TABLE 4.
Open coding results: nine core concepts.
| Concept | Definition | Representative_Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Cuteness breach | Psychological mechanism by which moe aesthetics dismantle cultural defenses | The chubby face plus Muay Thai pose made me instantly drop my guard! (TikTok: @user_thai_07) |
| Cultural hybrid | Creative hybridization of local cultural symbols | Muay Thai headband on a Chinese plump chicken - this is real cultural hybridity (Douyin: @Bangkok_Elephant) |
| Lightweight diplomat | Portability of IP as a cross-cultural medium | Took DunDun Chicken to the Grand Palace, Thai locals asked if I was a Chinese fan (TikTok: @CN_Traveler) |
| Affective aspartame | Compensatory function of cute objects for emotional needs | Squeezing its belly is like petting a cat, my exam anxiety was healed (Douyin: @Lucky_Carp) |
| Tribal passport | Symbolic consumption as credential for digital tribe entry | Posted DunDun and received 30 co-creation invites from Thai users (TikTok: @Gamer_Boy) |
| Meme production | User-generated parody and playful reconstruction of cultural symbols | Photoshopped the Mongkon headband onto the chicken crown, comments turned into a Muay Thai chicken king competition (Douyin: @PS_God) |
| Value justice | Positive correlation between affordability and cultural participation | 49 RMB beats Disney, students can afford diplomatic freedom (Douyin: @Savvy_Saver) |
| Cross-cultural correction | Collaborative maintenance of cultural accuracy by tribe members | Thai user corrected the direction of the elephant deity pattern, we remade the video and became language partners (TikTok: @Art_Student) |
| Ritual appropriation | Gamified translation of traditional rituals into digital contexts | Put Mongkon on the chicken and imitated Buakaw’s teacher-paying ceremony – traditional symbols given new cyber life (Douyin: @MuayThai_Novice) |