Community:Hoppou
The Hoppou avatar, refers to a humanoid character based on the Northern Princess from the video game series Kantai Collection. These avatars are usually short and around three to four feet tall with pale skin and distinctively large round eyes. The original Hoppou base model wears black metal necklace hiding her mouth, white cloth mittens, black metal bracelets on hands and feet, and two black metal hairbands. Her attire includes a white dress and long flowing white hair. The character's eyes are typically colored red or orange.
The origins of the original Hoppou avatar
The creator of the Northern Princess MMD fan model that would eventually become known as "hoppou" throughout VRchat was created by Aoi Omoti and originally published via bowloroll.net around September 2014 https://bowlroll.net/file/50798 Aoi would also go on to create many other MMD fan models from the KanColle collection often used as the basis of Hoppou related avatars in VRchat : https://bowlroll.net/user/369/files
In June 2021 Aoi, via their official blog, would clarify the TOS of their MMD models which included NO USE allowed in VRchat : https://aoiomoti.hatenablog.com/entry/2021/06/14/210220
Aoi's list of official socials can be found via a prodcard.info page here : https://profcard.info/u/gjQZB0OMRTffBZqsSYGo4mrEGse2
Popularity of the Hoppou Avatar
The original Hoppou base model was created by uploading a 3D, MMD model of the Northern Princess to VRChat. Despite the similarities between this VRChat avatar and its Kantai Collection counterpart, there are some notable differences. Most prominently, the large eyes on the in-game model have contributed to its popularity. This particularity has led to a unique role for these avatars in VRChat communities, when multiple users wearing Hoppou avatars stare directly into another user's eyes, it can provoke humorous reactions of fear.
This unintended consequence helped the growth and formation of groups based around these avatars.
Hoppou Raids and Communities
Hoppou communities organized themselves around a phenomenon known as "Hoppou Raids," where multiple users would gather to interact using their Hoppou avatars. It's worth noting that, in VRChat, these Hoppou creations have developed their role-playing narratives distinct from those found within Kantai Collection.
The popularity of the Hoppou base model surged in 2017 due to viral videos showcasing "Hoppou Moth Raid" on random public lobbies, such as NadditionVR's video [1], and "Hoppou Raid On Xigneon VRChat 2017" by Cutie Corinne [2].
A large collection of variations over time
One factor contributing to the enduring popularity of Hoppou is its vast collection of model variations over the years. The base model has undergone numerous updates, modifications, and reinterpretations by content creators within VRChat.
Well-known streamers have used variation of the Hoppou base model in their VRChat content.
