AMU2439 ∣ Essay (30%) ∣ Semester 2, 2020

Student ID: 30230772

Construction of Chinese Women’s ​Fujoshi ​Identity

Haim Ginott once said, “the search for a personal identity is the life task of a
teenager,” where it means that identity formation is a lifelong task as a human’s identity is
never fixed on one thing or never static. It will always be in the making process and will
continue to develop and change throughout life. At the beginning of 2000, there is a
phenomenon in popular culture where a large number of female audiences are consuming
fictional material of homosexual romance or male homoeroticism. These women then
identified themselves as ​fujoshi (rotten women) (Zhang, 2014). To have an in-depth
understanding of this unique phenomenon and how these women establish ​fujoshi as their
identity, Yuval-Davis’ (2010) three major theories of identity formation are being applied.
This paper will be divided into three parts: a brief introduction to the case study, followed by
the analysis of the case study using Yuval Davis’ identity theory and finally, will be closed
with a short discussion of broader implications regarding the issue being discussed.
Boys’ Love (BL) was originated and popularized in Japan and has been expanded to
other areas such as China due to the increase of internet and social media access. BL is
usually created and consumed by young women between the ages of 15-30, who develop an
identity and identify themselves as ​fujoshi.​ The term ‘fujoshi’ is used to carry a negative
connotation that translates to ‘rotten women’ as they are women who are interested in
something ‘abnormal’ such as a romantic relationship between two attractive men (Zhang,
2016, p. 249). In China, Boys’ Love was widely known as ​danmei, which literally translates
“obsessed with beauty” (p. 250) (Xu & Yang, 2016, p. 252). Danmei is usually produced in
the form of fiction, television series, ​manhua (Chinese animation) and many more. These
young women will be involved in any activities that support the same-sex main characters’
intimate interaction, which is called ​shipping.​ Williams (2011) defined ​shipping as fans’
activity in the form of support toward their favourite fictional romantic’s relationships in pop
culture. The term is a short-form of “relationshippers” (p. 271 as cited in Scodari & Felder
2000). In ​Theorizing identity: beyond the ‘us’ and ‘them’ dichotomy​, Yuval-Davis suggested
that identity is constructed as a mode of performativity, a narrative and a dialogical practice
(Yuval-Davis, 2010, p. 262). In forming an identity, Stuart Hall proposes that one’s daily life
experience has a major contribution (p. 264). The establishment of Chinese women’s fujoshi
identity is also based on their everyday activities in publishing, sharing and discussing
danmei works.
According to Yuval-Davis, identity is understood as performance as it was regulated
based on repetitive action that produces particular phenomena which then we adopt as
identity. Judith Butler’s (1988) gender performativity theory also shared the same idea on
identity. As gender is also a constructed identity, it was built based on repetitive performance
associated with women or men where the person who ‘perform’ it are the one who have full
rights to determine what is appropriate and the right gender for them (p. 520 as cited in
Gaunlett, 2008) The same goes to fujoshi, Chinese women who identify and call themselves
as a fujoshi perform a repetitive action that shows their interest in danmei. For example, they
usually prefer to read novels which has boys love as the main theme, showing support in the
making of life-adaptations (mostly television series or film) of danmei novels that they love
and also ‘shipping’ two male protagonists or actors involved in any piece of popular culture
they consumed.
For identity as a narrative, according to Yuval-Davis (2010), identity is based on
stories that people told themselves and others about who they are and who they are not and
who they would like to be and be seen by others (p. 266). It could be both verbal and
non-verbal. Raw materials or resources played a role in fueling the narrative from which
identity is constructed where media is part of that category that facilitates as a platform where
the forming of identity took place. In China, social media platforms such as Xianqing, Weibo,
and Bilibili have become safe spaces for Chinese fujoshi. They can’t be so verbal about their
identity as a fujoshi in public spaces due to Communist’s strict regulation for queer contents.
In a Communist patriarchal society where Chinese women are also expected to be delicate
and not so vocal or expressive about themselves, digital media undoubtedly play an essential
role. They can freely engage in discussions with other people who share similar interests and
open about their fujoshi identity.
 Last but not least, identity as dialogical practice. The dialogical approach is seen as a
constructive assumption of identity as specific narratives that conspire or deviate from each
other are involved in this on-going process (Yuval-Davis, 2010, p. 272). Hecht and Jung’s
communication theory identity also shared the same ideas on this matter. Rather than view
identity as an outcome of communication, their theory views identity itself as communication
(Hecht & Jung 2004, p. 266). It can be understood that identity was formed through human
communication. In the fujoshi case, their fujoshi identity was formed through an on-going
two-way communication or conversation between two people or more, indicating that they
have the same interest in danmei works.
In conclusion, through Yuval-Davis three major theories of identity formation, the
construction of the fujoshi identity of Chinese women could be understood. However, these
were not fixed as identities’ production is continuous, ever-changing and never complete
(Yuval-Davis, 2010, p. 267). The notion of location and belonging also affect the identity
formation process, as to how Chinese fujoshi might experience differently from the one in
Thailand, Taiwan, or any other country since each country has different histories, ideologies,
and society. To have a better understanding of the Boys’ Love (BL) subculture or fujoshi, it
will be best if more scholars investigate the topic in different areas.

(Word count: 985)

REFERENCES

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