otherness

about this contribution

As a visual researcher focused on cultural studies, I bridge academic writing with creative practice in my design work. My research explores the intersection of textual and visual elements on digital platforms, as shown in my article “Bullet Chats in China: Bilibili, Language, and Interaction” (2021), published in Transformative Works and Cultures. This study examines how language and visual culture intertwine in Bilibili’s “bullet chatting” feature, influenced by East Asian pop culture.

Bilibili, a platform attracting predominantly Generation Z in China (Bilibili, n.d.), features the danmu bullet chat function, borrowed from the Japanese website Niconico. This function overlays user comments on videos, merging linguistic playfulness with visual expression (Liu, Suh, and Wagner 2016, 284). Users blend Chinese with foreign languages, creating a “cyberpidgin” vocabulary that reflects cultural norms rooted in East Asian fan communities, positioning Bilibili as a hub for cultural exchange.

The study examines how Bilibili’s bullet chat culture serves as a space for cultural adaptation, linguistic creativity, and social belonging among urban Chinese youth. The central question is: How do “insiders” use bullet chats for self-expression while excluding “outsiders” through linguistic and visual practices? This investigation reveals how digital communication serves as a dynamic interaction shaped by globalization, cultural manipulation, and technological innovation.

Bilibili’s bullet chats exemplify prosumption, where users act as both consumers and producers of cultural content (Humphreys and Grayson 2008). Terms from the ACGN (Anime, Comics, Games, Novels) fandom and idol industries are adapted, forming a cyberpidgin reflecting Japanese and South Korean pop culture. This aligns with the concept of homophily, where people form social ties with others sharing similar traits (Humphreys 2016, 156). Users innovate linguistically, creating exclusive vocabularies that foster belonging while alienating outsiders.

Bullet chats function as “graffiti” layered over video content, reshaping meaning and challenging authorship and copyright. Their intentionally “anti-designed” nature disrupts ownership claims, transforming Bilibili into a dynamic space for creativity and cultural exchange. This study explores cyberpidgin as both linguistic innovation and visual art, showing how globalization and technology shape language, identity, and cultural consumption.

The visual essay Otherness, inspired by this research, explores inclusion and exclusion in online communities through animation, cyberpidgin, and pop culture. It captures the perspective of a cultural outsider in a hegemonic communication space, engaging viewers in a dialogue on assimilation, identity, and community. The work bridges academic rigor and creative exploration, offering insights into Bilibili’s cultural ecosystem and the broader implications of digital communication in a globalized world.