Idols Living in the Virtual: The Authentication of VTuber’s Persona Through Sound and Music in Digital Realm Available to Purchase

Millions of international viewers enjoy live streams by the latest form of virtual idols on YouTube—VTubers (virtual YouTubers). VTubers acquire a Japanese anime-style “skin” accompanying fictional lore, while their real-life faces and identities are hidden away from the audience as an untouchable taboo. They sing and dance on the streaming platform, using personae that are often pre-designed before their debuts. Despite their exclusive virtual nature, VTubers are indeed conceived to be “real” and authentic. This paper frames VTubers as a type of virtual idol, where their business revolves around the creation and circulation of personae with musical performances, such as utawaku streams (online live karaoke sessions), serving as an important site for VTubers to shape their personae and engage with their fans. This research involves participant observation on YouTube and relevant social media platforms, alongside interviews with eleven individuals in the industry, including VTubers, managers, and founders of idol agencies. Through a case study of an utawaku session by Shirogane Noel, a popular VTuber with nearly two million subscribers, the paper explores the emerging trend of virtual idols, the role of music and sound in the virtual realm, and the creation and perception of sonic performances under strict anonymity. More importantly, it offers a new way of understanding persona and identity in virtual environments, where they often overlap and interweave. By considering VTubers as a result of collaborating, or “co-op,” between rigging technologies, the Japanese idol business, and the audience in the play, this paper argues that sonic and musical performances effectively humanize fictional characters and authenticate VTubers’ personae in the digital realm across multiple layers.