This Girl Next Door Isn’t Real but Her Fans Are
For those of you too busy to check in on the RADII website every day, we’ve got you every Monday with a summary of all we got on China’s youth culture from the last week. In this edition:
- Mega consumer holiday Singles’ Day (“Double 11” or 11/11) encouraged Alibaba to take a step back and “focus on sustainable growth” this year.
- The country’s e-sport fans went wild after Team China won the “League of Legends” World championship.
- Netizens “couldn’t hold back tears” after watching this new Japanese anime.
Intrigued? Keep scrolling, my friend.
Angie Isn’t Real, but Her 284k Fans Are
Just like the girl next door, Angie is effortlessly charming. She’s not what you would expect of a social media star but has already amassed hundreds of thousands of fans on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok. Not bad for someone who only joined social media less than a year ago — curiously, on the day she was born.
Angie’s features are remarkable. Up close, we can see her face is mildly asymmetrical, just as a human being. Her facial lines, minor imperfections, and a slight skin glow often get praised on social media for being very lifelike.
But she also gets comments suggesting she should take better care of her skin and people wondering why she doesn’t get acne, like an average teenager. Her body type is not statuesque or slender. She’s more like an ordinary girl, with wide hips, which she may or may not try to hide wearing high-waisted shorts.
“From the start, I wanted to create a virtual person who’s just like a real one. Angie’s imperfections give her more possibilities in life,” Zhang says.
Refreshingly, Angie is cute, precisely because of her imperfections.
Do we ever get tired of watching people dance?
At a time when global foreign relations are rife with conflict, “Street Dance of China” plays an impressive role in bettering cross-cultural relationships by featuring international dancers in its latest season. While this season is similar in theme to the previous ones, featuring choreographed dances and dance battles, it also brought to the audience the heartwarming element of cultural exchange, not through language or culture, but through body language.
These international contestants strive for world peace, one dance at a time, and we’re totally here for it.
- Alibaba’s Singles’ Day Gala featured Benedict Cumberbatch this year, but netizens can only focus on how long his face appears and his flakey Chinese. (Don’t believe us? Watch for yourself below.)
- After cancelling some shows due to muscle pains, Celine Dion worries Chinese netizens, many of whom are fans of the “My Heart Will Go On” singer.
- Chinese mixed martial artist Song Yadong delivered a stellar performance yesterday at UFC Vegas 42.
- Hong Kong’s metal scene has risen from the dead after a Halloween show featuring a spooky mix of classic and rising bands.
- Popular Beijing-based rock band 新裤子 (New Pants) played in an empty stadium after a Covid-related concert cancellation. The three-hour concert has already been viewed over six million times.
If you haven’t heard of the new Japanese anime Ranking of Kings, also known as Ousama Ranking, it’s time to get your act together.
The show is arguably the most popular anime in China at the moment and is also turning heads in other parts of the world. Plus, it’s making everyone cry (happy tears):
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