Twitter users are going crazy for a VRChat avatar that recently got face tracking capabilities, inspiring a wave of fan art on the app.

The character is named Lapwing but many are referring to her as "Gosling" in relation to a popular meme featuring actor Ryan Gosling in one of his most iconic roles.

So, where did Lapwing come from and why exactly are people calling her Gosling? Here's what you need to know.

Who Is 'Lapwing' aka 'Gosling?'

Back in August 2023, a VRChat avatar for an anime girl character named Lapwing was released on Booth.pm by user Long, aka Kuji. The character is depicted as having white hair, bangs, pale blue eyes and a black cloak. She was liked over 8,000 times on the site in the next two years.

Then, in April 2025, X / Twitter user @Hash2305 shared a surprise update for the character. That day, they posted a video showcasing a face tracking add-on for the character model, ideally allowing for her to be used as a VTuber. Not only were people fascinated by the capabilities of the face tracking tech, but by the character herself, causing the video to go viral.

Why Is 'Lapwing' Called 'Gosling?'

When Twitter user @Hash2305 uploaded his face tracking tech demo video to X, he also posted it to YouTube. The YouTube video gained over 600,000 views in two weeks and inspired a lot of comments about the character. Among those was a comment by YouTuber GasMaskedThings, reading, "There is no Ryan Gosling reaction image that can fully convey the feels rn."

The comment refers to the "You Look Lonely" meme, which is a reference to the Ryan Gosling film Blade Runner 2049. Essentially, the commenter is saying they feel lonely and filled with desire for Lapwing to be real. Clearly, many related to the comment, which garnered over 14,000 likes and earned Lapwing the nickname "Gosling."

How Is Social Media Reacting To Lapwing?

The face tracking demo video went viral on X / Twitter with over 28,000 likes in about two weeks. As it continued to wrack up views and reactions, some talented people began drawing and sharing artwork of Lapwing / Gosling to X. These pieces of art tend to be drawings of specific facial expressions Lapwing strikes in the video.

Many of these art pieces also include drawings or screenshots of Ryan Gosling from Blade Runner 2049, referencing the viral YouTube comment.

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For the full history of Lapwing / Gosling, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.