#ALONGSIDE saying he's unusually kind and empathetic and independent and and and!!

[winchesterian]

stan language has really done a number on fandom discussions

[shenlongshao]

Aerith & Jam: The Eastern Appeal of Two Similar Women

February has came so fast! I thought it would be fun to a post to celebrate the upcoming birthdays of my two, all-time favorite characters; Jam Kuradoberi from Guilty Gear and Aerith Gainsborough from Final Fantasy 7. I'll be explaining in detail the surprising amount of similarities between them, why these characters are widely loved in Eastern more than Western audiences, etc. I hope you enjoy reading!^_^ Let's begin by looking at Aerith's and Jam's design!

WHAT JAM AND AERITH HAVE IN COMMON ====================================

Besides having light brown hair, Jam and Aerith share the color scheme of red and pink. These two colors perfectly represent Jam's and Aerith's personalities along with their outlook on life.

The Color Red (https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/color-red.html):

The color red is a warm and positive color associated with our most physical needs and our will to survive. Red is energizing. It excites the emotions and motivates us to take action. It signifies a pioneering spirit and leadership qualities, promoting ambition and determination. It is also strong-willed and can give confidence to those who are shy or lacking in will power. Being the color of physical movement, the color red awakens our physical life force. It is the color of sexuality and can stimulate deeper and more intimate passions in us, such as love and sex on the positive side or revenge and anger on the negative.

The Color Pink (https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/color-pink.html):

The color pink represents compassion, nurturing and love. It relates to unconditional love and understanding, and the giving and receiving of nurturing. A combination of red and white, pink contains the need for action of red, helping it to achieve the potential for success and insight offered by white. It is the passion and power of red softened with the purity, openness and completeness of white. The deeper the pink, the more passion and energy it exhibits. Pink is feminine and romantic, affectionate and intimate, thoughtful and caring. It tones down the physical passion of red replacing it with a gentle loving energy.

Pink is intuitive and insightful, showing tenderness and kindness with its empathy and sensitivity. In color psychology, pink is a sign of hope. It is a positive color inspiring warm and comforting feelings, a sense that everything will be okay. 

An interesting part about Jam's earlier concept art is she didn't always have hazel brown eyes....

(Note: Image cropped to save space. Originally posted from https://gear-project.tumblr.com/ )

She has green eyes! Specifically, the same shade as Aerith's~.

Jam and Aerith's birthdays are only a day apart from each other. Aerith's birthday is February 7th while Jam's birthday is February 8th, making them both Aquarius. This further proves both Jam and Aerith are givers, since the symbolism of the Aquarius is a picture showing water being poured heavily from a container(The Water Bearer), giving life, wisdom, etc. to everyone. Aquarius women are typically known to be Independent, eccentric, humanitarian, and free-spirited. This is true for both Aerith and Jam, but let's examine a little deeper on what it says about an Aquarius.

Aquarius Personality (https://labyrinthos.co/blogs/astrology-horoscope-zodiac-signs/the-zodiac-sign-aquarius-symbol-personality-strengths-weaknesses):

One of the most obvious traits of those born under the Aquarius zodiac sign is that they are kind, friendly and generous, though later you may find that they are quite guarded and may choose to keep some emotional distance. Alongside this, they are quite subversive and rebellious - filled with many quirks that make them memorable characters of the zodiac.

Despite their friendly nature, they have a reputation for being outsiders - ones that cooly observe society, while sometimes also feeling detached from the systems that run it. Although they can be quite aloof, they are also deeply concerned with humanitarian causes. Aquarians tend to care very much for the welfare of others and society as a whole. This means as humanitarians, you can usually see them fighting power structures and campaigning against oppression.

With their eccentric nature, Aquarians find connections with others to be very easy to make, and will not find it difficult to meet up with friends or family members that they have not seen or heard from in a long time. Having a real zest for life, Aquarians tend to have a lot of energy and have a great curiosity for new experiences. Being very sociable, they can drift towards groups when working and in their social lives rather than having one or two friends. They like to experience new things, and will always be the first to try something novel.

Aquarians are one of the most friendly and entertaining signs of the zodiac, and thus they can be  fun to spend time with. Their eccentric and empathetic nature leads them to be great advice givers, always happy and excited to help those in need as well as to have a listening ear. They make great friends, and work hard so that more introverted signs can come out of their shells. Their curiosity with the world and energy mean that they are always willing to accompany friends into new adventures, and are always up for the next exciting experience. They are also generous givers, so if you are ever in need, an Aquarian will not hesitate to share whatever they have with you.

When it comes to love and relationships, Aquarians can be great partners - as long as they feel they are not trapped. Because they expect and need their own freedom and privacy, they are also just as giving of that freedom to their partners. They are rarely ever the type to get jealous or nag you repeatedly about something, rather choosing to give you your own time. Because they crave stimulation, they seem sometimes to be drawn to what is mysterious in love and relationships - looking to solve the riddle. Once they do commit however, they tend to be very loyal, the more empathetic and vulnerable side of their characters being open to you.

In love, they desire intellectual stimulation and friendship above all - and in partners they search for those that are not just lovers, but best friends too. A relationship with someone born under the Aquarius zodiac sign can be filled with surprises; their love of life means that yours too will be fun, exciting, and unusual.

Both Jam and Aerith are the same height( 163cm = 5 FT. 4in).

Both Jam and Aerith grew up in harsh, less fortunate environments. Jam lives on the poorer side of China with daily struggles of maintaining a place to live and achieving her dream of being a chef. If you watch GG Revelator 2 of May's Instant Kill, one of Jam's lines is "The lights are off again?" GG Revelator also reveals Jam has experienced tragedy according to Bedman's Instant Kill where Jam says "A black umbrella...? What are you doing here?" In China, a black umbrella symbolizes someone close to you has died.  Meaning Jam did lose someone important to her, it's just hasn't been stated who(my personal guess is a family member).

Aerith also experienced tragedy of losing her parents at a young age. Her father was shot for refusing to give his wife Ifalna(Aerith's mom) and her to Dr.Hojo, so he got shot by Dr.Hojo's henchmen. Ifalna died from her fatal injury and left to be raised by her adopted mother Elmyra. Aerith grew up in The Slums(Sector 5) of Midgar, where criminal activity and danger is common. Aerith and Jam had no help from outsiders or had millions of friends, all they have is themselves to rely on. Yet despite the harshness of their experiences, they maintain a optimistic outlook and happy attitude along being very street-wise.

Although Jam is a martial artist and Aerith is a magic user, there's some similarities with their abilities. They were both even targeted for it by corrupted organizations. Aerith was targeted by Shinra because she's one of the few remaining Cetra, and Jam was targeted by the P.W.A.B(Post-War Administration Bureau) in GGX2 because of her borderline inhuman gift in Ki. I'll show you by providing information on both.

About Cetra(https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Cetra):

The migrations of the Cetra were a Planet-reverent pursuit of the fabled Promised Land conducted by traveling and cultivating life. The Cetra could commune with the Planet, an ability regular humans lost once they gave up their close relationship with the Planet in favor of leisure and convenience. The Cetra could guide the flow of the Planet's spiritual energy, this being the means by which they cultivated life on the Planet's surface. According to legends, Ancients could use magic without Materia, and had an advanced magical civilization.

About Ki(https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps2/562111-guilty-gear-x2/faqs/21874):

Q. What is magic? What is ki? A. Magic is a source of incredible energy that began to be studied seriously by humans in the 21st century. There are five elements of magic: fire, lightning, water, wind, and ki. The first four are now well understood and can be amplified and controlled, but the use of ki remains unknown. Ki has its origins in the Orient. Testament is known to control some sort of magic, and the wielders of Jinki can also control magic to some extent. Axl too, for some reason, has been observed to use something similar to magic of the fire element. As for ki, some fighting masters of the Orient, such as Jam Kuradoberi, can use it; Kliff Undersn was the first non-Asian to be able to use ki, and now Chipp Zanuff has mastered its use as well.<

Here's another source about Ki in Guilty Gear(https://guilty-gear.fandom.com/wiki/Ki)

Ki is the Japanese on'yomi formatting of the Chinese character Qi/Chi (気 or 氣, pronounced as "chee"), and is one of the five elemental categories of magic. It is the oldest among all magical elements and is also considered the foundation of all magic. It has the ability to amplify the strength and effects of the other four magics. It is also the least understood among scholars of Magical Theory of Science.

In real-life, qi/ki is considered by Asian philosophy to be a type of life force or energy flow that literally often pertains to the atmosphere around oneself.

Jam may not be a special race, but notice how both her and Aerith's abilities relate to magic and spirit energy. This means their gifts symbolize life and spirituality.

Both Jam and Aerith have sadly suffered some "lost in translation" of their personalities. I've already mentioned how the English translation of the older Guilty Gear games had taken away alot of Jam's sweetness and empathy to being replaced with being rude and edgy to be "interesting" to Westerners. You can find my character analysis of Jam here(https://culinaryphoenix.tumblr.com/post/151953570662/character-analysis-of-jam-kuradoberi). Thankfully, the later games like Revelator fixed this. With Aerith, while not as extreme as with Jam, the English translation of Final Fantasy 7 took away some of her sweetness to focus more on her spunky side for the same reason; cause it's more "interesting" to Westerners. I'll show you a comparison of Aerith's dialogue when her and Cloud meet again with Reno and some Shinra henchmen arriving there.

English Version ---------------

Aerith: "Don't fight here! You'll ruin the flowers!"

Japanese Version ----------------

Aerith: "Please, no fighting here! You'll ruin the flowers!"

Cloud and Aerith quickly retreat to the back section of the church by going up the stairs. The platform is broken in half with Cloud jumping first then tells Aerith to follow. She immediately shakes her head in refusal. Let's compare the dialogue again.

English Version --------------

Cloud: *nods* "Alright, I'll hold them off."

Aerith: "Right. Make sure they don't get through!"

Japanese Version -----------------

Cloud: *Nods* "You'll be alright. I'll catch you."

Aerith: "Alright. Please make sure you catch me."

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGt8ua68xAM

The original context of the scene is totally different from the English version. Not only you see how while Aerith is spunky, she's also very polite. It also reveals her shaking her head was because she was scared of falling. Unlike the English version where it gives the impression she simply refused to jump and be like "I'm not listening to you! Go fight those henchmen!" Lol. Jam and Aerith can easily take care of themselves and have great emotional strength, especially from their experiences. At the same time, they're still people that show moments of being vulnerable and having a great need to be cared for, protected, etc. Which leads to the next part what they have in common; the traits of their love interests.

Aerith is in love with Cloud and Jam is in love with Ky. It's interesting how both Ky and Cloud are handsome men with blonde hair, radiant blue eyes, has blue as their main color, both are skilled swordsman and extremely strong, and both were in the military at a young age(Cloud in SOLDIER and Ky in Sacred Order of Holy Knights). They even have the same blood type(Both Cloud and Ky's blood type are AB)! Both men willingly take on the weight of the world upon their shoulders because they know others, especially their friends and loved ones are depending on them. They're protective over those they care for and go out of their way to make sure they're safe, cared for, etc. This is extremely important and special to Aerith and Jam because it's something they both want and need in their lives. Remember both these women's upbringing and how it's usually them having to be strong and do everything on their own, but now they meet these men are willing to do the same for them out of genuine care. This is the main reason why the two women are so in love with the two men. Let's look at the evidence starting with Aerith.

Note: Final Fantasy 7: DISMANTLED is an official Japanese book that tells the events through each character's personal monologue.

Aerith's Monologue in the Shinra building(https://www.finalfantasyforums.net/threads/vii-dismantled-book.43606/page-2) Aerith: *being excited now* Aerith: Cloud, you came! When I got to the Shinra Building I was handed over to a man called Hojo, I couldn’t help thinking that I won’t be able to escape anymore. I don’t know why but that man gave me the shivers. The way he looked at me was like measuring a piece of experimental specimen…. In short, he wanted a hybrid from Red XIII and….oh forget it, I don’t want to talk about it. Anyway, Professor Hojo is absolutely a weirdo! Although Red told me that “the acting was to throw Hojo off guard”, but he seemed quite serious at that moment. He does look like a savage beast, however, he is more human than most of mankind. Like what he tried to convey, we should cherish this Planet. It’s just…I can also feel the excessive strain— he seems to push himself too hard. And Cloud really is a hero! To Tifa, and to me as well, he’ll come wherever we’re in a pinch! Well, as for the one-date payment, I think I should make it two! Aerith gleefully enjoys and comments on how Cloud is a knight-in-shining armor to both her and Tifa. This increases her attraction and deepen her feelings for Cloud. This is also proof that Aerith knows the real him very early because notice how she says "Cloud really is a hero!" She knows this trait is truly part of Cloud and not something he's just pretending to be or copying from Zack. This leaves a strong impression on her because when her, Cloud, and the others finally are about to leave Midgar, Aerith admits it's her first time leaving. Cloud asks if she's worried, which at first she claims it's only a little then later admits she's worried alot. Instead of saying, "I'll be alright, though. I've dealt with worse." Aerith says... "But I have my bodyguard, right?" There's also the part when Barrett mentions of needing to assign an official leader for the team, Aerith automatically says "It should be Cloud." Once again, Aerith knows and sees Cloud's qualities not only as a person, but also a leader. She has so much faith in him and continues to do so throughout the game. She feels safe, deeply cared for, and happy with Cloud. With how much time they spent together(in-game time wise, it's likely a few months with all the traveling, etc.), Aerith realizes Cloud is the one for her. Next, is looking at the evidence with Jam. In the 3rd path of Jam's story in Guilty Gear X2, she later finally finds the one responsible behind the attack at her restaurant; Robo-Ky. Below is the dialogue from the original translation. Jam's Story Path 3(https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps2/562111-guilty-gear-x2/faqs/20666) Jam: You hiding over there... I see you! Robo Ky: Gigigi... you found me. Jam: Did you come to get beat up again? Robo Ky: Target's battle power has been analyzed. Robo Ky: Group attack... Robo Ky: ...would be most effective. Jam: Aiya! How many of them are there?! Jam: They're coming from all sides! (vs. Robo Ky) (vs. Robo Ky) (vs. Robo Ky) Robo Ky: Gigigi... Jam: Th-there's no end to them! Even though the gameplay shows needing to fight the Robo-Kys only three times, it's conveying Jam has been fighting an army of them for countless hours on her own. She's in great danger cause she's eventually going to get worn out and more Robo-Kys keep blocking her way. But then... Robo Ky: Gigigi... Give it up! Robo Ky: Everyone present! Robo Ky: Present! Robo Ky: Present! Jam: There's all of these?!Ky: That's it! Jam: A new one?! Ky: You're mistaken. I've come to save you. Jam: You're... from that time... Ky: I'm sorry I came late. Ky: Please leave these to me. Jam: Okay! Just like with Aerith, this leaves a very strong impression on Jam for many reasons. She didn't expect any help, especially from the man she thought she would never see again. She's exposed to how Ky's the type of person to go out of his way to save her and other people. She spends time with him for a while and getting to know just how caring, responsible, and noble is. This causes the result of her attraction and feelings for him deepens. She has her heart set on Ky.  Both Jam and Aerith are highly perceptive and give great wisdom than people think, which their detractors quickly label them being "insensitive" cause they totally miss the context. With Jam, I already gave an example with Haeyun in Revelator from my character analysis I linked to earlier. She also gave provided the same to Jack-O, whom spurred her to realize her purpose and place in the world. With Aerith, the notion of her being "insensitive" has even been stated as fact according to Final Fantasy 7 Wikia and some fans think this is her character flaw. Aerith's Personality from FF7 Wikia(https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Aerith_Gainsborough) Though she means well, Aerith can be insensitive to other people's problems, like when Barret is troubled in the Gold Saucer. I'll post and highlight the parts people are focused on. Aerith: "Hey, Barret! Cheer up!" Barret: "I'm not in a cheery mood. Just leave me alone." Aerith: "Really? That's too bad." *goes to Cloud and says* "Let's go" To get the full context, there's a video below that leads up to the group arriving at the Gold Saucer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS9JfjixzAI&list=PL85002125B482FF1B&index=34 Around 1:43 of the video, notice Aerith is the first one to ask what happened followed by Cloud. When Barret tells the group how his hometown isn't what it used to be. Aerith says, "But how could those people say such awful things?" with her hands on her hips in disgust. She definitely didn't like how the townspeople treated Barret. After he explained what happened and why he says it's all his fault, Aerith gives sympathetic silence. Red XIII does the same, Cloud is disgusted of what Shinra did to Barret's home and people, and Tifa tries to console Barret saying it wasn't his fault. But Yuffie says... Yuffie: "I'm not sympathizing with Barret! He shouldn't have trusted Shinra." Even though Yuffie has a point of he shouldn't have trusted Shinra, Barret didn't know at the time. She just plainly ignore how the townspeople and Barret's wife died along with the town itself burned to almost nothingness. So she's basically like, "Welp, that's what you get for being a dummy!" This is the very definition of being insensitive and not caring about people's problems. It's interesting how people ignore this yet claim Aerith is the wicked witch of the west all because she tells Barret to "cheer up" and "Really? That's too bad." lol. Below is the full context of the scene, which I'm using a better translation and not the given English one. Aerith: "Wow! Let's have fun!"  *Feels excited then turns to look at Barret from a distance* "I know it's not the right time to do this, but..." "Hey, Barret, cheer up!" Barret: "I'm not in a cheery mood. Just leave me alone."   Aerith: "Really? That's too bad." Tifa: *Whispers* "Aerith, doesn't that seem a little inconsiderate...?" Aerith: *Whispers back* "When situations like this happens, it's best not to push the issue too much." Tifa: *Whispers* "Really?" Aerith: *whispers* "Mm hmm~" *Aerith goes over to Barret again* Aerith: "We're gonna go play..." Barret: *blows up* "THEN PLAY! Mess around *curses*! Don't forget we're after Sephiroth!" *Angrily jumps inside Wonder Square* Aerith: "Oh, he's mad..." Tifa: "He'll be fine. He seems to be doing a little better now." Aerith's intention was to try to get Barret's mind off of his emotional pain by being playful and lighthearted. After seeing his reaction, Aerith decides to give him some space, though she did later wanted to let him know she and the others were going to enjoy the sights of the Gold Saucer. What Aerith explained to Tifa is some people just need time to sort out their problems on their own instead of forcing the person to. In the end, it started to work cause Barret started to jump in one of the attractions instead of standing alone and being silent. She has also given wisdom and compassion to Cloud many times when he would doubt or blame himself. WHY AERITH AND JAM ARE SO POPULAR IN THE EAST MORE THAN WEST ============================================================ There will always be fans who dislike these characters regardless, and there are Western fans who do like them(like myself). With Aerith, you could easily say it's because she's the main female character and vital to the plot of FF7. But with Jam, she's sadly just a supporting character cause in Guilty Gear, May and Millia Rage are the main female characters. Yet, she's so popular in Japan there was an anime called Genshiken where a character cosplayed as her.

The main reason both women are very beloved in the East both have traits of a leading lady. Their hardworking, determination, and free-spirit towards their goals and dreams make them admirable. Their outward display of emotions and not afraid to be express their romantic interest towards the men they love(devotion is a highly good trait in the East). Their femininity and how their strength is how they deal with life's trials and tribulations rather than strictly about their superpowers, etc. Both of their experiences are relatable to many along with their optimistic nature and playfulness, even their flaws makes them endearing and humane. I would call this type of leading lady "The Cheerful Optimist". Tifa and Dizzy also have traits of a leading lady, which the type I would call "The Strong, yet Gentle" type(going into detail about this would require another post, but wanted to give them an honorable mention~).

This also explain why I love these characters so much, especially how they easily disprove the notion that female characters can only be amazing if they completely abandon their femininity, viciously degrade men to "put them in their place", be Mary-Sues(meaning absolutely perfect with no humane and notable flaws), etc. I think people underestimate how much emotional strength it takes to remain positive and being inspirational to others when life and people have treated them horribly. It's a shame that instead of seeing the depth of these characters, it's easier for people to just label them as "weak, insensitive jerks, etc." But thankfully, me and other fans who do take the time to understand Aerith and Jam know how they are.

Happy early birthday to both Aerith Gainsborough and Jam Kuradoberi~

[biofunmy]

In China, a Podcast Inspired by ‘This American Life’ Gives Voice to the Real

BEIJING — Kou Aizhe, the creator and host of one of China’s most popular storytelling podcasts, has only one criterion for selecting stories.

“Any subject can work,” he said, “as long as it surprises me.”

What emerges is a collection of unusual stories told with an authenticity rarely heard in the country’s tightly scripted, propaganda-heavy state-run media.

A worker for a Chinese construction company describes a harrowing escape from war in Libya in an episode titled “I Shot an AK-47 at Them.” A young man recounts accompanying his ailing father to Switzerland to die by assisted suicide. A lesbian tells of her decision to enter a marriage of convenience to a gay man.

Taking inspiration from American programs like “This American Life” and WNYC’s “Snap Judgment,” Mr. Kou’s “Gushi FM” (Story FM in English) features stories told in the first person by ordinary Chinese of various backgrounds.

The show highlights stories from both the margins and the mainstream of society. They are tales of loneliness, heartbreak, adventure, betrayal, love, loss and the absurd — stories of a kind not often publicly shared in this age of “humblebrag” social media.

Since Mr. Kou launched “Gushi FM” in 2017, it has become one of the most successful audio programs in China’s small but growing podcast movement. In a country of more than one billion people, the program attracts nearly 600,000 listeners and counting. Each month, the program gains about 35,000 new listeners, according to Mr. Kou.

“These days, I feel like it’s so rare for the media and people around us to speak very honestly,” said Su Da, 35, a researcher based in the central province of Shanxi. “But ‘Gushi FM’ is different. The storytellers bring out the authenticity of our lives. That authenticity is complicated, and it may make us feel uncomfortable, but it is genuine.”

The relatively limited number of listeners for a country of China’s size could be the reason the podcast is able to fly under the radar in an increasingly controlled media environment. In recent months, the Chinese authorities have cracked down on investigative journalists, social media celebrities and seemingly innocuous independent bloggers, part of a broader effort to impose control over China’s information ecosystem.

“Gushi FM” rarely touches on political or newsy topics, but it often deals with social themes that have been subject to media censorship in the past. In one episode, a woman describes learning about sex only after her elementary school teacher molested her — a subtle nod to the #MeToo movement. Other episodes have dealt with L.G.B.T.Q. issues, forced relocation and the black market for surrogacy, which is illegal in China.

Of more than 200 episodes, censors have erased only one: a story about a family who went bankrupt because of a peer-to-peer lending scam, which was a sensitive topic at the time.

“We are very cautious,” Mr. Kou said.

Each episode is around 20 to 30 minutes long, and the stories unfold with drama and suspense. The storytelling is not dogmatic; rather, the political context of problems that have emerged after decades of Communist Party rule is simply implied.

One episode, titled “My Cousin Squandered His Family’s Fortune to Buy Four Wives for an Average of 13,000 Renminbi Each,” dives into the story of a rural man’s struggles to find a wife. Not mentioned is that four decades of birth restrictions and a traditional preference for boys have created a large gender imbalance in China, making it difficult for many poor rural men to find wives.

“Through every story, my goal is to show the complexity of each person,” said Mr. Kou. “Especially in the internet era, people are quick to come to judgments about other people based on knowing just one aspect about them. I want to show the different angles.”

With salt-and-pepper hair, glasses and a calm demeanor, Mr. Kou fits the mold of the nonjudgmental, empathetic podcast host cast by audio idols like Ira Glass, Terry Gross and Mr. Kou’s favorite, Alex Blumberg of Gimlet Media.

A trained librarian turned journalist, Mr. Kou is a 36-year-old native of Jilin Province in northern China. He first seriously considered making a podcast while working as a news assistant for a Swedish radio station in Beijing.

“I did many long interviews and the stories were so interesting, but in the end we would only use a few seconds of dialogue for the story,” said Mr. Kou. “It was such a shame.”

Over the past two years, Mr. Kou has built up a team of 10, including journalists, sound engineers and interns. On a recent afternoon, the “Gushi FM” team sat around a large conference table at their sleek office in Beijing, batting around ideas for future episodes.

Ideas for interview subjects included a person who cloned a pet dog, the Chinese translator of the “Game of Thrones” books and a man who was forced to break up with his girlfriend because his parents did not approve of her. Some of the story pitches had come from listeners, others were generated by the team members themselves.

The team works fast to make the three episodes a week mandated by the podcast’s parent company and main financial backer, the popular online content creator Daxiang Gonghui, which publishes articles about history and culture.

“Gushi FM” sells some ads, Mr. Kou says, but it faces a constant struggle for survival. Podcasts have yet to catch on in China as they have in the United States and Britain. Experts say part of the reason is the government’s monopoly on radio in China. Advertisers are still drawn to traditional broadcast stations that hire radio hosts to chat and play music.

Another challenge facing “Gushi FM” is that the show is firmly rooted in reality, warts and all, at a time when many Chinese are looking to tune out daily anxieties. That desire has fueled a surge in escapist entertainment like online live-streaming, Korean television dramas and blogs that churn out feel-good clickbait content.

These exist alongside a powerful state media apparatus bent on promoting “positive energy” by pushing party propaganda, including in forms as unlikely as rap performances and game shows. Even popular audio streaming internet platforms often focus more on promoting self-improvement through educational courses and audiobooks.

For many Chinese, learning about social ills while knowing that little can be done to solve them can feel like a needlessly depressing endeavor.

“When people listen to ‘This American Life,’ they are moved by the storytellers and their stories,” said Yang Yi, the editor of JustPod, a Chinese-language newsletter about the podcast industry. “But an ordinary Chinese listener will think: ‘My life is also very hard, so why should I hear about the hardship of someone else?’”

Yet “Gushi FM” has a niche, and growing, audience. Hearing others describe their struggles and successes in such an intimate way, fans say, is precisely what sets it apart.

“I had a crisis at work and was feeling very lost and panicked,” said Shao Xueyan, 32, formerly an engineer in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin. “But discovering ‘Gushi FM’ was like fate.”

“Through listening to other people’s stories I could reflect on my own life,” she added. “It made me realize that there will always be good things that happen in life as long as you are alive.”

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