Erciyuan<\/em>, as the virtual pop stars are called, have become increasingly popular both in China and their native Japan.<\/p>\nThe state-run Global Times<\/em> notes that the Chinese government finds erciyuan <\/em>politically useful because, unlike humans, they have no free will and can be easily controlled.<\/p>\n\u201cIndeed, virtual icons like Luo Tianyi could cause zero harm to youngsters as they won\u2019t yield to any temptation like drugs or get involved in any sex scandals,\u201d the Times<\/em> explains. \u201cIn recent years, a number of popular human celebrities were found to be drug users or sex addicts. It\u2019s also not uncommon to find stars falling from the public\u2019s worshiping altar after making an ethnical mistake.\u201d<\/p>\nOne of Luo Tianyi\u2019s developers, Ren Li, tells the Global Times<\/em> that a benefit to Luo over a human pop star is that she and other \u201cvirtual idols\u201d are \u201ceasier to manage, different from real-life stars who make their own decisions and do things the way they like, which is hard to control.\u201d<\/p>\nLuo Tianyi performs many crowdsourced songs, all of a bubblegum pop variety that largely appeals to teens and young people. She has filled stadiums throughout China with fans excited to watch her perform.<\/p>\n