Fan comments, emotions, and imagination in Chinese online soccer novels from a digital humanities perspective

In the era of global digitalisation, soccer fan communities within the niche domain of online literary fandoms, alongside their concomitant nationalist discourses, have emerged as pivotal subjects of scholarly inquiry. However, extant research has largely overlooked the cultural dimensions and subjective articulations of these fan groups. Moreover, as research paradigms increasingly shift towards digital media, methodological frameworks rooted in digital humanities warrant further refinement. This study examines 297,290 reader comments on soccer-themed online novels authored by Lin Hai Ting Tao on Qidian Chinese Literature, analysing the affective expressions and virtual imaginaries of Chinese digital soccer fans. Utilising computational tools such as Python, Nvivo and ROST CM, alongside hermeneutic interpretation, the findings reveal that readers: (1) employ a ‘plot borrowing’ narrative strategy to articulate real-world perspectives; (2) pursue vicarious competitive experiences within the author’s constructed the “Second Soccer World “, transposing unrealised championship aspirations onto fictional narratives; and (3) exhibit radical romanticism within the dialectical tension between virtual and real spaces, manifesting a form of digital nationalism. Practically, this study provides actionable insights for national institutions and sports organisations engaged in fan management tasks related to competitive sports such as soccer. Theoretically, it advances the digital representation of online fan communities and contributes a robust digital humanities methodology for textual analysis.