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Alexis Tong, National University of Singapore, SingaporeAbstract
This research paper employs textual analysis to investigate queer failure in a popular Chinese Boys’ Love (danmei) text: Heaven Official’s Blessing (tian guan ci fu) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. This paper adopts a post-structuralist lens and is informed by queer theory, particularly the concept of queer failure as detailed by Halberstam (2011) in The Queer Art of Failure. Through a character-focused analytical approach, I illuminate experiences of queer failure, queer affection, violence, religious blasphemy, and a rejection of success and closure as a challenge to heteronormative, capitalist success within a fictional context. This study frames danmei as a form of cultural resistance, provides a queer reimagining of alternative ways of existence, and contributes to broader academic discourse surrounding danmei, Boys’ Love media, and LGBTQ+ studies.
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Conference: ACCS2025Stream: Queer Theory
This paper is part of the ACCS2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Tong A. (2025) Chinese Boys’ Love (Danmei) as Cultural Resistance: Examining Queer Failure in Danmei Novel Heaven Official’s Blessing ISSN: 2187-4751 – The Asian Conference on Cultural Studies 2025: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 289-302) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2187-4751.2025.25
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2187-4751.2025.25
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