“‘I mentioned during our 100-day debut anniversary live stream, ‘Will we ever perform at Gocheok Dome?’ It seems like a fantasy!’” On the 22...
“‘I mentioned during our 100-day debut anniversary live stream, ‘Will we ever perform at Gocheok Dome?’ It seems like a fantasy!’”
On the 22nd, at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, during the solo concert *DASH: Quantum Leap Encore* by the virtual idol group Plave—comprising Yejun, Noah, Bambi, Eunho, and Hamin—18,000 audience members applauded as member Bambi addressed the crowd. Yet, the performers receiving the cheers were not actual people, but five characters that appeared to have just emerged from a page of a pure love manga displayed on the stage's video screen.
Plave made history as the first virtual idol group to stage a solo concert at Gocheok Dome on the 21st and 22nd, drawing around 37,000 spectators over the two days. Having debuted in March 2023, they have kept their identities concealed and utilize 3D characters as their avatars. Rather than performing live on stage, the vocalists wear garments embedded with IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) sensors and carry out songs or dance routines from a different location, with their actions and audio instantly mirrored by the avatar figures. On this occasion, the members executed vocals and choreography in a private area away from the venue, donning motion-capture suits and headgear, while their movements were displayed in real time on the five characters visible on the stage's video screen.
Their vocal abilities have been demonstrated: After topping MBC's *Show! Music Core* in March last year, they reached number one on Melon Top 100 in August of the same year with the songs *Pump Up The Volume* and *WAY 4 LUV*, and successfully launched their career in Japan. They have consistently broken records as the first virtual singers, achieving rapid success. Gocheok Dome is referred to as the "dream stage," as the popular group Daysix only performed there in their 10th anniversary year, but Plave sold out both days of their concert just 2 years and 8 months after making their debut. However, even after more than two years since their debut, no one knows their actual faces. Fans also view revealing the "main bodies" (the real individuals behind the avatars) as a sensitive topic. The term "red pill," originally from the film *The Matrix* as a symbol for uncovering the truth, has now become slang for the real voices and dancers behind the characters.
A three-hour show, including 22 songs, highlighted the traits of virtual idols. Scenes such as a flying car (*Chroma Drift*), a massive tower built from stacked clocks (*12:32*), and a burning masquerade theater (*WAY 4 LUV*) could only happen because the performers were characters, not real people. At the same time, a live band and more than 20 dancers were used to boost the live atmosphere. Fans applauded as the characters on stage unbuttoned their shirts as if they were actual people, reacting to each fashion detail. However, there were some small technical issues, like short breaks in the video stream and shaky hands visible on the screen.
Outside the venue, fan activities were as energetic as any idol concert. This performance marked the last day of Plave's Asia tour encore, which started in August at Seoul's KSPO Dome and then moved to Taipei, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Bangkok, and Tokyo. Hours before the concert, fans from both within and outside the country, particularly from Japan and China, had already gathered, with fan-run booths set up for exchanging handmade items. Nearby roads were filled with tour buses organized by "music chart attack teams" (fan groups focused on improving the group's music chart positions), displaying departure locations such as "Gyeonggi," "Changwon," and "Gwangju."
◇ Fast Expansion of Live Virtual Paid Concerts… South Korea Surpasses Japan and China
Plave highlights the swift expansion of South Korea's virtual paid concert sector, which is growing more rapidly than in other nations. In China, the virtual industry has a fanbase of approximately 300 million individuals, while in Japan, around 11% of the population participates in "oshi activities" (fan-related actions). Nevertheless, the attendance figures for major virtual singer concerts abroad have not surpassed 10,000 at the 2019 Shanghai BML event or 8,000 at Hatsune Miku's London performance last year. Plave, however, easily exceeded these numbers during this concert.
Recently, webtoon companies have started forming idol groups. Lezhin Entertainment, a webtoon company, intends to gradually release music and music videos for *Sparkles*, a musical group composed of popular characters from 14 of its webtoon series, beginning on the 25th. Experts point out that factors such as South Korea's quickly expanding web novel and webtoon markets have made fan activities focused on characters increasingly common.
The concert's attendees were predominantly female (99%), with 47.1% in their 20s and 40.7% in their 30s. Yoon Jae-won, 25, who was present at the event, mentioned, "I typically watch game streamers using virtual avatars, so Plave's method of fan engagement doesn't seem strange to me." Sarah, 23, a fan from Malaysia, stated, "I actually like that they aren't real people—it's refreshing. It's appealing to focus on communication rather than looks."
The associated market is anticipated to keep expanding. According to Fortune Business Insights, a company specializing in market research, the worldwide market, encompassing virtual devices, software, and content, is projected to increase from $20.8 billion this year to $123 billion by 2032. Specifically, the need for "live virtual entertainment" is expected to rise significantly as a key sector.
☞ Virtual Idol
Virtual performers who portray digital personas. Although some virtual idols are completely imaginary, in South Korea, actual individuals serve as the "main bodies," with their voices and actions being incorporated into virtual characters, leading to their popularity.
