Long seen as a niche Japanese subculture, virtual Youtubers ("Vtubers") -- like this 26-year-old young woman, who lends her voice and movements to a character named Yume Kotobuki -- are now a lucrative industry where some channels bring in more than a million euros a year.

The videos are designed to make fans feel like they're interacting directly with the animated character onscreen, and some subscribers are paying hundreds of dollars to have one of their comments featured during a stream. .

"When I play live video games and win, my fans congratulate me" and send small amounts of money "to show me their support," Mayu Iizuka told AFP.

Thanks to a webcam and a motion sensor around her neck, she brings Yume to life, who, with her high-pitched voice, her short skirt and her big purple eyes of a cartoon character, has the typical look of Vtubers' avatars.

Kazumi, who asked to be identified only by his first name, posing with his digital illustrations of his favorite character and virtual YouTuber Mio Ookami, at his home in Yokohama, March 12, 2022 Charly TRIBALLEAU AFP

Next, his team controls the character's facial expressions.

“She is part of my family”

The world of VTubers has grown rapidly since its inception about five years ago and has 16,000 active content producers worldwide, according to specialist company User Local, and thriving fan communities on platforms like Twitch or Tik Tok.

Japanese local communities sometimes use it for their promotion, and even the main actors of the movie "The Batman", Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz, gave an interview to a Japanese VTuber.

Their sources of income are similar to those of traditional streamers, for example via YouTube's "Super Chat" function which gives a subscriber's comment a place proportional to the price paid.

People attending an exhibition dedicated to virtual YouTubers in Chiba, March 19, 2022 Charly TRIBALLEAU AFP

Last year, the nine YouTube channels that generated the most revenue worldwide through this system belonged to VTubers, all affiliated with the same talent agency in Tokyo.

They receive up to 1.5 million euros in donations annually, according to the data analysis site Playboard.

Kazuma Murakami, a 30-year-old automotive technical inspector, admits sometimes spending up to 10,000 yen (70 euros) for one of his comments to be highlighted and seen by his favorite VTuber.

Kazumi, a computer scientist who only wanted to give his first name, decorated his small studio in Tokyo with posters, framed photos and key rings bearing the image of his idol Mio Ookami, a half-girl, half-wolf character. .

"I can spend five to ten hours thinking about her," he says.

"It's like she's part of my family."

"Capture the attention"

This propensity for fans to open their hearts and wallets to their favorite character resembles "a long-standing practice that sees idol and anime fans express their support by purchasing tons of items," notes Noriyuki Nagamatsu of the online advertising agency DA Consortium.

It's "a way to capture the attention of the loved one, and to feel superior to other fans," he adds.

VTubers usually fade behind their character and many fans like Kazumi say they melt for Mio, not the actress who hosts her.

Mayu Iizuka, virtual YouTuber who animates a character called Yume Kotobuki, posing before a livestream in a Tokyo studio on April 7, 2022 Charly TRIBALLEAU AFP

But the line between the two is sometimes blurred: a Japanese court recently ruled in favor of a VTuber who argued that online insults against her character were attacks on her.

The virtual characters can "transcend gender, age or physique, but the important thing is that there is a real person behind who reads the comments," said Kazuhito Ozawa, the plaintiff's lawyer.

Mayu Iizuka says she was anxious about revealing her identity after "playing" Yume for four years.

"I was afraid that fans of Yume, with her big bright eyes and her pretty belly, would be disappointed to see the real person behind it", but "the reactions have been very kind", she assures.

“I was reluctant to speak in public for a long time, but Yume is such an experienced streamer that she has helped me speak with more confidence.”

© 2022 AFP