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Haunted In Translation: Exploring the Cultural Translation of Japanese Horror Games in an English-speaking YouTube Community

Maignan, Ashley (2024) COSM40 20241
Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University
Abstract
This thesis is an exploratory, qualitative analysis of the participants in English-language YouTube audiovisual content featuring reactive playthroughs of Japanese horror video games. The aim is to understand the identity, motivations and lived experience of these participants to understand how they culturally translate Japanese horror. The research draws on data collected from one semi-structured in-depth interview and seven in-depth, open-ended questionnaires conducted remotely. This research uses the analytical framework of cultural convergence as defined by Henry Jenkins (2006) to understand how the participants’ engagement in community affects the knowledge production about Japanese culture gained from Japanese horror video games.... (More)
This thesis is an exploratory, qualitative analysis of the participants in English-language YouTube audiovisual content featuring reactive playthroughs of Japanese horror video games. The aim is to understand the identity, motivations and lived experience of these participants to understand how they culturally translate Japanese horror. The research draws on data collected from one semi-structured in-depth interview and seven in-depth, open-ended questionnaires conducted remotely. This research uses the analytical framework of cultural convergence as defined by Henry Jenkins (2006) to understand how the participants’ engagement in community affects the knowledge production about Japanese culture gained from Japanese horror video games. Despite the participants’ demographics aligning with YouTube’s overall demographics, the participants had various levels of familiarity and interest in Japanese culture, language and folklore; further, many recounted issues with understanding horror outside of their cultural experience. Ultimately, they utilize the reciprocal nature of their shared interest community to achieve cultural translation of Japanese horror. By focusing on this heretofore unexplored online space at the intersection of New Media studies and cultural studies, this research contributes to the broader discourse in Asian Studies surrounding the transcultural effects of globalization by offering a nuanced, human-centered perspective on the cultural translation of horror. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Maignan, Ashley
supervisor
organization
course
COSM40 20241
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Japanese horror video games, Online communities, Collective intelligence, Cultural translation of horror, Convergence culture, Participatory culture
language
English
id
9165855
date added to LUP
2024-06-19 11:36:34
date last changed
2024-06-19 11:36:34
@misc{9165855,
  abstract     = {{This thesis is an exploratory, qualitative analysis of the participants in English-language YouTube audiovisual content featuring reactive playthroughs of Japanese horror video games. The aim is to understand the identity, motivations and lived experience of these participants to understand how they culturally translate Japanese horror. The research draws on data collected from one semi-structured in-depth interview and seven in-depth, open-ended questionnaires conducted remotely. This research uses the analytical framework of cultural convergence as defined by Henry Jenkins (2006) to understand how the participants’ engagement in community affects the knowledge production about Japanese culture gained from Japanese horror video games. Despite the participants’ demographics aligning with YouTube’s overall demographics, the participants had various levels of familiarity and interest in Japanese culture, language and folklore; further, many recounted issues with understanding horror outside of their cultural experience. Ultimately, they utilize the reciprocal nature of their shared interest community to achieve cultural translation of Japanese horror. By focusing on this heretofore unexplored online space at the intersection of New Media studies and cultural studies, this research contributes to the broader discourse in Asian Studies surrounding the transcultural effects of globalization by offering a nuanced, human-centered perspective on the cultural translation of horror.}},
  author       = {{Maignan, Ashley}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Haunted In Translation: Exploring the Cultural Translation of Japanese Horror Games in an English-speaking YouTube Community}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}