Limited Ressentiment and Indeterminate Desire: The Resonance between "Against the Shivering Cold" IP and the Audience's feeling structure

Abstract

From novels to TV series to online games, the chinese wuxia IP “Against the Shivering Cold” has achieved sustained popularity by resonating with the audience’s limited ressentiment and indeterminate desires. Central to this resonance is the character Gu Xizhao, who has evolved from a symbol of betrayal into a contradictory figure shaped by internal ressentiment and desire. Unlike Nietzschean creative will, Gu’s ressentiment is entangled with utilitarian and emotional impulses. This dynamic mirrors broader Chinese social discourses—such as college entrance exam oaths—reflecting a context where idealism has eroded and intensified competition leaves individuals exhausted, yet trapped, turning hatred into self-motivation. This paper explores the IP’s affective resonance by first analyzing intertextual variations and the complexity of Gu’s characterization, then applying Nietzschean theory to interpret the significance of ressentiment, and finally situating these elements within social contexts that shape contemporary audience feelings.