Mayu (Kemono Feline Avatar)
The Mayu (Kemono Feline Avatar) is a premium VRChat avatar base created by AzukiTiger and distributed by Azuki LLC. A kemono-style feline avatar built directly from AzukiTiger's own real-world fursuit character, Mayu has become one of the most technically sophisticated and community-supported avatar bases in the western VRChat furry market. Its combination of extensive interaction systems, face tracking support, a thriving third-party accessory ecosystem, and pre-purchase transparency tools make it a landmark in how modern VRChat avatar bases are developed and distributed.
Name & Etymology[edit]
The word Mayu (まゆ) is Japanese. It has two primary meanings:
- 繭 (mayu) — Cocoon; the protective casing of a silkworm, evoking themes of softness, enclosure, and transformation
- 眉 (mayu) — Eyebrow; a feature prominent in the avatar's expressive face design
- It is also a common Japanese given name (女性名), with gentle, warm connotations
The two free public demo variants take their names from Japanese as well:
- Tora (虎) — Tiger
- Oyama (大山 or お山) — Mountain / large hill; in informal Japanese, also an affectionate term
Origin[edit]
The Mayu avatar began not as a commercial product but as a personal one. AzukiTiger created it as a digital recreation of his own kemono fursuit character for use in VRChat, announcing it on X (formerly Twitter):
"Never posted this here, but I made an avatar based on my fursuit for VRChat!"
— @AzukiKemono, X
This personal origin distinguishes Mayu from many commercial avatar bases that are designed with a target demographic in mind from the start. Mayu was first built for one specific person — its creator — then refined and released commercially with a level of care and detail that reflects genuine personal investment.
The copyright notice in early package files reads © 2023 Azuki LLC, placing the initial commercial release in 2023. The product has been continuously updated since, reaching version 3.5.5 as of December 2025.
Variants & Body Types[edit]
The Mayu avatar offers two distinct body silhouette variants, each also available in mixed ear/tail combinations:
| Variant | Body Mesh | Polygons | Materials | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tora | Tora body | 38,168 | 3 | Default tiger-style; rounder ear shape |
| Oyama | Oyama body | 38,422 | 3 | Slightly broader; alternate silhouette |
| Tora Ears + Oyama Tail | Mix | 38,158 | 3 | Cross-variant combination |
| Oyama Ears + Tora Tail | Mix | 38,432 | 3 | Cross-variant combination |
Both Tora and Oyama are available as free public avatars in VRChat for anyone to try before purchasing:
| Public Avatar | VRChat Avatar ID |
|---|---|
| Tora (free, public) | avtr_8bac0b9b-ca2d-41f2-9a1c-5de179ecb6de
|
| Oyama (free, public) | avtr_a262d2c7-660c-40b9-8de6-596cd6b85ac6
|
Version History[edit]
| Version | Period | Key Changes |
|---|---|---|
| v1.x | 2023 | Initial commercial release; single body mesh (38,600 polygons); Hoodie, Pants, Arm/Leg Warmers; Unified Expressions face tracking; HRtoVRC support; Poiyomi Toon 9 |
| v1.50.1 | 2023–2024 | Documented stable v1 release; confirmed feature set includes all core interactions and customization sliders |
| v2.0 | 2024 | Tora/Oyama body variants introduced; new clothing (Jacket, Joggers, Underwear); Collar & Bell accessory; Tuna prop; new blendshapes (puffy cheeks, updated physique); ownership verification security layer; iris highlight shape customization |
| v3.x | 2024–2025 | Ongoing feature additions; SPP files versioned (v3.2.0, v3.3.0); Blender files versioned (v3.2.1); continued polish and interaction refinement |
| v3.5.5 | December 2025 | Latest documented version; full current feature set including all four body variant combinations |
Complete Technical Specifications (Current)[edit]
Mesh Statistics[edit]
| Component | Polygons | Materials |
|---|---|---|
| Tora Body | 38,168 | 3 |
| Oyama Body | 38,422 | 3 |
| Tora Ears + Oyama Tail Body | 38,158 | 3 |
| Oyama Ears + Tora Tail Body | 38,432 | 3 |
| Hoodie & Collar | 8,276 | 1 |
| Pants | 3,496 | 1 |
| Arm & Leg Warmers | 4,424 | 1 |
| Jacket | 7,267 | 1 |
| Joggers | 5,512 | 1 |
| Underwear | 4,778 | 1 |
| Collar & Bell | 3,000 | 1 |
| Tuna (prop) | 2,604 | 1 |
VRChat Platform Features[edit]
| Feature | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PC Performance Rank | Medium | Acceptable for most users |
| Quest Performance Rank | Very Poor | Limited Quest support |
| Full Body Tracking (FBT) | ✅ Compatible | Rigged and ready |
| Face Tracking | ✅ Ready | Unified Expressions prefab included; requires VRCFaceTracking setup |
| MMD Visemes | ✅ Compatible | — |
| AudioLink | ✅ Ready | — |
| Eye Hypnosis | ✅ Compatible | — |
| Heartbeat (HRtoVRC) | ✅ Compatible | Displays real-time biological heartbeat in VR |
| Resonite | ⚠️ Partial | Not guaranteed to work out of the box |
| VRCFury | Required | Avatar will not function without it |
| Poiyomi Toon Shader | Required | Decals, emissions, alpha, UV tile discard depend on it |
Hand Gestures & Expression System[edit]
The Mayu avatar features 10+ combinable hand gestures with a customizable gaze system, synced custom blinking, and ear twitches — all synchronized across multiplayer instances. The FX controller uses VRC parameters as Float type universally rather than mixing Bool/Int/Float, enabling richer expression combinations at the cost of requiring care when merging external controllers.
PhysBones Locations[edit]
Physics-simulated bones cover the following areas of the avatar's body:
- Cheek fluff · Whiskers · Ears · Nose
- Face cheeks · Butt cheeks
- Tail · Toes
- Hoodie strings · Hood
Interactions[edit]
| Interaction | Trigger |
|---|---|
| Head rub | Touch top of head |
| Belly rub | Touch stomach area |
| Cheeks interaction | Touch cheeks |
| Ear pull | Grab/pull ears |
| Cheese slap | *(signature interaction)* |
| Nose boop | Touch nose |
| Feet poke | Touch feet |
| Tail pull | Grab tail |
| Hoodie strings pull | Pull hoodie draw strings |
| Bell sound physics | Bell on collar reacts to movement and touch |
Customization Blendshapes[edit]
The avatar provides the following in-game customization sliders:
- Gaze direction · Pupil shape · Eyebrow shape
- Whisker configuration · Long muzzle toggle
- Saber tooth teeth · Retractable claws
- Female chest option
- Cheek fluff density (including extended "longer" option)
- Ear side fluff · Ear style
- Pointed eyelash toggle
Colliders[edit]
Global colliders are set on the muzzle and feet, enabling consistent cross-avatar interaction compatibility.
What's Included in Purchase[edit]
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Unity Package | PC and Quest prefab variants; all clothing and accessory meshes |
| Substance Painter 2022 files | Available to everyone before purchase at mayu.azuki.tech; requires SP 8.3.1+ |
| Blender source file | Full mesh for modifications (versioned, e.g. v3.2.1) |
| Video tutorials | Setup and VRChat upload guides; provided via Discord |
| Discord community access | Purchaser-only server with support, avatar adoption, add-on discovery, and events |
Pre-Purchase Transparency[edit]
One of the Mayu avatar's most distinctive community-facing policies is the public availability of its Substance Painter texturing files before purchase. Any prospective buyer can download the full texturing project, design their own texture, and evaluate the workflow — without spending a penny. This is documented explicitly on the official site:
"Substance Painter files are now available for everyone! Make your texture before purchasing the Mayu avatar."
— mayu.azuki.tech
This approach is uncommon in the avatar marketplace and reflects a confidence in the product's quality as well as a genuine community-first philosophy.
Licensing[edit]
| Use Case | License Required |
|---|---|
| Personal use in VRChat | Standard (included) |
| Texture commissions | Standard (client must own base; commissioner may use public SP files) |
| Sharing SP files (without mesh) | Permitted with conditions |
| Redistribution / reselling files | Prohibited |
| Sharing with friends who haven't purchased | Prohibited |
| Porting to other platforms for resale | Prohibited |
All purchases are non-refundable as digital goods. AzukiTiger notes limited exceptions for accidental duplicate purchases.
Third-Party Ecosystem[edit]
The Mayu's active purchaser community has generated a meaningful ecosystem of community-created add-ons, edits, and accessories — all requiring base ownership:
Heavy Edits[edit]
| Product | Creator | Description |
|---|---|---|
| BigCat Mayu | AtaraxiaMod | Full body and face resculpt with big cat proportions; alternative interaction sounds; modified clothing; requires Mayu base ownership |
| KitCat Mayu | AtaraxiaMod | Lighter variant edit from the same creator |
Accessories & Add-ons[edit]
| Product | Creator | Description |
|---|---|---|
| VRChat Mayu Harness | matcha | Rigged climbing harness compatible with Mayu; includes Substance Painter files, 10 preset textures; VRCFury prefab setup |
Community add-ons are discoverable through the Mayu Discord server and VRCArena's accessory listing for the avatar.
Community[edit]
The Mayu Discord community (purchaser-only) functions as the primary hub for:
- **Technical support** — setup help, bug reports, upload guidance
- **Avatar adoption** — community members share their custom-textured Mayu avatars for others to use
- **Asset discovery** — finding add-ons, clothing, and accessories compatible with the base
- **VRChat social events** — community-organized meetups and group sessions in VRChat
- **Creator networking** — connecting texture artists, riggers, and mod makers
Support is provided in both English and Spanish, reflecting AzukiTiger's bilingual background.
Design Significance[edit]
The Mayu avatar represents a specific philosophy in VRChat avatar design that is worth documenting for archival purposes:
- **Iterative commercial development** — Starting from version 1 and reaching 3.5.5 with consistent updates, all provided free to existing purchasers, reflects a service-oriented model rather than a one-time sale approach
- **Pre-purchase transparency** — Public Substance Painter files invert the typical "buy then discover" model
- **Technical depth as a feature** — The complex FX controller is not hidden or simplified away; it is disclosed upfront as a deliberate design choice
- **Biometric integration** — HRtoVRC support, displaying real biological heartbeat in VR, pushes the boundary between physical and virtual presence
- **Personal origin** — An avatar built first for its creator, then opened to the community, carries a different energy than market-research-driven designs — this shows in the specificity and richness of its interaction set
See Also[edit]
- AzukiTiger — Creator of the Mayu avatar
- The Rexouium — Another major furry avatar base for comparison context
- Rezillo Ryker — Creator of the Rexouium
- Furality — Major VRChat furry convention where Mayu avatars are commonly seen
- Kingsley Vega — VRCHistory founder; noted Mayu user
External Links[edit]
- Official Mayu Website
- Mayu — Gumroad
- Mayu — Jinxxy
- Mayu Substance Painter Files (Free/Public)
- Public Avatar — Tora (Free)
- Public Avatar — Oyama (Free)
- Terms of Service
References[edit]
- mayu.azuki.tech — Official website (© 2026 Azuki LLC)
- azukitiger.gumroad.com/l/mayu — Gumroad product listing
- jinxxy.com/azukitiger/mayu — Jinxxy listing (full feature breakdown)
- Community package statistics — v1.50.1 and v3.5.5 (sourced from community documentation)
- @AzukiKemono on X — Mayu origin tweet
- ataraxiastoned.gumroad.com — BigCat Mayu listing
- matchakitty.gumroad.com — Mayu Harness listing
- Last documented: April 19, 2026