Wikipedia

Kizuna AI

In this Japanese name, the surname is Kizuna.

Kizuna AI (Japanese: キズナアイ, Hepburn: Kizuna Ai) is a Japanese virtual YouTuber (VTuber) currently part of Kizuna AI Inc., a subsidiary of digital entertainment company Activ8. From her debut in 2016 until 2021, she was the most subscribed VTuber on YouTube, with more than 4 million subscribers across three YouTube channels, 1 million subscribers on Chinese video platform Bilibili.[12][13] Kizuna AI posted her first YouTube video on her "A.I.Channel" on 29 November 2016. A second channel, "A.I.Games", was opened in March 2017 for gaming content, and a third, "A.I.Channel China", opened in June 2019 for a Chinese audience.[14] After a live concert held on 24 February 2022, she went on indefinite hiatus.[15]

Kizuna AI
A.I. Channel character
An official image of Kizuna, published through her videos. She is slender in build, has long brown hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion. Her clothes are white and have pink highlights with black trim.
First appearance29 November 2016[1]
Created byEn Morikura (character design)[2]
Tomitake (3D model)
Portrayed byKizuna AI: Nozomi Kasuga[3]
In-universe information
Full nameKizuna AI (Bundled Love)
AliasOyabun
NicknameAI-chan
Ponkotsu AI (Useless AI)
SpeciesArtificial intelligence
GenderFemale
OccupationYouTuber
Kizuna AI
Personal information
OriginJapan
NationalityJapanese
OccupationVirtual YouTuber
YouTube information
Channels
Years active29 November 2016[4] – 26 February 2022 (indefinite hiatus)[5]
Genre(s)Music, Livestream, Clips, Skits
SubscribersAI Channel: 2.97 million[6]

AI Games: 1.39 million[7]

A.I.Channel China: 45.3 thousand[8][11]
(21 June 2024)
Total viewsAI Channel: 459,273,039[6]

AI Games: 190,420,551[7]

A.I.Channel China: 1,589,504[8][11]
(21 June 2024)
NetworkActiv8 (2016–present):
Websitekizunaai.com
100,000 subscribers
1,000,000 subscribers
Last updated: 21 June 2024

Although the first channel to use a CG avatar for vlogging purposes on YouTube was the channel of English-Japanese Ami Yamato, who debuted her first video in 2011, Kizuna is the world's first virtual YouTuber with the characteristics that's known today, much like the one who coined the term Virtual YouTuber.[16][17] Kizuna's video content is similar to many other YouTubers, consisting primarily of discussions, Q&A videos, and more traditional "Let's Play" videos, although in years later, she also began to livestream at least one time per week. Because Kizuna primarily communicates in Japanese, fans contributed translations for her videos, and there were entire unofficial communities built around these translators, filling the void of an official English community until 2020 when official subtitles began to be done. Kizuna has performed at various anime conventions, at virtual concerts, and has also worked with many game companies. She has also appeared on television shows and has starred in commercials not limiting herself to YouTube, to the point of appearing in mid-Shibuya. She has become a popular virtual celebrity worldwide.

Starting in 2016, Kizuna AI was originally managed directly by Activ8, the company that created her, under the name Project A.I. In 2018, the project was moved to in-house agency upd8.[18] Following an announcement on 24 April 2020, Activ8 announced that Kizuna AI was moved from upd8 to a new subsidiary company dedicated exclusively to her, called Kizuna AI Inc. With the announcement, Japanese voice actress Nozomi Kasuga (春日望) also disclosed her role as the voice model of Kizuna AI and advisor of the new company. Kizuna AI Inc. formally started activities on 11 May 2020, with Eriko Matsumoto (松本恵利子) as the CEO.[19][20]

Production

Kizuna is an online virtual character completely constructed using software.[21] As the identities of producers in the background are not revealed,[22][23] video animators, producers, video editors,[24] and players of games are unknown.[25][26] Kizuna's YouTube channels are thought to be managed by an entire production crew,[27] and the choice to remain anonymous comes from the wish to keep the concept of a virtual idol intact.[28][29] Though this has caused speculation regarding the operation crew and technology.[30] Kizuna's videos are produced by Tokyo-based digital production company Activ8.[31]

All crew members known so far to be involved in Kizuna's design are already well known.[32][33] These include En Morikura in character design,[28] Tomitake in 3D modelling, and Tda in modelling supervision.[17][34][35] Morikura is an artist[28] well known for illustration.[33] Tomitake has designed many 3D models, and works alongside Tda, an expert in the MikuMikuDance 3D modelling field.

The identity of Kizuna AI's voice model had long been unknown;[36] however, on 24 April 2020 it was announced on Twitter that voice actress Nozomi Kasuga provides her voice.[37]

Personality

Kizuna is aware that she is a virtual character,[38] and claims that she is an independent artificial intelligence (hence the "AI" in her name).[32] The main concept of a character in a virtual setting was created through Kizuna, so she is publicly recognized as the world's first "virtual YouTube user".[17] An October 2018 article from BBC Capital noted a Mattel advertisement campaign for Barbie in 2015 with the same concept.[31]

In her first video, Kizuna introduces herself. Apart from the general meaning of "artificial intelligence", "AI" is also a pun on the kanji "愛", meaning "love"[39] while "Kizuna" (絆) means to bond, bind and/or connect. Kizuna is designed as a young and beautiful 2.5D animated girl with moe elements, which attracts many YouTube users.[21][30][36] Kizuna's appearance age is roughly 16 years old,[26] though she revealed that she is only five, with her birthday on 30 June.[33] She has a height of 156 cm (5 ft 1 in), a weight of roughly 46 kg (101 lb), and her three measurements are 85-59-83 (34–24–33).[33]

Kizuna's overall appearance uses a pink and white color palette.[36] She has long flowing hair,[21][30] coupled with a futuristic gradient hair dye of pink. She wears a pink wobbly hairband with a butterfly knot.[21][30] The hairband has a double-leaf heart-shaped design, corresponding to the word "Ai", meaning "love", in her name. Kizuna's sleeveless white top brings about a futuristic feel as well.[27] It is designed to put emphasis on her back and body, as well as to make her appear slimmer. Embroidered above her chest is the letter "A". Her arm sleeves and thigh highs are decorated with lace, while her thigh highs and shorts form a "Zettai Ryoiki" area in her design.[40]

Kizuna is a huge fan of Love Live! and Love Live! School Idol Festival; her favorite character is Nico Yazawa.[41] During an interview with Panora, Kizuna mentioned that she pays close attention to idol groups such as Keyakizaka46 and Nogizaka46. Kizuna likes how idols follow their dreams just like herself.[40] In her character design, she also likes to spend time in virtual space playing video games.[42]

Technology used

Kizuna is able to livestream and record videos in a virtual environment; this is generally considered to rely on the freeware MikuMikuDance. After the production crew designs a 3D model, they manually control the model to make certain movements.[24] Then, they hire a voice actor to give the animation a voice.[22][27][29][43][39] MikuMikuDance has often been used in the videos of Vocaloid pop music,[25][44] allowing users to import and control the 3D models of virtual characters such as Hatsune Miku.[45]

On the other hand, some netizens think that Kizuna's facial expressions and eye changes are done through facial tracking using facial recognition software such as FaceRig.[43][46] Some feel that Kizuna is a result of applying this technology to 3D models, similarly by projecting facial expressions onto a virtual reality model.[32][47] At the same time, some think that omni-directional motion capture technology is being used.[48] Both methods allow Kizuna to resemble real people more closely in terms of expressions and actions, overall making Kizuna's videos more similar to those of other female YouTubers.[43]

Activities

The YouTube channel "A.I.Channel" was created on 18 October 2016, though Kizuna only started posting videos on 29 November 2016.[4][49] She creates, designs and hosts a series of videos with a mix of wacky and serious elements.[28] These videos are designed to break the boundaries between virtual and real spaces, and involves activities such as television-like show-hosting and virtual reality.[17] The production crew also wishes for the audience to get in touch with and experience the newest technology, even allowing users to interact directly with Kizuna in virtual space.[35]

Kizuna posts videos almost every day on YouTube, and is recognized as an active user of the video-sharing platform.[39] With over two million subscribers as of October 2018, Kizuna is the most popular virtual personality on the site and one of its most-watched Japanese content creators.[31][50] She is also gaining traction in regions around the globe.[24][29][33]

In January 2017, Kizuna joked that because her clothes are merely holographic projections,[51] she is technically always naked. YouTube detected the use of the word "naked" and decided that the video contained inappropriate content, so "A.I.Channel" was banned.[27][32] The content had to be posted on another video sharing site, Niconico.[28] After several weeks, the channel was unbanned in February.[27][45][49][51][52] Despite the ban, Kizuna's popularity grew tremendously[29] and her subscriber count reached 100,000 on 25 February.[53]

By the end of March, Kizuna had already uploaded more than 60 videos.[25] "A.I.Channel" had exceeded 200,000 subscribers[30] and 5 million comments.[26] On 31 March, Kizuna even started releasing gaming content on a new channel named "A.I.Games".[49][54][55][56] "A.I.Games" was blocked for unknown reasons on 17 April but was unblocked and resumed posting videos within a day.[57]

"A.I.Channel" reached 2 million subscribers on 15 July 2018.[58] "A.I.Games" also reached 1 million subscribers on 14 August 2018.[59]

Other activities

Apart from her YouTube channels and official website, Kizuna has also created Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok accounts to facilitate interaction with fans.[38][42][60] She also holds limited-time events occasionally, such as a Valentine's Day chocolate giveaway in 2017.[61]

Kizuna accepted an interview by PANORA, a website focusing on the topic of virtual reality.[32][53] The interview was divided into four parts and posted on Kizuna AI's official website.[62] Then, on 25 and 26 March 2017, Kizuna performed and then interacted with fans live on the stage of AnimeJapan.[63]

In April 2017, a collaboration between Kizuna and Japanese video game development company Asobimo was announced.[42] On the newly created "A.I.Games" channel, Kizuna would periodically post videos of her doing a commentary while playing Avabel Online, a MMORPG designed by Asobimo for smartphones.[49][64] Kizuna would also appear directly in the game.[52][65][66] Afterwards, there would occasionally be video advertisements for the game.[67]

Kizuna is the ambassador for one of the Japan National Tourism Organization's Come to Japan campaign and appeared in endorsements for SoftBank.[68][69] She has also hosted a television variety show titled Kizuna AI no BEAT Scramble (キズナアイのBEATスクランブル, Kizuna AI no BEAT Sukuranburu), which aired on Japan's BS NTV channel from 6 April 2018.[70] She also voiced Website Manager Hachi in the anime television series Magical Girl Site, which aired from the same day.[71]

To celebrate reaching 2 million subscribers on "A.I.Channel" on 15 July 2018, Kizuna released her first eurodance digital single "Hello, Morning".[72]

On 1 March 2019, Dutch music duo W&W released a song called The Light in which Kizuna features as a vocalist and as a dancer.[73]

In October 2020, Active8 Inc. and Gemdrops Inc. released a rhythm VR game based on Kizuna AI called Kizuna Ai – Touch The Beat.[74][75]

On 6 November 2020, she appeared as herself in season 2, episodes 4 and 5 of the Australian web series Meta Runner. In the episode, she is a guide for "Pocket Gakusei", an in-universe online anime dating simulator.

On 30 January 2021, Kizuna AI released a clothing collaboration with the Dutch streetwear brand Kaomoji.[76]

Between March and May 2021, Kizuna AI planned a virtual tour with the intention of exploring and creating new virtual possibilities. This tour consisted of 2 shows, one set in Los Angeles and one set in New York. An online DJ event "CONTACT YOU presented by DJ Kizuna AI" was held by DJ Kizuna AI. Guests for the Los Angeles live show included TeddyLoid and Nyanners who have a large number of followers in the US.[12]

In early December 2021, Kizuna AI announced that she is holding a tour in February called "hello, world 2022". She also announced that after the tour, she is going on an indefinite hiatus.[77]

In February 2022, Kizuna AI announced that a spin-off AI will take her place while she is on indefinite hiatus.[78]

Anime adaptation

Main article: Kizuna no Allele

In February 2022, Kizuna AI announced that an anime project was in production.[78] The anime project was later confirmed to be a television series titled Kizuna no Allele that aired from April to June 2023, on TV Tokyo and other networks.[79][80] The series is produced by Wit Studio and Signal.MD and directed by Kenichiro Komaya, with Deko Akao writing the scripts, Shiori Asaka and Niina Morita designing the characters and serving as chief animation directors alongside Mizuki Takahashi, and Go Sakabe composing the music.[81] Crunchyroll licensed the series in North America, Oceania, and selected European territories.[82]

A second season premiered in October 2023.[83][84]

Videos

Similar to other YouTubers, Kizuna acts as a host on her YouTube channels,[51][85] creating and uploading various original types of entertainment-related videos,[29] thereby attracting viewers to subscribe to her channels.[48][86] Kizuna's videos contain much content similar to other video bloggers. Kizuna will also imitate the interesting behaviour of other YouTubers.[45] The style of these videos is comedic and uses technology to let Kizuna move smoothly. Videos sometimes add content of a more imaginative or animated style, though bugs in the software may cause her to move rather unnaturally.[21]

On average, Kizuna's videos are about ten minutes long.[25] Video content includes chatting, sharing life stories,[86][87] answering questions, fulfilling requests,[38] hosting discussions on trending topics,[27] interviews,[26] "Let's Plays",[4] dancing,[88] challenges,[43] and drawing.[39] She has discussed artificial intelligence,[25] virtual reality, games, things she likes,[44] and how she wants a Wikipedia page dedicated to herself.[40] She has also talked about buying friends with money, and what furniture she wants to have.[45]

Games

Kizuna often posts videos of herself giving commentaries while playing games on YouTube.[21][86] As a virtual Let's Play show host, Kizuna's game operating techniques seem a little clumsy,[36] though like other gaming YouTubers,[86] she makes seemingly real comments and reactions to the games that she likes.[29][30][4] The most viewed and most popular gaming video by Kizuna is her Let's Play of popular indie game Inside.[43]

Some of Kizuna's videos involve augmented and virtual reality games.[30] Using omnidirectional motion capture technology, a 3D model of Kizuna playing a game can be developed.[23][48] Virtual reality games played by Kizuna include extreme sports game The Climb,[36] first-person shooter game Superhot,[25] drawing software Tilt Brush,[56] and more. Kizuna has also attempted to describe English words in Quick, Draw!, explore Tokyo virtually using Google Maps,[86][89] and talk with other AI such as Apple's iPhone Assistant Siri.[46]

A rhythm video game, titled Kizuna AI: Touch the Beat!, was released in February 2023 on PlayStation 5 (via PlayStation VR2), which was followed by a release on Microsoft Windows (via Steam), Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 (via PlayStation VR) in May.[90]

Subtitles

The language used in all of Kizuna's videos is Japanese.[39][44] This made it difficult for a large portion of viewers to understand specific content of videos.[87] Afterwards, "A.I.Channel" and "A.I.Games" allowed bilingual fans to translate Japanese in videos to other languages.[46] With the help of translations offered by fans, Kizuna's channels were able to offer content in many different languages including Japanese, English, Korean, Spanish,[29] and many others.[91] This has allowed global audiences to understand the comments made by Kizuna in her videos, and has helped to grow her audience outside of Japan.[21][46] Korean and English comments take up similar portions in the comments section of Kizuna's videos.[53]

Impact

Kizuna, also known, "AI-chan" among her fans,[43] is the spearhead of the virtual YouTuber trend.[33][89][92] Kevin Allocca, YouTube's head of cultural trends, singled out the meteoric growth of A.I. Channel over 10 months as an example of the growth of virtual personalities on the platform. Allocca also noted that the trend's popularity was mostly contained to Japan.[31] Character designs such as Kizuna are seen as a revolutionary concept,[21] and could be the precursor of a new trend in virtual reality, virtual YouTube users and live-streamers.[46][47][48]

2D virtual characters such as Hatsune Miku have been getting more popular, and the audience of 2D has been widening. Therefore, the concept of Kizuna as a YouTube video host is becoming more widespread. The profession of live-streaming usually requests for the constant production of original or exclusive content for the audience, and 2D live-streaming can be a method of doing so.[48] Also, in the regular YouTube market, virtual streaming can be an alternative for those who are unable or do not wish to reveal their face in front of the camera, because exquisite character designs can make up for the imperfections in real people. Virtual streaming also allows the production crew to create more than one character.[27] For example, Black AI is another artificial intelligence who appears several times in Kizuna's videos, and seems to be animated in the same fashion.[citation needed]

Tubefilter writer Sam Gutelle thinks that even though characters like Kizuna may be seen as oddities now, they will become more common in the future. The Verge columnist Rich McCormick feels that Kizuna is different from other content creators as she can technically play games as long as she wants without the need for food and sleep. This will bring channels more flexibility,[44] and these types of videos may even be the future of YouTube.[25] The BBC thinks that the selling point of virtual characters is that they are not like other YouTubers, as their appearance will never age and related development is still in its beginning stages.[22]

In 2018, Kizuna appeared on a program on NHK interviewing the Japanese Nobel Prize winners, which sparked debate on social media over female objectification, with several scholars deeming her appearance as inappropriate.[68][93] Yuki Senda, a professor at Musashi University, claimed that Kizuna nodding along with the panel instead of contributing constructively to the conversation was more of an issue than her character design, due to her mannerisms reinforcing gender roles in women.[94] Junko Saeki, a professor at Doshisha University, also suggested that Kizuna's quietness may be perpetuating a new wave of orientalism because of her role as one of Japan's primary cultural exports.[95]

In a review of the first episode of the anime adaption, Chiaki Hirai of Anime Feminist said that Kizuna AI and her backers "know she’s got her brand and that’s what people are there for".[96]

Fandom activities

On 25 December 2016, Kizuna's producers decided to put up her MikuMikuDance 3D model for free download and edits on her official site.[2][17][43][87] This was to allow interested fans to produce doujin products.[28] The 3D model can be used in MikuMikuDance, Unity, Unreal Engine and other spaces.[35] The developers even made the model compatible with virtual reality.[17] The virtual model is allowed use in videos and games, but for business purposes it is required that the developers are contacted.[17] Finally, the use of the model in political, racial or religious settings or to create other models is prohibited.[2][34][38]

The derivative work of some fans is shared to the rest of the fanbase on Kizuna's social media accounts.[43] On YouTube, there are many users who name their accounts "Kizuna AI", "キズナアイ" or other related names. Some repost her videos but only the official "A.I.Channel" offers subtitles for many languages.[28] There are also dancing-related videos.[28][33]

References

  1. ^ Kizuna AI (29 November 2016). "Creating A Twitter account!". YouTube. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "3D Model download page". kizunaai.com. Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. ^ @aichan_nel (24 April 2020). "LIVE配信ありがとうございました！ 発表させていただ通り、 5月11日からKizuna AI株式会社で 社長のえりこ、そして私の可愛い声の元である 春日望さん通称のんちゃんやチームのメンバーと みんなに笑顔を届けられるように頑…" (Tweet). Retrieved 15 June 2020 – via Twitter.
  4. ^ a b c d Wilson, Scott (22 March 2017). "Popular Japanese YouTuber is virtual schoolgirl who plays games, has existential crises". RocketNews24. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  5. ^ "Kizuna AI Announces Indefinite Hiatus". otakumode.com. 4 December 2021.
  6. ^ a b "キズナアイ". Userlocale VTUBER RANKING (in Japanese). Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  7. ^ a b "キズナアイ(ゲーム)". Userlocale VTUBER RANKING (in Japanese). Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  8. ^ a b "キズナアイ(China)". Userlocale VTUBER RANKING (in Japanese). Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  9. ^ "upd8 VIRTUAL TALENTS". 18 December 2019. Archived from the original on 18 December 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Kizuna AI Inc". Kizuna AI official website. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  11. ^ a b "About A.I.Channel". YouTube.
  12. ^ a b "Moment House".
  13. ^ ユーザーローカル. "ファン数ランキング(1ページ)". バーチャルYouTuberランキング (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  14. ^ "A.I.Channel China". YouTube. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  15. ^ "Kizuna AI goes on "indefinite hiatus" after her the Last Live concert". www.dexerto.com. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  16. ^ Ami Yamato (13 June 2011). Trying this out... YouTube. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g VRにも対応 Tda氏制作監修の"バーチャルYouTuber"「キズナ アイ」3Dモデルが無料公開 ["Kizuna AI" model released for free] (in Japanese). Mogura VR. 23 December 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  18. ^ "Activ8 raises $5.4M from Gumi, Makers Fund; expands 'Virtual YouTuber' business". BRIDGE（ブリッジ）|「起業家と投資家を繋ぐ」テクノロジー＆スタートアップ関連の話題をお届けするブログメディア. 2 September 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  19. ^ @KizunaAIinc (24 April 2020). "Project A.I. はKizuna AIの新しいチャレンジを応援します！" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  20. ^ "Kizuna AI's Seiyuu Finally Revealed, New Company Set up to Handle Business Affairs". 27 April 2020.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h "Kizuna AI, la youtubeuse japonaise "nouvelle génération"" [Kizuna AI, the "new generation" of Japanese YouTubers] (in French). Nautiljon. 22 March 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  22. ^ a b c "Los vlogueros y cantantes virtuales que se han convertido en toda una sensación en Japón" [The vloggers and virtual singers who have become a sensation in Japan] (in Spanish). BBC World. 24 March 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  23. ^ a b "看虛擬YouTube博主在虛擬現實中玩遊戲：妹子萌萌噠" [Watch virtual YouTube bloggers play games in virtual reality]. Sina.com (in Traditional Chinese). 27 March 2017. Archived from the original on 22 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  24. ^ a b c "YouTube: la primera youtuber virtual de la historia causa sensación" (in Spanish). Peru.com. 27 March 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g McCormick, Rich (21 March 2017). "Animated vloggers could be the future of YouTube". The Verge. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  26. ^ a b c d Reyes, Mike (23 March 2017). "Conoce a Kizuna AI, la primera youtuber virtual del mundo" [Meet Kizuna AI, the first virtual YouTuber in the world] (in Spanish). Atomix. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g "超越YouTuber的存在，「虛擬直播主」可能成為未來現實" [Beyond YouTube, "live virtual broadcasts" may become a reality]. Techbang (in Traditional Chinese). 24 March 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h Amola (6 April 2017). "誰說網紅一定是真人，自稱是 AI 的虛擬 Youtuber 絆愛掀起話題" (in Traditional Chinese). Computer King Ada. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g Cintas, Juan José (21 March 2017). "El nuevo fenómeno YouTuber es A.I. Kizuna, una chica virtual de anime" (in Spanish). Zonared Videojuegos. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g Bolton, Adarm (27 March 2017). "Watch a virtual girl play video games in a VR world". CNET. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  31. ^ a b c d Lufkin, Bryan (3 October 2018). "The virtual vloggers taking over YouTube". BBC Capital. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  32. ^ a b c d e "こんなにかわいいAI、人類史上初めて バーチャルYouTuber「キズナアイ」2万字インタビュー（その1）" [2,000 character interview with Kizuna AI] (in Japanese). PANORA. 15 February 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  33. ^ a b c d e f g デザイナー陣が超豪華！バーチャルYouTuber・キズナアイが可愛い！ [The designers are super experienced! Virtual YouTuber Kizuna AI is so cute!] (in Japanese). dora. 2 April 2017. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  34. ^ a b "VR や技術デモ使用、二次創作で使える「キズナアイ」の MMD 向け 3D モデルが無料公開されています" [3D model of Kizuna AI now available for free] (in Japanese). Pronama. 28 December 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  35. ^ a b c "バーチャルYouTuber「キズナ アイ」から、 VR対応！3Dモデルをクリスマスプレゼント" [A Christmas present from virtual YouTuber Kizuna AI: a 3D model!] (in Japanese). VR Inside. 25 December 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  36. ^ a b c d e "宅男的最爱!虚拟少女Kizuna AI直播玩VR游戏" [Otaku's favorite! Virtual girl Kizuna AI live with a VR game] (in Simplified Chinese). 17173 VR. 28 March 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  37. ^ @kasuga_nozomi (24 April 2020). "Kizuna AI株式会社にアドバイザーとして 関わり、私の声を組み込んでくれている大好きなキズナアイちゃんのお手伝いができることになりました！ 自分の活動も頑張りながらではありますが、誠心誠意キズナアイちゃんやキズナーのみなさ…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  38. ^ a b c d Tanto D (22 February 2017). "Inilah Ai Kizuna, Gadis Youtuber Virtual Masa Kini" [Meet Kizuna AI, YouTube's new virtual girl] (in Indonesian). KAORI Nusantara. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  39. ^ a b c d e Bayle, Alfred (21 March 2017). "Virtual anime girl Kizuna AI rises to fame". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  40. ^ a b c A.I.Channel (29 December 2016). みんなwikipediaって知ってるよね？ (in Japanese). YouTube. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  41. ^ Kizuna, AI. "[Nico Yazawa] Happy Birthday Nico-chan~♪ [Love Live] #145". YouTube. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  42. ^ a b c Daniel Joseph Lilly (10 April 2017). "Mobile Game Avabel Online Teams Up with Virtual Streamer Kizuna AI". MMOExaminer. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  43. ^ a b c d e f g h "搶飯碗！虛擬偶像進軍Youtube 顏值不高就註定輸給二次元嗎？" [Fight for a job! The virtual idol enters YouTube! Is it destined to replace humans?]. Liberty Times (in Traditional Chinese). 28 March 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  44. ^ a b c d Sam Gutelle (21 March 2017). "A.I. Kizuna Is A Virtual YouTube Star And She Has Nearly 200,000 Subscribers". Tubefilter. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  45. ^ a b c d D'Anastasio, Cecilia (20 March 2017). "Popular New YouTuber Also Happens To Be Virtual Anime Girl". Kotaku. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  46. ^ a b c d e Riandanu Madi Utomo (23 March 2017). "Kizuna AI, YouTuber Virtual yang Sedang Gemparkan Dunia Maya" (in Indonesian). MetroTV. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  47. ^ a b 廣田稔 (14 January 2017). なにこれ未来スゴい！ アニメ世界の住人になって、フィギュアで遊べるVRデモを体験してきた (in Japanese). PANORA. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  48. ^ a b c d e 相源奇 (5 April 2017). "二次元虚拟女主播登陆YouTube "才貌双全"不输一线网红". 速途網. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  49. ^ a b c d Asobimo (7 April 2017). 「アヴァベルオンライン」がバーチャルYouTuber「キズナアイ」とコラボ (in Japanese). 4Gamer.net. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  50. ^ TWINKLE (9 April 2017). "Dal Giappone arriva la prima youtuber virtuale" (in Italian). GamerClick. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  51. ^ a b c Huỳnh Thắng (23 March 2017). "Gặp nữ game thủ Youtuber nổi tiếng, đối thủ của PewDiePie từng bị khóa kênh vì… không quần áo" (in Vietnamese). Thế giới trẻ. Archived from the original on 5 June 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  52. ^ a b 犬拓 (7 April 2017). "《艾瓦貝爾聖境》與虛擬 YouTuber「Kizuna AI」合作展開全新挑戰" (in Traditional Chinese). 巴哈姆特電玩資訊站. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  53. ^ a b c 廣田稔 (25 February 2017). バーチャルYouTuber「キズナアイ」、チャンネル登録者数が10万人を突破 勢いがすごい！ (in Japanese). PANORA. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  54. ^ 世界で人気急上昇中のバーチャルYouTuber「キズナ アイのA.I.Channel」がゲーム専門チャンネルをオープン！ (in Japanese). あにぶ. 1 April 2017. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  55. ^ ゲームチャンネル「A.I.Games」がスタートしました！ (in Japanese). Kizuna AI Official Website. 31 March 2017. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  56. ^ a b いまい (1 April 2017). バーチャルYouTuberキズナアイ、ゲーム専門チャンネルを開設 (in Japanese). Mogura VR. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  57. ^ 廣田稔 (19 April 2017). キズナアイ、またYouTubeでアカウント停止も1日で復帰 「あきらめたらそこで番組終了だよ」 (in Japanese). PANORA. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  58. ^ @aichan_nel (15 July 2018). "Kizuna AI + 2,000,000FANS達成！ლ(´ڡ`ლ)🎉🎊✨ ありがとうございますぅぅぅうううう！！！！！🍣💕🍣💕 ぶっちゃけ明日になると思って油断してた！ いつものアレを爆速で作っております！😂😂 あとでまた…" (Tweet). Retrieved 17 October 2018 – via Twitter.
  59. ^ Yuji Takahashi (17 August 2018). "キズナアイちゃんのゲーム実況チャンネル「A.I.Games」登録者数が100万人を突破！" [Kizuna AI's gaming channel "A.I. Games" reaches one million subscribers!] (in Japanese). PANORA. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
  60. ^ Kizuna AI (23 March 2017). "Instagramはじめました！" [I just made an Instagram!]. kizunaai.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  61. ^ "【期間限定】ハッピーバレンタインプレゼント" [【Limited Time】 Happy Valentine's Day gift]. kizunaai.com (in Japanese). 14 February 2017. Archived from the original on 11 January 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  62. ^ "VR・パノラマ専門ウェブサイト「PANORA」にインタビュー記事掲載！" [Interview with 「PANORA」!]. kizunaai.com (in Japanese). 15 February 2017. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  63. ^ "AnimeJapan2017に参加決定！" [Participated in AnimeJapan 2017]. kizunaai.com (in Japanese). 21 March 2017. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  64. ^ "iOS/Android「アヴァベルオンライン」バーチャルYouTuber"キズナアイ"がアヴァベルデビュー！" [Virtual YouTuber Kizuna AI debuts in Avabel Online!] (in Japanese). Gamer. 11 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  65. ^ "アヴァベルの世界に、バーチャルYouTuberキズナアイが登場！" [Virtual YouTuber Kizuna AI appears in the world of Avvel!] (in Japanese). Asobimo. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  66. ^ Asobimo (7 April 2017). "アソビモ、『アヴァベルオンライン-絆の塔-』がバーチャルYouTuberキズナアイとのタイアップを実施" [Asobimo creates tie-in with virtual YouTuber Kizuna AI] (in Japanese). Social Game Info. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  67. ^ Isus, Eve (24 April 2017). "Youtubeuse d'une nouvelle ère : Ai Kizuna" [YouTubers of a new era: Kizuna AI] (in French). Gameblog. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  68. ^ a b St. Michel, Patrick (13 October 2018). "Kizuna AI's NHK appearance sparks debate on social media". The Japan Times. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  69. ^ "Come to Japan". Japan National Tourism Organization. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  70. ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (27 February 2018). "Virtual Youtube Sensation Kizuna AI Gets Terrestrial TV Show". Anime News Network. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  71. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (18 March 2018). "Magical Girl Site Anime Casts Virtual YouTuber Kizuna AI". Anime News Network. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  72. ^ "キズナアイ初オリジナル楽曲『Hello,Morning』配信開始！！" [Kizuna AI's first original song, 『Hello, Morning』 out now!!]. kizunaai.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 27 August 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  73. ^ "W&W ft. Kizuna AI - The Light (Official Music Video)". YouTube. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  74. ^ "Kizuna AI - Touch the Beat! on Oculus Quest". Oculus.
  75. ^ "YouTuber Kizuna Ai – Touch The Beat VR Rythmn Game Headed To Oculus Quest Next Week". Happy Gamer. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  76. ^ Kizuna AI (30 January 2021). "Instagram - Kaomoji x Kizuna AI collaboration announcement". Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  77. ^ "VTuber Kizuna Ai Goes on Indefinite Hiatus Next February". 5 December 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  78. ^ a b Loo, Egan (26 February 2022). "VTuber Kizuna Ai Gets Anime Project & AI Spinoff". Anime News Network. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  79. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (11 November 2022). "Kizuna Ai Anime Reveals Kizuna no Allele Title, 2023 TV Premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  80. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (24 February 2023). "Kizuna no Allele Anime Reveals 2nd Promo Video, April 3 Premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  81. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (2 December 2022). "Kizuna Ai's Kizuna no Allele Anime Reveals Cast, Staff, Visuals, 1st Promo Video". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  82. ^ Mateo, Alex (30 March 2023). "Crunchyroll to Stream In Another World with My Smartphone 2, Kizuna no Allele, OPUS.COLORs Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  83. ^ Cayanan, Joanna (26 June 2023). "Kizuna no Allele Anime Gets 2nd Season in October". Anime News Network. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  84. ^ Harding, Daryl (25 August 2023). "Kizuna no Allele Second Season Anime Premieres October 4". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  85. ^ "二次元虛擬萌妹主播要出遊戲了？軟妹演示自己玩自己" (in Traditional Chinese). 新浪. 15 April 2017. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  86. ^ a b c d e "二次元虛擬女主播訂閱人數超20萬 賣萌玩遊戲兩不誤" (in Traditional Chinese). 新浪. 30 March 2017. Archived from the original on 7 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  87. ^ a b c Ardan Legenda (2 March 2017). "Mengenal Ai Kizuna, Youtuber Virtual yang Sedang Naik Daun" (in Indonesian). WinPoin. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  88. ^ "Japón presenta a la 1a youtuber virtual" (in Spanish). SDPnoticias.com. 24 March 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  89. ^ a b Aaron Magulick (24 March 2017). "Rising YouTube Star is a Virtual Anime School Girl". GoBoiano. Archived from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  90. ^ Romano, Sal (30 March 2023). "Kizuna AI: Touch the Beat! for PS4, PS VR, Switch, and PC delayed to May 25". Gematsu. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  91. ^ Opale (21 March 2017). "Introducing Kizuna AI: A Virtual YouTuber". Rice Digital. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  92. ^ Alex (26 February 2017). ""Virtual YouTuber" Kizuna AI erobert die Herzen der Anime Fans" (in German). Sumikai. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  93. ^ Ando, Kenji (3 October 2018). "Kizuna Ai no NHK tōjō megutte gekiron. Ninki no bācharu YouTuber wa 'seiteki' na no ka?" キズナアイのNHK登場めぐって激論。人気のバーチャルYouTuberは「性的」なのか？. The Huffington Post (in Japanese). Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  94. ^ Senda, Yuki (3 October 2018). "Nōberu-shō no NHK kaisetsu ni 'Kizuna Ai' wa tekiyaku na no ka? Netto de enjō-chū [tsuiki ari]" ノーベル賞のNHK解説に「キズナアイ」は適役なのか？ ネットで炎上中【追記あり】. Yahoo! Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  95. ^ Saeki, Junko (20 October 2018). "Enjō shita 'Kizuna Ai' mondai… Nippon-bunka ga kaite kita josei-zō kara kangaeru" 炎上した「キズナアイ」問題…日本文化が描いてきた女性像から考える. Gendai (in Japanese). Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  96. ^ Hirai, Chiaki (7 April 2023). "Kizuna no Allele – Episode 1". Anime Feminist. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kizuna AI.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kizuna_AI&oldid=1256929009"