Chinese translational fandoms: Transgressing the distributive agency of assemblages in audiovisual media

Abstract

This article seeks to critically reassess common interpretations of translational fandoms light of recent developments in the Chinese context. It further negotiates the rationale and theoretical implications of fan-based engagement for altering media globalisation and fandom studies, with reference to the transgressive engagement of fan translators with the transnational distribution of audiovisual media. Building on this, the ensuing exploration situates the non-representational work of fansubbing in a distributive agency of media assemblages and aligns it with the theory of digital intermediation. This article further argues that fansubbing is no longer the sole mechanism for translating global entertainment media on the Chinese internet, as shown by the fan work of translational remix. In this emerging translatorial engagement, media fans transgress linguacultural boundaries to recalibrate the distributed media into local contexts of prosumption. The findings may yield significant revaluation of preconceived ideas and, accordingly, more comprehensive understanding of translational fandoms.