Fansubbers as cultural mediators: a case study of the use of screen notes in the Chinese fansubs of the Spanish series El Ministerio del Tiempo

Fansubbing, the collaborative, unpaid effort by dedicated enthusiasts to subtitle audiovisual content, is seeing significant growth in the digital era. This paper presents a case study of the use of screen notes in the Chinese fansubs of the Spanish series El Ministerio del Tiempo (2015–2020) by two major fansub groups, Shenying and YYeTs. Focusing on the first season (2015) of this acclaimed series, which blends fantasy and historical fiction, we explore fansubbing practices, and we analyse the types of notes and the kind of information fansubbers provide to their audiences. The paper begins with a brief overview of the fansubbing phenomenon in China and the use of screen notes in fansubs. Then, the series is introduced, and the methodology is described, which consists of descriptive textual analysis and a small-scale reception study. The textual analysis revealed that Chinese fansubbers mainly include notes for cultural references related to history and literature with a didactic intent, to familiarise their viewers with Spanish culture. The reception study showed that participants liked screen notes, because they provide them with additional information that helps them understand the cultural context better, although they stated they could understand the scene without the notes.