중국 여성향 웹소설 플랫폼의 장르지형 변화 — 진강문학성(晋江文学城) 2003-2024년 연재 데이터의 크롤링과 그 분석을 중심으로

Abstract

This study analyzes the evolution of genre landscapes and platform developments in Chinese female-lead web novels by conducting a diachronic analysis of serialized data from Jinjiang Literature City (晋江文学城), spanning from 2003 to 2024. The findings reveal three major trends. First, while “Romance (爱情)” remains the core genre of the platform, emerging genres such as “Drama (剧情),” “Light Novel,” and “Fantasy (奇幻)” have contributed to increasing narrative diversity. Second, the growing prominence of non-heteronormative narratives, including “Pure Love (纯爱，BL),” “Yuri (百合，GL),” “Non-Coupling (无CP，NCP),” and “Diverse (多元),” illustrates a more layered evolution of sexualities within female-lead content. Third, shifts such as the disappearance of the “Matriarchal or Strong female figure (女尊)” category and the rise of “Diverse (多元)” underscore the direct influence of Chinese government policies and sociopolitical discourses on the platform’s genre structure. This study highlights that the transformation of genre landscapes in female-lead web novels is not solely driven by platform dynamics but results from the interplay of reader preferences, political contexts, and industrial factors. Future research should delve into the interactions between genres, audience characteristics, and the integration of Chinese web novels into the global content ecosystem to provide a more comprehensive understanding of their cultural and industrial significance.