Virtual idol group PLAVE hold showcase to celebrate the release of their second mini-album

Virtual idol group ‘Flavor’ performs live at the showcase on Sept. 26. Courtesy of Blast

“PLAVE is on another planet called ‘Asterum,’ so the showcase with those on Terra (Earth) will be held via video call.”

The showcase of virtual idol group PLAVE’s second mini album <ASTERUM: 134-1>, which was held at MBC in Mapo-gu, Seoul on February 26, began with this announcement. PLAVE is a virtual idol group that debuted in March of last year. While they look like anime characters on the outside, there are real people behind them, not artificial intelligence (AI). This is the first time a virtual idol has ever held an offline showcase.

On the day of the showcase, the stage was empty except for a podium for the show host. “Please note that there may be a connection delay depending on the communication status with Earth. PLAVE, please come out!” the host said, and five PLAVE members appeared on the screen behind the stage. “Hello, I’m Eunho.” A big red heart popped out of his hand as the member on the leftmost side greeted, raising his left hand in a fist and opening it. When Bambi, the other member, said hello and blinked his eyes, heart emojis appeared around his face with cute sound effects. When Yejun, the leader, opened his mouth while saying hello, bubbles of various colors poured out.

PLAVE’s worldview is that the members, who lived on a planet called Caelum, were drawn by a mysterious force to a planet called Asterum where they could communicate with Earth. In this fantasy world, each member can perform the magic of sending emojis when they fly a little bit or make a specific expression. They performed two songs live, and when they twirled around without a costume-changing time like other idol groups, their “adventurer concept” costumes quickly changed to “sailor concept” marine look costumes.

There are six songs on <ASTERUM: 134-1>. All songs were written and composed by the members. The title track is ‘WAY 4 LUV’. The song is characterized by a guitar riff (short repetition) based on the band’s sound. Despite high entry barriers, such as anime-like visuals and the idea of being “real people but acting as virtual idols,” the group set several records within a year of their debut. The first mini-album sold over 200,000 copies, and all seven of its songs were listed on the Melon daily chart. PLAVE’s popularity is attributed to their good music. From their debut song “I’ll Wait” to the recent album, they all have bright melodies that are clean and addictive. “I worked with the idea that they should sound easy and good when people first heard them,” Yejun said.

At the showcase, Lee Sung-koo, CEO of VLast, a management agency of PLAVE, appeared on the stage and answered questions. It has been informed several times that questions about “the real people of the artificial group” cannot be answered in advance. Vlast is a technology start-up, not an entertainment company. “I think it’s like a 'digital Pengsoo,’” said Lee, explaining why he does not disclose the real people of PLAVE. “When you consume a character called Pengsoo, you don’t consume intellectual property by selling the identity of the real person behind the character. If you try to dig in to find out the real people of PLAVE, you will consume the intellectual property in a different direction than intended.”

The technical goal of PLAVE is to hold a “world tour concert” live. The CEO said, “Japanese virtual YouTubers just turn on videos, but we want to do live concerts in real time, just like we did the showcase today. My final goal is to make PLAVE have a world tour.”

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.