Business is booming at Kaoru’s brand new drugstore...or is it a deli? Whether she’s behind the counter with Layette or on a treasure-hunting house call, Kaoru finds herself with no shortage of opportunities to use her divine gift of creating any potion she can imagine. She may prefer a subtler approach when curing the headaches of inter-industry intrigue, but when rumors of a deadly disease make their way through her doors, our miracle medicine-maker prepares to provide the panacea for this public health crisis. Even in the middle of an epidemic, she’ll keep surviving!

VTubers: These online entertainers have seen a surge of popularity, capturing the hearts of millions across the internet.But none of them have quite become as much of a household name as Kizuke Yai, the so-called 'Queen of VTubers.' Takashi, an average high-school student, is one of her biggest fans. He always tunes in to her broadcasts, and he might even have a little crush on her. Kizuke Yai is the real deal, an actual cute girl behind the screen, at least according to the rumors... But reality is often disappointing. The Queen of all VTubers is actually Takashi's dad.The hapless youngster stumbles upon his old man's dark secret, and soon finds himself flung into a nightmarish world of virtual song, dance, and endless cringe. Will Takashi succeed in getting his dad to quit, or will he find himself drawn deeper into the booming virtual scene despite this disillusionment?

VTubing, short for Virtual YouTubing, is a rapidly growing digital phenomenon where creators interact with their audience using animated avatars. These avatars, often anime-inspired, are controlled using motion capture technology, allowing creators to stream content, play games, sing, and much more, all while maintaining a layer of anonymity. As the VTubing community has expanded, so has its influence on the entertainment industry, blurring the lines between virtual and real-world interactions. This eBook is designed to help those who are new to VTubers understand the basics of this fascinating culture. Whether you're a curious viewer or someone thinking about starting your VTubing journey, this guide will walk you through the essential information you need to get started. From the history of VTubers to the equipment you'll need, you'll find it all here. For those just dipping their toes into the virtual waters, the world of VTubers can seem overwhelming. There are countless channels, personalities, and platforms to explore, each with its unique appeal. This preface serves as a gateway into this diverse world, providing a simple introduction to the topics we'll cover. The evolution of technology and entertainment has made it possible for anyone to become a virtual star, and this guide aims to empower readers by giving them the knowledge and tools needed to dive into the world of VTubing. You'll not only learn about the history and technical aspects but also the nuances of creating your unique VTuber persona and interacting with your audience. VTubing is much more than entertainment—it's about building a community, expressing creativity, and embracing technology. As you go through the chapters, you'll see that VTubing is not limited to a specific genre or audience. It has opened doors for all kinds of content creators—from gamers and singers to artists and comedians. This guide will show you how VTubing offers limitless potential for anyone willing to explore it. Enjoy this journey into the vibrant and ever-evolving world of VTubers. Whether you're here to watch or participate, this beginner's guide will give you a solid foundation to navigate the virtual realm confidently.

Just as Secret Society holoX earns some recognition with their victory in the singing contest, they’re hit with a wave of bad press. To clean up their image and win over the haters, the up-and-coming quintet decide to hold a free concert, advancing their plans for world domination to a new stage! And then, with their society becoming less of a secret by the day, the newfound prominence of holoX leads to a fateful encounter?!

The life of a traveling merchant is a lonely one, a fact with which Kraft Lawrence is well acquainted. Wandering from town to town with just his horse, cart, and whatever wares have come his way, the peddler has pretty well settled into his routine-that is, until the night Lawrence finds a wolf goddess asleep in his cart. Taking the form of a fetching girl with wolf ears and a tail, Holo has wearied of tending to harvests in the countryside and strikes up a bargain with the merchant to lend him the cunning of "Holo the Wisewolf" to increase his profits in exchange for taking her along on his travels. What kind of businessman could turn down such an offer? Lawrence soon learns, though, that having an ancient goddess as a traveling companion can be a bit of a mixed blessing. Will this wolf girl turn out to be too wild to tame?

Jump into the world of ELDEN RING, the much-anticipated release by FromSoftware, before it comes out in this primer packed with info you won’t find anywhere else! Covering the network test that happened in November 2021, it goes into greater detail about the game’s depth, scale, gameplay, and the gorgeous landscapes that players can explore. To top it all off, ELDEN RING director Hidetaka Miyazaki talks about the ELDEN RING’s development process and design choices the team faced in an exclusive interview! What’s more, the dark fantasy games developed by FromSoftware, such as Dark Souls and Bloodborne, are featured as well, with images of enemies and locales from the hit games! With tons of details ahead of the game’s release, this book is a must-have for any fans who can’t wait to get their hands on ELDEN RING!

This edited volume expands on what Aoyagi Hiroshi intended in the first decade of the new millennium to establish as a subfield of symbolic anthropology called “idology.” It brings together case studies of popular idolatry in Japan, but goes further to provide a transcultural perspective to guide anthropological investigations in different places and times. In proposing an integrated paradigm for the growing body of literature on idols, the volume redirects recurrent questions to more fundamental points of sociocultural inquiry. Contributions from scholars conducting ethnographic fieldwork, as well as those engaged in theoretical and historical analyses, facilitate comparative reading and critical thought. Exceeding a narrow focus on human idols, the chapters shed new light on virtual idols and YouTubers, cartoon characters and voices, robot idols and cybernetic systems. Science and technology studies thus comes together with theories of animation and anthropological work on life in more-than-human worlds.

TRIAL BY FIRE Join Coco as she continues her spellbinding journey of magic and discovery! After traveling to the mystical township of Kalhn with her new master to buy a casting wand, a strange, masked witch transports Coco and her three sister apprentices to an eerily quiet city. But they soon find out that they’re not alone, and they encounter a ferocious dragon! Do these fledgling witches have what it takes to defeat the fire-breathing beast, or will their plans and lives go up in flames?!

Kazuma Sato is a video game-loving shut-in-or at least he was, until a humiliating traffic accident brings his young life to an untimely end. But after his death, a beautiful girl claiming to be a goddess invites him to enter another world and gain some respectable perks in the process. But Kazuma's choice is going to have serious consequences for the goddess and the dead man alike...