TOKYO: Mayu Iizuka sheds her soft-spoken persona and begins cackling, screaming and waving wildly in a makeshift studio in Tokyo as her avatar seems on a livestream earlier than a whole bunch of fans.
Virtual YouTubers like Iizuka, who voices and animates a personality referred to as Yume Kotobuki, have remodeled a distinct segment Japanese subculture right into a thriving business the place high accounts can rake in additional than 1,000,000 {dollars} a 12 months.
The movies are designed to make fans really feel they’re interacting instantly with their favorite animated idols – with viewers generally paying a whole bunch of {dollars} to have a single remark highlighted on a livestream.
“When I’m playing video games on my channel and succeed at something, my fans congratulate me” and pay suggestions “as a way to show their support and appreciation”, Iizuka advised AFP.
The 26-year-old makes use of a laptop computer, webcam and a movement sensor worn round her neck to seem on display as Yume, whose facial expressions are managed by a producer.
With her squeaky voice, quick skirt and large purple eyes, Iizuka’s avatar follows a well-liked mannequin for “VTuber” characters, which frequently resemble the hyper-feminine heroines of Japanese anime.
Since rising about 5 years in the past, the VTuber world has grown shortly, with about 16,000 energetic streamers globally, in line with knowledge agency User Local, and rising fanbases on different platforms like TikTok and gaming web site Twitch.
Regional governments in Japan have used them for promotion, and The Batman stars Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz even gave a current interview to a high Japanese VTuber.
Super Chat
VTubers generate cash in methods just like conventional livestreamers, together with via YouTube’s “Super Chat” system, the place the extra a fan shells out, the extra consideration is drawn to their feedback.
In truth, the world’s 9 top-earning YouTube accounts for “Super Chat” final 12 months had been all VTubers.
All 9 are affiliated with one Tokyo-based expertise company, and every earned between US$700,000 (RM3.05mil) and US$1.7mil (RM7.42mil) from the money presents, in line with knowledge evaluation web site Playboard.
Most fans spend just a few hundred yen (US$1 or RM4) per remark, however probably the most devoted generally splurge 50,000 yen (RM1,673) to put up impassioned missives to their virtual idols.
Kazuma Murakami, a 30-year-old automotive elements inspector, has been recognized to spend 10,000 yen to get his feedback highlighted in pink and seen by his favorite VTuber.
“I really want her to notice I’m here again, visiting her channel,” Murakami advised AFP.
Another VTuber fan, who requested to be recognized solely by his first identify, Kazumi, has adorned his tiny one-room condo close to Tokyo with posters, framed footage and keyrings that includes his favorite character, Mio Ookami.
The 30-year-old pc engineer spends time after work and on weekends immersing himself in Mio’s movies and crafting digital illustrations of the black-haired “wolf girl”.
“I dedicate five, or maybe 10 hours to thinking just about her,” he stated.
“She is like family to me.”
That devotion, and the willingness of fans to pay large cash, is linked to the way in which different fan subcultures operate in Japan, stated Noriyuki Nagamatsu, a digital enterprise specialist at promoting agency D.A. Consortium.
“Super Chat is essentially an extension of a longstanding culture where idol and anime fans try to support their ‘oshi’, or favourite, by splurging on their merchandise,” he advised AFP.
“It’s also a way of winning attention from their beloved and feeling superior to fellow fans.”
Human ‘soul’
VTubers often maintain the particular person behind the character – also known as their “soul” – out of the image, and like many fans, Kazumi says his love is directed in the direction of Mio the avatar, not whoever performs her.
But the road between virtual and actual can change into blurred.
A Japanese courtroom not too long ago dominated in favour of a VTuber actor who argued that on-line slander towards her character amounted to an assault on her.
Virtual YouTubers can “transcend gender, age or physique… but what’s important is that there’s a real person there who is speaking and reads the comments in real life”, stated Kazuhito Ozawa, the plaintiff’s lawyer.
For Iizuka, knowledgeable voice actress, making the uncommon resolution to disclose her identification after 4 years of creating movies as Yume was nerve-wracking.
“Part of me was afraid that fans of Yume, who has these big, shiny eyes and a perfect belly, might be disappointed to find out what the ‘real’ person inside looks like,” she stated.
But “so far the response from fans has been very kind”.
And the extra outspoken, vivacious persona of Yume’s virtual self is even steadily rubbing off on Iizuka, she stated.
“I used to baulk at speaking publicly, but Yume is such an experienced livestreamer that my identity as her has been helping me speak more confidently.” – AFP
