Censorship removes scenes ... China angeres fans of "Friends" series

Fans of the popular series "Friends" in China have been outraged by the censorship cut short the scenes in which guest stars Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and the Korean band BTS have been angered by the long-awaited reunion episode.

When the special episode of the most popular series aired during the 1990s, on three Chinese video platforms, the celebrities who had caused the ruling Communist Party's anger to be severed from all copies.

Lady Gaga was banned from touring China in 2016 after she met the spiritual leader of exiled Tibet, the Dalai Lama, whom Beijing considers a separatist.

Bieber has been banned since 2014 when he posted a photo of himself at the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo that honors war victims, including those convicted of atrocities.

The South Korean BTS caused outrage at a party last year by not mentioning the Chinese fighters who died during the Korean War when they talked about the "history of pain" in the region.

Chinese netizens have also indicated that local versions of "Friends: The Reunion", which launched last Thursday around the world on "HBO Max," are excluding certain scenes.

The Chinese broadcasting services "Ikiyi", "Yoko" and "Tencent Video" did not want to comment to AFP on the reason for the censorship.

This comedy series about six New Yorkers is popular with Chinese millennials and is even recommended in schools as a way to learn English.

Angry fans of the series took to social media to express their frustration with the censorship.

"I waited weeks to watch the Friends Reunion to find that the version that aired in China was completely distorted," one wrote.

Another asked, "Why doesn't the censorship allow us to enjoy a comedy series?"

Follow our latest local and sports news, and the latest political and economic developments via Google news