More Kawaii than a real-person live streamer: Understanding how the Otaku Community engages with and perceives virtual YouTubers

• Main Authors: LU, Zhicong, SHEN, Chenxinran, LI, Jiannan, SHEN, Hong, WIGDOR, Daniel
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2021
• Subjects: virtual idols; live streaming; social media; user engagement; virtual YouTuber; Graphics and Human Computer Interfaces; Social Media
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sis_research/8059; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/sis_research/article/9062/viewcontent/3411764.3445660.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

Live streaming has become increasingly popular, with most streamers presenting their real-life appearance. However, Virtual YouTubers (VTubers), virtual 2D or 3D avatars that are voiced by humans, are emerging as live streamers and attracting a growing viewership in East Asia. Although prior researc...