Getting to know the real Ms Wang through the internet

Wang Jingyan, 24, a Beijinger, is one of the expanding group of Chinese youngsters who are now playing their talents through live internet broadcasting. [Photo provided to China Daily]

She wears a kimono-like black robe, has hair dyed bright yellow and with the help of a penchant for singing the theme songs of Japanese cartoons has made a name for herself on the internet.

That name is Fang Xiaoqian, derived from her mother's surname and her own nickname Qianqian. Behind this facade is Wang Jingyan, 24, a Beijinger who is one of the expanding group of Chinese youngsters who are now showing their talents through live internet broadcasting.

Wang, who studied Japanese literature at Capital Normal University, believes the songs she sings on her show appeal to her many fans who are in the thrall of anime, cartoons and games from Japan, a group known as nijigen.

Singing in Japanese is one of her selling points, she says, but she wants to do a lot more. Unlike many of her rivals, Wang, rather than filling the air between songs with vacuous talk and flirtatious behavior, takes the artistic high road: she paints.

Though not a professional, a lot of her spare time is taken up painting the Japanese manga characters she loves, and her fans can see her doing that online, some even offering to buy her works.