Five hit online dramas were removed from the Internet yesterday, causing a stir among fans and in the industry.

A still shot from Go Princess Go. [File photo]

Go Princess Go, The Lost Tomb, The Death Notice, Blind Spot and Criminal Minds were all taken off their respective video streaming sites.

"Roughly six popular online dramas were reported and screened. Two were halted permanently, and the rest will be screened again after the necessary alterations. Violence, nudity and superstitions were the main targets. There will be a meeting specifically on online dramas during the Spring Festival. What will happen after then? We'll have to wait and see," wrote Sina Weibo user Xiushou2000, a prominent figure in the film and television industry. The sixth online series refers to Wu Xin: The Monster Killer, aside from the five aforementioned dramas.

As of today, Wu Xin: The Monster Killer is the only series that can be watched online.

The withdrawal did not come without warnings. As early as Jan 15, at the finale of Go Princess Go, rumors of media watchdog's decisions to withdraw the phenomenally successful show on moral grounds surfaced on social media. Prior to this, Go Princess Go reportedly underwent massive re-editing after warnings by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television. LeTV, which streams the series and is one of China's biggest online video companies, much like Netflix in the US, denied the rumor, stating that they "reserve the right to investigate rumormongers and Internet media who spread this false news."

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