The Infamous 227 Incident

BTS of The Untamed

If You Know, You Know: The 227 Incident

(and if you don’t, that’s okay too—because I’m about to explain it)

If you are an avid BL fan you might be familiar with this incident. If not, that's ok too!! this story is interesting enough to captivate all --- BL fans or not. This story portrays the intricate world of an entertainment industry many might not be familiar with at all. Today we are looking at Chinas Entertainment Industry.

I’m writing this because when I first heard about 227, I went down a deep rabbit hole trying to figure out what actually happened. Like, why is it so hard to find one solid breakdown? Why is everything either deleted, vague, or buried in random comment threads?

So yeah—I wanted to make something that’s easy to find, easy to follow, and actually makes sense for anyone new to the fandom or just curious. Because this situation? It’s messy, it’s intense, and honestly, it’s a whole ride.

World of Chinese BLs

I mentioned this in a previous blog, but a popular form of BL is Danmei. For those who don’t know, Danmei is basically Chinese BL—usually in novel form. And not just any short story, either. These novels are thousands of pages long, illustrating beautiful elaborate story lines, giving us in depth character development and portraying love stories to rival Shakespeare.

Honestly, I might be biased, but these stories are some of my all-time favorites. Not just in the BL space, but in general.

Among the sea of Danmei authors, one name stands out above the rest: Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. If you’ve been in the fandom for more than five minutes, you’ve probably heard of them. And if you haven’t? Start now and thank me later.

Mo Xiang Tong Xiu writes stories that lean heavily into Chinese fantasy, mythology, and historical lore. Think: magic, ancient sects, tragic backstories, slow-burn romance, soulmates—you get the picture.

Now, obviously a huge part of Danmei’s appeal—especially to BL fans—is the love story between two men. That’s kind of the whole point. But here’s where it gets complicated: LGBTQ+ representation like this is censored in China. Public displays, stories, and media that portray same-gender relationships in a romantic or sexual way? Illegal or heavily restricted.

Why does that matter? Because it plays a huge role in how the rest of this story unfolds.

Mo Xiang Tong Xiu has a few different series, but fun fact--- one of the authors most popular series was actually their very first, The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation.

How do I explain this series?

Amazing. Stunning. Beautiful. Truly chefs kiss!!

So go read it and thank me later!!

Anyway, like I said, this was the authors first series, and it gained A LOT of popularity. But here’s the thing: it wasn’t until it got adapted into a live-action TV series that it really blew up and became a global phenomenon.

Other than Danmei, another popular form of “BL” media in China is their “bromance” series. Now let me explain—these aren’t technically BLs in the way we think of them in other countries. Due to the censorship in China, these shows allude to a lot, but they can’t go full-throttle with the romance. So, while the leads might never come out and say they’re in love, trust me, the chemistry is there. And somehow, these shows manage to win over both BL fans and non-BL fans alike.

Where am I going with all of this, you ask? Well, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s first novel, The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (GMODC), was adapted into a "bromance" TV series.

The show was renamed The Untamed as a way to distance it from the novel and, more importantly, distance it from the BL associations. This rebranding? Honestly, it was neecessary for the climate it was in. The renaming allowed the show to succeed outside of the fandom while still keeping its roots intact—because, let’s face it, the series still followed the same storyline and, at its core, was still considered a “bromance.”

The Bromance that changed Chinese Entertainment

In June of 2019, The Untamed was released. And honestly? It’s a little funny watching the series because you can really tell they had a dream, some determination, and went for it. I say this because the difference in quality between the first few episodes and the later episodes is like day and night. In all It was a 50-episode series that took the world by storm.

The show quickly became popular worldwide, and with that came better production values (lol), but seriously—no one was expecting this kind of impact. I honestly think this show opened up Chinese entertainment to a more global audience in a way that hadn’t been done before.

No series since has had quite the same impact. And even to this day, the show continues to attract new fans every year, proving it’s still got major relevance—even now.

Not only did the series and book get a ton of popularity, but so did the actors. Specifically, the main two actors, Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo, who—might I add—are still some of the biggest names in Chinese entertainment to this day, and a lot of that success is thanks to The Untamed.

Now, a little background on these two amazing men. Xiao Zhan, who played the main character, was born in Chongqing, China. His earlier career was actually focused on music. He got his start in the entertainment world through music, and his first acting role? The Untamed. Now, he’s one of the most well-known and highly recognized actors in China.

On the other side, we have Wang Yibo, who played his counterpart, he was born in Luoyang, China. His early career started in an idol group called Uniq. Sadly, the group disbanded, but Wang Yibo had already made a name for himself. He had starred in smaller series and even worked as a teacher and judge on a popular dance competition show. While he was already known, he was still pretty new to acting when he starred in The Untamed.

Despite both actors being relatively new to acting at the time, they honestly couldn’t have picked two better people for these roles. Their chemistry? Off the charts. And the rest, as we know, is history.

Bromance on and off Screen

Early on, the chemistry between Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo was undeniable. Whether it was through behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, or on the show, their strong bond was so obvious. They played around together perfectly, bickered non-stop, were always looking out for each other, making each other laugh, supporting each other, or often being total menaces to each other. No matter what, they were inseparable, and when they were together, they just seemed... happy.

Of course, if that happiness had stayed, this wouldn’t be considered an "incident." But, as we know, things don’t always stay that way.

After The Untamed wrapped up, after all the awards and interviews were over, it didn’t necessarily mean the friendship between Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo was over. No, they were still spotted hanging out, going out to eat together, and still being close.

A lot of The Untamed fans, specifically, loved how close these two were. And whether you agree with it or not, they shipped them together. Meaning, in real life, they wanted their love to be real. They wanted to imagine that these two were actually together.

Now, to add more context to the story, there’s a popular website known as AO3. Many of you reading might be familiar with it, but if you’re not, let me break it down. It’s basically a platform where people can write stories and publish them online. A lot of those stories are fanfiction—which means fans of a series write their own stories, either to fill in gaps, give backstory to side characters, or, most commonly, to create stories about couples that aren’t in the original series.

And a lot of the time, those couples are Same-sex couples.

Sometimes, these fanfics can even extend beyond just the characters to include the actors themselves—not just the roles they play. Now, for the most part, these writings are harmless. The intention isn’t to cause harm or be malicious—it’s simply fans expressing their creativity and love for the series (and sometimes the actors).

The beginning of the end...

On January 20th, 2020, a story titled Falling appeared on AO3, the main characters in this story were Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo. It was not a problem until chapters 13 & 14 were released on February 24th, these chapters were, to put it in book terms, spicy.

With the release of these chapters' controversy began.

Both Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo had their own set of fans. These fans typically only liked one or the other and didn’t necessarily agree when the two were shipped together, preferring to see them as individuals—despite the two actors' close relationship.

It’s well documented that Xiao Zhan’s solo fans were the ones who reported the story, which made big news. Again, this type of writing was heavily censored in China and considered illegal. So, when the news broke about a website where you could write this kind of stuff—and it wasn’t censored? Yeah, you can imagine the backlash.

Three days later, on January 29th, AO3 was officially banned from Mainland China, and, of course, users were not happy about this. Many blamed the Xiao Zhan fans and believed that the actor himself should take responsibility for his fans' actions. There were even protests calling to take away his brand deals and roles. This was catastrophic for his career, and while it makes me sad, the next steps he took were honestly the only ones he could’ve made.

Through all of this, most—if not all—of the backlash fell squarely on Xiao Zhan’s shoulders. He was being harassed from all sides and had to act in his own best interest. His company quickly posted an apology on his behalf. Then, he personally addressed the situation in interviews and on social media, offering a second apology. He took full responsibility for what happened, never blaming his fans, and said the responsibility was on his shoulders.

From a PR standpoint, this was executed perfectly. He got ahead of the situation as quickly as possible. While I don’t agree with it being his fault, his humble words and willingness to carry the burden showed just how genuine he was.

Sadly, though, this is not where the story ends...

Where do we stand now?

To the dismay of all The Untamed fans, and specifically the fans of Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo as a pair, the two ceased interacting with one another. They stopped being seen anywhere near each other—going as far as being seated far apart at award ceremonies, not looking at or standing near each other when on stage together, and definitely no interaction outside of work.

At this point, we’re lucky to see them appear at the same event or clapping for one another at award shows. There are still no real interactions between them, and honestly, I’m starting to wonder if we’ll ever get to see them interact again.

So, why am I telling you this story? Well, first off, I think it’s interesting to dive into a completely new entertainment industry. I also find it fascinating how other countries handle negative media. This was an extreme case, and the way they handled the issue was pretty extreme as well. However, I can’t say how I would’ve handled this situation myself because I don’t live in the same entertainment climate with the same laws they have.

All things considered, the best outcome for a PR manager is to preserve their client’s image, and that’s exactly what they did. Despite the harassment and hate Xiao Zhan faced, he remains a well-respected actor, continuing to get roles and win awards. The actions they took, though extreme, have worked out well.

The main reason I want to share this story is to give both new and old fans an easy place to understand what happened between these two actors. It’s a really sad situation, and my hope is that one day, they can share the screen again. One day, they can be friends again. That day seems to be getting closer, but it’s still far off.

More than anything, I hope people learn from this, and history never repeats itself.