30 virtual idols are facing off in a talent show on iQiyi, but viewers complain of glitches and shallow characters
- Digital anime avatars compete in front of three human judges on iQiyi’s new show Dimension Nova
- Chinese companies are increasingly turning to virtual idols to try to attract young consumers
“So awkward I’m physically uncomfortable after seeing it.”
A new talent show featuring virtual idols is drawing mixed reactions as people complain about technical glitches and uninspired characters. The “physically uncomfortable” viewer is just one of many people leaving negative reviews for Dimension Nova on Chinese review site Douban.
The new show comes courtesy of iQiyi, one of China’s biggest video streaming platforms. It pits 30 digital anime avatars against each other in front of three celebrity judges, all human.
Virtual idols are a concept that originated in Japan but have become increasingly popular in China. The digital avatars can speak, sing, dance and now compete on reality TV. The new iQiyi show is the first of its kind in China, and the company hopes it will help the platform “forge a strong bond with young viewers”, the company said in a release.
But unlike real talent shows that might feature contestants with tear-jerking stories of hardship and perseverance, getting people to root for fake idols on Dimension Nova has proven difficult. Some viewers also say the interactions between the animated idols and human judges feel unnatural.
In one particular incident, a digital contestant froze in the middle of a demonstration after his performance. The judges could do nothing but wait for programmers backstage to fix the problem.
While reviews of the show are mixed, it has managed to keep an overall positive rating of 7.6 out of 10 on Douban. This fact left some reviewers incredulous, but others who left favourable reviews said they found the show funny and creative.