could trace back the BizX bucks/dollars to the source and find who is actually paying for the fake news. The content pops on the flip of a dime. I haven't seen any Ajit Pai bashing stories lately. But when they have them, all three "editors" are slamming him. Maybe they just run the FUD for a number of days based on how much BizX bucks has been slung around.

  6. Flied lice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Dats waycis!

  7. Translation. by msauve · · Score: 1

    "This censored version is not interesting. I would pay money to watch the uncut version."

    Translated, the above means "I'm not interested in the plotline, show me titties!"

    --
    "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    1. Re:Translation. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Can't we have both.

    2. Re:Translation. by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      In Taiwan, the real China people can enjoy arts and culture. From South Korea, Japan, the USA, UK.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    3. Re:Translation. by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      Have you even seen Netflix Japan, with most nudity blurred out? Even boobs can't be shown in Japan.

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    4. Re:Translation. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wrong. Genitals (real or drawn) get censored, tits are ok.

    5. Re:Translation. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have you even seen Netflix Japan, with most nudity blurred out? Even boobs can't be shown in Japan.

      This prudish shit, coming from the land of tentacle porn and bukkake.

    6. Re:Translation. by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      This prudish shit, coming from the land of tentacle porn and bukkake.

      Most of which is censored, if it actually comes from Japan anyway.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    7. Re:Translation. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They should check out "Naked Attraction". Funny how in oppressive, government backed, nanny-state UK they have broadcast nudity and in freedom USA the FCC works to shut down even saying "fuck" while pushing hard to redefine "broadband" to mean "one person in an area has somewhat fast service, at least as self-reported by the industry". I mean, at least I don't have to go VPN and torrents--just random websites.

      PS - And yea, the UK has its own filter thing going too you have to opt out of and possibly use VPNs to ignore, which may be some sort of conspiracy to watch more government sponsored nudity on TV. Just in generally, it's a shitty world to be in. :/

  8. You should try open rebellion instead. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Beat your plows into weapons, and take back your liberties, you slanty eyed fucks.

  9. Re: UK parliament boasts "censorship beyond China" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    M'kay...

  10. Reminder by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Chinese murder their own civilians for wanting democracy and cover it up, and the male/female divide is caused by newborns being killed because they DARED to have two X chromosomes. They do not get to claim moral high grounds.

  11. So, same as several "democratic" countries? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, not to see the uncensored version, to see it at all. I would actually prefer a censured version, having dick slapped in my face is not my idea of entertainment...

  12. Re: You should try open rebellion instead. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    More recently that would be shorty smelly parasites hindu-chimps.

  13. TRANSLATION (IMHO)!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "American SJWs!!! Help Chinese people to circumvent laws of their own government!!! IT IS YOUR JOB & YOU KNOW IT!!!"

  14. Re:You should try open rebellion instead. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sure China has their own "Negroes and Mexicans".

    One quick look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_minorities_in_China should clear that up. Lots of ethnic minorities that are persecuted, enslaved and belittled to the benefit of the TRUE Han Chinese (/s you racist bastard).

    That's of course leaving aside the Asian cultural mindset where all the different Asian cultures are "inferior" to each other. The Chinese and Japanese have been especially guilty of this over the centuries. Go ask the Koreans, Thai or Philippine people about it.

  15. Re:You should try open rebellion instead. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I haven't a plow, but I do have a cell phone. Can you show me how to beat my cell phone back into a plow, so I can then beat it into a weapon?

    Why don't you take back your stinky ass and try cleaning yourself with something other than dry paper, stupid round eye. What is it with you people, just smearing the shit all about yourselves? Have you people not heard of water?

  16. Re:You should try open rebellion instead. by butchersong · · Score: 1

    The "true" han are basically a mixture of ancient whites that populated much of China and mongolians. I have limited evidence for this but it's what my gut is telling me... and I trust my gut.

  17. a little too much freedom in 'real China' by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/1...

    The chairman of Foxconn, a major Apple manufacturer, said Wednesday that a sea goddess has told him to run for Taiwan’s presidency, according to multiple media reports.