Peace Sign From Pennsylvania: Magibon, Japan's Youtube Darling

How do you go from being a small town Pennsylvania pharmacy clerk to reaching the No. 1 spot on the Japanese YouTube rankings.

Mark Schilling tells us how this happened to a diminutive video blogger in Introducing Magibon, Japan's YouTube darling (Japan Times, December 18).

He credits her success to her on-screen persona which he says "was reminiscent of a Japanese teenage idoru (manufactured entertainer)."

Her Japanese audience, Mark Schilling notes "males especially, found her American Zen idoru act funny, charming and kawaii (cute) — and made her a YouTube star. As her view-count soared, the Japanese media took notice and in April, October and November of this year she was flown to Japan for Web, TV and print interviews and live appearances." ...