Do vocaloids dream of electric sleep? The death and ageing of virtual Idols 1

This article explores what growing old means when distinctions between biological ageing, social ageing and technological ageing are fuzzy and confusing. Focusing on the Japanese virtual idol, Hatsune Miku, it asks what a post-humanist approach to celebrity and ageing yields in a context where celebrity is a highly elaborate techno-cultural formation and celebritisation a process embedded in global circuits and platform dynamics: both of which shape celebrity’s surfaces. Despite her appearance as a forever young idol, the article shows how Miku is inherently precarious and tethered to the fragile infrastructures that sustain her. Just as Miku’s fanbase matures, so their modes of engagement and the platforms that host their content evolve and decline. The article draws on a mix of theoretical work informed by post-humanism, as well as primary research comprising ethnographic work, netnography and close textual analysis. The article makes the case for an approach to celebrity that foregrounds the idea that fans age with their idols, reflecting a broader evolution in the lifecycle of digital fandom and ageing assemblages.