Question Did Reverend insanity end?

Discussion in 'Novel Discussion' started by Kadda7, Apr 11, 2021.

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  1. ToastedRossi

    ToastedRossi Well-Known Member

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    The problem is the original Chinese title. "Gu" is a kind of superstition, and it's one that's specifically targeted by the Chinese censors. On TV, any mentions of "gu" have to be excised and I've seen shows that try to talk around it. And these are "gu" with no connection to magic or supernatural powers at that. Add those, and it throws up so many red flags that there's no chance in hell it'll get by the censors.
     
  2. Astaroth

    Astaroth empty

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    TIL
     
  3. akumetsu_F1

    akumetsu_F1 Well-Known Member

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    Wow, I had no idea this was a thing... I just binged over 2000 chapters of RI (it was incredible) and never saw any praise for the west or any insult towards Chinese culture. But it seems like even the smallest of things can be used to justify a censor... China is fucked up.
     
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  4. Sutad Aatma

    Sutad Aatma Well-Known Member

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    definitely! The translators have done a splendid job at it. I love the diction of the novel
    It got banned because the main theme of the novel is anti-society. I did not make it very far in the novel but I vividly remember the novel making me question my morals and the futility of society. The author dissected every organization and concluded that everything exists to support others at the cost of oneself. It takes the strong over weak to extremes. The anti-society ideas that it promoted heavily influenced the readers and because of this the censorship hammer struck down on it.
    I read an official note from the author. The series is dropped. The author wrote a formal apology for promoting anti-society ideologies and for the damage it caused. He said that he knows his wrongs and is heartbroken for having to abandon his most popular work and his first series but it cannot be helped.
     
  5. aShinyVaporeon

    aShinyVaporeon Well-Known Member

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    I...highly doubt this statement. 蛊 or gu (also known as/associated with 巫蛊 or 金蚕) by itself simply refers to mystical poisonous creatures, or just poisons, associated with southern Chinese tradition. It's very famous and appears in plenty of eastern media, including Chinese. It also makes appearances in wuxia and appears in Jin Yong's novels.
    Not to mention, superstition in China is still plenty strong. Traditional Chinese medicine, Daoism, Buddhism, etc. can all be considered 'superstition', and yet, are highly prevalent in Chinese culture and widely practiced. Maybe CCP is trying to censor them, but honestly speaking, those superstitions are very deeply rooted in Chinese society. It's not going to happen anytime soon.
    There is no way that RI was censored simply because of the 'gu' in the title. It would have been caught far, far earlier if that was the issue. There are plenty of other novels that feature gu prominently in the story, and yet, are doing totally fine.

    Reverend Insanity was banned because it promoted anarchy. The author went a bit too far with his MC's characterization and got a bit too popular for the CCP's taste, hence it was banned. It most likely has very little to do with the 'gu' in the title.
     
  6. ToastedRossi

    ToastedRossi Well-Known Member

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    NRTA, the Chinese censor bureau in question, has gone sort of nuts in the last few years. All sorts of random things are getting flagged and Chinese creators are sometimes as much in the dark as we are about this. For example, the word "fascist" has been flagged and all mentions of it are censored. In the book I'm reading right now this is the only word that's censored so it's easy to make it out.

    While any anti-Chinese messaging is also going to be hit, most writers are nationalists so it's not going to be the reason for most of the books we come across.

    The fact that gu is a widely held superstition is precisely why it has been targeted. A book having the exact same thing, and just naming it something different wouldn't get a second look from NRTA. I've seen a show that just changed every mention of "gu" to "poison" and it was allowed to air. I'm not saying that this is the most important reason for the bad; in fact it might not even register. My point is that drawing attention to this kind of thing in the title is asking for trouble.

    Also the part about the book being "anti-social" doesn't really mean what you think it might. It's not about advocating censorship, but more about promoting ideas against the social norm. In this particular case, it's about how the book has a villain who does evil deeds and is celebrated for it. Yeah, that was never going to fly once NRTA stopped ignoring web novels.
     
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  7. akumetsu_F1

    akumetsu_F1 Well-Known Member

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    I hear this a lot in NUF... but having spent the last 3 weeks binging all the chapters, I just don't see it. The author is pretty objective about how hierarchies work and it doesn't discuss anything you won't find in a typical political science or philosophy book. He doesn't promote the destruction of hierarchies, in fact, it is mentioned multiple times how useful they can be and he creates multiple organizations later on in the noble. Systems can trap you but they can also aid you if your goals align with the system.
    Fang Yuan as a character is not pro-society or anti-society, he just tries to get as many benefits as possible no matter the circumstances he is in. If society is in his way, he crushes it. If society can help him, he contributes to it. He can be a hero or devil depending on his needs.
    In his world, where individuals can rival entire groups, it's no wonder that he discarded such values if he wanted to reach the top. There's no point in hiding away in some small village when tomorrow some guy can decimate everyone with a single attack. If anything, it's realistic.

    The author wasn't pushing an agenda, he was writing a good story.
     
  8. Sutad Aatma

    Sutad Aatma Well-Known Member

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    hmm he definitely wasn't pushing an agenda but the main thing is that it did influence the readers. I think the concept is same as someone from religious country writing an anti-religion book. China's government heavily leans towards dictatorship so his novel, which essentially talks about crumbling societal structures, could be considered 'anti-nationalist' for them
     
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  9. ToastedRossi

    ToastedRossi Well-Known Member

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    Crumbling societies is something that happens in every second book. NRTA isn't even going to blink at that. Also remember that China doesn't think of itself as a dictatorship so it's not going to care about books criticizing such governments (which also happens all the time).
     
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  10. tides

    tides Well-Known Member

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    the SARFT/NRTA has put out regulations/statements about superstition/supernatural years ago.

    while both them and the authors never tell us why their books are banned, it seems like the authors know why their books get banned. IRAS , house of horrors and ultimate scheming system authors all knew why their book was banned.

    all of them also said that they could edit it and resubmit it. house of horrors and ultimate scheming system mentioned how stressful and tiring it was to go through all the old chapters and change them. (i think it also killed ultimate scheming system's author motivation to write since he just ghosted for a couple of years after it was finally allowed back).

    if you read the regulations they put out on xianxia and stuff, you'd understand why RI was banned. it went against so many of the regulations...it was only a matter of time

    tbh it is sad and strange that china is actively trying to destroy it's own culture/superstitions...HK used to make tons of really great supernatural movies too
     
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  11. Sutad Aatma

    Sutad Aatma Well-Known Member

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    if it does not think of itself as a dictatorship does not mean that it is not lol
    Plus, most of the books lean in favor of the nation, not against. And the writer was pretty compelling in his book. It went against the traditional moral values and some stuff
     
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  12. ToastedRossi

    ToastedRossi Well-Known Member

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    The point is that if the censor board doesn't think of itself as a dictatorship, it's not going to do anything to protect dictatorships. And this is more or less borne out in the kind of books that are allowed: it's common for them to criticize corruption, or to rail against tyranny, or to talk about overthrowing the system. Sure a lot of books talk up China, but unless Reverend Insanity takes place in modern China, that doesn't mean a thing.
     
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  13. FIEND

    FIEND i eat crayons

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    The reality is the nail that sticks out gets hammmered down
    The antifans played a huge role according to my friend in china
     
  14. Astaroth

    Astaroth empty

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    Umm, Reverend Insanity isn't his first work (this is: https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-venerable-monster-tamer/) and maybe you've read another note from the author, but at least in the ones I've read that were translated some months after the novel got banned he said he'd finish the novel no matter what, if the novel wasn't unbanned by the time his next novel (Unlimited Bloodstone) is finished then he'd post summaries on weibo or something like that.

    There's also a video of him showing how he'd already planned the remaining chapters including the end. (The video link doesn't seem to work anymore, but I have it on my PC as well so I could upload it somewhere and link to it if necessary.)

    https://forum.novelupdates.com/threads/message-from-reverend-insanitys-author.101117/
    https://www.reddit.com/r/ReverendIn...hor_qa_session_10320_translated_by_skyfarrow/
     
    Last edited: May 8, 2021
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  15. tides

    tides Well-Known Member

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    all of the authors who are contracted have to provide qidian with a skeleton outline

    ofc it doesn't mean anything since the author can change whatever he wants, but most wn will follow the outline unless it gets cut short, or it gets too popular to end
     
  16. Kamuizin

    Kamuizin Well-Known Member

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    Author could just trade msg with someone else he trust outside China, say what he expected to do with the novel and make an informal copyright transfer agreement.

    Give CP to someone in EUA or south korea and China would be with hands tied to block the progression of the novel.

    Unless another government take power in China, RI will never be unbanned.

    I believe the gore points aren’t the main issue, but the fact that MC manage to break every single power system that hinder his progress.
     
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  17. zetsuen_dark

    zetsuen_dark [blue is the color of distance]⚓️

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    *cries* Oh Reverend Insanity. The injustice that you have suffered. We believe in you and will be waiting.
     
  18. 69 others

    69 others Well-Known Member

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    I've been a lurker for a long time, but after seeing this thread, I just had to make an account. While its true that FY does say things which contradict the CCP, the real nail in the coffin came from some content in the later chapters.
    Remember Lin Jian Xing? Well he was the leader of the Lin clan and his alias was Xi Jian Ping, which is one letter away from the leader of the CCP. Also, HC wanted to have him 'replace' Bo Qing and take his sword path attainment. (Bo Qing is Xi Jin Ping's political opponent who is sitting in prison)
    But the author did say that he would finish RI after he was done with IB, even if it wasn't unbanned. (Qi's ownership would expire by that time or something)
     
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  19. CodeTime

    CodeTime [Void Emperor of Time]

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    From what I've heard in the discussion around the last chapter, the novel has been unbanned. The author said that he will return to finish it after he finishes the novel he is currently working on
     
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  20. GDLiZy

    GDLiZy Wise Deepsea Mermaid

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    I need the source for confirmation asap. Just knowing that it got unbanned will make my day.
     
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