Fans waved glow sticks at an animated character on stage, having packed a sold-out Hollywood concert hall to see their virtual idol perform -- showcasing the global ambitions of Japan's "VTuber" ...

The virtual YouTubers are gaining worldwide fans, with sold-out concerts and a predicted US$4 billion market by 2030 Fans ...

Over the years, anime has overcome a series of obstacles: from the mundane pressures of limited budgets to natural disasters.