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Faye Ayato

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Faye Ayato (操斗フェイ) is an English/Japanese-speaking Vtuber affiliated with Canada's Simon Fraser University, who debuted in March 2025[2] alongside Mo Ayato (操斗モォ) as the first ever official university-affiliated VTuber in the world.[3][4][5] A game design enthusiast, his stated goal is to increase the media literacy of his viewers.[2][6] Unlike most VTubers, Faye debuted with a fully rigged 3D model utilitsing cutting edge motion capture technology in order to promote SFU School of Interractive Arts and Technology (SIAT)'s motion capture facilities.[7]

Introduction video[]

World’s FIRST university vtubers debuting TODAY! 【SFU SIAT VTubers - Animated Trailer】
Mo and Faye Ayato's lore trailer

Meet Mo & Faye Ayato from Project Acorn!【SFU SIAT VTuber Trailer 2】
Mo and Faye Ayato's motion graphic trailer

Profile[]

Faye Ayato is an enthusiastic student who specialized in Magical Conjuration back in his home world. While he was a graduate studies student before he leapt through the portal, unfortunately, his course credits did not follow him to Earth.

Since joining SIAT in the undergraduate program, he has become enamored with the creation of video games, the technology of which seems practically equivalent to magic to him. He got so into game design he devised a spell that allowed him to understand Japanese just so he could get his hands on information and games from overseas before their English releases![8]

Appearance[]

Faye Ayato's reference sheet

Faye Ayato's reference sheet

Faye Ayato is a tall, dark-skinned human male with dark circles under his eyes and messy hair that reaches down the length of his head. He usually dresses formally, sporting a white button up shirt, arm garters, a dark red vest, and a long, checkered coat.

Personality[]

Unlike his often silly best friend Mo, Faye is serious and strait-laced, speaking softly but with authority.[2]He loves books and can often be found studying in the university library.[8][4]Endowed with knowledge on a variety of subjects, he is often eager to share what he knows with his viewers, even if Mo will tease him for being a “nerd”.[7]He is proud to know as much as he does, such as when he showed off his Japanese fluency to viewers of his debut stream.[2] Faye believes that media literacy and the ability to think critically about media and its production are important skills to possess and wishes to share this knowledge with the world.[9]He is also a good leader, exemplified by his heading a team of interns to assist in his lab back in his home world.[2]

Despite this, Faye is not without a sense of humour. Sometimes impulsive, he isn’t afraid to rib and play jokes on Mo, such as when he kicked her through the portal to Earth.[5]He takes everything with a detached but endearing dry wit and seems to have a one-liner prepared for most situations; his first comment to Mo turning into a human being “bruh”.[5]He can also be caught off guard, becoming nervous when he realized he didn’t account for having to come up with a surname to use on Earth. Yet, his quick thinking just as often saves the day, exemplified by when he swiftly devised the name Ayato for himself and Mo from the IAT in SIAT.[5]

One of Faye’s lesser stated traits is his empathy and compassion for the marginalised: Even in a society where he was the benefactor of injustice, he loathes racism,[2]choosing to use his position of privilege to provide for the lower class; becoming Mo’s friend and caring for her to the extent that he would leave everything and everyone he loved behind to help Mo immigrate to Canada.[2]

History[]

Background[]

In August 2024, Simon Fraser University's School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT) announced an initiative in partnership with Sawmill Studios to create its first-ever "Virtual Ambassadors" in order to represent and engage with the SFU community.[3] These Virtual Ambassadors would be functionally identical to VTubers.[4] Auditions for the talent opened that September.[10] The duo debuted on March 1st, 2025, livestreaming both separately and together on the SIAT YouTube channel. Their primary activities involved giving feedback to student work from the SIAT program, as well as promoting the SFU's values, courses, and facilities.[11] The initiative was billed as grant-funded research, employing motion capture technology to create full 3D models of the Virtual Ambassadors and a chance for students to work in a professional motion capture studio environment.[5]

In promotional material, the university has referred to the duo as "Canada's first university Vtubers",[12] or alternatively, "The world's first university Vtubers". The characters were said to have come from a magical fantasy world to SFU in order to study at SIAT. Faye Ayato was said to be "a graduate studies student before he leapt through the portal, unfortunately, his course credits did not follow him to Earth."[8] An animated trailer would expand on this backstory, showing Faye opening a portal to Earth and the two fleeing their homeland, where they suffered discrimination from a system that favoured those with magic powers over those without. Arriving inside of SFU Surrey's motion capture studio, Studio SIAT, the trailer shows Mo transforming from her Cappu form into her human one, after which the two would take on the name "Ayato" from the pronunciation of the "IAT" in "Studio SIAT".[13]

Promotional Campaign[]

On 24 January, 2025, an Alternate Reality Game launched on the SIAT website, with a video[14] being embedded to the page[15] in which the yet-to-be-revealed Faye Ayato encourages viewers to help him "open a portal connecting your world to mine". Posters that were shared online would also feature an illustration of the tops of the Virtual Ambassador's heads, giving the world its first look at the new mascots.[16]

On 23 February, 2025, a teaser trailer was released on the Studio SIAT YouTube channel,[17] revealing full-body images of Mo and Faye Ayato for the first time. An "Animated Lore Trailer"[18] was released on Youtube and promoted on SFU's website two days later, on February 25th, 2025. The trailer was a collaboration between both SIAT students and university students from across Canada, with J Tseng[19]and Trisha Wong,[20] both staff at SFU SIAT and Narratic Labs, producing and directing respectively. Tseng stated in a Reddit post[21] how the team was comprised of mostly junior animators, with Wong adding that the main inspiration for the trailer was the work of Makoto Shinkai.[22] Simultaneously, the SFU website was updated with a section to prominently feature the virtual ambassadors,[23] introducing Mo and Faye Ayato with a series of illustrations showing them interacting with various SIAT facilities. The illustrations were also created entirely by Canadian university students. Alongside the two Virtual Ambassadors, a third red panda-like character called a Cappu was also introduced.[4] On February 27th, a third video was released on the Studio SIAT Youtube Channel, revealing key art for the characters and employing motion graphics featuring the pre-existing illustrations of Mo and Faye, introducing more of their personalities.[24]

In celebration of the debut, a limited line of merchandise was created, consisting of figures and a tote bag featuring the Cappu. Postcards of Mo and Faye were also included as a free gift with each purchase.[25][26]

An illustration of SFU Studio SIAT's Virtual Ambassadors, created by the studio and featured on their website. From left to right: Mo Ayato, Faye Ayato, and Cappu (bottom).

An illustration of SFU Studio SIAT's Virtual Ambassadors, created by the studio and featured on their website. From left to right: Mo Ayato, Faye Ayato, and Cappu (bottom).

Reception[]

The Virtual Ambassadors debuted to much fanfare, according to City News Vancouver.[6] Reactions to the Virtual Ambassadors were mostly positive, with commenters on the Animated Lore Trailer praising the fluidity of the animation and background illustration, and affirming the comparison to Shinkai. Enthusiasm was also expressed about the personalities of the Virtual Ambassadors.[5] SFU's official news page praised the trailer, calling it "stunning". Other reactions were mixed, with some commenters remarking that they believed the Virtual Ambassador Program was a waste of tuition money. Art director Trisha Wong corrected some of these claims, stating that the project was "funded by external grants specifically for giving student artists the opportunity to work on professional client work and entrepreneurial experience".[27]

On 4:30 PM of March 1st, 2025, City News Vancouver, a Vancouver-based radio news station, ran a story about Mo and Faye Ayato. City News Vancouver would go on to run a similar story about the Mo and Faye two days later.[28]City News Vancouver had previously ran a story about the duo's initial auditions.[29] Sing Tao, a newspaper catering to Vancouver's Hong Kong population, would also run a story about the Virtual Ambassadors.[30]

2025[]

2.0 Reveal[]

On 22 August, 2025, four days after his genmate Mo Ayato had debuted her 2.0 model, Faye revealed a 2.0 model of his own, complete with full body dynamics thanks to the Studio SIAT's industrial-grade motion capture technology, which at that point the team had been calibrating for Vtubers for over half a year. This reveal coincided with an Uma Musume stream.[31]

Convention appearances[]

Mo and Faye would appear at Anirevo 2025, Vancouver's largest anime convention, to interact with guests live and ask them about their favourite games. Attendants were given SIAT-branded hand fans as a reward for following the channel.[32] Two weeks later, during an anime convention held at the school they represented, SFU Summerfest, a scheduled second live interaction with fans in the form of a game show would be cancelled due to technical difficulties. The game show was streamed a few days later.[33]

Fans[]

  • His fan name is Interns, for as a graduate student, he is said to have had many interns at his lab back home.[2] They look like Cappus. They vary in fur pattern pattern, interests, and clothing/accessories. Faye's Cappudachi are characterised as more serious than Mo's Capudachi, who are also Cappus.[34]

Backstory[]

  • Originally from another dimension, Faye was a magic-user who worked with a number of interns (most of them Cappus)[34] in a lab studying Conjuration within a Magic School. His society favoured those who were able to use over magical powers over those who did not.[2]
  • A graduate student at that same Magic School, he would eventually meet the magic-less Cappu, Mo, a victim of discrimination. Compelled by her plight, he befriended her, and together they searched for another world to emigrate to.[35] Upon realising that Earth did not have any magic, they became fans ("earth weebs", in Mo's own words)[36]through using magic to connect to the planet's internet. Using magic to enroll in online classes at Simon Fraser University (SFU)'s School of Interactive Art and Technology (SIAT) during the Covid 19 Pandemic,[36]they decided to permanently move there by way of Faye's magic portals.[37] Faye humorously kicked Mo through the portal before walking through himself. Arriving in the middle of SFU's Studio SIAT, a motion capture studio, Faye found himself mildly bemused that his best friend of many years was magically transformed into a human.[38]The two would take on the name "Ayato" from the pronunciation of the "IAT" in "Studio SIAT".[39]
  • At SFU, Faye concluded that human technology such as gaming was indistinguishable from the magic he studied in his world.[8] However, he was appalled to learn that his credits from Magic School did not transfer over and that he would have to begin anew as an undergraduate.[2] He was further appalled to learn how high the rent in Vancouver would be.[7]
  • He is a grad student who studied conjuration in his homeworld, and transfered to a senior SIAT student.[2]

Trivia[]

Basic Information[]

  • His current focus is game design.[2]
  • He is fluent in Japanese.[2]
    • His interest in translating English into Japanese began when he noticed the Japanese dub of the show RWBY had the character Weiss Schnee using a more ornate speech pattern than the English. This dissonance resonated with him, and he developed an interest in accurately bringing English nuances into Japanese ever since.[40]

Likes[]

  • His favorite games includes a variety of genres:
    • Puzzle: Baba is You, Professor Layton, and "nazotoki" (mystery solving) games.[2][41]
      • Faye reported not seeing much of the Nazotoki genre in the west, so he gained a passion for adapting it for western audiences to get invested in.[41]
    • Action/Adventure/RPG: The Legend of Zelda, Monster Hunter, and Chrono Trigger.[2]
    • Weird games, such as Gnosia and Pro Office Calculator.[2]
    • Card games - "all of them," to which he later clarified, "Not all of them, but a lot."[42]
    • Board games, including the Betrayal series and We Didn't Playtest This.[2]
    • Tabletop RPGs - he makes his own.[2]
  • His favorite anime amd manga are Assassination Classroom, World Trigger, and Slam Dunk.[2]
  • His favorite movies are The Princess Bride and Seven Samurai.[2]
  • His favorite tokusatsu series are Kamen Rider De-O, Kinohger, and Bokukenger.[2]
  • he dislikes racism, Kamen Rider Saber, forced replayability in games, and thoughtless magic systems.[2]
  • Uma Musume[43]
  • He likes Cheerios.[40]

Other[]

  • On his debut stream, Faye's entire stream was tinted blue because of a glitch, which became a sort of fandom inside joke.[2]
    • Faye has since seemingly embraced "Blue Faye" as an alter-ego, even doing several streams entirely in blue.[44]
      • In a June 2025 stream with Mo Ayato, Faye was shown a drawing of a half-blue Cappu Original Character, said to be "made by his hands".[45] When commenting on the blueness of the character and how that would imply that blue is an inherent part of him, Mo commented that it arguably had. To this, Faye, in seeming acceptance of his fate, simply replied, "Blue is my... friend."[46]
  • His art tag is #fayarto. In his debut stream, Faye stated that he wishes for his fans to avoid the tag #fart (Faye Art) or #farto.[2]
  • Faye is not a graphic designer, hence why his entire presentation during his debut stream was done in Comic Sans upon a white background.[2]
  • Faye devised a spell to help him gain fluency in Japanese.[8]
  • Simon Fraser University favours the term "Virtual Ambassador" when officially referring to Mo and Faye, but promotional material has somewhat not shied away from the terms "Virtual Youtuber" or "VTuber", either.[47]
  • Unlike most VTubers, Mo and Faye debuted with full 3D models and professional-grade motion capture gyroscopic tracking technology from Mocopi[9] was used to allow them to interact with their virtual stream environments, parts of their bodies with collider physics (such as being able to rustle their own hair) and even touch each other. This was done to promote SFU SIAT's motion capture facilities, where students would be able to use the same technology and even Mo and Faye's models for their own projects.[47]
  • As "inter dimensional students", Mo and Faye pay exorbitant amounts of money in tuition to SFU.[7] How he obtains this money is unclear.
  • Mo and Faye, during their research on Earth, would use magic to pirate anime.[2]
  • Faye prefers Cappus as interns due to their high intelligence. In turn, in his world, the Cappus look to humans for their magical prowess.[34]
  • Faye was encouraged by a friend to become a Vtuber, remarking that when he did, it felt like he had come "full circle".[41]
  • Faye has an evil, more seductive doppelgänger, Eyaf. Eyaf was born of the artists involved in his debut creating thirst art of Faye, which they then realised was out of character for him, thus creating a new persona: The perpetually shirtless Eyaf. Faye has since acknowledged Eyaf in a short.[48]

Quotes[]

  • "Why is everything blue?" - Faye on his debut stream mishap[2]
  • "Blue is my... friend." - Faye on acceptance[49]

External links[]

Media[]

Hashtags[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpyBFyVnMYs&t=862s
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 SFU, S. [SIAT SFU]. (2025, March 2). Faye Ayato 💫📚 Vtuber Debut Stream [Video]. YouTube.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Nadalini, David. “SFU Holding Auditions for First Virtual Ambassadors.” CityNews Vancouver, 28 Sept. 2024, vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/09/28/burnaby-sfu-virtual-ambassadors-auditions/.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 “Virtual Ambassadors.” Virtual Ambassadors - School of Interactive Arts & Technology - Simon Fraser University, www.sfu.ca/siat/studiosiat/vambassador-program.html. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Studio SIAT. “Canada’s FIRST University Vtubers, Mo & Faye 【SFU SIAT VTuber Debut - Animated Lore Trailer】.” YouTube, YouTube, 25 Feb. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIH_w3t5IDU&t=1s.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Nadalini, David. “Simon Fraser University Launches First Virtual Ambassadors.” CityNews Vancouver, 3 Mar. 2025, vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/03/03/sfu-virtual-ambassador-launch/.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Mo and Faye Ayato first collab stream: https://youtu.be/iks9nljfH-M?t=2145
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 “Faye Ayato.” School of Interactive Arts & Technology - Simon Fraser University, www.sfu.ca/siat/studiosiat/vambassador-program/faye-ayato.html. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Nadalini, David. “Simon Fraser University Launches First Virtual Ambassadors.” CityNews Vancouver, 3 Mar. 2025, vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/03/03/sfu-virtual-ambassador-launch/.
  10. ↑ Nadalini, David. “SFU Holding Auditions for First Virtual Ambassadors.” CityNews Vancouver, 28 Sept. 2024, vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/09/28/burnaby-sfu-virtual-ambassadors-auditions/.
  11. ↑ Nadalini, David. “SFU Holding Auditions for First Virtual Ambassadors.” CityNews Vancouver, 28 Sept. 2024, vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/09/28/burnaby-sfu-virtual-ambassadors-auditions/.
  12. ↑ Studio SIAT. “Canada’s FIRST University Vtubers, Mo & Faye 【SFU SIAT VTuber Debut - Animated Lore Trailer】.” YouTube, YouTube, 25 Feb. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIH_w3t5IDU&t=1s.
  13. ↑ Studio SIAT. “Canada’s FIRST University Vtubers, Mo & Faye 【SFU SIAT VTuber Debut - Animated Lore Trailer】.” YouTube, YouTube, 25 Feb. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIH_w3t5IDU&t=1s.
  14. ↑ Studio SIAT. “Breakthrough.” YouTube, YouTube, 18 Jan. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=50r-W-UP20k&ab_channel=SIATSFU.
  15. ↑ “Studiosiat - a Production Studio for Siat.” StudioSIAT - A Production Studio for SIAT - School of Interactive Arts & Technology - Simon Fraser University, www.sfu.ca/siat/studiosiat.html. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
  16. ↑ Studio SIAT. Help us build a link between our worlds. 11 Feb. 2025. https://www.instagram.com/p/DF9VO37RXUE/. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
  17. ↑ Studio SIAT. “Teaser of a Trailer.” YouTube, YouTube, 23 Feb. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-LC44IjmIo.
  18. ↑ Studio SIAT. “Canada’s FIRST University Vtubers, Mo & Faye 【SFU SIAT VTuber Debut - Animated Lore Trailer】.” YouTube, YouTube, 25 Feb. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIH_w3t5IDU&t=1s.
  19. ↑ J Tseng Linkedin Profile, www.linkedin.com/in/jaydesignstuff/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
  20. ↑ Trisha Wong Linkedin Profile, www.linkedin.com/in/trishachockiewong/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
  21. ↑ Tseng, J. A Trailer for Our Vtubers by a Team of Mostly First Time Animators., 25 Feb. 2025, www.reddit.com/r/animation/comments/1iy94wr/a_trailer_for_our_vtubers_by_a_team_of_mostly/.
  22. ↑ Wong, Trisha. Ain’t No Way a Canadian University Got Official Vtubers before GTA6, 18 Feb. 2025, www.reddit.com/r/VirtualYoutubers/comments/1iswsg1/comment/mdkpi7c/.
  23. ↑ Virtual Ambassadors. (n.d.). Simon Fraser University.
  24. ↑ Studio SIAT. “Meet Mo & Faye Ayato! Meet Project Acorn!【SFU SIAT VTuber Trailer 2】.” YouTube, YouTube, 27 Feb. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bDt7aBurv0.
  25. ↑ Nadalini, David. “Simon Fraser University Launches First Virtual Ambassadors.” CityNews Vancouver, 3 Mar. 2025, vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/03/03/sfu-virtual-ambassador-launch/.
  26. ↑ SFU Vtuber merch store https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/UnisArtWorld?ref=shop-header-name&listing_id=1881716491&from_page=listing
  27. ↑ Studio SIAT. “Canada’s FIRST University Vtubers, Mo & Faye 【SFU SIAT VTuber Debut - Animated Lore Trailer】.” YouTube, YouTube, 25 Feb. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIH_w3t5IDU&t=1s.
  28. ↑ Nadalini, David. “Simon Fraser University Launches First Virtual Ambassadors.” CityNews Vancouver, 3 Mar. 2025, vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/03/03/sfu-virtual-ambassador-launch/.
  29. ↑ Nadalini, David. “SFU Holding Auditions for First Virtual Ambassadors.” CityNews Vancouver, 28 Sept. 2024, vancouver.citynews.ca/2024/09/28/burnaby-sfu-virtual-ambassadors-auditions/.
  30. ↑ https://www.singtao.ca/7069725/2025-03-03/news-【有片】SFU首設「虛擬大使」+還推出首辦和限量紀念品-st-topic/
  31. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f6cZljipU8
  32. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RJud9GKBcFc
  33. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq3VZQPbImw
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 "Drawing SFU's faculties as cute anime girls?!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGTxkYhFlJ8 3/4/2025
  35. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20-a0iD_eYQ
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20-a0iD_eYQ
  37. ↑ Studio SIAT. “Canada’s FIRST University Vtubers, Mo & Faye 【SFU SIAT VTuber Debut - Animated Lore Trailer】.” YouTube, YouTube, 25 Feb. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIH_w3t5IDU&t=1s.
  38. ↑ Faye and Mo Ayato first collab stream:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iks9nljfH-M
  39. ↑ Studio SIAT. “Canada’s FIRST University Vtubers, Mo & Faye 【SFU SIAT VTuber Debut - Animated Lore Trailer】.” YouTube, YouTube, 25 Feb. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIH_w3t5IDU&t=1s.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 SIAT SFU [@siatsurreysfu]. (2025, October 16). ROASTING your Cappu Costume designs with special guest Shoba!!!【Faye Ayato - SFU SIAT vAmbassadors】 [Video]. YouTube.
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 Mo and Faye Ayato of SFU SIAT: https://vtubernewsdrop.com/spotlight-studio-siat-mo-faye-ayato/
  42. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpyBFyVnMYs&t=1307s
  43. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sq5-mqY7iBU
  44. ↑ https://youtube.com/live/1HYGLHF0wG0
  45. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ADyxZgCFU
  46. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ADyxZgCFU
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 “Virtual Ambassadors.” Virtual Ambassadors - School of Interactive Arts & Technology - Simon Fraser University, www.sfu.ca/siat/studiosiat/vambassador-program.html. Accessed 26 Feb. 2025.
  48. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UszUdpHtCes
  49. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4ADyxZgCFU
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