This paper examines the characteristics of virtual YouTubers as a form of media expression generally, and at the same time as a specific affective artificial communicative agent. An indepth group interview was conducted with several fans of virtual YouTubers, to explore users’ expectations of, cognitions about, and communication experiences with these artificial agents. The results show that as a hybrid of human (i.e., the nakanohito) and virtual character (specifically analyzed herein, "Kizuna Ai"), who communicate in real time through livestreaming, virtual YouTubers create a comfortable rapport with their fans. Using Kizuna Ai as a uniquely representative case of virtual YouTubers, this paper examines the details of her ‘split’ event and the ensuing online ‘flaming’ episode. Focusing on users’ perceptions and experiences of anthropomorphized agents as well as the interaction process between Kizuna Ai and her fans, the research aims to explore how mediality, "intelligence" and interactivity converge to shape expectations of coexistence with nonhuman agents in contemporary media ecologies.
J Wang (2025) studied this question.