Fans waved glow sticks at an animated character on stage, having packed a sold-out Hollywood concert hall to see their virtual idol perform -- showcasing the global ambitions of Japan's "VTuber" subculture.

Pink-haired musician and livestreamer Mori Calliope looks just like a character from an anime cartoon, brought to life on stage through a hologram-like illusion.

Platforms like Netflix have helped take Japanese anime mainstream -- and Calliope's Tokyo-based talent agency wants its roster of virtual YouTubers, or VTubers, to be the country's next big cultural export.

"I don't really like most streamers, but then when I discovered VTubers, I realised, 'hey, you know, I'm actually into this'," said Calliope concert attendee Luigi Galvan.

"They look like anime characters, I like anime, so it was easy to get into the VTuber format that way."

The actors behind VTubers use motion capture techniques to communicate directly online with fans, who can pay to highlight their comments to the character and other viewers.

Nearly half of top VTuber agency Cover Corp's virtual stars under its famous "hololive" brand speak primarily in English, not Japanese, and the company........

© International Business Times