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Boys' Love (Danmei) Fiction on the Chinese

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Boys' Love (Danmei) Fiction on the Chinese BOYS’ LOVE (DANMEI) FICTION ON THE CHINESE INTERNET: WASABI KUN, THE BL FORUM YOUNG NOBLEMAN CHANGPEI, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ONLINE LITERARY PHENOMENON by Xin Chen B.A., Suzhou University, 2012 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (Asian Studies) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) August 2017 Xin Chen, 2017 Abstract This study is a brief history of the development of danmei 耽美, or Boys’ Love (BL) fiction on mainland Chinese websites. Focusing on Gongzi Changpei 公子长佩 (Young Nobleman Changpei) – a danmei forum –and writings by the danmei author, Wasabi Kun 芥末 君, it conducts a case study of danmei as a literary phenomenon, encompassing factors such as industry, aesthetics, and community, including reader response. In sketching the ecology of one type of online literature, this study draws on primary literary texts, online reader responses by so-called fu nü 腐女 (“rotten girls”), industry data, and previous scholarly studies. This thesis contains a glossary of terms and two non-exhaustive table (in the appendices): one details the main websites/forums where the writing, reading, discussion, and circulation of danmei fiction takes place; the other lists representative novels from 2001 to 2015. Chapter 2 offers an introduction to the Chinese BL forum Gongzi Changpei (Young Nobleman Changpei), detailing the subgenres on offer, analyzing a selection of popular novels, and describing the forums’ operations. Chapter 3 offers a detailed analysis of the career and reception of author Wasabi Kun 芥末君, as well as of Kun’s serialized novel If You Have Been Through Winter 如你走过冬天 (2015-2016). Through analyzing Kun’s work, I show a line of development in the genre. I argue that Kun tries to avoid creating simply a hybrid combination of various genre elements or a series of utopian but improbable cute stories. Instead, Kun’s novel emphasizes romance and individual growth, refined language and emotional realism. In tracing a broader history of the genre, I argue that danmei fiction is being influenced by Japanese and Western models at a time when Chinese women are pursuing non-traditional gender roles and becoming comfortable discussing and reading about sex. Yet after a dozen ii years of development, the mainstream of online writing shows that even as the novels become more entertaining, fewer focus solely on homosexual relationships. More authors are writing novels with hybrid genre elements, in which the familiar Boys’ Love tropes of sex and pleasure are becoming more or less sidelined. iii Lay Summary This study draws on previous scholarly studies, industry data, and online sources to revisit the history of and trace recent developments in the online development of Chinese- language danmei (BL, or Boys’ Love) fiction. The origin, growth and popularization in mainland China of this category of literature is closely tied to the growth of internet culture, and the main sites of its production and consumption are online. Danmei, literarily “addicted to beauty,” is the Chinese term for a category of comics, novels, and other stories that focus on romantic and erotic encounters between male characters. Danmei fiction is largely written by and for females. This study analyzes the literary and cultural values associated with danmei through a case study of a specific online forum Gongzi Changpei (Young Nobleman Changpei) and the popular author Wasabi Kun. It contains a glossay, and the appendices include and two non-exhaustive tables: one details the main websites/forums where the writing, reading, discussion etc. of danmei fiction take place; the other lists representative novels from 2001 to 2015. iv Preface This thesis is original and unpublished work by the author, Xin Chen. All secondary sources used are identified in footnotes and listed at the end in “Sources.” Unless otherwise noted, translations are my own. Terms in bold are explained in the Glossary. v Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... ii Lay Summary ............................................................................................................................... iv Preface ............................................................................................................................................ v Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. viii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... ix Glossary ......................................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1: The growth of danmei fiction on the Chinese Internet .......................................... 1 1.1. A brief overview of China’s online literary websites development, 2000-2017 ....... 1 1.2. Defining danmei: China’s Boys’ Love novels and short stories ................................ 7 1.3. Locating online existence and development of danmei fiction through main forums, websites and significant works ................................................................................ 14 1.4. China’s “rotten girls” (fu nü) and their community ............................................... 30 1.4.1 Definition .............................................................................................................................. 30 1.4.2 Hotly debated issues: The merits of the BL genre, sexual depiction, and the self- identification of the community members.......................................................................................... 33 Chapter 2: BL Forum case study: Young Nobleman Changpei (Gongzi Changpei) ........... 48 2.1. A previously non-commercial forum in transition .................................................. 48 2.2. Registration, forum rules, graphic design and declarations of the forum (pre- commercialization) .................................................................................................................. 53 2.3. Components of the website, literary genres and subgenres .................................... 57 2.4. Overview of popular works on Changpei ................................................................. 59 2.4.1 Review website Saowen xiaoyuan 扫文小院 [Quick-Take Courtyard] .................................... 59 2.4.2 Recent hot novels and threads on Gongzi Changpei ................................................................. 63 2.4.3 Top three most reviewed novels from Gongzi Changpei, based on reader reviews from SWXY: ............................................................................................................................................................ 65 Chapter 3: Author case study: Wasabi Kun ............................................................................ 68 3.1. If You Have Been Through Winter, by Wasabi Kun ................................................ 68 3.1.1. A brief biography of Wasabi Kun ......................................................................................... 68 3.1.2. An analysis of plot and character .......................................................................................... 72 3.2. Reader responses to If You Have Been Through Winter .......................................... 76 Chapter 4: Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 83 List of References ........................................................................................................................ 89 Online novels (alphabetical by author) ................................................................................. 89 Other online sources (by website) .......................................................................................... 89 Studies .................................................................................................................................... 100 Appendices ................................................................................................................................. 107 Appendix A: Table 4 Selected danmei novels (2001-2015) ............................................... 107 Appendix B: Table 5 Selected Chinese danmei websites or forums (1998 – present) .... 116 vi Acknowledgements My deepest gratitude goes to my advisor Dr. Christopher Rea, who not only brainstormed with me when I was coming up with ideas for the thesis, broadened my knowledge of methodology and research tools in the field, extensively edited my drafts, but also offered constant encouragement throughout the process. I could not finish this project without his kindness and patience. I thank Dr. Alison Bailey and Dr. Sharalyn Orbaugh for serving on my committee and Dr. Christina Yi for chairing my defense. Dr. Bailey kindly edited the thesis and suggested many detailed changes. Dr. Orbaugh’s expertise on the Japanese and the global BL culture expanded my understanding
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