{"id":62812,"date":"2026-03-12T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=62812"},"modified":"2026-03-12T16:04:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T07:04:35","slug":"4chan-owner-hiroyuki-evangelion-director-hideaki-anno-and-gackt-to-participate-in-humanitys-last-non-ai-made-social-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/4chan-owner-hiroyuki-evangelion-director-hideaki-anno-and-gackt-to-participate-in-humanitys-last-non-ai-made-social-network\/","title":{"rendered":"4chan owner Hiroyuki, Evangelion director Hideaki Anno and GACKT to participate in \u201chumanity\u2019s last non-AI made social network\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Japanese entrepreneur Hiroyuki Nishimura, known as the founder of the 2channel message board and current owner of 4chan, announced that he will be participating in launching a brand-new social networking service called<a href=\"https:\/\/www.popopo.com\/lp\/teaser\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.popopo.com\/lp\/teaser\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> <strong>POPOPO<\/strong><\/a> on March 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"ja\" dir=\"ltr\">\u30c9\u30ef\u30f3\u30b4\u5ddd\u4e0a\u3055\u3093\u3068Gackt\u3055\u3093\u3068MIRO\u3055\u3093\u3068\u5eb5\u91ce\u79c0\u660e\u3055\u3093\u3068\u56fd\u7523\u306e\u65b0\u3057\u3044\u30b5\u30fc\u30d3\u30b9\u3084\u308b\u3088\u30fc\u3002 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GyAYb71wEU\">https:\/\/t.co\/GyAYb71wEU<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/NJLhrGVYt0\">pic.twitter.com\/NJLhrGVYt0<\/a><\/p>&mdash; \u3072\u308d\u3086\u304d (@hirox246) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hirox246\/status\/2031688631728140471?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 11, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Dubbed the \u201clast human-made social media in the dawn of the AI era,\u201d the mysterious app will have its first showcase livestream on March 18 on YouTube, presumably unveiling much of the details behind the service. Interestingly, alongside Hiroyuki, the livestream will feature other notable media figures such as Evangelion director Hideaki Anno, Dwango founder Nobuo Kawakami and musician GACKT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While specifics about the app are still being kept under wraps, what we know so far, according to the promotional trailer, is that POPOPO is going to be \u201ca video calling application that doesn\u2019t require a camera.\u201d Designer Tomoyuki Arima, who was also involved in the project, describes the app as \u201csomething between a video call and a phone call,\u201d while also hinting that the service will feature a strong \u201cvirtual\u201d element.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The project\u2019s Chief Technology Officer Shinnosuke Iwaki\u2019s comment doubles down on this, calling POPOPO a \u201cbrand-new VR service\u201d and a \u201csmartphone metaverse.\u201d What might set it apart from other similar services, as suggested by the app\u2019s Spacial Director Kei Kato (president of ANNA SUI Japan), is that \u201cPOPOPO is something that could only be made in Japan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"POPOPO\u30b5\u30fc\u30d3\u30b9\u767a\u8868\u4f1a \u30c6\u30a3\u30b6\u30fc\u6620\u50cf\u3010\u30ab\u30e1\u30e9\u306e\u3044\u3089\u306a\u3044\u30c6\u30ec\u30d3\u96fb\u8a71\u3011\" width=\"1160\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uCqZBXjaH-0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As of currently, it is unknown whether the app will have English support. More details to be revealed on March 18 via the POPOPO <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@POPOPO_Official\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Official YouTube Channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Related articles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/japans-dlsite-launches-otaku-friendly-twitter-clone-and-its-already-becoming-a-haven-for-adult-themed-artwork\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/japans-dlsite-launches-otaku-friendly-twitter-clone-and-its-already-becoming-a-haven-for-adult-themed-artwork\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Japan\u2019s DLsite launches \u201cotaku-friendly\u201d Twitter clone, and it\u2019s already becoming a haven for adult-themed artwork\u00a0<br><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/japan-gets-new-pixiv-like-social-media-platform-for-artists-that-strictly-bans-ai-generated-images-creators-can-authenticate-work-as-hand-drawn\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/japan-gets-new-pixiv-like-social-media-platform-for-artists-that-strictly-bans-ai-generated-images-creators-can-authenticate-work-as-hand-drawn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Japan gets new\u00a0Pixiv-like\u00a0social media platform for artists\u00a0that\u00a0strictly\u00a0bans\u00a0AI-generated\u00a0images.\u00a0Creators can authenticate work as hand-drawn\u00a0<br><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Japan&#8217;s &#8220;last human-made social media in the dawn of the AI era&#8221; POPOPO was announced on March 11.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":62817,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,65],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-62812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-nongaming-news","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - 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