Allegations of 'farm-like' conditions at A-soul comic studio spark outrage among former employees

According to a post by a former employee known as Zhenliubao on Sept. 22, the studio, which was founded in 2008 and is located in a rural part of southeastern Beijing, housed its artists in dormitories that were formerly a livestock factory.

"We were never allowed to open the curtains, forcing us to work in a dark environment for years," he wrote.

Zhenliubao claimed that the studio employed mental manipulation through verbal abuse and indoctrination, resulting in continuous overwork. He also mentioned that the salaries were distributed equally among employees at the end of each year without any provision for social security benefits and that he is now seeking legal assistance, according to SCMP.

A person is drawing. Illustration by Unsplash

Another ex-employee, Laogui, echoed these grievances, reporting extreme overwork and lack of sleep, being required to produce up to three times the normal workload daily.

Despite these accusations, on Sept. 24, Liu Ke, a top-earning artist at the studio, defended the conditions by attributing them to financial difficulties faced during the studio's initial years. He stated that employees voluntarily pooled their salaries to support the studio and refuted any allegations of forced labor.

The issue has ignited significant backlash and debate on Chinese social media platforms like Weibo, where it has attracted over 92 million views. Some users have condemned the studio for human rights violations, labeling it a "slave factory." However, others have called for a more cautious approach and thorough investigation before drawing firm conclusions.

A-soul, now a prominent name in the Chinese comic industry with over 70 employees, has not yet seen an official response from its head, Liu Zhi, regarding these allegations.