Written by Belinda Han. This article studies the fan community of the Japanese webcomic Hetalia: Axis Powers in both Taiwan and China. It explores how the fandom of the Taiwanese character, Wan-Niang, interprets and retells historical and political message, acts as a field where emotions and identities jumbled.
Written by Chee-Hann Wu. During the Bluebird Movement, demonstrators used diverse, creative, and aesthetically pleasing signs that referenced pop culture to convey political messages and advocate for democracy.
Written by Chen-Yu Lin. This article explores the shift in Taiwan’s music industry from a dominance of Mandopop, primarily in Mandarin Chinese, to embracing a diversity of languages in music, reflecting broader socio-political changes and democratisation efforts. It highlights the role of evolving policies and indie music production in promoting multilingualism and local culture.
Written by Chen-yu Lin. On December 28, 2023, Reuters and CNN reported a disconcerting incident involving Mayday, a Taiwanese rock band, who found themselves entangled in a request from Chinese authorities to make pro-Beijing statements. As reported by CNN, the authorities demanded a public statement affirming the unity of China and Taiwan as a single nation. The band’s refusal to comply resulted in consequences related to alleged lip-synching, which is referred to as “deceptive singing (假唱)” in Chinese. This accusation carries the potential for fines or even performance bans under Chinese law. These developments stemmed from their December concert in Shanghai and are potentially connected to Taiwan’s presidential election in January 2024, prompting an ongoing investigation.
Written by Kuing, Guo-Ting Lin. In recent years, there have been various Indigenous popular music creation and cultivation programmes in Taiwan. For example, the music training camp “Psiwali School” at the Pasiwali Music Festival in Taiwan with the purpose of discovering Indigenous musicians. Another example is the “MINETJUS Electronic Music Production” Programme, which is held by Dark Paradise Records (派樂黛唱片), an independent record label based in Taipei. This initiative blends electronic music and Indigenous culture to help younger musicians turn cultural marginality into unique cultural assets. Most training camps in Taiwan still rely on government support, aiming to strengthen the unique cultural identity of contemporary Indigenous youth and regard this as a catalyst for promoting ethnic diversity. This article examines the meaning of Taiwan’s Indigenous popular music creation and cultivation programmes.
Written by Cheng-Ting Wu. Imagine you are trying to write a song in Taiwanese Southern Min (hereinafter “Taiwanese”). After creating a soulful melody and heartfelt lyrics, you wonder: How should I write them down? You can choose any of the music notations you prefer for melody, from staff to numbered system. For lyrics, regardless of whether you are a native speaker or a learner of Taiwanese, you also have a choice. This brief article discusses this choice or the different strategies in the history of writing music in Taiwanese.
