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Japan Kizuna AI, a pioneering virtual YouTuber (VTuber), has transitioned from digital entertainment to a global virtual celebrity, expanding her influence across music, gaming, and brand endorsements.
On 30 January 2021, Kizuna AI released a clothing collaboration with the Dutch streetwear brand Kaomoji.
KizunaAI signed an agent contract with ASOBISYSTEM to accelerate her musical activities, with ASOBISYSTEM handling advertising and sales.
On December 2019, AI did a collaboration with the Japanese cosmetics company scentnations and released a limited edition of perfumes with fragrances of Berry.
Kizuna AI is a Virtual YouTuber, and musical artist who is managed by Activ8 and their subsidiary company upd8.
Kizuna is the ambassador for one of the Japan National Tourism Organization's Come to Japan campaign and appeared in endorsements for SoftBank.
Kizuna appeared in endorsements for SoftBank as part of her role as an ambassador for the Japan National Tourism Organization.
In April 2017, a collaboration between Kizuna and Japanese video game development company Asobimo was announced. On the newly created "A.I.Games" channel, Kizuna would periodically post videos of her doing a commentary while playing Avabel Online, a MMORPG designed by Asobimo for smartphones.
Kizuna AI, a Japanese virtual YouTuber and fictional character, first appeared publicly on November 29, 2016, with her YouTube channel “A.I.Channel.” She is recognized as the world’s first modern virtual YouTuber, defining many characteristics associated with VTubers. Her initial content, created by Tokyo-based digital production company Activ8, primarily consisted of discussions, Q&A videos, and “Let’s Play” gaming videos. A second channel, “A.I.Games,” was established in March 2017 to host her gaming content, followed by “A.I.Channel China” in June 2019 to engage a Chinese audience. Her early success was marked by rapid subscriber growth, exceeding 100,000 subscribers by February 2017 and reaching over 2 million on “A.I.Channel” by July 2018.
Kizuna AI’s career progression has included significant milestones beyond her YouTube presence. In April 2017, she initiated a collaboration with Japanese video game development company Asobimo, featuring her playing their MMORPG, Avabel Online. She has also served as an ambassador for the Japan National Tourism Organization’s ‘Come to Japan’ campaign and appeared in endorsements for SoftBank. Her activities expanded into television, hosting the variety show “Kizuna AI no BEAT Scramble” in 2018, and voice acting as Website Manager Hachi in the anime series “Magical Girl Site” during the same year. Musically, she released her first Eurodance digital single “Hello, Morning” in July 2018 and collaborated with Dutch music duo W&W on the song “The Light” in March 2019.
In April 2020, Activ8 transitioned Kizuna AI to a new dedicated subsidiary, Kizuna AI Inc., confirming Nozomi Kasuga as her voice model and advisor. Her projects continued to diversify, including the release of a rhythm VR game, “Kizuna AI – Touch The Beat,” in October 2020. She also engaged in a clothing collaboration with Dutch streetwear brand Kaomoji in January 2021 and conducted virtual tours in Los Angeles and New York. Kizuna AI announced an indefinite hiatus in December 2021, leading to the development of a spin-off character and an anime project, “Kizuna no Allele,” which premiered in April 2023. She resumed activities from her hiatus in February 2025, with plans to focus on new music releases and live concerts.
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