On July 15, it was revealed that the Japanese social networking application POPOPO would cease operations on September 17, just six months after its initial release. The company cited “a thorough evaluation of the business landscape and potential for optimization” as the reason behind this decision.
POPOPO, labeled as the “final human-crafted social platform in the age of AI,” gained attention due to its enigmatic concept and prominent celebrity endorsements. Notably, Hiroyuki Nishimura, the founder of 2channel and current proprietor of 4chan, Hideaki Anno, the director of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Dwango’s founder Nobuo Kawakami, and musician GACKT, among other media figures, were appointed as directors of the firm responsible for POPOPO, contributing to its development and promotion.
The platform itself was envisioned as a complimentary “metaverse” video chat application enabling users to converse via virtual avatars without the need for a camera or virtual reality headset. The avatars’ movements are automatically synchronized with the dialogue, and instead of a conventional “face-to-face” setup, POPOPO situates the virtual characters within an engaging cinematic backdrop with shifting camera angles and viewpoints.
POPOPO was designed for both personal interactions, such as discussions among friends and family, and for live broadcasts and streaming. Based on its initial marketing, it appears the creators aimed to establish it as a space where influencers, idols, and celebrities could directly engage with their followers.
Although POPOPO initially drew significant attention—particularly given the unconventional group of celebrity supporters—the enthusiasm waned shortly after its launch.
In a recent post on X, Kawakami, who also served as the app’s producer, reflected on POPOPO’s closure. Despite his belief in its concept as a “novel approach to human communication,” the team ultimately failed to integrate it into the daily routines of contemporary users. “It’s genuinely remarkable how utterly we failed,” he admitted.
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