Oh, Kizuna Ai… what have you done to our beloved anime industry?
Since the rise in popularity of virtual YouTubers (YouTube members using motion tracking software to have an anime persona replace them on screen and mimic their movements), it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. Holo no Graffiti is now a thing and its first episode is streaming on the web right now.
Holo no Graffiti is actually the second web anime series from Cover, a Tokyo-based YouTube producing company. Formed in 2016, Cover has built its own virtual YouTube idol agency. Yes… there are now idol units for virtual YouTubers. The agency is simply called Holo Live. While this may seem crazy to us here across the big pond, Holo Live’s YouTube channels have garnered over 1 million followers in Japan alone.
Holo no Graffiti’s first episode features a duel between Shirkami Fubuki and Ozora Subaru. New episodes will be added each Sunday.
Maybe, one day, I’ll become a virtual YouTube anime girl… but don’t think I have the legs to pull it off.