Streaming site demands users take a test before they can watch anime

Registering on Bilibili requires in-depth knowledge of geek culture

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Bilibili holds an annual convention of ACG culture in Shanghai. (Picture: AFP Photo)

Published: 9:28pm, 18 Feb 2019Updated: 8:53am, 20 Sep 2019

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

Which cartoonist's wife is the author of Sailor Moon? Which game map does Dota use? Who is the fleet admiral of the Marines in One Piece?

If you can answer these questions then you might be able to register a full membership on one of China's most popular video platforms. If not, well, you clearly don't belong on Bilibili.

Bilibili has long prided itself for being China’s geek culture hotspot. Its main focus is ACG -- anime, comics, games -- and is known for its trove of (mostly illegally acquired) content and for bullet chat, a distinctive type of user comments that fly over the screen.

Bilibili, China’s biggest anime site, covers the screen in user comments

But to enjoy many of these geeky goodies, one must pass a 100-question exam in 120 minutes -- including questions that would make even the biggest anime and gaming fan balk.

Bilibili is the only community in China that doesn’t allow anyone to become a full member freely: You have to either pass the test or be invited by an existing full member. According to its chairman and CEO Chen Rui, it may be the largest test in the world. Around 43 million users passed by the third quarter of 2018. In comparison, the gaokao, China's notoriously difficult national college entrance exam, drew just under 9 million high schoolers last year.

Passing the exam allows you to use bullet chat, which some users say is more enjoyable than the actual videos. (Picture: Bilibili)

Entering the video platform’s exclusive club is by no means an easy feat, despite help from search engines.

“I remember they were asking about Java and C++ and some very detailed questions about Chinese history,“ said Bilibili user Lucy Lu, who passed her exam several years ago.

Streaming site demands users take a test before they can watch anime

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Registering on Bilibili requires in-depth knowledge of geek culture

Bilibili, China’s biggest anime site, covers the screen in user comments

Registering on Bilibili requires in-depth knowledge of geek culture