Inspired by real-life cases, Chinese urban thriller “The Dark Romance” has emerged as one of the country’s most popular series to focus on pickup artists and PUA culture, thrusting the dynamics of emotional manipulation and psychological control associated with the term into the spotlight.

The 22-episode drama premiered on March 31 on domestic streaming platform iQiyi and features an award-winning cast. The story revolves around the relationship between Yan Ling, a single mother and university lecturer, and her psychologist boyfriend Luo Liang, a seemingly “perfect partner” who is in fact a serial abuser and head of an underground training network that teaches men how to manipulate women.

The term “PUA” traces its roots to the United States, where the pickup artist subculture began taking shape in the 1970s — a period of shifting sexual norms — as men sought to systematize the art of seducing, or “picking up,” women through a set of studied techniques. The practice found renewed interest in the 2000s onward, as the use of the internet became widespread. 

In China, the term has evolved to broadly refer to manipulation through constant criticism and can be used as a verb to describe dynamics in personal or workplace relationships. The behavior is intended to isolate the victim from their friends and family, alternating between cold and warm treatment.

“The Dark Romance” has an average rating of 7.8 out of 10 on review platform Douban, while a related hashtag on microblogging platform Weibo has been viewed over 110 million times as of Tuesday. 

Yan, played by actress Sun Li, sees her career stall and the bond with her son begin to fray after her best friend commits suicide. During this time, a man who once sexually assaulted her reappears. Luo, a psychologist, offers to help Yan navigate her crisis, and eventually becomes her boyfriend. However, his eagerness is gradually revealed as a mask for his PUA intentions.

Several of the drama’s plotlines are intended to echo real-life cases. A student of Yan’s, involved in an abusive relationship, references the 2020 case of Peking University student Bao Li — a pseudonym — who died by suicide after suffering significant psychological distress at the hands of her boyfriend, Mou Linhan. Mou was found to have physically and verbally abused Bao after discovering she wasn’t a virgin. The case made national headlines and helped raise awareness about domestic abuse.

Meanwhile, the suicide of Yan’s friend recalls extortion-driven tragedies such as the case of tech entrepreneur Su Xiangmao, who committed suicide in 2017 after being blackmailed by his wife Zhai Xinxin.

The TV drama’s screenwriter, Xue Xiaolu, is also behind the 2001 hit series “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” considered one of China’s first dramas to expose and scrutinize domestic violence. 

Xue told local media that she wants to ensure that victims are seen and protected, and to encourage greater public awareness and reflection on PUA culture.

“While verbal abuse in the past was often sporadic and individual in nature, PUA today is systematic, teachable, and transmissible. It represents a more concealed and modern form of psychological violence, and is all the more harmful for it,” Xue said.

Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.

(Header image: A still from “The Dark Romance.” From Douban)