窝囊废 11(1)
Illustration: Wang Siqi, design elements from Douban
STREET TALK

Zeroes to Heroes: Chinese Fans’ New-Found Love for Losers

China’s latest meme celebrates unsung, “spineless” heroes, proving that real strength often lies in the beautifully flawed

Chinese viewers are done with handsome, strong-willed, ambitious movie protagonists. Perhaps accepting that superheroes are only fiction, female fans are now obsessed with anti-heroes they have affectionately labeled “the spineless (窝囊废 wōnangfèi).”

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