From Ojou-Sama to “Customer Service Saki-Chan”: The Dissemination, Evolution, and Meaning-Making of Virtual Character Memes
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From Ojou-Sama to “Customer Service Saki-Chan”: The Dissemination, Evolution, and Meaning-Making of Virtual Character Memes

Jingling Wen 1*
1 Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
*Corresponding author: Jingling.Wen22@student.xjtlu.edu.cn
Published on 27 August 2025
Journal Cover
LNEP Vol.116
ISSN (Print): 2753-7056
ISSN (Online): 2753-7048
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-331-4
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-332-1
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Abstract

As a prominent form of social media phenomenon and subcultural transmission, digital memes exhibit strong creative vitality and distinct contemporary characteristics in both their content evolution and discursive expressions. Within this context, ACGN subculture serves as a fertile ground for the generation, remixing, and circulation of memes, facilitating participatory meaning-making among digital youth. This study employs digital ethnography and discourse analysis to examine the case of the animation character Togawa Sakiko from Bang Dream! It's MYGO!!!!!, aiming to explore the processes of symbolic reconstruction, intertextual localization, and dissemination mechanisms of ACGN-based meme content within Chinese digital environments. The findings indicate that the circulation of ACGN-related memes, exemplified by the case of Togawa Sakiko, exhibits characteristics of forming weak-tie connections among marginal subcultural groups. Under the combined influence of the anime’s original narrative and broader socio-economic conditions, these memes not only foster collective identity and emotional resonance but also display a dual nature that encompasses both criticality and spectacle.

Keywords:

ACGN subculture, digital memes, symbolic reconstruction and intertextual localization, digital ethnography and discourse analysis

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Wen,J. (2025). From Ojou-Sama to “Customer Service Saki-Chan”: The Dissemination, Evolution, and Meaning-Making of Virtual Character Memes. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,116,51-56.

References

[1]. Dawkins, R. (1976) The Selfish Gene. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

[2]. Wiggins, B.E. and Bowers, G.B. (2014) Memes as genre: A structurational analysis of the memescape. New Media & Society, 17(11), 1886–1906.

[3]. Burgess, J. (2008) ‘All Your Chocolate Rain Are Belong to Us’? Viral video, YouTube and the dynamics of participatory culture. In: Lovink, G. and Niederer, S. (eds) Video Vortex Reader: Responses to YouTube. Amsterdam: Institute of Network Cultures, 101–109.

[4]. Shifman, L. (2013) Memes in Digital Culture. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

[5]. Galip, Y. (2024) Full reference information missing—please provide publication title, source, and page numbers.

[6]. Chagas, V., Freire, F., Rios, D. and Magalhães, D. (2019) Political memes and the politics of memes: A methodological proposal for content analysis of online political memes. First Monday, 24(2).

[7]. Mina, A.X. (2014) Batman, Pandaman and the Blind Man: A case study in social change memes and internet censorship in China. Journal of Visual Culture, 13(3), 359–375.

[8]. Szablewicz, M. (2014) The ‘losers’ of China’s Internet: Memes as ‘structures of feeling’ for disillusioned young netizens. China Information, 28(2), 259–275.

[9]. Ma, X. (2016) From internet memes to emoticon engineering: Insights from the Baozou comic phenomenon in China. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. Cham: Springer, 468–474.

[10]. Guo, X. and Yang, S. (2019) Memetic communication and consensus mobilization in the cyber nationalist movement. In: Chen, L. and Meng, K. (eds) From Cyber-nationalism to Fandom Nationalism. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 72–92.

[11]. Delli Paoli, A. and D’Auria, V. (2025) The digitalization of ethnography: A scoping review of methods in netnography. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 54(4), 559–587.

[12]. Knobel, M. and Lankshear, C. (2007) Online memes, affinities, and cultural production. In: Knobel, M. and Lankshear, C. (eds) A New Literacies Sampler, 29, 199–227.

[13]. Varis, P. and Blommaert, J. (2015) Conviviality and collectives on social media: Virality, memes, and new social structures. Multilingual Margins, 2(1), 31–45.

[14]. Qianzhan Industry Research Institute. (2024) 2024–2029 China Building Energy Efficiency Industry Outlook and Investment Strategic Planning Report. Shenzhen: Qianzhan Industry Research Institute.

[15]. Pradana, A. (2025) Memes, slang, and subcultures: Urban Dictionary as a reflection of digital culture. In: Seminar Nasional, Faculty of Law, Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Terbuka, Jun. Available from: https: //www.researchgate.net/publication/392929076

References

[1]. Dawkins, R. (1976) The Selfish Gene. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

[2]. Wiggins, B.E. and Bowers, G.B. (2014) Memes as genre: A structurational analysis of the memescape. New Media & Society, 17(11), 1886–1906.

[3]. Burgess, J. (2008) ‘All Your Chocolate Rain Are Belong to Us’? Viral video, YouTube and the dynamics of participatory culture. In: Lovink, G. and Niederer, S. (eds) Video Vortex Reader: Responses to YouTube. Amsterdam: Institute of Network Cultures, 101–109.

[4]. Shifman, L. (2013) Memes in Digital Culture. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

[5]. Galip, Y. (2024) Full reference information missing—please provide publication title, source, and page numbers.

[6]. Chagas, V., Freire, F., Rios, D. and Magalhães, D. (2019) Political memes and the politics of memes: A methodological proposal for content analysis of online political memes. First Monday, 24(2).

[7]. Mina, A.X. (2014) Batman, Pandaman and the Blind Man: A case study in social change memes and internet censorship in China. Journal of Visual Culture, 13(3), 359–375.

[8]. Szablewicz, M. (2014) The ‘losers’ of China’s Internet: Memes as ‘structures of feeling’ for disillusioned young netizens. China Information, 28(2), 259–275.

[9]. Ma, X. (2016) From internet memes to emoticon engineering: Insights from the Baozou comic phenomenon in China. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. Cham: Springer, 468–474.

[10]. Guo, X. and Yang, S. (2019) Memetic communication and consensus mobilization in the cyber nationalist movement. In: Chen, L. and Meng, K. (eds) From Cyber-nationalism to Fandom Nationalism. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 72–92.

[11]. Delli Paoli, A. and D’Auria, V. (2025) The digitalization of ethnography: A scoping review of methods in netnography. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 54(4), 559–587.

[12]. Knobel, M. and Lankshear, C. (2007) Online memes, affinities, and cultural production. In: Knobel, M. and Lankshear, C. (eds) A New Literacies Sampler, 29, 199–227.

[13]. Varis, P. and Blommaert, J. (2015) Conviviality and collectives on social media: Virality, memes, and new social structures. Multilingual Margins, 2(1), 31–45.

[14]. Qianzhan Industry Research Institute. (2024) 2024–2029 China Building Energy Efficiency Industry Outlook and Investment Strategic Planning Report. Shenzhen: Qianzhan Industry Research Institute.

[15]. Pradana, A. (2025) Memes, slang, and subcultures: Urban Dictionary as a reflection of digital culture. In: Seminar Nasional, Faculty of Law, Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Terbuka, Jun. Available from: https: //www.researchgate.net/publication/392929076

Cite this article

Wen,J. (2025). From Ojou-Sama to “Customer Service Saki-Chan”: The Dissemination, Evolution, and Meaning-Making of Virtual Character Memes. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,116,51-56.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceeding of ICIHCS 2025 Symposium: Exploring Community Engagement: Identity, (In)equality, and Cultural Representation

ISBN: 978-1-80590-331-4(Print) / 978-1-80590-332-1(Online)
Editor: Enrique Mallen, Nafhesa Ali
Conference website: https://2025.icihcs.org/Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.html
Conference date: 29 September 2025
Series: Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media
Volume number: Vol.116
ISSN: 2753-7048(Print) / 2753-7056(Online)

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