Afterword: Zhibo, existential territory, inter-media-mundia

In undertaking transversal research into the problems of contemporary Japanese urban life, we shall critically examine the production of subjectivities pertaining to live streaming. This is undertaken to conceptualize the changing nature of subjectivity and social relations in contemporary transnational and transcultural capitalism. We shall look to Félix Guattari’s semiotic theory to interpret the era of Integrated World Capitalism (IWC). For Guattari, the production of subjectivity is pivotal to explaining the functioning of contemporary capitalism. As he claimed in his lifetime, subjectivity has become the number one objective of contemporary, capitalist society. Contra the trend to exploit subjectivity for monetary gain, Guattari’s goal is to identify mutant nuclei of subjectification which may engender a change in the order of things. His work is applied to new communication technologies like live streaming (Zhibo) to account for the existential breakdowns and breakthroughs whichmay ensue for individuals who use these technologies. Bradley has designated this as the Zerrissenheit or torn-to-pieces-hood of subjectivity (Bradley in Tamkang Review, 44(2): 37–62, 2014).