Virtual YouTuber

On 13 June 2011, UK based Japanese vlogger Ami Yamato uploaded her first video, which featured an animated, virtual avatar speaking to the camera.[2] Four years later, in 2015, Mattel began uploading videos of Barbie Doll as a teenage vlogger onto YouTube.[3] Then, in late 2016, Kizuna AI, considered to be the first VTuber,[4][3] made her debut on YouTube. Voice-acted by Nozomi Kasuga,[5] Kizuna AI created a sense of "real intimacy" with fans as she was responsive to their questions. Within ten months, she had over two million subscribers and would later be made a culture ambassador for the Japan National Tourism Organization. AI's sudden popularity sparked a trend of VTubers;[4][3] In two and a half months, the number of active VTubers doubled from 2,000 to 4,000. Of these, Kaguya Luna and Mirai Akari followed AI as the second and third most popular VTubers, with 750,000 and 625,000 subscribers respectively. Nekomiya Hinata, another early VTuber, gained a following of 500,000 in six months.[4] In October 2018, Kizuna AI's appearance on an NHK show interviewing Japanese recipients of the Nobel Prize sparked controversy concerning the depiction of women in Japanese culture.[6]

Due to their immense popularity, companies and organisations have used VTubers as a method of advertising or bringing attention to a product or service. When SoftBank announced the release of the iPhone XS and XS Max in 2018, Kizuna AI appeared at the event as well as promoting it on her channel.[7] She is also currently the ambassador of the Japan National Tourism Organization.[8] Another virtual star was debuted by the Ibaraki Prefectural Government called Hiyori Ibara, with aims for the Virtual YouTuber to become a symbol of Ibaraki. Hiyori is the first VTuber to be used by a municipal or prefectural government.[9]

On June 24, Virtual YouTuber Kaguya Luna, in a collaboration with Nissin Foods, held a livestream (noted by Guinness World Records as being the livestream recorded at the highest altitude) by attaching a smartphone with her stream playing to a helium balloon. By the end of the stream, Kaguya Luna reached an altitude of 30 kilometers above sea level, breaking the previous record of 18.42 kilometers above sea level. This was done to advertise Nissin's Yakisoba UFO noodles.[10]

In August 2018, Wright Flyer Live Entertainment, which is owned by Gree Inc., released a mobile application that allows virtual stars to live stream videos while monetising them and connecting with their viewers. In a news conference in Tokyo, the head of Wright Flyer Live Entertainment stated that the firm wanted to help virtual stars, but that “just increasing the number [of virtual star] is not that effective. We want them to keep on doing their activities. (To do that), gaining fans and monetization are essential. So, we are providing a platform to support that.”[11] This follows a ¥10 billion ($89.35 million) investment by parent company Gree into VTubers, as well as a ¥10 billion profit target by 2020.[1]