Author: Merrel Briona

Famed actor and martial artist Richard Norton died last year after taking unapproved peptides, according to a newly released coroner’s report.

Norton, who was known for his villainous roles in Hong Kong action films including 1997’s “Mr Nice Guy,” and more recently the latest “Mad Max” films, died on March 30, 2025, at the age of 75. At the time, his cause of death wasn’t known to the public. 

Now the coroner’s writeup, as reported by NBC News, reveals that he died at his home of sudden cardiac arrest “following self-administration of recently commenced peptide therapy” that he was undergoing with the supervision of his doctor.

Norton, however, had been exceeding the dose that he was prescribed. Just two days before he died, he told his nurse that he’d been taking “double the prescribed dose” of two peptides called CJC1295 and Ipamorelin. The nurse then “advised Richard” that “he ought to only administer the prescribed dose.”

The reason Norton was taking peptides was probably to help keep up his athleticism in his old age. He told his doctor that he was interested in peptide therapy, saying he had already taken the drugs under another doctor’s guidance for “fatigue, reduced physical recovery, shoulder pain and loss of lean muscle mass.” The peptides he was taking are commonly blended together to stimulate growth hormone production and help with recovery.

Australia’s ABC News reported that his death is believed to be the first in the country that’s known to be caused by unapproved peptide use.

Norton’s downturn came suddenly. He took blood tests before being approved to start peptide therapy less than two weeks before he died. For the next week, he reported feeling fine and that the treatment was working. Just a few days after checking in with the nurse, though, Norton complained that he felt “hot and flushed and then collapsed and became unresponsive.” Paramedics arrived, performed CPR after observing he was experiencing cardiac arrest, and took him to the hospital. He died two days later.

Peptides are short chains of amino acids that are typically injected to bring about purported medical benefits. Some have made it through clinical trials and can be prescribed legally, like Ozempic and Zepbound. But synthetically produced peptides that haven’t been well studied have simultaneously achieved explosive popularity in biohacking spheres and among wealthy figures and celebrities — and while many swear by their benefits, the long term health consequences remain hazy, as does their legality. Many are produced in China and sold by dubious vendors.

The coroner didn’t mince words on unapproved peptides, noting that they’re not approved by Australia’s health regulators or “any global regulatory authority for human use,” with their use “mostly considered experimental in humans,” and their “toxicology is largely unknown.”

More on peptides: RFK Jr Opens the Floodgates on Experimental Peptides, Alarming Scientists

For a character who began as an elaborate internet prank, Kasane Teto has had quite a long run online over the last nearly two decades.

First introduced in 2008 as a fake Vocaloid character, Teto eventually became a virtual singer in her own right, building a dedicated following through fan-made music, animated videos and online communities.

Recognizable for her dark pink hair, drill-shaped twin tails and distinctive voice, she has remained a fixture of internet music culture for nearly two decades.

Now, following her addition to Fortnite, a new generation of players are discovering the character and her history. So, how did an April Fools’ Day joke become an internet icon? Let’s take a look.

Where Does Kasane Teto Come From?

Kasane Teto was created in 2008 as an April Fools’ Day prank parodying a new Vocaloid release. The character was originally introduced online under the fake company name “Crvipton” as a supposed fourth Character Vocal Series release following Hatsune Miku and Kagamine Rin and Len.

Teto is recognizable for her dark pink hair and eyes, distinctive drill-shaped twin tails and an ahoge (a trope from anime featuring a singular strand of hair that sticks out).

Teto’s creation was closely connected to the development of the UTAU singing synthesizer software. UTAU grew out of the “Manual Vocaloid” practice, in which users edited and reconstructed existing vocals into synthesized singing.

The software’s developer, Ameya, began experimenting with recombining vocal samples from existing singers using Audacity, while Melodyne was used to correct pitch and arrange the samples into songs. The process became known within the community as “human-powered VOCALOID.”

The software was first announced on the Japanese video-sharing website Nico Nico Douga in 2008.

On February 5th, 2008, a demonstration video showcasing its graphical user interface was released, with the program eventually gaining features such as time-stretching vocal samples, creating oto.ini configuration files and editing pitch bends for notes.

A more detailed video explaining the software’s specifications was uploaded to Nico Nico Douga on March 5th, 2008. On March 15th, the program was officially renamed UTAU.

Teto made her debut on April 1st, 2008, on the message board 2ch. Several videos archiving the threads that led to her creation exist, although they are in Japanese.

Over the years, fans have also attempted to translate the various threads in which forum users brainstormed her design elements.

After the April Fools’ prank gained unexpected popularity, Teto developed a substantial fan following and was eventually adapted into a UTAU voicebank.

The earliest known video of Teto singing was posted to Nico Nico Douga by user tattoo2003 all the way back on April 6th, 2008.

UTAU’s accessibility and versatility helped the software spread, as it allowed users to record and create their own UTAUloids for free.

Teto became one of the characters associated with the program’s growing popularity, particularly following the release of several widely circulated songs and videos.

One of the best-known early examples was the 2008 song “Triple Baka,” produced by LamazeP and featuring Teto, Hatsune Miku and popular fan character Akita Neru.

The song became a staple of early internet culture, with a reupload of the original Nico Nico Douga video posted to YouTube by user @seisatsu amassing over 24 million views since November 13th, 2010.

Another popular song featuring Teto was “Fukkireta,” also produced by LamazeP. The song spread throughout Japanese and English-speaking online communities and video-sharing websites.

An extended, fully colorized version posted by Nico Nico Douga user F91 on May 15th, 2010, has since reached over 1 million views, while other reuploads across different sites have also amassed millions of views.

How Did Kasane Teto Spread Online?

UTAU continued to see widespread use in the following years, with the ability to create custom voicebanks remaining one of the program’s main draws.

As the software developed, internet users began making custom UTAUs for celebrities, public figures, fictional characters and others.

Although Teto was initially developed as a UTAU voicebank, she was later officially released for the Synthesizer V AI engine in 2023. The release brought renewed attention to the character, with Teto and the software gaining prominence among younger internet users, particularly on TikTok.

Teto also received recognition from Crypton Future Media. On June 12th, 2025, the official @HatsuneMiku YouTube channel posted a video featuring Teto alongside Miku for a live performance of “Mesmerizer.” The appearance was regarded as a triumph for the character, whose beginnings as an April Fools’ Day joke were often noted.

Teto’s popularity continued to grow into the late 2020s, eventually leading to another major crossover.

On November 4th, 2026, X account @HYPEX announced that Kasane Teto would be added to Fortnite. The post received 1.4 million views and 41,000 likes.

The same day, TikTok user @hypex shared a short clip of the trailer revealing the collaboration. The video received approximately 1.2 million views and 179,000 likes in nearly three weeks.

The Fortnite collaboration prompted a wave of reactions from fans, with some celebrating Teto’s inclusion while others expressed preferences for different virtual singers.

As details about the collaboration and its accompanying cosmetics emerged, discussion also turned to the design of Teto’s in-game items, particularly the “Pearto” back bling.

On October 27th, 2026, TikTok user @jahnorma shared an excited reaction to the Kasane Teto and Hatsune Miku Fortnite skins. The video received approximately 355,000 views and 56,400 likes in about two weeks.

On November 5th, 2026, TikTok user @chinad0l1 posted a Fortnite clip or edit featuring Miku and Teto. The video received approximately 316,000 views and 80,300 likes in one week.

The Pearto back bling also became a subject of debate among fans.

On November 11th, 2026, X user @theKrabs_11 posted a video addressing complaints about the “Pear Teto” accessory. The post received approximately 158,000 views and 10,600 likes in less than a day.

That same day, X user @GondleOfTheDeep posted, “Why is everyone upset?” in response to the Pearto back bling controversy. The post received approximately 1.23 million views and 44,800 likes in less than a day.

Also on November 11th, X user @kzzrttt defended Pearto and newer Vocaloid fans, arguing that people were taking the back bling too seriously. The post received approximately 25,000 views and 2,500 likes in less than a day.

Later on the 11th, X user @nebulimes posted, “why do they hate you tiny pear woman?” offering a humorous outsider perspective on the Pearto controversy. The post received approximately 367,000 views and 24,400 likes in less than a day.

What Are Some Related Memes?

Kasane Teto’s internet legacy is unusual even by virtual singer standards. What began as an April Fools’ Day prank on 2channel in 2008 grew into a character with a lasting place in online music culture, helped by fan-made songs, UTAU covers, animated videos and memes.

Teto Territory

Teto Territory or Teto’s Turn refers to an animation meme, viral video and song utilizing the UTAU singing synthesizer software, particularly the Kasane Teto character and voicebank. Released in 2009, the video has become a staple of both the UTAU and Vocaloid communities, as well as early internet culture in general.

Kasane Teto In Fortnite

Kasane Teto in Fortnite refers to the addition of the UTAU virtual singer Kasane Teto to Fortnite on November 12th, 2026, as the headliner of Fortnite Festival Season 16’s TWINDRILL DIVA Music Mini-Pass.

The subsequent Music Pass reveal detailed the collaboration’s cosmetic rewards and sparked debate and slight controversy among players, particularly over the inclusion and the Pearto back bling.

Pearto

Pearto is a meme inspired by Kasane Teto, a virtual singer similar to Hatsune Miku, that shows Teto’s face photoshopped onto a pear.

The meme supposedly originated in a Discord server dedicated to Kasane Teto and fans began posting “Pearto” fan art and memes to sites like Twitter X, YouTube and Instagram in late 2024 and early 2025. The image was likely inspired by the Pear Baby photoshop, which was created in 2010 and gained memetic spread alongside Pearto.

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For the full history of Kasane Teto, be sure to check out Know Your Meme’s encyclopedia entry.

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Read the original article on Know Your Meme.