VTubers and anime culture
A case study of Japanese learners in two public universities in Malaysia
Keywords:
anime, Japanese, Malaysian youth, popular culture, VTuberAbstract
This study attempts to identify Malaysian youth's interest in anime culture and one of its subcultures, Virtual YouTubers (VTubers). Anime, manga and drama series count amongst the most popular and well-received types of Japanese popular culture since the 1990s, where their translation into various languages have rendered them globally renowned. A plethora of studies have been done on anime and manga globally. However, studies on its subculture, VTubers, an online platform that uses a digital avatar generated using computer graphics, are still scarce, particularly in the Malaysian context. A total of 104 respondents participated in an online survey conducted using Google Forms. The respondents comprised Japanese language students from two public universities in Malaysia. Some of the respondents are members of a Japanese Cultural Club from one of the universities. The survey was divided into three sections: respondents' background, respondents' interest in anime culture, and their interest in VTubers. The results showed that the most popular culture is anime, followed by manga, song and seiyuu (voice actor/actress). The most well-liked anime genre is fantasy, followed by humour, love stories (romance), and mystery. Most of the respondents knew the word "VTuber" from anime, friends, and internet platforms such as YouTube.
Downloads
References
Ben, K. (2018). Ayano Date, Daughter of First Virtual Idol Kyoko Date, Makes Her Debut https://grapee.jp/en/106025. 2018-11-08 Thu, Accessed on 6 July 2021.
Craig, T.J. (2000). Japan Pop!: Inside the world of Japanese Popular culture. New York: An East Gate Book.
Drazen, P. (2003). Anime Explosion: the what? Why? & wow! Of Japanese animation. California Stone Bridge Press.
Dwiana, R.P., & Arie, P. (2019). Fenomena “Virtual Youtuber” Kizuna Ai di Kalangan Penggemar Budaya. Populer Jepang di Indonesia. MediaTor, 12 (2), 128-140.
Galbraith, P. W. (2012). Otaku space. Chin Music Press.
Galbraith, P. W. (2011). Fujoshi: Fantasy Play and Transgressive Intimacy among “Rotten Girls” in Contemporary Japan. Journal of women in culture and society. 37(1). https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/660182?journalCode=signs. Accessed on 5 February 2021.
Galbraith, P. W. (2009). The otaku encyclopedia: The insider’s guide to the subculture of cool Japan. Kodansha.
Inugami Korone YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChAnqc_AY5_I3Px5dig3X1Q. Accessed on 6 July 2021.
Ismail, M.M., Hassan, N.A., Abdullah, A., Othman, Z., Yunus, M.D., & Hairol Anuar Mak Din, H.A.M. (2021). Pembentukan Etos Nasional Belia Malaysia: Wadah Pembinaan Negara-Bangsa. Akademika 91(1).3-14. https://doi.org/10.17576/akad-2021-9101-01
Kaguya Luna Official Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCQYADFw7xEJ9oZSM5ZbqyBw. Accessed on 6 July 2021.
Tuah, K.M., & Mazlan, U.S. (2020). Twitter as Safe Space for Self-Disclosure among Malaysian LGBTQ Youths. Malaysian Journal of Communication. 36(1). 436-448.
Kalaisilven, S. & Sukimi, F. (2019). Kawalan Ibu Bapa terhadap Anak-Anak dalam Penggunaan Media Sosial. Akademika. 89(1). 111-124. https://doi.org/10.17576/akad-2019-8901-09.
Kizuna Ai Official Website (2021). https://kizunaai.com. Accessed on 6 July 2021.
Kizuna Ai YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4YaOt1yT-ZeyB0OmxHgolA. Accessed on 6 July 2021.
MacWilliam, M.W. (2008). Introduction. In MacWilliams (ed.). Japanese visual culture: Explorations in the world of manga and anime. 3-25. New York: An East Gate Book.
Mamat, R., Rashid, R.A. & Paee, R(2021). Understanding LGBT elements in manga and anime and its relation with Malaysian Otaku. Unpublished research report.
Mamat, R., Rahim, N.A. & Nik Rafidah Nik Muhamad Affendi (2019). Perkembangan Komik dan Animasi: Satu Kajian Perbandingan antara Melayu dan Jepun. Malaysian Journal of Communication. 35(2). 260-276.
Mamat, R., Rashid, R.A., Halim, H.A. & Mansor, N.S. (2018). Penggunaan Manga dan Anime sebagai Media Pembelajaran dalam Kalangan Pelajar Bahasa Jepun di Universiti Awam Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Communication. Jilid 34(3).298 -313.
Nagaike, K. (2019). Fudanshi (“Rotten Boys”) in Asia: A Cross.-Cultural Analysis of Male Readings of BL and Concepts of Masculinity. Women’s Manga in Asia and Beyond. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331766908_Fudanshi_Rotten_Boys_in_Asia_A_Cross-Cultural_Analysis_of_Male_Rea. Accessed on 5 February 2021.
Natsu Matsuri YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCQ0UDLQCjY0rmuxCDE38FGg.
Okabe, D. & Ishida, K. (2012). “Making Fujoshi Identity Visible and Invisible.” In Fandom Unbound: Otaku Culture in a Connected World, 207–24. Yale University Press.
Okuno, T. (2014). Roots of Cool Japan: From the Japanese Traditional Edo Culture to Anime and Manga. Kwansei Gakuin University Social Sceince Review. Vol. 19.
Rahman, N.F.A., Hambali, K.M., Awang, J., Yaakob, Z.A. & Shapiee, N.S. (2020). Memahami Agama Lain: Tujuan dan Syarat dari Perspektif Pemimpin Agama di Malaysia. Akademika. 90 (2). 165-179. https://doi.org/10.17576/akad-2020-9002-14.
Syam, H. M, Anisah, N., Saleh, R. and Lingga, M. (2021), Ideology and Media Framing: Stigmatisation of LGBT in Media Coverage in Indonesia. Malaysian Journal of Communication. 37(1) 2021: 59-73
Xin, Z. (2020). Virtual Youtuber Kizuna AI: Co-creating human-non-human interaction and celebrity-audience relationship. Unpublished Master’s Thesis. Lund University.
https://jw-webmagazine.com/hottest-girl-virtual-youtubers-in-japan-36bb215ec57c/ Accessed on 5 February 2021.
Yogesh Hole et al 2019 J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 1362 012121
VTuber Wiki. https://virtualyoutuber.fandom.com/wiki/Kizuna_Ai#Introduction_Video. Accessed on 5 February 2021.
Hololive English Wiki. https://hololive.wiki/wiki/Natsuiro_Matsuri. Accessed on 5 February 2021.
VTuber Wiki. https://virtualyoutuber.fandom.com/wiki/Natsuiro_Matsuri. Accessed on 5 February 2021.
VTuber Wiki. https://virtualyoutuber.fandom.com/wiki/Kaguya_Luna. Accessed on 5 February 2021.
VTuber Wiki. https://virtualyoutuber.fandom.com/wiki/Shirakami_Fubuki. Accessed on 5 February 2021.
VTuberWiki. dings_of_BL_and_Concepts_of_Masculinity. Accessed on 5 February 2021.
Emma. (2015). Honey’s Anime. What is Fujoshi? Definition, Meaning. September 16, 2015. https://honeysanime.com/what-is-fujoshi-definition-meaning/. Accessed on 10 February 2021.
http://yabai.com/p/2725. Fudanshi: Men and the Consumption of Gay Themes in Manga and Anime. Accessed on 10 February 2021.
https://omr.com/en/vtubers-hololive-kizuna-ai/ Vtubers have millions of subs and huge revenues—but the reality is, they don’t exist. January 2021. Access on 5 March 2021.
Li, Y. (2019). China debuts AI virtual idol. http://www.ecns.cn/news/2020-05-19/detail-ifzwknkv0963987.shtml.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2022 International journal of health sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Articles published in the International Journal of Health Sciences (IJHS) are available under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives Licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Authors retain copyright in their work and grant IJHS right of first publication under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Users have the right to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles in this journal, and to use them for any other lawful purpose.
Articles published in IJHS can be copied, communicated and shared in their published form for non-commercial purposes provided full attribution is given to the author and the journal. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
This copyright notice applies to articles published in IJHS volumes 4 onwards. Please read about the copyright notices for previous volumes under Journal History.
