earticle

영어

This study explores the audience experience offered by contemporary performances connected to technology, focusing on the virtual performer Hatsune Miku. As a Vocaloid-based virtual idol who appears on stage without a real human performer behind, Hatsune Miku exists through and is sustained by user participation.This paper argues that Hatsune Miku’s performances form a new mode of spectatorship distinct from other virtual performers. To this end, the study examines discourses on presence and spectatorship within the context of performance studies, and investigates the cultural contexts of otaku subculture paying particular attention to how Hatsune Miku’s performances generate affect in the audience.