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I have not written anything substantial in this space for a long time, so it’s already time to whip up something special. Remember the time when I was roleplaying at three Fate/Grand Order theme cafes? (Links below) I’m sorry to say that’s the thing of the past, because at this time and age, ang buong Pilipinas ay Genshin Impact. Genshin Impact looked attractive because of its good character designs, catering to everyone’s varied tastes. Events in the Philippines cannot escape the groups of Genshin Impact cosplays. I even got into a Genshin Impact maid cafe myself! (Thanks, OtaCute) ...

TOYCON returns to the SM Megamall Megatrade Halls next weekend, July 8 to 10, 2022. Megatrade Hall served as home to TOYCON for a long time, before it moved to SMX Manila in 2016 as its audience grew bigger. What does TOYCON’s return to Megatrade mean to me? Memories—lots of memories. My first TOYCON was at the Megatrade, after all. Let’s go back to 2010, when my older cousin and I visited its 9th edition. At that time, DC Comics was celebrating its 75th year; 2RATS, CSCENTRL and GamerTotoy exist; Encantadia was the hit TV series; OTACOOL was one of my dream books to collect; and I was just having fun. Those were good times. ...

Ateneo de Manila-based independent otaku organization Touyou no Shinjuu (Toushin) held its second Toucon Online last weekend (June 17-19). The event, considered as the country’s first student-organized online otaku event during this pandemic, presented activities catered to cosplayers, console gamers and anime fans alike. It was attended by over a hundred fans on Discord, and was viewed hundreds of times on Facebook and Twitch. Which Segments I’ve Watched at TouCon Online 2022? One of their segments on Day 1 is pretty unique - a Wikipedia speed run where the fastest who can reach a certain article wins. The fastest speed run recorded went from Among Us to Manga in just 10 seconds. ...

Events are back - and so we are. The keepsakes. team is on and around again doing what we do best: Share stories together with our friends in the community. This time, we are visiting the 6200 Geek Con, happening at the Southview Hotel in Brgy. Banilad, Dumaguete City on the weekend of June 11 and 12, 2022. Organized by Karen J. A. Gumapac and Portia Bernadette N. Bation of Art Moves PH, and co-organized by the Silliman University Geek Culture Society, the 6200 Geek Con has a total of 10 exhibitors, 29 artist booths, and two days of activities for the Negrense audience. (The ZIP code for Dumaguete City is 6200.) ...

Miminaru describes herself as a plus size monkey VTuber who frequently streams to her over 8,000 Twitch followers a variety of content such as Apex Legends, Genshin Impact, chat streams and the like. She debuted with a new model last February. There’s quite a lot to Miminaru than just bringing chaos and gremlin vibes on stream though—she underwent model changes and other challenges, leading to who she is now. On this feature, the VTuber Section asks her questions about her origins, her strive for representation, and her outlook on VTubing. ...

Since its initial announcement last year, Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) formally announces the first generation of VTubers under the “VEE” virtual talent development and management project. The first generation is composed of three new talents and two existing ones. Otokado Ruki, Tulsi-Nightmare Madness IV, Hinahoshi Airu, Kujo Ringo and Syusetu Kohaku are revealed as the first generation members of the VEE project, as the “Dev-a” generation. Their individual profiles, Twitter accounts and debut schedules are revealed today, May 23, 2022. ...

Symphoria, a new VTuber group under the V&U (Virtual & Universe) brand, unveiled its cast of Virtual YouTubers last May 8, Sunday. The new group is composed of office lady-slash-idol fan Liora Walkyria, magical girl Penelope Wiseman and twins Celine and Helen Etherna. Meet the V&U Symphoria VTuber members! Liora Walkyria Liora is a working Valkyrie who is ~2,100 years old. She likes idols and cute things, but dislikes paperwork, physical activity and remembering things. Her gaming interests include rhythm, FPS and gacha games. ...

Rita Kamishiro of PRISM Project has successfully raised US$10,000 during her charity stream last May 15 for the United States-based National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The charity stream held in support of Mental Health Awareness Month brings together other virtual personalities such as Ying, Meru Matsuro, and Phase Connect’s Pipkin Pippa to discuss their personal experiences and the tips they had learned on their own mental health journey. During the charity stream, all of the donation goals have been unlocked by the community. The accomplished goals lead to the next set of events for the PRISM agent, such as “trying to run a 5K while eating ghost peppers,” playing Minesweeper in VR, and doing a themed “anime character workout.” ...

Agency VTubers in Southeast Asia and Japan are affected the most YouTube has been plagued with spam issues as it grows. Bots spam either a YouTuber’s comments or live chat sections with links to vulgar or adult content. Some bots target each user’s comments in a video as it impersonates the uploader. According to a YouTube spokesperson, the platform has removed over 3.4 million channels, over 339,000 videos and over 950 million comments in the last quarter of 2021 for violating policies regarding spam, scams and deceptive practices. ...

The Virtual YouTuber scene is continuously expanding as you read this. In the age of content, we see a lot of people making their dreams come true. A lot of countries have caught up to the hype already, but how about countries which have no VTuber representation whatsoever? Enter the Israel-based Idol VTuber agency, which aims to fill the gap. On this feature, we take a look at what Idol is, and what’s their goal in the VTuber community. We also spoke to Idol to understand where they stand in the global VTuber scene. ...