Anime ‘virtual YouTube hosts’ are a thing, and Gree’s using VR to make them

If you haven’t heard of “virtual YouTubers” or VTubers, you’re not alone: the recent Japanese trend turns human actors into cartoony virtual characters for YouTube videos. Now Japanese gaming and media company Gree is leveraging VR hardware and IKinema software to recruit people who might become YouTube’s next big personalities.

Cartoony characters have been popular in Japanese comics and animated videos for generations, appearing as frequently in Japan’s public settings as Mickey Mouse does at American Disney parks. Sometimes known as “idols,” the characters often remain popular with kids and adults for decades. So for some Japanese YouTubers, appearing in videos as an “idol” is more fun than doing so in one’s own skin — a trend that could easily take off outside of Japan, as well.