Have you heard, folks? There’s a new VTuber in town! Everyone’s talking about him. He’s a certain shade of blue, is known to occasionally move at a slightly higher velocity than one would consider average, and has a particular penchant for hot dogs slathered in spiced beef. Guessed who it is yet? Well, to be fair, those criteria don’t exactly narrow it down – particularly within the blue-haired athletic sausage-eating enthusiast circles – so I’ll throw you a bone: it’s Sonic the Hedgehog.
Yes, you may have heard about this one if you’ve been out and about on the internet recently. You might have even clapped eyes on an image or clip of it and wondered what in heaven’s name you’d been unfortunate enough to bear witness to. Keen to get a piece of the VTuber pie, SEGA have positioned their icon Sonic as the next hot thing in the world of livestreaming, and he’s been taking fan questions in a recent broadcast. GameRant reports, and so we follow.
For those unfamiliar, VTubing is a – largely Japan-centric – craze that involves an individual streaming to a captive audience through the proxy of an animated character. The character is rigged and programmed in such a way that their lips appear to be moving in precise synchronisation with the commentator’s voice. The effect often isn’t very convincing, nor is it especially new technology, but the novelty of directly interacting with a cartoon character is enough for most fans. Where else are you going to be able to ask your favourite anime girl what her preferred takeout of choice is? I, uh… wouldn’t know myself, of course.
Or, in this case, where else will you get a chance to have a natter with the Blue Blur himself? Absurd as this sounds in concept, and as much as I’m sure internet cynics will rip it to shreds, one can see the appeal for kids and diehards. Just to add to the awesome factor, for the streams SEGA have tapped longtime Japanese voice actor Jun’ichi Kanemaru to play Sonic, who’s lent his talents to the ‘hog ever since 1999’s Sonic Adventure.
That’s right – while American Sonic continues to cycle through actor after actor after actor after actor, Jun’ichi has been there since day one. Ever faithful, ever true. In fact, his voice still sounds so youthful I’ve half a mind to believe he’s aging backwards.
You can check out some highlights from Sonic’s VTuber debut below. It’s probably safe to assume this will be a regular thing, so brush up on your Japanese and start thinking of questions for everyone’s favourite speedster.
Now, how does one write ‘chili dog’ in kanji?
What do you make of Sonic’s VTuber debut? Is this something you approve of, or a direction you wish they hadn’t taken? Let us know below!
