A hot topic in Japan: Is malicious posting about the virtual idol character ”PLAVE” considered defamation? ... Court ruling

A court has ruled that malicious posts against a K-pop virtual idol group amount to defamation and insult.
Judge Jang Yujin of the Goyang District Civil Division of the Uijeongbu District Court is a virtual aid
On the 18th (today), it was announced that members of the group "PLAVE" had filed a lawsuit against internet user A seeking damages, and that the plaintiff had won in part.
The ruling states that the five members must each pay 100,000 won (approximately 10,600 yen) in compensation. In July of last year, Mr. A posted on social media, belittling the appearance of the members of "PLAVE."
He posted several comments mocking the real people who play the characters. PLAVE sued Mr. A for what amounted to insulting behavior, and demanded that he pay 6.5 million won each to the five members.
In court, Mr. A said, "It is not a real person, it is a virtual character, and his personal details are not public, so it is not possible to use a virtual character.
However, the court accepted the argument of "PLAVE." The judge said, "In the Metaverse era, avatars are simply
When we consider that avatars are not merely virtual images, but are a means of self-expression, identity, and social communication for users, insults against avatars can also be used against the actual users.
"This can be considered an act that infringes on the external reputation of the company."