By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
Available with the VARK app on Oculus and Quest 2 (VR); regular version on Android, iOS, and Niconico (non VR)
If only Virtual YouTubers existed back in the 1980s, I’m sure EVE from Megazone 23 would’ve endured beyond the golden age of anime. She’d even be ‘upgraded’ with the times. Well, technically, she was an avatar, a computer program designed to keep an eye on the people of Earth on floating cities. Her presence is meant to keep the populace happy, and the virtual idols of today serve a similar purpose. Their celebrity lifestyle is something fans want to follow; Himemori Luna (姫森ルーナ) and Natsuiro Matsuri (夏色まつり) is ) are two beloved video bloggers on YouTube who have a massive following. According to the VTuber Wiki, the number of subscribers to these idols and many more number in the millions. These two are the latest to perform a virtual concert last weekend!
Cinderella Switch -Futari de miru Hololive- cycles through popular virtual idol singers per show and unlike their regular YouTube content, which also puts their life on spotlight, these performances allow fans see them sing from the best seat in the house. The shows are “managed” by VARK Inc, considered a leader in this VR concert industry, and software that’s developed puts viewers into a cartoon.
This show realizes the two as best of friends. One is sweet and naive, and the other a ball of fire. Their shows are approximately an hour long, consisting of five tracks. Luna’s repertoire was bouncy, and Matsuri’s more varied (her show’s production value is a lot more varied). They sing covers of tunes composed by other artists, ranging from 40mp to DECO*27, and the emotional value is everything I’d expect from a Urusei Yatsura EDM mix-tape. Notable favourites include Ugoku, Uogoku (Chito & Yuuri), Paprika (Foorin) and U&I (Houkago Tea Time).
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