Novel Genres

 

Wuxia (武俠):

Wuxia focuses on "martial heroes" (wǔxiá) in a historically inspired, quasi-realistic world with a strong emphasis on martial arts, chivalry, and human vendettas. Consider Wuxia a form of martial-arts fantasy that emphasizes realistic, human-level abilities. 

• Definition: Wuxia, meaning "martial arts and chivalry," features martial artists in historical settings, often with a focus on heroic figures and their adventures. Key Elements: Martial arts, swordsmanship, chivalry, and a sense of justice.
• Examples: "Joy of Life, "Princess Agents" are well-known examples of Wuxia adapted into C-Dramas.

 Xianxia (仙俠):

Xianxia (仙俠) is a genre of Chinese fantasy meaning "immortal heroes," characterized by characters who cultivate supernatural powers, often to achieve immortality, through practices inspired by Taoism, Chinese mythology, and martial arts. Key elements include manipulating energy (qi), magic, mystical beings such as demons and spirits, spiritual cultivation to gain power and extend life, and themes of chivalry and self-discovery. Xianxia represents a high fantasy realm filled with superhuman powers, deities, and alternate realities.

• Definition: Xianxia, meaning "immortal heroes," is a fantasy genre heavily influenced by Chinese mythology, Daoism, and Buddhism.
• Key Elements: Immortals, demons, cultivation of power, and interactions between the human and supernatural realms.
• Examples: Xianxia dramas like "Eternal Love" and "Love Between Fairy and Devil" are popular C-Dramas. "Martial Master" fit this category.

Xuanhuan (玄幻):

Xuanhuan (玄幻), which translates to "mysterious fantasy" or "profound fantasy," is a genre of Chinese fantasy literature that showcases imaginative and fantastical realms, frequently merging elements of Chinese mythology with aspects of Western fantasy and science fiction.

• Definition: Xuanhuan, meaning "mysterious fantasy," mixes Chinese mythology with foreign elements and settings.
• Key Elements: Diverse settings, magic, shapeshifting, and encounters with various sentient creatures.
• Examples: "Monster Hunt" is a film that incorporates Xuanhuan elements.

Danmei (耽美):

Danmei is a Chinese term that means Boys' Love (BL). It is a Chinese genre of fictional media, originating from the Japanese term tanbi (耽美) meaning "aestheticism," that focuses on romantic or sexual relationships between male characters. Danmei often features complex plots, especially in historical and fantasy settings, and can be pretty lengthy, spanning multiple chapters.

• Examples: "The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System," "Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation," and "Heaven Official's Blessing," all written by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. Other significant titles are "The Husky and His White Cat Shizun" by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou and "Thousand Autumns" by Meng Xi Shi. Additionally, "Silent Reading" by Priest and "Golden Stage" by Cang Wu Bin Bai are also worth mentioning.

Action:

In literature, action refers to any event, activity, or movement —whether physical or emotional —that drives the plot forward and has consequences for the characters and the story. It encompasses a character's behaviors and efforts to achieve a goal, overcome an obstacle, or make a decision that has a significant impact on the narrative. While it can involve dramatic events, such as fights, it also encompasses smaller, more subtle movements or interactions that are crucial for the story's progression.

Fantasy:

Fantasy literature is a genre of speculative fiction that features elements impossible in the real world, such as magic, supernatural creatures, and entirely imagined universes with unique physical laws. Common characteristics include impossible events, magical settings, and mythical beings like elves or dragons, often featuring a heroic quest or the struggle between good and evil.

Harem:

In Chinese fantasy literature, a "harem" (后宫, hòu gōng) refers to a polygamous relationship in which the male protagonist engages in sexual and romantic relationships with multiple female characters simultaneously. These female characters often become integral parts of the protagonist's life, reflecting a sense of wish fulfillment for both the protagonist and the readers.

**Subgenre within Fantasy**: The harem trope is a common element in various fantasy subgenres, particularly in cultivation novels (xianxia and xuanhuan), where it frequently serves as a foundational aspect of the genre.

**Sexual and Romantic Involvement**: Unlike some interpretations in Japanese media, where relationships may remain unfulfilled, Chinese harems typically showcase actual romantic and sexual relationships between the protagonist and multiple women.The depiction of intimate moments varies widely among authors. Some provide open descriptions of these encounters while maintaining appropriate boundaries and avoiding excessive explicitness, allowing readers to grasp the nature of the relationships.In contrast, other authors focus more on the dynamics between friends and love interests, which may leave readers uncertain about the existence of a romantic connection. While terms like "wife" or "wives" may clarify some relationships, they are not always explicitly stated.

Romance in Chinese Fantasy Literature

In Chinese fantasy literature, "romance" refers to stories where passionate love affairs or the development of romantic relationships serve as the central driving force of the plot. These narratives are often set in fantastical worlds that incorporate elements of myths, deities, and martial arts. Key subgenres, such as xianxia (immortal heroes), wuxia (martial heroes), and danmei (male-male romance), are popular, with writers exploring romantic themes among humans and non-humans, or between same-sex partners, within these rich, imaginative settings.

**Focus on the Love Story**: The romance itself is the main driver of the plot, with the progression of the story and the characters' arcs heavily dependent on their romantic relationships.

**Fantastical Settings**: These narratives unfold within immersive worlds that draw on Chinese mythology, folklore, and spiritual concepts, featuring gods, immortals, demons, and spirits.

**Integration of Other Genres**: Chinese fantasy romance often combines elements of martial arts (wuxia), immortal cultivation (xianxia), and historical settings, blending them with supernatural themes and emotional entanglements.

Xianxia (仙侠):** Focuses on stories of human and non-human characters (like deities and demons) in fantastical settings, often featuring forbidden or deeply passionate love stories.
Danmei (耽美):** Specifically refers to male-male romance, frequently drawing on wuxia and xianxia tropes. It has become a popular subgenre in modern Chinese literature and web novels.
Wuxia (武侠):** While not always central, romance often appears in wuxia stories that feature chivalrous heroes, sometimes possessing supernatural abilities, with romantic plots intertwined in their martial journeys.

**Themes**:
Common themes include forbidden love, intense emotions, and the exploration of human relationships with non-human entities.

Transmigration:

In literature, transmigration refers to the passage of a soul or consciousness from one body or life into another, often after death. This concept is a form of reincarnation, though it implies explicitly the soul enters an existing body (often referred to as possession or a second life) rather than being reborn as a baby. The term originates from the Latin word "transmigrare," meaning "to migrate across or over," and is deeply rooted in religious and philosophical traditions, particularly in South Asian beliefs and the concept of Karma. 

• Common in Webnovels: Transmigration, especially when a soul enters a character from another world, is a popular theme in many types of literature, particularly in webnovels and fanfiction.
• Key aspects of transmigration in Soul's Journey: This concept focuses on how a soul travels, often keeping its memories or awareness, from one body to another.
• Different Worlds/Forms: A soul may enter a new body of the same species, like a baby, or it may move from one world, like Earth, into a character in a different, often fantasy, world.
• Distinction from Reincarnation: Transmigration usually means a soul takes over an existing body. In contrast, reincarnation refers to a soul being born again as a new baby.
• Metaphorical Usage: The term can also describe how ideas, concepts, or a person's state change from one condition or state to another. 

Reincarnation:

In literature, reincarnation is a plot device where a character's soul or consciousness is reborn into a new physical body and form after death, often implying a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. This concept, borrowed from religious and philosophical traditions, allows for themes of spiritual growth, karma, and a character's potential to return in a different life, potentially with new memories or experiences.

• Character Arcs: Reincarnation offers a unique way for a character to grow. They can face new challenges and learn from past mistakes in different lives.
• Transmigration of the Soul: The soul or consciousness moves from a dead body to a new one.
• New Life, New Form: The reborn person can be the same species or a different one. They may or may not remember their past life.
• Philosophical & Religious Roots: This idea appears in traditions like Hinduism and Buddhism, and in Greek and Indian philosophy. It is linked to karma, which means actions in one life impact the next.
• Different from Resurrection: Resurrection means a person comes back in the same body. In reincarnation, they start fresh in a new physical form.
• Spiritual and Moral Development: Reincarnation can illustrate how a soul evolves and develops across multiple lives, aligning with Buddhist beliefs.
• Fulfilling a Destiny: A character with a great purpose or one who dies tragically may return in a new life to complete their mission.
• Exploring Identity: Stories can explore whether a character keeps or loses their memories and connections to their past life, leading to themes of discovery or loss. 

Endings: 

• An open ending (OE) is a narrative technique in fiction that concludes a story without providing a definite or clear resolution to all of its conflicts, unanswered questions, or character fates. This approach leaves parts of the story ambiguous or uncertain, encouraging readers to think critically, interpret the events, and speculate about what happens next, which can spark thought-provoking discussions or leave room for sequels
• A bittersweet ending (BE) is a narrative conclusion that contains elements of both happiness and sadness, often where the protagonists achieve their goals but at a high cost, leaving them with a sense of loss or regret alongside their victory. It's an ending that is not fully happy nor entirely tragic, reflecting the complex reality that even positive outcomes can be accompanied by hardship or sacrifice
• A sad ending (SE) is the conclusion of a story, film, or situation that leaves a character or audience feeling overwhelmingly sad, disappointed, or distressed due to negative events, unfulfilled goals, or unresolved issues.
• A happy ending (HE) is a satisfying and positive conclusion to a story or event where the main characters achieve their goals, overcome challenges, and experience joy or success, often leaving the audience with a sense of fulfillment and hope.

Donghua, Manhua, and Manhwa: 

Donghua, manhua, and manhwa are all forms of media from East Asia, primarily differentiated by their country of origin, format, and style.

• Donghua: China, Animation, 2D and 3D CGI animation, Chinese folklore, mythology and literature
• Manhua: China (including Taiwan and Hong Kong), Comics, Full color, often painterly, Chinese culture and history
• Manhwa: South Korea, Comics, Full color, vertical-scroll webcomics, Korean culture and folklore