For the first time since it aired, Friends is now available to Chinese audiences through some of China's biggest streaming platforms. However, the series' return to screens does come with some major censorship-related changes.Streaming giants Tencent, Bilibili, iQiyi and Youku recently acquired rights to Friends and released the show on Feb. 11. Shortly after, viewers began to complain on Chinese social media sites about some of the edits, which include changes to Ross' ex-wife Carol, whose scenes were largely removed due to their depiction of an LGBTQ+ relationship. A scene showing Joey and Chandler briefly kissing during a New Year's Eve party was also removed. In addition, subtitles omitted certain topics or words, including mentions of female orgasms and more.RELATED: Golden State Warriors Owner Under Fire for Saying Nobody Cares About China's Genocide on Uyghur

On Chinese social media platform Weibo, users voiced their complaints and discontent with the hashtag, #FriendsCensored. The hashtag was itself eventually censored. Searches for the hashtag now result in a page reading, "This topic is not shown according to relevant laws and regulations."

It should be noted that Friends was briefly available on two streaming platforms Sohu video and iQiyi between 2012 and 2013 without many major instances of censorship. Streaming giants recently moved to acquire streaming rights for the show again following the popularity of HBO Max's reunion special.

Similarly, Friends: The Reunion, which was released in May 2021, was also released in China, but with sexual references, and even appearances by Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, removed for Chinese audiences. There is some measure of uncertainty regarding whether or not this was done at the request of officials or if it was a decision the streaming platforms made out of concern for recently introduced guidelines.

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Over the course of 2021, the Chinese Communist Party's centennial, new guidelines and policies were introduced as part of a greater focus on reshaping mainstream culture among China's youth. The guidelines, which were released by China's National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA), effectively banned LGBTQ+ relationships and stories from film, television and video games, alongside what officials described as "effeminate males."

These guidelines have resulted in a variety of changes to major releases, including Fight Club, which recently had a new ending inserted by streaming giant Tencent. The new ending consisted of a screen reading, "The police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding. After the trial, Tyler was sent to a lunatic asylum receiving psychological treatment." It was introduced in order to remove the original version's anarchist message and avoid what officials view as glorifying criminal behavior. Due to widespread backlash, the ending was restored-- a rare occurrence when it comes to censorship in China.

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Source: Twitter, SCMP