应援

Borrowed from Japanese idol culture, '应援' (yìng yuán) describes the elaborate, coordinated fan-support rituals Chinese stans perform for their idols — think color-coded light sticks, synchronized chants, mass-buying albums to boost chart rankings, and renting LED billboards in Times Square to announce a celebrity's birthday. In 2021, as reality idol shows exploded in popularity, 应援 became both a love language and a full-time job for devoted fans.

The 2021 peak of 应援 culture coincided with the explosive rise of idol-competition shows like '创造营' and '青春有你'. Fans organized into hierarchical support teams, pouring real money into voting campaigns and merchandise. Chinese regulators eventually crackdown on 'irrational fan consumption' and chaos around fan clubs, making 应援 a flashpoint in debates about youth values and commercial manipulation of fandom.

应援指粉丝为偶像加油助阵的行为，包括打call、购买应援物等集体支持活动。