Bilibili’s top bullet comment of 2023 is “ah?” as users expressed surprise 13 million times this year

In 2023, the most frequently used word on Bilibili, a Chinese video streaming platform, was 'ah? '. This single-character question denotes shock or surprise. It was used as an interrogative clause 13. 2 million times on Bilibili this year, appearing in the platform's renowned 'bullet comments' that zip across the screen as viewers watch videos. The Shanghai-based company declared this word, expressed with a question mark, as the 'most representative bullet comment' of 2023 in a post on its official WeChat account on Friday.

Depending on the punctuation used, 'ah' can express various emotions in Chinese, including excitement, surprise, or disbelief. When posed as a question, it roughly translates to 'Huh? '. Young users, who form the primary demographic for Bilibili, frequently use it in response to videos showcasing individuals with unique skills or significant scientific and technological breakthroughs. The concept of 'bullet comments' originated in Japan but gained popularity in China after Bilibili adopted the style. Other domestic video platforms, including Baidu's iQiyi and Tencent Video, eventually followed suit.

The term 'ah? ' appeared most frequently in videos covering a wide range of topics, from cutting-edge technology and video games to traditional Chinese culture. When China's state-owned nuclear power corporation announced in August that it had achieved a milestone in its quest to create an 'artificial sun' powered by nuclear fusion, comments on a related video published on China Central Television's military channel on Bilibili were filled with 'ah? '. The two-minute video has garnered nearly 1 million views and 70,000 likes. In March, when video game reviewer IGN released a gameplay trailer of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Chinese fans once again flooded screens with 'ah? ' to express their surprised excitement.