The chapter argues that the search for Asian Gothic should be a three-directional quest: a re-examination of classic texts from the perspective of existing theories about the Gothic; an investigation of the concept of the Gothic from the perspective of self-defined Asian Gothic authors; and a re-categorization of some contemporary pop-cultural forms, such as film, music, manga, anime, visual arts, or street fashion as “Gothic,” leading to a further appropriation of the term by various Asian cultures. All of the above can only be achieved if we abandon the narrow understanding of the Gothic as a distinct literary genre and opt for a more flexible and multidisciplinary use of the term instead.
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