The Future Brought by Virtual Reality [1]Ultimate media expression transforms communication.
Momoiro Clover Z
Adachi Hikaru
Dentsu Inc.
When Media and Reality Converge
A new innovation called Virtual Reality (VR) is poised to emerge.
With projections (Digi-Capital, January 2016) suggesting the global market could expand to 14 trillion yen by 2020, including AR (Augmented Reality), the driving force behind this growth might actually be the realm of communication.
In just a few years, the way we communicate may undergo changes far exceeding most people's imagination.
In this first installment, Mitsuru Adachi of Dentsu Digital Inc. Platform Center, who has long recognized VR's potential, interviews Momoiro Clover Z (MomoClo) – who have created unprecedented, grand-scale VR entertainment through live performances – about VR's possibilities and appeal.
VR holds the potential to become the next computing platform. Its influence is spreading more rapidly than previously imagined, already being utilized across every field: tourism, housing, healthcare, welfare, advertising, news, gaming, and entertainment. In Europe and the US, massive investments are pouring into startups in this space, while in China, it's receiving government support as a national project.
What exactly is VR? The only way to truly understand it is to experience "authentic VR" for yourself. Explaining VR in words is extremely difficult. It's akin to the saying, "You can't grasp the essence of a place without visiting it."
Many likely perceive VR as an extension of 3D TVs or gaming, assuming its full-scale adoption remains far in the future. Verbally, it's merely "a 360-degree spherical virtual world unfolding before your eyes." Yet why has VR become such a global innovation today?
It's because, viewed differently, VR can be seen as a new information communication device for people, a new mode of transportation, and even a simple time machine that doesn't interfere with the era. In other words, the advancement of this technology might be positioned incredibly close to realizing people's dreams.
Currently, many unresolved challenges remain before we can interpret it that way. However, these challenges are opportunities and the source of innovation. Therefore, exploring VR's current state and what lies beyond holds significant value.
The Ultimate Media Expression Transforms Communication
Prior to the interview, Momoclo members themselves experienced the VR content (release date TBD) capturing the fervor of their "Tojinsai" live festival themed around Japanese celebrations, which drew over 115,000 attendees across two days.
Adachi: Thank you for experiencing it. You're not new to VR, right? I think it's a higher-quality work than last year. Even knowing that, the reactions were beyond what I imagined.
Momota: Even knowing it's VR, it felt like another dimension. When it ended, it was like waking from a dream. Arin (Sasaki) and Kyoka (Ariyasu) were right in front of me, so I couldn't help but wave and cheer them on. Reni-chan (Takagi), you were way too excited! (laughs)
Takagi: It really felt like being at a live venue. I've done VR before, but this was seriously insane. I was flying above the fans. That scene was incredible!
Adachi: We all let out a "Whoa~" without even thinking (laughs). It really has that immersive feel. Among Momoclo's live shows, Momojin Festival is especially known for being packed with highlights no matter which direction you look in 360 degrees. We're creating this all-sphere art together with the fans, where the stage and the entire stadium audience become one. Plus, it brings together the essence of Japanese festivals. I realized again that this kind of energy can only be felt through VR!
Sasaki: I know it was a hot and grueling live for all the Mononofu (fans), but the view we get from the stage is absolutely beautiful. In the darkness, everyone's lights shine brightly, changing to pink and yellow in time with the music. That sea of light is just breathtaking... It truly makes me happy that the Mononofu can see this view too.
Adachi: Since we have cameras set up on stage, you see exactly what Momoclo sees, from the exact same spot.
Momota: It really felt just like the actual stage. Come to think of it, there was a camera right in the middle of the stage too (laughs). In last year's version, we spun around and around the camera!
Adachi: That camera was right in the center of the stadium, right? We saw comments on social media saying, "I spun around with Momota-san so much my hips almost twisted out of place!" Getting tickets to Momoiro Clover Z's live shows is really tough, isn't it? With VR, people who can't go to the live show can still experience it. At a previous experience event, one fan who tried the Momoiro Clover Z VR live said, "A dream I've always wanted to come true has finally come true," and was crying tears of joy.
Sasaki: That's incredibly heartwarming!
Tamai: Conversely, it's always been our dream to see ourselves perform live. And in VR, it feels real—like there's truly another version of Momoclo right there. When you turn around, the fans are there. You can watch whatever you want, whenever you want, and it feels like you've become someone else attending the live show.
Adachi: For me too, watching a live show together with Momoclo was an incredibly precious experience. Unlike everyone watching the same screen in the same direction, being able to look at whatever you want together is a feature of VR. This time, we specially gave everyone the experience of sharing the same space simultaneously with the audience.
Ariyasu: It was truly enjoyable. The same scenery spread out before us as if we were actually there. It brought back memories of that day and made me feel nostalgic somehow.
Adachi: It might feel like riding a time machine back to that day's stage. I've seen various VRs of overseas famous artists' live shows, but they all feature one-way content from the stage to the audience. I haven't seen any other VR work like this one, where the stage and fans become one in a two-way interaction. It's a quality I want people worldwide to experience as the pinnacle of Japanese live VR.
Momoiro Clover Z: Yes! Thank you!
Was this article helpful?
Share this article
Newsletter registration is here
We select and publish important news every day
For inquiries about this article
Author
Momoiro Clover Z
A five-member girl group consisting of Kanako Momota, Shiori Tamai, Ayaka Sasaki, Anzu Ariyasu, and Reni Takagi. They made their major debut in May 2010 with "Let's Go! Phantom Thief Girl". In 2012, they made their first appearance on the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen. In 2014, they became the first female group to hold a solo concert at the National Stadium, achieving this fastest in history just six years after their formation. Their spring 2016 five-major-dome tour drew a total audience of 250,000. Their activities span a wide range, including starring in the movie "The Curtain Rises." In February 2017, they began streaming the new children's program "Gu-Choki-Pā-Tī" on Hulu.
Adachi Hikaru
Dentsu Inc.
Joined the company in 1990. From the outset, he explored expressions utilizing DTP, CG, VR, and AR technologies, engaging in digital creative work for overseas markets that leveraged the latest technologies. For over 20 years, he has been involved in VR-based methodologies. In 2016, as the representative of the internal task force "Dentsu VR Plus" promoting Dentsu Inc.'s VR business, he aimed to establish VR/AR as a mainstream media and popularize it.
