vtubers and why "it’s not silly to be an anime girl on the internet"
About this episode
<p>VTubers, or Virtual Youtubers, are growing at a rapid rate in the United States. Just last month, 1200+ fans paid up to $180 each to attend Fantastic Reality, a live VTuber mini-festival in a packed theatre in Los Angeles. But what exactly is VTubing? Can you ever truly build a connection with someone you don’t actually see? Dexter talks to Kou Mariya, a 6,669-year-old blonde vampire anime girl and one of the headliners of Fantastic Reality. She explains what attracts people to VTubing and the practicalities of portraying a virtual character. Plus, as one of the producers of Fantastic Reality and a co-founder of Emerging Technology Company, Spencer Burnham joins the show to walk us through the music culture side of VTubing.</p> <p>Got something you’re curious about? Hit us up <a href="mailto:killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc">killswitch@kaleidoscope.nyc</a>, or @killswitchpod, or @dexdigi on IG or Bluesky.</p> <p>Read + Watch: </p> <p>Dexter’s article in WIRED, <em>Anime Girl VTubers Are Selling Out Concerts, but Are They ‘Real’? Depends on Who You Ask</em>: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/anime-girl-vtubers-are-selling-out-concerts-but-are-they-real-depends-on-who-you-ask/">https://www.wired.com/story/anime-girl-vtubers-are-selling-out-concerts-but-are-they-real-depends-on-who-you-ask/</a></p> <p>Fantastic Reality Website: <a href="https://www.fantasticreality.live/">https://www.fantasticreality.live/</a></p> <p>Kou Mariya’s YouTube Channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Kou_Mariya/videos">https://www.youtube.com/@Kou_Mariya/videos</a></p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>
Listen to this episode in English to learn English
Podcast episodes are one of the highest-density ways to absorb English at native pace. vtubers and why "it’s not silly to be an anime girl on the internet" from kill switch gives you natural dialogue, unscripted speech, and vocabulary that actually appears in real conversations.
In the Clue app, every word in the transcript is tappable. Tap an unknown word, see the translation in your language instantly, and keep listening without breaking flow.
Episodes to Learn English
- From Uncanny Valley: ‘Stop Trying to Unmask Satoshi Nakamoto’ Says Actor Ben McKenzie May 18, 2026
- it's not sci-fi. mind-reading tech is here May 6, 2026
- discord’s new age verification is about to spy on every message Apr 29, 2026
- new from kaleidoscope: two percent with michael easter Apr 27, 2026
- this is the wellness wild west Apr 22, 2026
- why are AI agents everywhere? and how useful are they, actually? Apr 15, 2026
- why the IRS killed a free, easy way to file your taxes Apr 8, 2026
- why Iran is winning the AI propaganda war Apr 1, 2026
- he monetized the web. now he has a plan to fix it Mar 25, 2026
- how the tech boom is killing India’s best coders Mar 18, 2026
- who is palantir, and why are they involved with ICE? Mar 11, 2026
- why is the government fighting with claude? Mar 5, 2026
- silicon valley’s plan to make the “perfect baby” Feb 25, 2026
- are we all going to end up in AI relationships? [panic world special] Feb 18, 2026
- a tour of the year’s worst new tech Feb 11, 2026
- how the internet learned to extract Feb 4, 2026
- how an editor uncovered an AI journalist Jan 28, 2026
- the hack that broke myspace Jan 21, 2026
- everything’s a game… even baptisms Jan 14, 2026
- how to: protect yourself from online harassment Jan 7, 2026
- from ‘click here’: an illusion of control Dec 24, 2025
- now you can bet on real life. but should we? Dec 17, 2025
- social media reveals life behind bars. prisons want to block it Dec 10, 2025
- when the ref’s a robot Dec 3, 2025
- new from kaleidoscope: shell game (season 2) Nov 26, 2025
- who is profiting from scam texts – and can we stop them? Nov 19, 2025
- ‘my peptide guy’ is the new tech bro flex Nov 12, 2025
- ‘my internet bed is broken’ is just the start Nov 5, 2025
- workslop: how AI is making you hate your coworkers Oct 29, 2025
- maybe ICEBlock was 'activism theater,' but is banning it protecting us? Oct 22, 2025