Vtubers: India's virtual stars whose real faces you won't see
- Published
JoqniX is among a budding niche of virtual YouTubers or VTubers in India
JoqniX has silver-platinum hair, wears spectacles and loves meeting new people.
He livestreams - or broadcasts - himself playing popular video games on his YouTube channel for up to 12 hours. His few hundred followers enjoy watching him play or speak about the action unfolding in the game.
But JoqniX isn't real. He is a digital avatar created and managed by a student based in southern India who is not comfortable revealing more details about his location and offline life.
JoqniX is among a fast-growing niche group of virtual YouTubers, or VTubers, in India - digital personalities that have been created by online entertainers and content creators who mostly wish to keep their identities secret.
These VTuber avatars usually have distinct Japanese anime-style features and they stream games, participate in internet trends, make art or music and engage in other activities online that are fun to watch. Creators say that part of the popularity of these digital personalities is that their real identities remain shrouded in mystery.
According to reports, the trend originated in Japan in 2016 with Kizuna AI, widely considered to be the first VTuber, using the term for the first time. Since then, the trend has grown in popularity with several content creators setting up quirky digital VTuber avatars, some of whom have amassed a huge fan following.
Venu G Joshi, founder of the Indian VTuber talent agency, Project Starscape, says the trend gained popularity in India during the Covid 19 pandemic. Joqnix's creator, who wished to be known only by the digital avatar, estimates that there are more than 90 VTubers in India at the moment.
He maintains a list of Indian VTubers on Twitter and is a moderator of Discord servers - an online space for like-minded people to interact with each other via video and text chats - for the community.
The phenomenon is yet to gain mainstream popularity in India, but participants hope this could change soon. The BBC spoke to some creators of Indian VTuber accounts to better understand the trend, its appeal and purpose.
Zucci Agasura's introductory video has been viewed 52,000 times on YouTube
For the creator behind VTuber Suzuki Zuriko, VTubing allows her to escape the vicious trolling content creators are often subjected to online. "I feel it has enabled many of us, especially women, to try out content creation without feeling unsafe," she says. "I don't have to worry about people making fun of my real body or making sexist comments."
For Virtual Sakura's creator, on the other hand, the appeal of VTubing lies in the scope for creativity the trend offers. Creators can give their avatars interesting backstories - Virtual Sakura, for instance, is a 200-year-old girl with magical powers. "Here we can make our own realities and it's beautiful," says the Delhi-based creator.
Creators either design their avatars - also called "models" - or commission artists and animators to design and create 2D or 3D versions of these models. Most models are Japanese anime-style designs, while others are modelled after other creations such as mythical creatures. A slew of apps are used to design them and their movements are controlled using face and body tracking software.
The 19-year-old creator of VTuber Mio - an avatar that is half cat demon and half human - has designed 10 such models so far. "I've earned roughly $2,000 (£1,700) from making models and art commissions over the past two years," she says.
JoqniX's creator says that his digital avatar speaks in his own voice, even though most creators choose to use voice modulation software to give their avatars a unique voice. JoqniX speaks in a sing-song voice and often sprinkles his conversations with Japanese words.
The creator describes himself as being a "shy and silent" person, but says that JoqniX brings him out of his shell, at least online. "When I started streaming, I promised myself that I'll speak up and make friends," he says.
While Japanese VTubers are immensely popular - many of them have millions of followers on their YouTube channels and several others are part of paid ad campaigns and launch events - Indian VTubers are yet to enjoy this level of commercial success.
The creators the BBC spoke to recall how Nijisanji - a popular VTuber agency based in Japan - announced its India branch in 2019 and launched three VTubers, including Noor, who raked up more than 60,000 subscribers - only to suspend operations in 2021. Observers speculate this was due to "failed marketing". AnyColor Inc, the entertainment start-up which owns Nijisanji, declined to answer the BBC's questions.
Most Indian VTubers start out on YouTube but are now active on streaming platforms like Twitch as well. Their videos rarely cross 1,000 views on YouTube and the creators work independently. But experts in the space say that the niche is slowly expanding.
VTuber Mio's digital avatar is half cat demon and half human
Project Starscape has launched two batches - popularly called "gens" - of VTubers so far. The agency held auditions to shortlist candidates and helped them set up their YouTube channels.
"We received a total of around 260 applications," says Mr Joshi. So far, the company's VTubers are all women but he says he plans to launch a batch of all-male VTubers soon.
"Female VTubers tend to do better because gaming has a majority male fan base," says Mr Joshi, adding that he has just closed an angel round of funding with a Japanese investor.
An introductory video by Zucci Agasura, one of the agency's VTubers, has 52,000 views on YouTube. "Depending on your engagement, you can earn money through YouTube's Channel Membership - where fans pay for access to exclusive perks and content," says the creator, but declines to divulge more details about her earnings from the platform.
Last year, the 25-year-old creator behind VTuber MeowCatMax founded Virtualism - a company that offers a platform for upcoming VTubers to showcase their skills and build their fanbase.
"We put out news, podcasts and are also conducting auditions to launch our first gen of VTubers," he says.
Harsh, who maintains a page for the Indian VTubing community on Reddit - a social news aggregation and discussion website - says that Indian VTubers haven't gained traction yet because "the concept of living for your hobbies is still budding here".
But he remains a huge fan. "Watching a VTuber is like watching a friend and when VTubers collaborate, it can feel like watching a reality show."
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