Emerging Queer Sister Studies: The Transmedia Futurity of Adult Lesbianism From the "Sister-Kid Literature" to the "Older Sister"-Centered TV in Post-2010 China.

This article examines the emergence and cultural significance of the "older sister" (jie 姐) fantasy, a queer women-centered pop cultural imaginary in post-2010 China that highlights mature, independent women in female same-sex desire narratives. It traces the trope’s origins to a widely influential 2012 autobiographical-style online queer romance known as the "sister-kid literature," which has since been adapted and expanded across multiple media platforms, including TV dramas, novels, and audio dramas, fostering a transmedia queer storytelling world. The study highlights how these representations challenge dominant heteronormative and patriarchal discourses in Chinese society by envisioning adult lesbian relationships as viable and enduring, despite state censorship and social pressures favoring hetero-marital reproduction. The article also discusses the popular speculation and fandom around the real-life identity of the "older sister," particularly focusing on Taiwanese actress Liu Sum-yau, whose media portrayals and public persona have become central to this queer cultural phenomenon.