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Journalism of Courage
Shi Ye, 24, a cosplay influencer popular as Maoyouyou, died in China after sharing that she had been unable to eat due to financial struggles. According to the South China Morning Post, Maoyouyou was one of the beloved members of the anime community. Her family confirmed her demise on February 25.
“We know that many people still like her. So we will not revoke her mobile phone number or her social media accounts. Instead, we will leave them there for us to express how much she is missed,” the family said in a statement, the South China Morning Post reported.
On February 24, just a day before her death, Maoyouyou hosted a livestream where she dressed as one of her favourite anime characters. During the stream, viewers observed that she appeared emotionally exhausted and openly shared about her mental health, as per the report.
Some who tuned in said she spoke about feeling unwell and struggling to pay the rent for her apartment in Beijing where she had lived for three years, the report added.
Maoyouyou also shared that she had not eaten for two days and had lost her appetite. Despite trying to get medical assistance, she was unable to book a hospital appointment, according to the article.
Hours before her passing, she shared a social media post that read, “We will never meet again,” which many now interpret as a farewell message. Fans also pointed out what they felt was a chilling coincidence: the time of her death, 5.20 pm, mirrored her birth date, May 20.
Maoyouyou was a prominent figure in China’s cosplay community, actively participating in anime conventions and frequently sharing her cosplay content on social media. She had a following of 51,000 on a major Chinese social media platform.
