# 2.5D

What exactly is 2.5D? People say real people doing anime stuff is
2.5D. But by that definition, tons of dramas and movies which are
anime adaptations are also 2.5D. Since they are usually outside of
otaku culture, they are not called 2.5D. Maybe we need cosplay or
similar stuff (like vtubers) to be 2.5D. Wait, is anything with co
splay 2.5D? But seiyuus who don't do cosplay are called 2.5D.

Being a seiyuu otaku for 9 years, I can't understand why seiyuus a
re 2.5D. Many seiyuu otakus watch an anime only to watch an anime
niconama (niconico livestream), to hear an anime radio, or to see
seiyuus on an anime event. Sometimes lazy otakus participate an an
ime event even without watching the anime. Because of that, seiyuu
otakus and anime otakus often conflict. Also, some 'seiyuus' rarel
y do voice acting. They do (non-anime) radios, livestreams, youtub
e channels, magazines like seiyuu grandprix, SNS and blogs, interv
iews, albums and concerts, photobooks. Someone like Nansu (Natsuka
wa Shiina) even writes novels. A seiyuu who actually do voice acti
ng also do those. Basically a seiyuu is a celeb for otakus. Howeve
r, seiyuu in general is called 2.5D, just because officially their
job is seiyuu (= voice actor).

Since Kizuna Ai, vtubers have become a major topic of 2.5D, especi
ally since COVID. They are obviously a lot more 2D than a seiyuu.
But I regard them as streamers with avatars. Kizuna Ai and vtubers
of that period were actually like 2D characters. Their models were
3D though. However, hololive and nijisanji vtubers are just video
game players, singers, or ASMR artists. Indies are a bit better, b
ut not that different. Only personal stories of streamers exist, n
ot of the characters. Character stories exist, but they are not im
portant except some special cases. Like Haato vs Haachama. In addi
tion, many streamers do more than one vtuber, but they are not tha
t different. People say pettan and boing boing in a Mikeneko's str
eam too, as they did in Rushia's. Also, we can easily find out per
sonal informations, often with their pictures. Search a vtuber's n
ame with Zense ("previous life" in Japanese). The problem is that
we don't say a person with an anime profile picture 2.5D. So how c
an a vtuber be 2.5D?

Finally, anime stage plays and musicals exist. Usually stage actor
s act them, but sometimes idols or Seiyuus (like Assault Lily seri
es) also do. I don't deny these are 2.5D. These are really 2D + 3D
. However, it feels strange. That is what plays and musicals alway
s have been. It's like calling games metaverse. The only differenc
e is that the aesthetics is anime style.