Fans frequently discuss narrative works such as anime and comics. Such discussions are a key form of interaction in fandom, but they often involve spoilers. Previous approaches have treated spoilers as a binary problem: either show or hide content containing spoilers. However, hiding parts of a message can prevent fans from fully expressing what they want to share. This study explores how to achieve two seemingly conflicting goals: reducing spoilers while preserving the speaker’s satisfaction. As an alternative to the show/hide dichotomy, we propose a third operation: generalizing spoiler content into more abstract, superordinate concepts. As an initial case study, we apply this “unspoiling” method to episode-by-episode reviews of Dragon Ball. The results showed that specific plot developments could be abstracted while retaining the speaker’s emotions and evaluative comments. These findings suggested that unspoiling might support spoiler-aware communication without sacrificing fans’ opportunities for expression.
