Chapter 24
Chapter 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Members Over-Immerse in RP
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Are idols singers?
Unless you're some idol hater ranting, 'How dare they call these puppets who sing and dance whatever their agency shoves at them singers without any say of their own!'
Even 99 out of 100 people would agree.
That idols are a type of singer profession.
Then, are virtual idols singers?
This one might have some room for debate.
There are tons of virtual streamers claiming to be virtual idols, but many of them have pretty lacking vocal skills.
Korea's planned idols all go through vocal training as trainees, so even the weakest are in the top tier of amateurs.
But some virtual companies don't prioritize singing that much, so you even get tone-deaf virtual idols.
Japanese idols are about cheering on idols as they grow, right?
You don't even need to practice singing or take vocal training—or even want to sing well in the first place—to succeed as a virtual idol.
As long as your streams are fun and you're charismatic.
It's ambiguous.
This whole virtual idol thing.
Doesn't it feel closer to variety stars or entertainers than actual singers?
World Live Entertainment's KEYS boldly challenged that perception.
All the members debuted with original songs.
July 7th—the day listed as Jang Gyeon-u's birthday for now.
Among the four members, she was the first to debut.
Because her character best conveyed the group's concept.
Song Princess Uta, a simple girl dreaming of being a singer—no complex, high-level role-playing.
Doesn't she fit perfectly as the group's center?
"I'm a shining star- aaa aaa-."
In this day and age, songs need to grab attention from the intro.
Songs starting with flashy electric guitar or bass solos leave a strong first impression.
Uta went head-to-head with them.
With just her vocal cords.
With just her voice.
Up to ranges even female singers dubbed high-note bullies couldn't touch.
She toyed with sounds that only a select few legends could pull off.
The 500 viewers who tuned into the debut stream were electrified.
It felt just like a pro singer's concert.
Oh, right—she is a singer.
It made you rethink the whole virtual idol concept.
💬 Chat — Viewer Is this really live? — Viewer National power-level idol debuts ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ — Viewer How is it this good?? About 1,000 viewers.
That's the size of the 'Vtuber fandom' that shows up for every company debut virtual stream.
Not fans of any specific Vtuber, but lovers of 'Vtuber culture' itself.
You might think that's too few.
And you might be right.
Korea's virtual scene is still in its budding stage.
Just sprouting seeds.
In reality, most come from existing internet streaming fandoms—fans of no-cam streamers extending to virtuals.
True lovers of the 'culture' itself are a tiny minority.
To them, some new company debut is just 'something they don't know or care about.'
Even those 1,000 don't flood in instantly.
The hardcore fans waiting from the start are even fewer.
Some just pop in mid-day, remembering, 'Oh yeah, someone's debuting today?'
500, 550, 600...
Viewers build slowly.
And with each surge...
People shocked by Uta's vocals.
Singing was a hobby, vocal training just half a year—yet Uta's voice had real edge.
The innate timbre that moved vocal coach Song A-ri to tears and envy.
High notes are your strength? Lows suffer. Lows strong? Highs weak. She tossed that 'fairness' out and claimed a vast range.
No perfect pitch, but once she locked the base tone, her stubborn relative pitch never let go.
Breath control weak in amateur days, now honed by six months of training.
And do you know what otaku means?
Otaku are people who immerse fully in something.
She immersed so hard in singing she convinced herself she was the story's protagonist—raw emotion pouring out.
Not covering someone else's song, but her own creation—making it all the more special.
She poured three months' salary into squeezing out one more original track!
A song carrying the story of nearly never seeing the light of day without that passion!
"No need for a spotlight shining on me, this light? Dislike? I don't care, I shine alone this night."
Electro pop, the genre idols often try.
So rich in sound it hides weak vocals easily.
Lest purist singer snobs cry 'Is that even singing?', note: that's the market for you.
Sometimes an idol group gets a non-singer member.
Adult circumstances, like in Japanese anime.
"I'm shining star- aaa aaa aaa-."
But Uta's vocals shredded the genre.
In exploding electro pop, she soloed over every instrument.
A star shining brilliantly alone!
Song Princess Uta's debut track 'Side-A'. Please enjoy.
💬 Chat ⭐ Top Comment — Viewer The song is amazing ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ — Viewer She's different from all the Vtubers I've seen so far — Viewer Switching fave (Sorry, Razly!) — Viewer Fallen for you, marry me — Viewer Kyaaaaaaa — Viewer Bliss — Viewer Great singing! Ear bliss achieved! Only then did Jang Gyeon-u check the chat reactions.
Debuting with a live—no mid-level stuff, straight-up frontal assault that others would dissuade.
Not even a used newbie; just two days of zero-viewer test streams, yet facing hundreds for a live sing-along? Terrifying. But she vowed to clash head-on.
Even after the president tried to stop her.
Said she had to become a singer fitting her own 'Side-A'.
Yes! Over-immersion.
But even so, checking chat mid-song felt like her face would explode, so she deliberately ignored it till the end.
The joy of finishing the song and seeing the praise flood in...
"That was Side-A by rookie idol Song Princess Uta. Please take good care of her."
💬 Chat — Viewer Hihi hihi welcome~ — Viewer Yoroshiku! — Viewer Accept the newbie~ — Viewer Congrats on debut! — Viewer Uta-chan daisuki!!! — Viewer Song too good ㅠㅠㅠㅠ — Viewer How's a person's name this song-like lololol — Viewer Never translate Song Princess Uta into Korean! The virtual scene's Korean-Japanese united front meant the chat was a mess of Korean and Japanese.
'Everyone names like this!'
Uta's naming sense came from president Kim Mi-myo.
But she wasn't wrong.
Japanese manga, anime, Vtuber names? Super common.
The issue is Korea's streaming culture.
Grab any nitpick and tease—that's how you 'bond' with streamers. Like elementary boys bullying girls they like. That's the dominant vibe!
Uta's name was 100% meme bait.
"Keep teasing my name and I won't show my face!"
Until now, Uta's stream screen stayed the same.
Shadowed silhouette of Song Princess Uta, with 'Now Live' smack in the center.
No model reveal yet.
Jang Gyeon-u's fierce wish to burn the song into heads first, reflected in this debut stream.
💬 Chat — Viewer Do what you want lol — Viewer Doesn't she lose out if she hides her face? — Viewer Faceless singer ain't bad — Viewer Coward! Holding your face hostage! — Viewer Everyone out! I'm the only one who gets Uta's face! — Viewer Just the silhouette is heh heh heh — Viewer Uhihihi Normally, with just a silhouette model, spotting the chest is tough.
Clothes, shoulders, arms get in the way.
But Uta's were too big to hide like that.
Even in pure black shadow, their glory shone through.
💬 Chat — Viewer Design says definitely not flat — Viewer What a generous heart — Viewer Stop the memes already — Viewer How far can we go in this chat? — Viewer New company, no one knows lol — Viewer Secret to her vocals: song pocket — Viewer You guys get out When a guy checks out a girl, where do they look first?
Answer: upper body.
Face and chest at once.
Your defeat for underestimating human peripheral vision.
"Yeah yeah. Everyone misses mommy's embrace? Come here, let mama hug you all."
💬 Chat — Viewer Ack — Viewer Can I tho? ⭐ Top Comment — Viewer Mamang! A new mamang appears! — Viewer Ngnae! — Viewer Hug me — Viewer I acknowledge Song Princess Uta as Korea's top Vtuber — Viewer So when's the face reveal lol — Viewer Ngnae! Mom! Mom's embrace is too hard! Hard and flat! — Viewer That guy's hugging the screen lololol "Not Vtuber—virtual idol."
Terminology matters big time.