Los Angeles ¨C Fans wave glow sticks at an animated character on stage, having packed a sold-out Hollywood concert hall to see their virtual idol perform, showcasing the global ambitions of Japan¡¯s VTuber subculture. Pink-haired musician and livestreamer Mori Calliope looks just like a character from an anime, brought to life on stage through a hologram-like illusion.
¡°I don¡¯t really like most streamers, but then when I discovered VTubers, I realized, ¡¯Hey, you know, I¡¯m actually into this,¡¯¡± says Calliope concert attendee Luigi Galvan. ¡°They look like anime characters. I like anime, so it was easy to get into the VTuber format that way.¡±
The actors behind VTubers use motion capture techniques to communicate directly online with fans, who can pay to highlight their comments to the character and other viewers.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.