Kizuna AI, the Digital Youtuber who coined the very time period itself and was as soon as often known as the massive boss of VTubers, made her return final month after a three-year hiatus. Whereas she has introduced that she received’t be doing issues the identical method this time round, one main change is that she’s utilizing a wholly new mannequin that makes her look extra mature. She’s been likened to a mother, and even a former delinquent turned mother.
VTubers upgrading and even altering fashions isn’t all that uncommon. Some even drastically change appearances whereas underneath the identical identification. But it surely feels totally different with Kizuna AI, and I believe it’s as a result of together with her, it’s virtually like a timeskip straight out of anime and manga.
In contrast to most different VTuber makeovers, wherein the change occurs virtually immediately, AI was gone for 3 years. An precise important period of time has handed in the actual world, and now she has the aura of somebody who’s at a unique stage of her life. In an area the place it’s nonetheless commonplace to painting younger characters whatever the precise performers’ ages, having the determine most synonymous with VTubing break free from that development (if ever so barely) is a reasonably huge deal.
Maybe permitting VTubers to replicate the expansion of the performers has its personal deserves. As Houshou Marine as soon as put it, “the age of 30 is in demand,” however possibly 30 is barely the beginning.
