Virtual livestreamers – also known as VTubers – are a recent hot topic among the livestreaming community. VTubers as a whole provide a wide range of topics for discussion, especially in relation to identity performance. Identity, as a concept is a notably fluid process, and as Jones and Krzyzanowski (2008) state, it can be “(re)constructed and (re)interpreted by actors in a multiplicity of ways” (p. 43). In this paper, I will be discussing the appeals of VTubers in relation to their construction of identity as part of my chosen stream – Identity and Online Advocacy, with a particular focus on the ‘identity’ aspect. This is due to the wide range of subtopics available for discussion in terms of virtual livestreamers and their identity. By creating a public virtual identity, livestreamers of all genres are able to express their creativity through a virtual avatar while also maintaining their privacy and a public identity that is separate from their private life.
Identity in general, has been a concept that has been reinvented and reconstituted over time. Individuals are constantly redefining their own identities while also figuring out how to present the self in public. While there are several different models of identity, the latest approach on the concept is the postmodernism approach which separates identity from the essence of the soul (Schier, 1993). This is especially relevant in the digital world where individuals are free to present themselves how they wish to be seen. The identity that they have chosen for themselves is how they choose to act (Holland et al., 1998). In an age where individuals can physically present however they wish through avatars in videogames or as faceless entities existing on the Internet with a simple profile picture to identify themselves, self-presentation is a subject that many have to consider. Research conducted by Foley et al. (2012) finds that even on anonymous social websites where individuals can represent themselves via an avatar, identity and physical appearance still play a part in how others perceive them. This could suggest that the freedom to customise their avatar to have more desirable features has been a constant appeal to individuals, including the youth. In relation to my topic – the appeal of creating a public virtual identity – the manipulation of identity is especially relevant in the case of VTubers.
The term ‘VTuber’, a portmanteau of the word ‘virtual YouTuber’, can be accredited to the first VTuber who debuted in late 2016, Kizuna Ai, who coined the term (Vicente, 2021). It can also be used to refer to individuals who play a fictional 2D (or sometimes 3D) character who creates a variety of content, ranging from game livestreams to music performances (Maneetapho, 2020). To further understand the appeal of VTubers, it is important to also consider the world of livestreaming in general, which makes up a large part of the content that VTubers create. Taylor (2018) draws attention to this in her interviews with several livestreamers who all give a variety of reasons as to why they started livestreaming. These reasons varied from personal interest in broadcasting to forging social connections with other friends and even for the sake of making livestreaming their career. These livestreamers go to great lengths to keep their viewers engaged and entertained, and the most successful ones are able to make a full living off their streams. Johnson and Woodcock (2019)’s research focuses on how streamers (specifically on Twitch) monetize their streams through subscribers who donate “cheers”, advertisements and sponsorships. In an age where an individual can make a living off livestreaming, it is no wonder that most livestreamers are motivated to work as hard as they can to engage viewers. As Taylor (2018) notes, people watch livestreamers for their “personality, life, quirks and style” and the more interesting and entertaining a livestreamer is, the more likely it is that they will be popular. When it comes to VTubers, it is not any different. In Padilla’s interview with several well-known VTubers, the streamers all broadcasted similar content, typically gaming livestreams and chatting streams (Padilla, 2021). VTubers and real-life streamers barely differ in terms of content created and both have the goal to entertain their viewers. However, the main difference is that vtubers are often real people who are performing a public virtual identity separate from their real identity, while most non-faceless livestreamers are presenting some form of their actual identity.
In contrast to livestreamers who are comfortable showing their face, most VTubers choose not to. This is often done to maintain their own privacy and to avoid getting potentially doxed. In some cases, like the vtuber Zentreya, the person behind the vtuber avatar even hides their voice through a voice changer or “speech-to-text-to-speech” (Padilla, 2021, 2:08). By performing their identity through an avatar, the medium allows streamers who want to avoid revealing their real face a form of anonymity while still being able to freely express their emotions. Additionally, the medium allows individuals to perform as another gender completely without worry of backlash, especially in the case of LGBTQ+ streamers who may not want their family to know about them. According to Freeman and Wohn (2020), the online livestreaming space has seen a rise in female and LGBTQ+ streamers. This is especially true in the case of VTubers, in which majority of the most popular vtubers, are female. On the Playboard website, the top 10 most subscribed VTuber channels on YouTube are mostly female vtubers, with Gawr Gura having 3.9 million subscribers as of March 2022. In comparison, the most subscribed male VTuber, Kuzuha, has 1.2 million subscribers. From these statistics alone, it could be suggested that presenting as female in the VTuber world has an advantage in terms of reaching a wider audience. However, a female avatar does not always mean that it is a real woman behind the 2-D avatar. There have been several cases, of which the most famous one being the incident when a middle-aged man turned out to be the voice behind a famous Japanese VTuber, Nora Cat (Baseel, 2018). Despite the face reveal however, there was not as much backlash due to most people being able to separate the real individual from the VTuber avatar, seeing the two as separate entities. Aside from the occasional occurrence in which the real face behind the VTuber avatar does not match the gender of the character, there are also various VTuber avatars who have no definite gender. An example would be the Japanese VTuber, Ryushen who has no specified gender and has stated in several streams that their gender does not matter (Yamatanomomochi, 2021). Other situations in which being a VTuber offers a different way to present oneself in terms of gender or sexuality is in interactions with other VTubers. Occasionally, some male and female vtubers openly mention their attraction to the same sex or have interactions with fellow same-sex vtubers that can be seen in either a romantic or sexual light. Abidin (2019) has written about homonormativity and queerbaiting online, in which she mentions how the LGBTQ+ community has grown on YouTube and that ‘queerness’ has been used commercially to draw in viewers. In relation to vtubers, homonormativity is a commodity that is used to draw in viewers while also offering a way of support for queer vtubers to express their own gender and sexuality safely and freely through a virtual avatar.
Being a VTuber does not simply revolve around streaming with a virtual avatar and most virtual livestreamers even craft their own lore or backstories for the character they are streaming as. When individuals are given the freedom to livestream as demons, humanised dragons and more, it is inevitable that the creators behind the avatar write up stories to make their characters just a little more interesting. While the lengths to which each VTuber goes to comply with their lore vary, some VTubers have done projects to further cement their identity as a VTuber and their character’s backstory. An example would be the Japanese VTuber, Mayuzumi Kai, who has on one occasion created a project in which he appeared on the screens of Tokyo city centre and delivered a speech on what it could mean to be ‘real’ (hien subs, 2021). The project further reinforced his identity as a character that exists only within the virtual world and is not an actual person. However, not every VTuber plays a character that only exists within the virtual world. There are streamers whose characters share similarities to the real person’s careers. An example would be Japanese VTuber, Sukoya Kana, whose character works in a hospital. The real person behind her character is also a medical practitioner who has shown off her medical knowledge (Etherald Clips, 2021) and recently had to take a break to focus on her medical school examinations (MofuMofu Subs, 2021). In Sukoya’s case, the individual behind the character’s career as a healthcare worker contributes directly to Sukoya, the character’s identity. On the other hand, it is not only anonymous individuals who have chosen to livestream as VTubers. Several VTubers have also had a background as well-known figures in their careers, most often being musicians or voice actors, and have chosen to debut as VTubers. An example is singer and voice actress, AmaLee, (AmaLee, n.d.) who recently debuted as a VTuber under the name Monarch in December 2021 (Agonoy, 2021). AmaLee is a case in which both her identity as a VTuber and voice actor is public knowledge, in contrast to several other VTubers who have had background in voice acting, but have not made their past work publicly known for either privacy reasons or due to their contracts with the companies they’re signed to. From these cases, it can be seen that these individuals have used the skills that they have acquired in their past and current careers to contribute to their livestreaming career. With some VTubers having had background in voice acting, previous fans of their work (in the case of AmaLee) are able to discover the individuals’ new appearance as VTubers as well as their past works as voice actors and musicians. This falls in line with Abidin (2021)’s research on refracted publics, of which one of the conditions is discoverability in which the user would have to know about the content before they are able to find it. Most mainstream media users who are unfamiliar with AmaLee’s past works or her career in general may not chance upon it, but those who have already known about VTubers or her as a voice actor, would be able to find her work easier. Essentially, VTubers as livestreamers have different ways of incorporating identity into their character, some choosing to be completely separate entities and some who choose to incorporate aspects of their real identity into their character.
To conclude this paper, VTubers are individuals who play a fictional character via an avatar. This avatar allows them to enjoy the social aspect of livestreaming in which they can engage meaningfully with their audience all while keeping their real identity a secret. The virtual avatar also allows the streamer to create content surrounding the lore or theme of their character, allowing them to explore their own identity in new and creative ways. Additionally, the virtual avatar allows individuals to express their own gender identity safely in private, without worry of judgement, especially in online spaces that are more accepting of LGBTQ+ and genderfluid individuals. With these aspects in mind, it is no wonder that being a VTuber holds a lot of appeal for streamers who prefer to keep their real identity a secret.
REFERENCES
Abidin, C. (2019). Yes homo: Gay influencers, homonormativity, and queerbaiting on YouTube. Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, 33(5), 614-629. https://doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2019.1644806
Abidin, C. (2021). From “networked publics” to “refracted publics”: A companion framework for researching “below the radar” studies. Social Media + Society, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2056305120984458
Agonoy, J. (2021, November 30). AmaLee’s VTuber Monarch to debut on December 11. Anime Corner. https://animecorner.me/amalees-vtuber-monarch-to-debut-on-december-11/
AmaLee. (n.d.). About. https://www.leeandlie.com/
Baseel, C. (2018, February 6). Anime girl virtual YouTuber unmasked as middle-age male otaku, loses some fans, gains others. SoraNews24. https://soranews24.com/2018/02/06/anime-girl-virtual-youtuber-unmasked-as-middle-age-male-otaku-loses-some-fans-gains-others%e3%80%90vid%e3%80%91/
Etherald Clips. (2021, April 18). Sukoya stomping two quiz kings with her medical knowledge [Nijisanji] [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=018n6hVsfiw&ab_channel=EtheraldClips
Foley, B. F., Jones, M. S., Aschbacher, P., & McPhee, C. (2012). “You can make friends easier on a boy face”: Identity play and learning in a multiuser environment. In C. C. Ching & B. J. Foley (Eds.), Constructing the self in a digital world (pp. 148- 176). Cambridge University Press. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/curtin/reader.action?docID=1024997&ppg=162
Freeman, G., & Wohn, D. Y. (2020). Streaming your identity: Navigating the presentation of gender and sexuality through live streaming. Computer Supported Cooperative Work, 29(6), 795-825. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10606-020-09386-w
hien subs. (2021, June 23). [ENG SUB] A message from Mayuzumi Kai to the people of reality [Nijisanji] [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/i0YRDlV0Dyo
Holland, D., Lachicotte Jr. W., Skinner, D., & Cain, C. (1998). Identity and agency in cultural worlds. Harvard University Press. https://www.infoamerica.org/documentos_pdf/holland02.pdf
Johnson, M. R., & Woodcock, J. (2019). “And today’s top donator is”: How live streamers on Twitch.tv monetize and gamify their broadcasts. Social Media + Society, 5(4). https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2056305119881694
Jones, P., & Krzyzanowski, M. (2008). Identity, belonging and migration: Beyond constructing ‘others’. In G. Delanty, R. Wodak & P. Jones (Eds.), Identity, belonging and migration (pp. 38-53). Liverpool University Press. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/curtin/reader.action?docID=688320&ppg=49
Maneetapho, G. (Host). (2020, November 13). We met a REAL virtual YouTuber (ft. Mori Calliope) (Episode Num. 23) [Audio podcast episode]. In Trash Taste. Trash Taste. https://trashtaste.com/we-met-a-real-virtual-youtuber-ft-mori-calliope- trash-taste-23/
MofuMofu Subs. (2021, May 16). Sukoya taking a 9 month break from streaming | feat. Shirayuki Tomoe (Nijisanji) [ENG SUB] [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIaMf82Km6s&ab_channel=MofuMofuSubs
Padilla, A. [AnthonyPadilla]. (2021, April 1). I spent a day with VTUBERS [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLh43_4jw60&ab_channel=AnthonyPadilla
Playboard. (2022). Most subscribed vtuber channels worldwide. https://playboard.co/en/youtube-ranking/most-subscribed-v-tuber-channels-in-worldwide-total
Schier, H. (1993). Going beyond: The crisis of identity and identity models in contemporary American, English and German fiction. De Gruyter, Inc. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/curtin/detail.action?docID=3041823
Taylor, T. L. (2018). Home studios: Transforming private play into public entertainment. In Watch me play: Twitch and the rise of game live streaming (pp. 66-135). Princeton University Press. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/curtin/reader.action?docID=5500263&ppg=79
Vicente, V. (2021, April 18). What is a VTuber?. How To Geek. https://www.howtogeek.com/720841/what-is-a-vtuber/
Yamatanomomochi (2021, March 18). [ENG Sub/NIJISANJI] Ryushen talks about their gender-unknown [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of77c5TT-Do
I enjoyed your paper, Zoe. Made me think about my recent first experience using Meta’s new Oculus VR device. I attended a VR concert by the Foo Fighters (it was live in February but I “attended” in April). Have you used Oculus? Sound and 3D 360-degree vision were very good. I could almost touch Taylor Hawkins with my virtual hands even though he was then dead. I was a little spooked to look to my right and see several other Avatars dancing and waving their arms. It seems there were others present in my virtual space, sharing the event with me. I assumed these were people somewhere in the world online at the same time as me – but where in the world they were and who they were was impossible to know. Also, they had only an avatar body from the waist up. I chose my avatar quickly and went with a standard male representation. I think next time I might try a female avatar for fun. I imagine in a year or two, this will seem very basic. But it sent me reeling in terms of all of the possibilities coming SOON. Virtual travel, Virtual dating… All as an avatar in 3D real time alongside others online. Will it even matter if you go virtual skiing in the Swiss Alps with a hot partner who doesn’t exist in the real world? I don’t know…
Hey Brendan! Thanks for commenting on my paper, but my name’s Natalie and not Zoe…unless you meant to comment on someone else’s paper?
Anyways, no worries. To answer your question – no, I have not used Oculus before (I get motion sickness easily so I avoid VR and 3D 1st POV stuff in general). That does sound pretty crazy though! It’ll be interesting to see what Meta brings, but the possibilities also do seem quite scary. How about eating, showering and basic needs? Those can’t be done virtually. The virtual world has many possibilities but in my opinion, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Hi Natalie. Sorry about the name swap. You might like to read my paper on identity: https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2022/ioa/300/me-2-0-the-ability-for-individuals-to-perform-multiple-selves-online-allows-greater-freedom-than-ever-to-explore-their-identity-at-a-cost/ I look forward to your comments.
Hi Natalie, thanks for the interesting paper
I have only had brief interactions with these communities but it has been wild seeing some of the ideas these live streamers incorporate into their personas and looking your examples seems to indicate nothing has changed.
Actually, reading through this again reminds me a lot of wrestling. The performers there take on exaggerated personalities in a similar fashion as you’ve described. I think a major appeal of wrestling is the group experience of ‘pretending’ what’s happening is real. Do you think vTubers have a similar appeal? That despite being clearly artificial treating it as genuine gives it added appeal and allows us to embrace our own eccentricities.
Hi Raymond, thanks for your comment.
I don’t really know much about professional wrestling, but I do know that most of them have personas that attract the audience. I would say there is a similar appeal, as more often than not, a good character design is what draws most people to watch one Vtuber over another. I’ve never really thought of it that way actually. Perhaps yes, maybe all these artificial personalities do allow us to accept the little odd things about ourselves.
Hi Natalie. Nice to see your paper here. Do you think there are any real-world risks associated with the appeal of Vtubers? For example, might the virtual identity become preferred to the real one?
Andrea
Hi Andrea,
Definitely. I probably should have explained doxing a bit more in the paper, but that is one of the risks associated with Vtubers. There have been incidents where vtubers have accidentally revealed their identity and also have been victims of stalking by people who somehow uncovered their real identity. Also, about the virtual identity becoming more preferred, there is a moment where a vtuber talked about it. Interestingly enough, her fans apparently preferred her virtual identity over her real one when she was looking at the viewer numbers, despite her avatar resembling her actual appearance.
Thanks for your reply Natalie. If we have more control over the virtual identity than the real one, it is easy to see how this could be preferred. We don’t have to deal with all the natural faults and imperfections that make up a real person.
Awesome paper Natalie! You described VTubers in way greater detail than I did; really interesting to see you delve into the way that personalities and identities grow from the streaming community – from both content creators and their audiences. I especially liked your point about how the LGBT community can use being a VTuber as a form of self-expression. How do you think VTubers will affect the future? Do you think we could see this kind of technology used in a more widespread fashion like for news reporters or comedians? Would be interesting to see for sure haha!
Hi Matt! You bring up an interesting question… I definitely think the technology that VTubers use will likely become more mainstream in the future. Considering how the tech used is already being used elsewhere (like in VR videogames and such), I wouldn’t be surprised if more mainstream media outlets started using the same technology for other users. It would be pretty cool to have virtual celebrities and such that exist outside of the anime and videogame circles.
That kind of future kind of reminds me of the recently released animated movie, Belle, if you’ve heard of it? It touches briefly on the subject of virtual celebrities and such, which means, a VTuber comedian or news reporter may not be too far off after all!
I’ve actually had Belle on my ‘to-watch’ list for a while! The idea of virtual celebrities is fascinating, I’m sure that it’ll happen eventually, it’s only a matter of getting the technology more widespread and into the hands of the masses. A Virtual comedian reminds me of those “I made an AI watch a bunch of comedy shows and got it to write one” videos where the jokes are complete nonsense, but somehow still funny? I wonder how that will evolve. Video of an AI comedy show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH_bEtbfB9U
Neat! Belle is a great movie and the fact that the producers so seamlessly combined traditional 2D animation with 3D is awesome. I’ve actually watched a couple of those AI videos! They’re not exactly my cup of tea or type of humour, but the nonsensical nature of it is quite amusing. It’ll be crazy to see how AI will evolve, especially in the comedy sector. Most of the time I find that what AI can’t really replicate is human tone and delivery of jokes, and that usually makes up the whole reason a joke is funny in my opinion.
As a big fan of VTubers, I really enjoyed reading this paper! It is always nice to see some of the content creators that I followed regularly like Ryushen and Sukoya, and the overall industry getting credit in academic readings, makes me think of how much the VTuber industry has grown since it started back in 2016. The freedom to be whatever character you want on a public platform is exactly what makes it different than regular streamers, and I do believe that the avatar has the ability to attract audiences even if they are culturally and linguistically different, it is one of the factors why VTubers are so popular these days. What do you think is the next step for the VTuber industry or community? Do you think that VTubers are on their way to integrating with ordinary everyday life, to be an official figurehead/celebrity even outside of the internet and a recognised profession, or have they reached their limit in terms of popularity and will fade away eventually in the following years?
Hi Adrian,
That question is definitely something worth thinking about. Considering that VTubers in general are still relatively unknown outside of anime and videogame circles, I’m wondering if more mainstream YouTubers will start creating their own VTuber personas in the far future. I don’t know if you have heard, but apparently some famous Twitch streamers have been (mis)using the VTuber tag, which definitely shows that they (the streamers) have some knowledge of it, if they’re using it to attract more viewers. Perhaps the next step for VTubers is branching out from the typical anime art style which we see across the industry. I wouldn’t be surprised if one day a Sims-like VTuber appeared (though the technology specs for that model would probably be very high).
I highly doubt VTubers will fade away just yet. It’s still a very new industry, considering that the big two (Nijisanji and Hololive Productions) are about 2 years in the making, and Kizuna Ai being less than 10 years old. If anything, there’s room to grow. There’s already VTubers who have been using VR World to interact with their viewers, who’s to say that VR won’t be the next step? Or even AR livestreams once the tech for that gets developed. It’s a very interesting prospect to think about.