I only recently learned about VTubers.
While chilling and aimlessly browsing YouTube, I came across people broadcasting with something that clearly wasn’t your average 2D character.
After delving into internet broadcasting and becoming increasingly interested in related fields, I began to explore VTubers with great curiosity.
I soon realized that this was more fun and advanced technology than I had imagined.
The VTuber culture, which originated in Japan and has not been around for long in our country, intrigued me enough to commit to investing, despite the significant initial costs including equipment.
It didn’t feel like a wrong decision to reinvest the money I’ve earned so far from broadcasting into something new.
Si-young also supported my decision in various ways, saying it wasn’t bad.
And the result is what you see now.
Me, in the real world, with black hair and black eyes.
In stark contrast, my alternate self has blonde hair and blue eyes.
This alternate me has a gentler impression and a kinder-looking face than my current one.
Hearing about the advancements in science and technology and how the world changes is one thing, but actually experiencing it felt truly amazing.
Is this what they call the metaverse?
It makes me feel somewhat trendy and part of the MZ generation.
[Trendy Mollu declares she’s going to conquer the VTuber market ㄷㄷ]
[What’s a VTuber anyway, you obsessive fan?]
[- False -]
[These days, kids only watch VTuber broadcasts ㅋㅋ]
[You don’t know what a VTuber is?]
[Don’t know about the metaverse?]
[You do know about the metaverse? Scary.]
“That’s quite impressive.”
I chimed in with the chat, agreeing.
At the same time, my virtual character mimicked my movement, making it seem like it was speaking – this was the facial recognition feature that tracks my face and transmits it instantly onto the screen.
There were many other fascinating features as well.
“Take a look at this, everyone. Isn’t it amazing?”
When I moved my hand around, the avatar did the same.
I could express my current mood or state by making it cry or smile.
Since I was in a very good mood, I set the default expression of my character to a smile.
[Cheshire smile]
[It’s scary ㅠㅠ]
[The character was fine a moment ago?]
[No surprise, it’s Mollu all over again.]
[Wow, this character selection is brilliant.]
[Cheshire grin… Heh-heh-heh…]
[This just turned into a horror show.]
“Yes, it is quite… excessively cheerful.”
[It’s not cheerful, it looks a bit broken.]
[Seriously, don’t try to talk to her, she might run away.]
The smile triggered by pressing the laugh button was something otherworldly, not like a regular smile.
It was difficult to describe with words, but the fixed upward curl of the mouth and the empty eye smile created an unsettling feeling.
This was a perfect example of the uncanny valley effect.
Time now: 11:24 PM.
Not the kind of face I’d wish to see late at night.
“It seems AI hasn’t reached the level of replicating human facial expressions quite yet.”
From my memory, human faces have at least 30 distinct muscles, enabling a vast array of rich emotional expressions.
Apparently, AI isn’t at the level where it can replicate all of that yet.
Still, if it were to become so realistic, it might be slightly unsettling.
Novels and movies where advanced AI dominates humanity briefly came to my mind.
<Kimchulgu donated 10,000 won>
– So, are you going to continue broadcasting as a VTuber from now on?
“Hmm, I don’t have a concrete plan yet. I’ll try it out and keep going if it’s fun.”
Why do people watch internet broadcasts?
Because they offer different and unique entertainment compared to public broadcasting or other cultural contents.
I invested initial capital into becoming a VTuber and intended to broadcast using an avatar for a while.
If it turns out to be fun, I will keep doing it, and if not, I’ll switch back to a no-cam setup. It’s not a big deal.
It’s a completely risk-free business.
[Is no-cam better…?]
[It did feel a little empty before.]
[No-cam is better, having this weirdVTuber character will not attract viewers.]
[Ignoring VTuber fans? Their influence is significant though.]
[Is this person an AI? Is this the famous AI broadcast everyone’s talking about?]
[It’s not AI, there’s someone behind it.]
<Hello ^^ donated 100,000 won>
– I’m meeting a VTuber for the first time, but your avatar is quite pretty. I will come often.
The claim that there won’t be any new viewers was far from the truth.
The increasing number of viewers and the increasingly frequent donations indicated that new people, different from my usual audience, had started to come to my broadcasts.
However, I couldn’t be purely happy about it.
“This is kinda strange…”
I never expected the audience to grow; I thought it would shrink.
Of course, I anticipated a separate group of VTuber-only viewers, but I assumed that as many people would leave as there would be new ones coming, given that VTubers were still somewhat niche.
It’s a polarizing content; there are those who really dislike it.
Yet, here we are with these results.
[Ahaha, like hell anyone would leave?]
[Underestimating loyalty? People will watch you regardless ofVTuber or no mic.]
[Does this person dislike having a large audience?]
[Exactly, they hate it. They love kicking people out. “Everyone go away.”]
[Ahhh, got it. That’s the concept.]
[Your RP is quite distinct.]
[What does that mean?]
RP, the deliberately exaggerated, unique concept that VTubers perform.
The newly arrived viewers seemed to interpret my wary attitude toward the growing audience as a part of my concept.
What impression did they have of me?
The kind that berates and insults viewers, treating them like pigs?
Or the aloof, cool beauty who finds the audience bothersome and broadcasts half-heartedly?
Neither was a misunderstanding I wanted to have.
*
“So, this is the VR World, huh…”
A place where anything is achievable within the limits allowed by the graphics.
I arrived at the VR World.
A summer beach, a picturesque forest, a stylish café, a rooftop, a snowy mountain peak – various places that were otherwise hard to visit in the real world due to time and space constraints were all accessible here with just a portal jump.
[There are plenty of fun places in other worlds too.]
[How about a game map?]
[Let’s go.]
Newcomers often give off a certain “naughty” vibe.
I, having once been a newbie and exposed to countless games, wasn’t unfamiliar with the “naughty” aroma.
Now, the situations are reversed.
I, being a VR novice, was struggling to master the functions, while seasoned players were showing me the ropes.
“Yes, I’ll visit the recommended places one by one. Please wait a moment.”
Soon, the chat discussions about my face disappeared entirely.
These chats had been occasional before entering VR World, but now even those have vanished.
Instead, another strong draw has taken their place.
[Why’s it fun?]
[VTubers… it’s not bad, maybe?]
[No, you’re already in deep.]
[I mean it, this is better than I thought; no repulsion.]
[Decent enough.]
The responses from my regular viewers who were not VTuber enthusiasts were pretty good too.
The numerous maps in VR World.
Just visiting these maps one by one was becoming a unique content experience.
This was the picture I had in mind.
Initially, making VR the main content promised to be an entirely new experience for my regular viewers.
I, too, felt the same.
“There’s something like this too. Darts, billiards, table tennis, bowling… Is this a comprehensive game arcade?”
The place recommended by the viewers seemed to be purely entertainment-focused.
There were various games lined up, and you could actually play them.
“I’ll try darts once.”
Just as I was about to throw a dart at the target in front of me…
-#@!$%!
“What the, there’s someone here?”
Suddenly, a character other than mine appeared and started talking to me.
This was the first time this happened since I had started walking around various maps.
-^%@$#!
“What is he saying? It sounds like Japanese, but can anyone translate this?”
VR World, a platform encouraging communication across the world.
You can frequently encounter foreigners.
Given the vastness of the world compared to Korea, it’s probably more likely to meet foreigners than fellow countrymen.
“Hmm, ‘Konnichiwa’?”
-#@$www!!
The Japanese man was reacting enthusiastically, apparently understanding the universal greeting “Konnichiwa.”
[What, some lunatic using ‘Konnichiwa’ as the first thing?]
[He’s in a good mood… He’s in a really good mood!]
[Miss Mollu seems to be in a good mood.]
[This is getting a little wild…]
[Does he know you’re Korean?]
“How did you know I’m Korean? ‘Nice to meet you’ in Japanese, right?”
With the help of my viewers, I managed to carry on a conversation somehow.
Turns out, he was a Japanese person who spoke some Korean, thanks to a Korean friend.
-%@$@!
“Friend? ‘Friend’ means… are you asking to be friends, hmm?”
The Japanese woman, known for her friendly nature, was now inviting me.
She added me as a friend in the VR world and sauntered off.
“Seems there are popular people in VR world too. She’s a fun friend.”
A short, but impactful encounter.
Even though it was unexpected, it was quite satisfying.
“Meeting people could be pretty fun. Shall we check out some other public maps?”
Public maps open to everyone without restrictions.
Recommended by the viewers, I entered a highly-rated map.
Who would I meet this time?
-!$춍!@$
“Chinese…?”
I encountered a Chinese person passionately praising the greatness of his country.
