Do you guys know “niconico”? Have you ever watched it before?
“niconico” is the website of posting video which is originated from Japan,
and since it is established in 2006, it affected massively to Japanese pop culture and otaku culture.
Now, more than 50 million people are using it, and it became big media.
(You need to register to watch the video in this website.)
The most remarkable feature is you can write a comment about the video on a screen,
and the comment flows on the screen from right to left.
Of course, you can hide the comment, but because the comment flows,
the feeling you watch the same content with people in the world is super interesting.
Rose from China like niconico and often watch it, and he studied Japanese by niconico.
(Sometimes people comment wrong Japanese intentionally, so he learned wrong Japanese lol)
Ok, here is easy Japanese internet-slang.
“w” or “wwwwww” are the most popular one.
I was like what are these standing for, but it means “lol”
“lol” is “warai” in Japanese, and they pick up the “w” from “warai.”
If people think really funny, they put “w” a lot “wwwwww”;
it stands for how funny it is for viewer.
Moreover, “w” looks like grass, so if people think it is funny, they also say “grass.”
One more slang that many people use is 8888888.
It always appears at the end of the video.
This means applause. 8 is “hachi” or “pachi” in Japanese,
so it stands for the sound of applause like “pachi, pachi, pachi”
The one more feature of the niconico is broadcasting.
This is the video sharing services of live streaming system that everybody who register can have
(charge fees to register).
Various programs are always broadcasting such as chatting program,
Diet proceedings, or press launch that you cannot watch the normal TV.
Of course, you can write the comment to even this live streaming video.
It means you can communicate with people on the program.
You can have the program and can comment easily.
That is the point of niconico live streaming.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that niconico supports the Japanese pop culture.
Especially the video of anime and game are popular. For example,
the guy explains what is going on during the game.
This kind of video is popular in a category, “live”.
This is also same of comment function like playing game with everyone.
If the guy misses something, “www” comes up;
if the guy succeeds something, “888” comes up.
The picture above is the scene of the event, called “niconico cho party”
that popular poster get together (they are not talent or something).
People just watch the big screen that posters explain their play during the game,
but the stage was so excited.
Of course, this event was also broad casting,
so about million people who were not there can watch trough internet.
Another popular genre is VOCALOID.
It is the software of artificial-voice technology.
Just type the melody and lyrics, and the characters will sing that song.
It feels like real human are singing, so everybody can feel to be the producer of idol.
Made the song and upload the song to niconico, and people who listened leave the comment.
The song which got high evaluation is selected as secondary use
(real human sing it, sing with some instruments, or dance etc.)
and thirdly use (the post of arranged use of secondary one).
This is one of the features of niconico that the song derives a lot by many people.
This is also the scene of “niconico cho party”,
and the virtual singer of VOCALOID sing or dance by 3D scenography at the end.
Like this, it is popular as last performer of the event.
Well, I explained about niconico briefly. Did you get it?
Anyway, you cannot talk about Japanese pop culture without niconico.
Actually, it is not enough to tell you what it is, so I will introduce you about it next week too.
I went to “NICONICO HONSHA”, so please looking forward to it!
