同人 (tóngrén) has a fascinating dual history. Its classical meaning appears in ancient texts like the I Ching (Book of Changes) to describe “fellowship with men.” However, its modern, dominant meaning is a re-import from Japan. In Japan, the same characters (pronounced dōjin) evolved to describe self-published works created by amateur artists and writers. These works, especially those based on popular anime and manga, became a cornerstone of fan culture, sold at massive conventions like Comiket. This Japanese “doujin” culture was imported into China, along with anime and manga, in the 1990s and 2000s. The term 同人 was adopted to describe this same phenomenon. Comparison with Western “Fandom”: The concept is very similar to “fan fiction” or “fan works” in the West. However, the East Asian 同人 (tóngrén) scene is often more organized and commercially oriented. While Western fan fiction communities (like on Archive of Our Own) are typically non-profit, the 同人 scene in China, Taiwan, and Japan features large-scale conventions where creators sell physical copies of their fan comics and novels (同人志, tóngrénzhì). This makes 同人 culture a significant sub-economy and a semi-public sphere for creative expression, whereas Western fandom often remains more private and online-focused.
In modern conversation, 同人 almost exclusively refers to its pop culture meaning. It is a neutral, descriptive term used by fans.