Under the glare of dazzling light, fan culture develops and leaves its mark; as trends rise and fall in layers, idols come and go. Fan culture has long since transcended being merely a social subculture—it now stands in relation to—or even forms alliances with—capital, challenging and reshaping the production and conceptual frameworks of popular culture. This book does not merely take fan culture as an academic field of inquiry; in a sense, it is also a form of self-verification and self-expression by the very subjects embedded within fan culture. It represents both a practical exercise in cultural research and another act of transgression—or, one might say, of breaking (dimensional) walls.
—Dai Jinhua, Distinguished Professor, Department of Humanities, Peking University; Director, Center for Film and Cultural Studies, Peking University


As one of the early participants and researchers of “fan circle” culture in China, Teacher Wu Changchang lends this book a unique sense of vitality and incisiveness, while also highlighting the importance of the researcher’s own embodied experience in cultural studies.
—Mao Jian, Professor, School of International Chinese Language and Culture, East China Normal University


The author’s dialectical reflection on the identity of “researcher—fan/non-fan” breaks free from the binary framework of either praise or criticism, carving out a distinctive vantage point between the critical perspective of the Frankfurt School and the cultural studies approach that emphasizes active audiences. The book serves both as an anthropological notebook documenting the generational shifts in fan communities and as a mirror reflecting the spiritual aspirations of contemporary individuals—regardless of whether we are part of the “fan circle,” we can use it to glimpse how, in the digital age, individuals seek echoes through their passions and affirm their existence through participation.
—Liao Maojing, Screenwriter and Script Supervisor for “Go Fighting!” and “Youth Over Flowers”


This book is a concise history of the evolution of Chinese fans over the past two decades, offering a fresh examination of both domestic and international research on fan culture. Particularly valuable is the authors’ longitudinal observation of 98 individuals within the “fan circle,” which reveals the diverse and rich behavioral patterns, cultural forms, and psychological symptoms of fans. What the authors see is not just the idols themselves but also the selves that fans construct within collective spaces through their fan activities. Though a small book, its implications run deep.
—Ma Ling, Professor, School of Journalism, Fudan University


This book is both a rigorous academic masterpiece, using a cool, scholarly pen to provide a detailed portrait of fan communities in online and transnational contexts, and a compelling work of nonfiction. Like a weighty anthropological fieldnote, it unfolds quietly and eloquently, revealing to us trapped in information cocoons a self-sufficient, coherent life trajectory. This book teaches us that the meaning of life primarily comes from what we give it ourselves. To bravely choose and pursue the lifestyle we love is the greatest respect we can have for life itself.
—Chang Jiang, Distinguished Professor, Shenzhen University; Executive Director, Global Communication Institute, Shenzhen University


Over many years in the industry, I have been deeply involved in the production of numerous variety shows, witnessing and personally experiencing the rise, evolution, and industrial integration of fan culture in China. Fans’ fervor is never simply “madness”; behind it lie complex emotional projections, collective empathy, and a quest for self-identity. This book offers a rare industry insight and a profound humanistic reflection, making it a must-read for anyone working in the cultural sphere.
—Du Yan, Producer of “Produce 101” and “I Am a Singer”


Are fans laborers? Data serfs? Capital’s unpaid workforce? Do they define their self-worth through collective action?
As a longtime fan who has followed idols for years, I was immediately struck by the book’s description. When I’m busy with other big fans, shipping couples, rallying support, fighting against haters, and crunching data, I sometimes wonder: What exactly am I investing in? Are these “rules” and this “love” truly heartfelt, or am I being pushed along by some invisible hand? This book observes nearly 100 fans over 20 years—it feels like an archaeological excavation of a “star-chasing diary.” In particular, when I see terms like “emotional labor” and “self-construction,” I suddenly feel as though my everyday star-chasing routine has been dissected: It turns out that those late-night video edits and acts of “fandom-driven passion” may be underpinned by such deep psychological and social mechanisms. I’m eager to see whether the book will not only analyze these phenomena but also address the questions that ordinary fans like me harbor beneath our cheers and romantic pairings: What are we really seeking through our idols? And how is the so-called “fan circle” shaping the way we see the world? I hope that after reading this book, I can gently reflect on my years of fandom while continuing to follow my passions with greater clarity.
—Reader

★ An observational notebook on China’s entertainment “fan circle” scene:
Over the course of 20 years, the two authors have continuously tracked and observed 98 core fans, producing a dynamic and in-depth map of how China’s fan ecosystem has evolved over time.

★ A deep conversation about idols—and about ourselves:
Fan culture has long transcended national borders, becoming a shared digital landscape for young people around the world. Whether it’s the global frenzy surrounding K-pop or the online communities built by Western celebrities, the core mechanisms at play—emotional projection, identity construction, and collective action—are strikingly similar across cultures. The phenomena explored in this book—such as “emotional labor,” “data labor,” “subcultural identity,” and “idol scandals”—offer crucial insights into the emotional and behavioral codes that underpin the global fan economy.

★ Endorsements from leading Chinese scholars and industry producers:
The book has been endorsed by internationally renowned cultural studies scholars, including Dai Jinhua, Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at Peking University; Mao Jian, Professor at East China Normal University; and Ma Ling, Professor at the School of Journalism at Fudan University—as well as key writers and producers behind China’s blockbuster variety shows “Produce 101” and “Go Fighting!”

★ Where does our “frenzy” really come from—and how should we channel it?
In this digitally mediated age, where many feel alienated, we all turn to some form of “passion” to find an echo and affirm our sense of self. This book reveals that when we passionately talk about our idols, what we are truly talking about is ourselves—the part of us that yearns to be seen, to be connected, and to be given meaning.

This book is an in-depth study of Chinese fan culture based on long-term field research. Since the early 2000s, the two authors—a communication scholar and a cultural journalist—have treated China’s fan communities (“fan circles”) as their academic field site. Over the course of two decades, they have engaged in ongoing dialogue with 98 fans from different tiers of the fan hierarchy, who follow various idols, while observing and documenting their experiences.

Where does this “mania” that fans feel for their idols come from?
Why do they invest so much emotion, time, and even money in a complete stranger?
Are these behaviors by fans a form of “emotional labor”?

The research spans several key stages in the development of Chinese fan culture: from the nationwide frenzy of SMS voting sparked by the TV talent show “Super Girl,” to the introduction of systematized, transnational support cultures by second-generation Korean boy bands (K-pop); from the intimate emotional labor and complex commercial dynamics emerging from the cultivation of locally produced “developmental” idols, to the fierce factional struggles within fan communities in the social media era (such as conflicts between “single-ship fans” and “couple-ship fans”) and the collective actions fans undertake externally (such as “comment control” and “reporting campaigns”). The book also delves into how the frequent phenomenon of “idol scandals” (where an idol’s public persona collapses) shakes and reshapes fans’ belief systems.

The authors skillfully integrate theoretical frameworks from communication studies, sociology, and psychology, yet consistently treat fans as active agents rather than passive “blind followers.” This is not merely a study of the fan economy; it is also a profound conversation about idols—and about ourselves. When we talk about idols, what are we really talking about?

Wu Changchang
Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism, School of Communication, East China Normal University; postdoctoral researcher in the Department of History, Fudan University. Researcher at the Center for Comparative Humanities Studies, East China Normal University–Cornell University, and part-time researcher at the Research Center for Marxist Journalism and Journalism Education Reform, Tsinghua University. She has previously served as a visiting scholar at King’s College London in the UK and Simon Fraser University in Canada. Member of the Variety Show Jury at the Shanghai Television Festival.

Zhao Shuhua
Master of Film Studies. Currently a cultural journalist. She has long focused on and reported on the living conditions and cultural phenomena of young people in China, maintaining a keen eye on emerging social trends.

Introduction >>> 001
Chapter 1: What Exactly Are Fans or “Fancircles”? >>> 011
Where Do Fans Come From? >>> 015
What Were the First-Generation Fans Like? >>> 018
Are Fancircles Really “Crazy”? >>> 020
Chapter 2: The Voting Scene and Offline Madness of the “Super Girl” Competition >>> 025
The Growth of Collective Fan Consciousness >>> 030
Fans’ Love and Hate >>> 035
Fans’ Vote-Boosting “Battles” >>> 038
Chapter 3: A Behavioral Atlas of Second-Generation Korean Boy Group Fans >>> 043
Why Has K-Pop Become Popular? >>> 047
Identity-Crisis Moments >>> 049
Fans’ Sense of “Ritual” >>> 053
Fans Reduced to “Online Wanderers” and Their Reluctant Counterattacks >>> 055
“My Son” and the Rise of Fan Fiction Culture >>> 056
Chapter 4: “No Rules, No Limits”: The Everyday State of Nurturing-Style Fans >>> 061
Emotional Labor or “Powering for Love”? Stop Being Fooled >>> 065
How Did the “Fancircle” Become a Circle? >>> 067
The Business Model Within the Fancircle >>> 071
A Collection of Everyday Stories from the Fancircle >>> 072
Chapter 5: Defending Against External Threats and Maintaining Internal Harmony: The “Exceptional Cases” of Fancircle Culture >>> 085
Defending Against External Threats as an “Exceptional Case”: Verbal Battles and Reporting >>> 093
Maintaining Internal Harmony as an “Exceptional Case”: Slang and Naming Practices >>> 100
CP Fans and “Die-Hard” Fans >>> 103
“Hate Chasers” and “Mom Fans” >>> 108
Chapter 6: Idol “Scandals” and the Fancircle’s Stealthy Sniping >>> 115
Without Fans “Building Houses,” How Could There Be Idol “Collapses”? >>> 119
Idols’ “Collapses” and Fans’ “Defense Battles” >>> 125
Anything Can Become a “Collapse” >>> 130
Two Emotions in the Face of a “Collapse” >>> 135
The Spiritual-Political Symptoms Behind a “Collapse” >>> 140
Chapter 7: The Fulfillment and Dissatisfaction of the Fan Psyche >>> 145
The Problem Awareness in Fan Studies >>> 149
Jenkins’s “Textual Poaching” Theory >>> 153
Studying the “Fancircle” from the Perspective of Everyday Life Practices >>> 160
Rethinking the “Fancircle” >>> 167
Several Hypotheses About the “Fancircle” >>> 172
The Everyday Practice Mechanisms of the “Fancircle” and Youth Subjectivity >>> 201
Afterword: Fans or Fancircles—Half Rational, Half Crazy >>> 205
Epilogue >>> 215
Postscript (I) >>> 219
Postscript (II) >>> 223
References >>> 225