In the not-too-distant future, we may all be living in a society similar to the world of Ready Player One. Virtual and augmented reality technology is rapidly advancing and increasing in popularity. It’s no surprise that anime such as Sword Art Online, .hack, and Summer Wars continue to show people occupying alternate virtual realities that may provide more fulfillment that the real world.
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In Japan, the trend of people creating virtual personas with 3D characters representing themselves is becoming particularly popular. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of virtual YouTubers, who are usually moe girl characters with hidden true identities, since December. However, looks are not always what they seem, and average-looking men are actually behind some of these popular online personas.
The trend is not limited to virtual YouTuber video channels. Apparently, an increasing number of roughly middle-aged Japanese men are choosing to become cute girl characters in the world of VRChat. With the help of media artist Teruaki Tsubokura, The Asahi Shimbun’s Yoshinobu Tanji recently explored this realm of Japanese men appearing as female characters in the game.
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Source: anime news network