Every month the OTW hosts guest posts on our OTW News accounts to provide an outside perspective on the OTW or aspects of fandom. These posts express each individual’s personal views and do not necessarily reflect the views of the OTW or constitute OTW policy.

Meihua Lu is a Ph.D. candidate in Gender and Cultural Studies at the University of Sydney who is working on her doctoral thesis focused on Chinese digital feminism in relation to men and masculinities. Her research interests center on feminist movement, feminist theories, critical masculinity studies, affect and emotion, as well as fandom and popular culture. Today, Meihua talks about her article in Transformative Works and Cultures on the intersection of Chinese digital feminism and fandom culture within i-Woman communities.

How did you first find out about fandom and fanworks?

I can’t even recall how it all began. Fandom has been a crucial aspect of my life since adolescence. Growing up in a small city in mainland China, where academic performance dominates every facet of a child’s life, I always found solace in secretly participating in fan communities through my small non-smart phone. And by doing so, it gave me a place to breathe outside of the suffocatingly competitive system that does not care what a child likes or dislikes.

During that time, I developed a fervor for numerous fandoms across various subcultures, primarily within the ACGN realm, such as Japanese animation, manga, and web novels. I also created plenty of fanworks myself. When I think about my teenage years, it’s the world of fandom that stands out the most in my memories.

What sparked your interest in the i-Woman genre and its impact on feminist politics in China?

After I went to study abroad, I gradually lost touch with many of the fandom communities I used to be a part of. But Chinese web novels remain accessible, so I still spent a lot of time reading them and I enjoy discussing them in Chinese online communities. Having read Chinese web novels for over ten years, it’s quite evident to notice the shifts in popular story patterns and settings. At first it might seem that people are expecting and producing more independent and powerful female characters. But upon closer inspection, you realize that there’s more to it than that. Many female readers are eager to see an ideal female character in web novels, and these preferences reflect their ideas about how a woman should or can be, her broader social connections, and her position in society.

The background of Chinese digital feminism is important. The ideas and discussions it has popularized find adoption and adaptation among web novel readers and writers. As a feminist scholar working on a Ph.D. thesis focused on Chinese digital feminism, the encounter with these evolving feminist concepts while reading web novels is both exciting and thought-provoking.

On the one hand, I witness how feminism is creatively absorbed and interpreted in web novels by both writers and readers. On the other hand, given the ongoing censorship and regulations on feminism in Chinese social media, web novels influenced by feminist perspectives are becoming essential spaces for feminist discussions. The i-Woman genre stands out as a key example of these spaces, contributing to the development of new feminist understandings and the fostering of feminist consciousness.

A recent observation that caught my attention is the recommendation of some i-Woman novels as introductory feminist readings. Compared to many feminist theories, these novels are much easier to access, simple to read, and resonate closely with the lives of Chinese young women. I’m curious about the potential impact this might have on the content and direction of Chinese digital feminism.

Could you share some insights into the digital ethnography you conducted within i-Woman communities and how it reflects the intersection of fandom culture and political participation?

The online forum I looked into is a significant community for fans of female-oriented web novels. While it wasn’t originally set up as a feminist web novel group, it’s gradually transforming into one due to the evolving feminist ideas among its members. This transformation happened because of the discussions and debates – including confrontational debates – that take place in the forum.

Understanding these social dynamics is crucial for my study, and for that reason, I opted for digital ethnography as the best approach. This allows me to capture both the interactions among members and their discussions within the forum.

How did you hear about the OTW and what do you see its role as?

I’m familiar with Archive of Our Own (AO3) and have been using it for a long time. However, I wasn’t aware of its connection to OTW until you approached me for this interview. As of now, my understanding of OTW is that it’s an organization dedicated to protecting and supporting fans and fanworks. These are important and meaningful works to preserve fan culture and elevate its importance both in the public sphere and within academia.

What fandom things have inspired you the most?

I hope it’s not strange to talk about love. These attachments are incredibly powerful in fandom. While it inspires fans to create many amazing works, as a scholar, you can also observe and be aware of the commodified side of the industry operating under the guise of love.

It’s always intriguing for me to contemplate this dynamic. Because love is so personal and strong, it compels individual fans to voluntarily and eagerly participate in the increasingly commercialized fandom world. But in my observations of numerous Chinese fandom communities led by female fans, this love often necessitates consideration of gender politics and cultural norms. In these instances, it’s the fans’ love that makes politics relevant to individuals.

We encourage suggestions from fans for future guest posts, so contact us if you have someone in mind! Or you can visit our Pinboard account to catch up on earlier guest posts.