China censors Arcane Season 2 and completely ruins Cait & Vi’s ending
NetflixThe Arcane Season 2 finale was a time of celebration for Caitlyn and Vi stans, but in China their most significant scenes – including the ending – were censored.
Ever since Vi first referred to Cait as her “cupcake,” we’ve been gunning for these two to get together. But in the second and final season of the League of Legends show, their relationship went through an absolute rollercoaster.
After Jinx’s attack left Cait’s mom dead, she became Ambessa’s puppet for a short while (not to mention a dictator leading the attack on Zaun), leading to her and Vi going their separate ways.
Throughout Arcane Season 2, they kissed, they fought, they made up, they became allies, until we finally got the CaitVi moment everyone had been waiting for: in Episode 8, they had sex.
NetflixBy the last scene of the finale, Cait and Vi are finally in a proper, loving relationship, proving to be each other’s rocks as they deal with the death and destruction of the final battle.
It’s a heartwarming moment, showing Cait resting her head on Vi’s shoulder. “Are you still in this fight, Violet?” she says, to which Vi confirms, “I’m the dirt under your nails, cupcake. Nothing’s gonna clean me out.”
The scene has been celebrated far and wide, not just for its storytelling but for its LGBTQ+ representation. However, viewers have noticed that this interaction plays out very differently in China.
One Redditor shared a side-by-side clip of the scene, showing Vi and Cait kept at a distance while they have this conversation. “Arcane ending looking a little different in China,” they wrote.
“Apparently all of their romance scenes are completely gone too, and after looking at the extent of this re-writing you kind of expect it.”
The Chinese government has long banned the depiction of LGBTQ+ relationships in movies and TV shows in restrictions that are part of broader media censorship policies enforced by regulatory bodies within the country.
In response to the Arcane Season 2 edits, one fan wrote, “I know companies gonna company but what the actual f**k.” Another said, “I thought this edit was a joke, no way they actually have regulations against homosexuality.”
“I assume they did this to all the scenes with them… If you’re just gonna f**k up the creators’ vision, why even bother airing the show?” added a third, while a fourth commented, “That’s the laziest censorship ever.”
Others have shared their experiences of streaming in the country, including this person who said, “I’m in China now and watched the whole thing through a VPN.”
Another wrote, “Censorship of television is mostly a meme in China, tbh. Considering the government doesn’t crack down on piracy at all and the wide availability of VPNs, censorship is basically a means of pacifying crusty culturally conservative party functionaries without all that much effect on anyone in the general population below the age of 60.”
Arcane Seasons 1-2 are streaming on Netflix now. Be sure to check out our guides to if Jinx died, the Jhin fan theory, the “Juliette” dedication, and the most powerful Arcane characters.