Lục Tiểu Linh Động Responds to Fan-Made Video of Tôn Ngộ Không and Lâm Đại Ngọc
On May 26, Lục Tiểu Linh Động, the actor known for his role as Tôn Ngộ Không in the 1986 adaptation of Tây du ký (Journey to the West), reacted to the trending fan-made video that pairs Tôn Ngộ Không with Lâm Đại Ngọc, a character played by Trần Hiểu Húc in Hồng lâu mộng (Dream of the Red Chamber). This video has caused a stir on social media.
Fans creatively edited clips from the two classic Chinese dramas, showcasing their unique pairing and bringing fresh perspectives to these iconic characters.
“You guys ship Tôn Ngộ Không as an ideal boyfriend, and I find it quite interesting! The edited scenes blend seamlessly and do not feel forced. This is precisely how modern technology can inject new life into classic works,” he praised the creativity behind the video.
This phenomenon also offers audiences a new perspective on the character of Tề Thiên Đại Thánh, highlighting aspects often overlooked, such as his deeper emotional layers, his kindness towards impoverished children in Phượng Tiên, and his evolution into a saintly figure in the context of the story along the banks of the Thiên Trúc River…
The actor reflected, “The value of classic works often lies in their ability to be interpreted in unique ways.”
Are Fan-Made Couples Cultural Appropriation?
The trend of pairing characters from traditional stories and films raises questions about cultural appropriation on Chinese social media.
Videos and images featuring these couples attract hundreds of thousands, sometimes even millions of views across various platforms. Some famous pairings include Black Widow and Bạch Tố Trinh, King Louis XIV from The Man in the Iron Mask and Lý Tâm Hoan from Tiểu Lý phi đao, or even Voldemort from Harry Potter and Lâm Đại Ngọc from Hồng lâu mộng.
Within fandom culture, this is when fans freely combine characters from two unrelated works into a shipping couple, often disregarding the original narrative or the creator’s intent. This can lead to long-term fan attachment to characters or simply be driven by aesthetics, with no common ground on shared narratives. With this community, no pairing is off-limits, as long as the creator remains innovative.
These videos often showcase not only sophisticated editing techniques—such as scene transitions, music integration, and visual effects—but also demonstrate creative storytelling capabilities. Some constructs might involve parallel narratives, temporal loops, and complex conclusions that require additional explanation for viewers to fully grasp.
Beyond videos, fan fiction also plays a significant role, contributing to the richness of this culture with various tropes like national identity, reimagining chapters in the style of Hồng lâu mộng, or introducing supernatural elements and romantic themes into the narratives.
This trend contributes to an increasingly enticing narrative landscape, drawing in more fans and more videos, as audiences create their own interpretations.
Everyone has their own perspective on these characters, so fans are constantly seeking new pairings to explore, even if the two characters have never interacted in the original works.
Emerging Controversies
The Paper reports that many younger viewers often seek emotional connections through films and literature. The enduring nature of these beloved couples prevents them from facing breakups, leading to even deeper fan devotion.
“The pairing of characters in fan-made content is not merely a form of creative expression but also serves as a means for many to fill the emotional void that may be lacking in real life. As work becomes increasingly demanding and romantic relationships may falter, fans search for that ‘ideal’ through these imagined connections,” commented one observer.
However, this trend also faces backlash from purists who argue that fan edits undermine the integrity of the original works. Some viewers feel that these fan pairings should not be taken too seriously, as they are products of contemporary culture, where creativity blends with entertainment.
Yet, the underlying ideas could serve as powerful testimonies to the enduring relevance of classic narratives. Only when characters venture deeply into the audience’s psyche do they continually unveil new meanings and transformations.
In one instance, a character in a classic work was replaced in a fan edit due to the use of AI technology. The National Radio and Television Administration of China has mandated that platforms and users must comply with copyright laws. The use of AI to alter content is considered a breach of the original work’s intellectual property rights, according to experts.
