The Philosophy of Vtubers | Video Essay

[@AccentedCinema]

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[@moruxuss8313]

Cool

[@wymmyw8744]

actually, kizuna ai is not the first vtuber.. she's the first anime themed vtuber.. i used to watch a cat vtuber before kizuna ai ever existed.. yes, with an avatar.. not just plain png.. but animated 2d avatar of a cat.. but she chose politics and she's already gone from youtube.. coz she was very critical towards the west and the US government and she provided alternative news updates that you won't find in the mainstream media..

[@WeiJian393]

Have you seen fog Hill of the five elements

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

Kizuna Ai is an overt reference to Aila, a replicant from the bitter romance anime Plastic Memories some time prior to Ai's debut.

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

VERISIMILITUDE is English for emotional realism. AMericans NEED propaganda like hospitals being in Pearl Harbor, because that's the level of their escapist delusion. Blood Diamond had to make Leo DiCaprio speak wrong because test adiences rejected a genuine SA accent as "funny", they're xenopohobes.

[@soorian6493]

Even though I'm not a fan of this stuff myself, it's refreshing to hear somebody engage with it critically and think about what it does well as a medium rather than just label it as icky and cringe and move on.

[@edevers213]

Agreed, cool to learn about it but it’s still cringe lol

[@fenchellforelle]

i mean there is a reason people just stamp it as icky and / or cringe. - their personas tend to be either loud and obnoxious or purposefully stupid or clueless to the point where it isnt entertaining to watch anymore for most people. - idk if its a vocal minority in that community or what, but most highlights or similar stuff that seems to be recommended from them is suggestive or lewd in some form or another - usually only because its taken out of context but if thats your first impression you probably wont care to see more. and my personal gripe - most of these models are comically unexpressive. of course this is expected for tiny vtubers who arent affiliated with anything and just use it to stream on the weekend, but even hololive models feel completely devoid of motion in most cases. The only times i have actually seen models that move and animate in ways that actually translate the emotion the person is experiencing tend to be when the vtuber themselves are a 3d modeler or animator in real life. i mean, just look at the difference from the avatar showcase at 0:20 compared to the vague unstable motions of every other character in the video.

[@MK_ULTRA420]

@@fenchellforelle Then by those standards most people are cringe.

[@TheAlaGatorDA]

@@fenchellforelle As a fan myself I wouldn't disagree. I think your first two points comes from how the vtuber fandom in general is a derivative from the more weeaboo-centric parts of the internet, thus a lot of the negative stigmas that comes with it can easily be found in the vtuber fandom as well. It takes a bit of a dedicated time exploring to find a vtuber you might find decent, and for most people it's just not worth it. It's not for everybody is all I'm saying. As for the unexpressive thing it's honestly a whole rabbit hole of technicalities in itself tho. I happen to know people who do vtubing casually and a few more that actually works on those L2D models, and from what I hear it is pretty hard and expensive to make models with large range of emotes and movements, and that is not even counting the kinds of face-tracking/motion tracking hardwares and softwares. The difficulty only raises the more intricate the character design is, so yeah. It's most of the time due to technical constraints I believe.

[@Gigi-zr6hp]

@@fenchellforelle the fluidity of the avatar showcase is because having a full tracker is expensive af even for a major agency such as Niji or Holo. Having that fluidity comes at a super expensive cost and raises the bar super high for people that want to try vtubing but don't have the money to do so wherein vtubers you can DIY a rough rigged model with plenty of multilingual tutorials out there. It's like comparing having a sports car to your ol and reliable sedan.

[@Lozak]

Even an april's fool video is treated with sincerity and insight, from a non judgemental point of view, I love this channel

[@commenter4898]

I'm pretty sure he was just using April's Fools as an excuse to talk about what he enjoys. He included clips of vTubers in his videos many times before.

[@FigWidIt]

The second you connected V-Tubers to Pro Wrestling it finally clicked for me. Everyone is in on the joke that it's fake and everyone's playing along. It makes so much more sense to me now thinking it as WWE/Pro Wrestling lol Like Dwayne Johnson vs The Rock, he is both. He is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and can choose to be either persona.

[@TheSpongyMallard]

Depends on the streamer really. Risu from Hololive said she doesn’t think the WWE analogy fits. She just tried to be the best version of herself online like any other KZbinr.

[@person906]

​​​@@TheSpongyMallard well she still has her fantasy backstory and the 3d model. Im sure there were wwe wrestlers who also pulled more from their actual personalities. The idea Yang presents where the appeal comes from a heightened suspension of disbelief still applies. It sounds like she's trying to downplay the fantastical aspects of her work to add legitimacy, which is understandable given the negative stigma that surrounds vtuber culture.

[@TheSpongyMallard]

@@person906 I didn’t follow Risu when she started, so maybe she started out more playing a character. I just know she responded to the wrestling analogy and saying it doesn’t fit in her case. I think most drop it later on because of multiple reasons. This video also seems to mostly cover how Hololive kinda works, as Nijisanji and some indie Vtubers bearly if at all stick with their initial character/lore. The only “complaint” that I think is legit stupid is that some people get annoyed that they don’t show their real face, when 99.9% of the time it’s made by a person not having their real face or name as their avatar/account name lol.

[@StrikeNoir105E]

​@@TheSpongyMallard Even Hololive's talents barely stick to their own character lore, in fact they have some of the more memorable moments of straying as far away from their character lore as possible. See Akai Haato: her original lore was that of a tsundere schoolgirl. Then she went to Australia IRL where between the mental pressures of her life in a foreign country and familial neglect she basically made a completely new mad persona which everyone now knows as "Haachama". Then she made that content about the war between her old Akai Haato persona and her new Haachama persona, and a legend was born. She's doing better these days ever since coming back to Japan, but lore isn't nearly as important to Hololive as you think it is, with one of the more common sentiments among talents and fans alike is "what lore?".

[@TheSpongyMallard]

@@StrikeNoir105E Most of what I know about HoloJP is from clips. Haachama is very much a character though. I hope she’s doing ok. I think the most obvious with dropping the act was with Cali. She used to put in on so hard and honestly I couldn’t really watch her old streams because of it. She seems much more at home with being more “real” now.

[@thattrickytrickster612]

Vtubers also allowed people who are otherwise very shy and even have social anxiety to be able to express themselves comfortably and confidently. A lot of these people genuinely love what they do, and in turn, us as fans love them. Thank you for covering this topic.

[@Firebear31]

As a shy person who played in student theatre I can sign this. Acting/Being someone else is easier and also surprisingly fun than trying to awkardly start a conversation as yourself with random people :D

[@hantubelaung]

Not only person with social anxiety, but disability too

[@cheeseboy2251]

Yeah you’ve nailed it. I don’t have the courage to set up a webcam to present my face to the world, but I would definitely be a vtuber if could as I really want to express myself to the world

[@poorsmolchildissmol]

Thank you! I consider Vtubers as like a higher tier of faceless KZbinrs or Streamers. As an incredibly shy person myself but still with the passion for games, I prefer playing with other people because I find it to be the most fun. It (Vtubing) would give me that space where I can hop in and enjoy while being able to comfortably hop out. And as for the topic of people with disabilities, I also highly agree. There are many illnesses what would require you to stay at least in bed for a while so it can get a little lonely. I think it would be a great way to socialize and acquire connections despite having the disadvantage to not leave their abode or their bed for health reasons.

[@AcidiFy574]

​@@poorsmolchildissmol So the faceless ones are inferior ?

[@acudaican]

This might unironically be the best fucking Halloween video I've ever seen. I can't believe the worlds of VTubers and Accented Cinema have crossed.

[@Fataha22]

I mean if you watch him enough you can see he into vtuber at kungfu hustle

[@shun-li8204]

Cross Cultural Pollination.

[@leonardowijayanto8769]

Colliding.., indeed~

[@trevorweisberg8470]

I’m deep in the vtuber rabbit hole but I appreciate your reaction because lately I’ve noticed people outside the hole outright threatening and attacking both fans and vtubers.

[@sumfagola]

@@trevorweisberg8470 That's the internet, baby.

[@1mikeap4]

I think it's important to point out that it's not uncommon for the kayfabe to fade over time as the streamers let more of their actual personality show. There's still a set boundary between character and streamer, but it's not so distinct that you would call their behavior "fake". Rather, it's just their real personality being embellished a bit here and there.

[@bryanxie]

Calli is a great example of this.

[@Helmir]

Yeah for many the character just allows for some jokes or flavoring. The idea people can stream as a fake persona for 6~8 hours a day just doesn't match the reality of things.

[@Tziouv]

It is fake, it is acting. People act differently when with friends, family, romantic interests, professional environments and most importantly when a camera or microphone is facing their way. It only gets worse when they make a living out of their projected personality. Parasocial relationships are called that for a reason, media personalities are not your friends.

[@1mikeap4]

@@Tziouv None of these comments said anything about parasocialism. And I already aknowledged that there's always some degree of seperation between person and character. I just think calling it "fake" or "acting" is an exageration. Like you said, it's similar to how one behaves differently at work than at home. That doesn't mean the interests and behavior they demonstrate at work aren't really their own. They just embellish aspects of their actual personality to fit their content. It's simply not feasible to presume that they act out a totally fabricated personality on improv for hours on end day after day. If they could do something like that they'd be better off as professional actors than youtubers.

[@Zeik56]

​​​@@1mikeap4 Not even professional actors stay in character for as many hours as the average vtuber streams, completely unscripted and live. (Outside of extremely rare examples of over the top levels of method acting.) No matter how committed to the bit you want to be, eventually your genuine personality always breaks through to some degree, because any normal person is going to burn out trying to perform 100%, almost every day, potentially for years. The early Vtubers like Kizuna AI managed to keep up the performance more consistently, because they were doing pre-recorded videos that could be edited to show what you wanted, but even that faded with time. For better or worse, most Vtubers really are just pretty normal streamers long term, with a bit more kayfabe around their identity. The general conceit of Vtubers lets them be a little more creative with some of the performative elements when they want to be, but the average stream, usually playing video games or talking, is barely indistinguishable from most regular streamers. Sometimes even less performative than certain popular streamers.

[@monarchyyyy]

I never thought AccentedCinema would talking about Vtubers. What a surprise.

[@Gyrbae]

I thought it was only a matter of time. He's put a couple of clips of Korone here and there in his videos.

[@tybellsprout]

Yep, plus he has Amelia Watson in the Kung Fu Hustle video (opening statement).

[@KathyXie]

He has always been a weeb and made several vtubers reference

[@thenoisyninja]

Ive noticed a few references snuck in here and there in previous videos.

[@PitLord777]

It's already known he's in the rabbit hole. The only question is how deep he is in it.

[@DuoLeveling]

Woah, wasn't expecting such small guys like us to show up in one of your videos. We are honored! Thank you for also taking the time to publish a video looking at vtubers in general. It was very nice to hear your thoughts.

[@umbraemilitos]

The Twin concept is really cool.

[@DuoLeveling]

@@umbraemilitos Thanks! We try our best, we're not big corpo or anything but we hope we are refreshing enough to at least make one person entertained!

[@EphemeralPseudonym]

I actually screamed out loud when I saw u guys show up LMFAO

[@ootoriazumi1349]

i was like yooooooooooooo when you showed up

[@_Kaori_Miyazono_]

I do understand more now. But I don't think those who watch Vtubers are playing along, it looks more like they really think that they're real. I still think it's disgusting. Both the fans and Vtubers want to believe that they're the persona, escape reality completely. Further distancing themselves from people and becoming more and more depressed. Just accept who you are, it's the best way to live and be happy

[@saetharion]

One of the reasons Vtubers can paradoxically feel more sincere is sometimes they're more comfortable sharing their true thoughts, experiences, or emotions on something, using the anonymity of the avatar to protect themselves. It's often easiest to be vulnerable and honest when you feel safe, and the safety presented by the disconnect and the hidden identity can sometimes result in moments of authenticity that regular streamers might be too trepidatious to fully engage.

[@RadicalFloat_95]

I actually genuinely agree with you

[@GiantGeekGuy]

Vtubers: *singing* Captions: Anime Brainwashing I love this video already.

[@ACupOfWarmLatte]

Honestly, the wrestling comparison is definitely a good one to use here. I'm a massive fan of Vtubers, and an active fan and work in the industry, though loosely. Fans basically go into this thinking, "Can I let you trick me?" and the streamers say "Yes :)". It's a nice act, though for me, one of my favourite parts of being a fan of Vtubers, are the moments where they do lift the veil, maybe for a minute or two, maybe for longer. It's nice to follow along in a massive play, but it's also nice to see the actual person behind the acting. It's been a blast to see people from all sorts of backgrounds, making time to play what's basically an adult make believe session. And while sometimes, it's heart breaking to see these people leave, or see people being way too invested in this that they go out of their way to raise hell for the streamers, overall, it's fun.

[@wsxgfhccr]

How would you differentiate between the wrestling make believe with fans, and those who partake in cult-like religious ceremonies like speaking in tongues? I believe both are one and the same, and they attract the same kind of people

[@ACupOfWarmLatte]

@@wsxgfhccr I'm sorry what?

[@Vizible21]

@@ACupOfWarmLatte except wrestling are like acting while vtubing is like glorified catfishing.

[@Diamondsnake0]

​@@Vizible21 Are you saying that v-tuber fans truly believe they're watching a 0 year old anime princess on stream?

[@bot0643]

one of my favorite vtubers during a stream said that the background of mountains was not real, and that she was using an avatar. Chats Respsonse: "YOU LIE!" "Immersion broken!" "My immersion!! Noooooo!!!!" one of the best karaoke streams ive ever watched. XD

[@AbroadVtuberClips]

personally, I like the anonymity behind the avatar not being judged by your appearance, adopting a new persona, to start from zero for a certain group of people who got a bad hand in life, it's very hard to enter the "content creator market" because random troll on the internet love to judge your appearance the only option is to not show your self at all, this animated avatar is a very nice way to express yourself without the usual bullying that come after using a Vtuber avatar, you avoid the first hurdle and just focus on the being entertaining to keep those people watching tomorrow great video my dude!

[@sketchystruggles5361]

It works the other way for creators that never show their appearance then want to interact with fans more closely. Just look at cookieswirlc. She started with over 13 million subs BEFORE becoming a vtuber so she could interact with fans more closely. It makes her one of the most subscribed to vtubers.

[@sumfagola]

@@sketchystruggles5361 They ran a toy review channel, face displayed, for several years. Moved on to Roblox Gameplay, adopting an anime avatar based on their player model, then jumped on l2d youtube avatar once the tech/methods became more accessible.

[@fltfathin]

it also, just like the mission of hololive, give chance to random talented nobody that normally don't reach far if using 'traditional' media to show their talents. including formerly can-contained drink addicted gremlin that became a shark

[@FlocAud4914]

...

[@KevinCow]

As someone who's been in the fandom for a couple years now, it's always interesting to see the perspective from someone outside it. I think a point I'd add is that not only does the fourth wall extend further, it's also very blurry. Most Vtubers don't take their lore too seriously, and are willing to talk about their real lives - but in a fictionalized way, using fake names and changing details to both somewhat keep with the lore and also protect their identity. If a cowboy Vtuber says, "I went to cowboy school, but dropped out," you know they don't actually mean cowboy school, but you also know they're being honest about dropping out. This puts Vtubers in this weird place between fiction and reality. Like, Amelia Watson, we know that she had some struggles before Hololive, and lost someone close to her. And when she joined, she just absolutely could not sing. So watching her find her place in Hololive, build the confidence to try weird things, and learn to sing, then finally seeing her perform on stage with her genmates - that was real! I'm happy for a real person! But unlike a fully real person, she and fans can still have fun with the fiction of her being a time-traveling detective.

[@eksbocks9438]

I'm not big into Vtubers. But this is what I've noticed: 1. People with likeable personalities get recruited through an agency. Like Hololive or Vshoujo. 2. They attract an audience, simply by being themselves. 3. The computer generated skin helps make things more casual. Because of their Anime-ish appearance. So, it creates this environment where people can escape from the stress of the real world. It's just easier to be happy around these guys. For obvious reasons. I personally can't get into it, though. Because I know it's always a "1 Girl, 500 Guys" situation. I just wish there were more people in the world like them. It really would make life a lot easier.

[@johnr6087]

See for me, I like to maintain the kayfabe of the vtuber and willfully suspend my disbelief. I personally don’t even say “before Hololive Amelia Watson did x/y/z” because in my mind there was no Amelia Watson before Hololive. There was an individual who was a voice actor/puppeteer/vicar for the character that would eventually become Amelia Watson, but no “Amelia Watson” However, and I mean NO offense to anyone here, some fans get really into “doxxing” the vtubers and learning their backstories and even obsessing over minutiae of their lives and their potential romantic lives. Which… I just can’t see myself ever having an interest or a desire to do so. I hope I’m not coming across as self-righteous here. Other vtuber fans can enjoy vtubers however they want.

[@megamage911]

@@johnr6087 Yeah you're not alone in this, most Vtuber fans don't liker those people. Especially the ones who make Twitter profiles and YT channels based around exposing the people behind the Vtubers, we'll usually mass report them to shut that shit down.

[@sageoftruth]

One really interesting thing that I heard from an interview was how some V tubers have been able to become more genuine by hiding behind these characters. Kind of like how being on the Internet can make you less wary of social restraints, they felt empowered to show off more genuine parts of themselves, by playing these characters. Because everyone was watching their character and not them, they felt less worried about being judged.

[@redkommie80]

There is a great deal of being genuine and vtubing. The hours of putting into the streams and playing a character is going to either cause burnout, or get stuck in a cliche corner. The best, and why I think Hololive is great at picking the right streamers, is their personality works with the Character (design). Allows them to be themselves while they play or chat, with their avatar and lore still being useful. I also do enjoy when they share real life stuff. Like off collabs, or just some childhood experience. Some might think they are making stuff up. But being able to use the Avatar while opening up about themselves helps make them be more real.

[@HudaefCares]

You don't even need bathe to stream lol, at least one Orca vtuber (female) is well-known for that. She joined a Minecraft collab with famous Japanese Minecraft channels recently and the random name the game gave her was "MustyJam" lmaooo. Her name is Sakamata, and her fellow teammates (also vtubers) nicknamed her "SakaMusty". No, they don't know what 'musty' means. 😂

[@redkommie80]

@@HudaefCares why we love to tease her as fans as well

[@releasethekraken5039]

That's nothing new tbh. Anonimity on the internet does make you more comfortable sharing stuff that you otherwise would'nt. For better or for worse. Been doing that since my household first got internet acces when i was like 9 years old

[@GuyWithAnAmazingHat]

If people want to understand vtubers more, just watch Ironmouse's talk with psychaitrist HealthygamerGG. In summary Ironmouse has immuno deficiency and literally can't leave her room and is wired to medical equipment 24/7, being a vtuber is the only way she can interact with the world. And for her vtubers are not just a persona, it's her being able to express herself more freely than she ever can IRL. Like how anonymity on the internet can allow people to act and behave outside of norms, vtubers can allow themselves to express themselves fully, they can be more "real" than a streamer who shows their face because by showing your face you become more prone to judgement and expose yourself to even more parasocial activity.

[@chargemankent]

Mousey is The GOAT!!

[@Bane_Amesta]

Yes is probably the only thing the video doesn't mention, the anonymity of an anime avatar gives in turn a freedom of action that an actual streamer can't have. Not just about the real face, but also their personalities and opinions. These can blend on the avatar but there's always the element of mystery. If some stalker tries to find their favorite streamer it's possible (and very scary). The anime avatar gives the person behind it a safe place to be whoever they want to be.

[@person906]

​@@Bane_Amesta he touches upon this in the conclusion.

[@letrashcan6239]

Can I become a nazi vtuber?

[@Extragear-gv8qq]

ironmouse is the goat

[@dandanthedandan7558]

I feel there's also one aspect of vtubers that you haven't mentioned. It's that their vtuber model is a puppet they're playing. In the virtual space, vtubers can take advantage of their environment to be more expressive, for example, having their ears twitch when they blink or hearts pop out when they press a button. They're also able to use props like random items falling when someone donate or create an expansive space out of a small studio during a concert

[@DABUNGINATOR]

I've felt like most VTuber avatars are somewhat less expressive. An avatar that mostly smiles for about an hour is a lot less dynamic than a real face. If we're comparing a 2D model to a not so expressive person, though, I guess the model would be more expressive.

[@dandanthedandan7558]

@@DABUNGINATOR it definitely depends on how expensive the model is. If the L2D have a bunch of expressions and the tracking is on point, you can do quite a lot

[@silverjuly9339]

@Dubious Degenerate Merryweather is a good example. Might be cringe for some ppl though. Link to what I mean : kzbin.info/www/bejne/hIGXfYpsadijpdk

[@dandanthedandan7558]

@@silverjuly9339 KZbin links are hidden by KZbin btw

[@DABUNGINATOR]

@DANDAN THE DANDAN With an L2D, is it possible to show multiple emotions without pressing a button? I've seen 3D models track whether you're neutral, sad, or mad in real-time (like Code Miko), but all the L2Ds I've seen rely on the user pressing buttons, which is a real deal breaker.

[@Ilovemelonss]

Its kinda funny how you pointed out Ninomae's character design because without the tentacle attachement, she's one of the simplest and chillest looking vtuber models.

[@mzou89]

The simplest and innocent looking model, with somehow the horniest fanbase

[@antokarman2064]

And she has the most down bad fans despite her simplistic design. Deliciously ironic!

[@enashimo]

@@antokarman2064 originally her fanbase was the least downbad in Myth until the back incident happend

[@synbioskuun]

​@@enashimo You mean...DOWN BACK

[@enzuki]

​@@enashimo Then when she took a break the 4thWAH incident appeared.

[@ALGOChannel]

One other thing not mentioned here are the positives of being able to stream without having to show your real identity but still being able to show your facial emotions. A lot of people have self image issues, forms of social anxiety and other problems that they can circumvent by being able to use an avatar. One big example is Ironmouse who is a vtuber that is bedridden, probably has a lot of medical equipment around her and cannot leave her home but she is able to make a living by streaming via her vtuber avatar regardless of whatever her current health situation is.

[@josefagomezschmeisser8356]

I’m not a v tuber but I have a chronic illness and the internet is a great place to interact with other besides the limitations of our bodies in real life

[@ThePsh07]

probably

[@steveericson9137]

I'm too old and/or out of touch to "get" Vtubers ... but HoloCure is one of the coolest Vampire Survivors clones out there, and apparently it's based on these people! 😂

[@leechang1201]

Holocure is better than VS

[@steveericson9137]

@@leechang1201 I wouldn't go that far, but it's subjective. What's objectively true is that HoloCure is damned impressive for a 100% free game. Runs nicely on a SteamDeck too. 😁

[@wolflore7]

Its nothing about age, its all about finding the niche for you. in fact, some of the most popular vtubers have fanbases that have an average age range of late 20's to early 30's

[@steveericson9137]

@@wolflore7 Early 30's for me was over 20 years ago 😂😂😭

[@JollibeenosHasYourCoordinates]

@@steveericson9137 Perfect age to watch someone like Noir Vesper.

[@gwakkkroniicler6400]

Honestly, vtubers felt more real than watching those so-called reality tv shows.

[@sorenkair]

that's quite a low bar

[@Vizible21]

@@sorenkair yeah. Imagine watching a 50 yr old lady who acts and speaks like 12.

[@TheeCapN]

No they don't. Vtubers are way more cringe. It's interactive cringe. At least with reality tv you know it's fake and these people are just making a fool of themselves. People who support vtubers are greasy losers who fall in love with an over sexualized avatar and underaged personality. And the people who are v tubers are actually cowards who won't show themselves and take that bargain of selling themselves as an innocent kid personality. They get their cake and eat it too.

[@TheAHuman]

@@Vizible21 people still pretend all Vtubers are old men/women pretending to be an anime girl. That probably accounts for .000001% of all Vtubers.

[@shaithis77]

@@Vizible21 must be a fan of Marine.

[@Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache]

This is gonna sound parasocial, but the appeal of VTubers is this is the closest we'll get to living an anime. Not just having an "anime character" say your name in real time and acknowledging you. It's intoxicating when you influence the lore. Remember when we all called Pekora a war criminal, and then her next outfit was an escaped criminal? Or Subaru accepting that she's a duck? Or Pomu becoming Solid Pomu after playing Metal Gear? Or most of Coco's memes she brought to her friends becoming a part of who they are to this day?

[@chargemankent]

That does sound a bit Parasocial. But! I do agree, and what you said also in line with what AC said. VTuber sells Fantasy, and being Parasocial is indeed buying in that Fantasy, the problem is Parasocial is too much consumption of Fantasy, and it's absolutely not healthy.

[@-EchoesIntoEternity-]

its like an interactive "choose your own adventure" anime. where your actions may or may not influence the final outcome. the banter between some vtubers and their chat can be downright hilarious or entirely wholesome too.

[@sorenkair]

anime how? as in absurdist comedy? role playing and games have existed hand in hand since forever.

[@Vizible21]

That is literally parasocial. These so called "vtubers" is as fake as famous people. Why? Because it's their job.

[@nietzchan]

@@sorenkair This is a bit different than larp-ing where everyone becomes a character in the stories, this is more like an interactive theatre where the stage and the cast is set, but the audience has several more degrees of freedom because the play doesn't follow a plot.

[@seekittycat]

Vtubers solve a lot of problems I have with idol/youtube influencer industry. You get to be anon and the *company* is incentivized to keep you anon so no stalkers (there will always be toxic fans but at least toxic fans can't find your house now!), no weirdos lewding your real image, you getting shipped with your friends isn't as weird because you're just playing a character, parasocial relationships isn't formed with you per say but an anime character instead, and most importantly you physically get to keep your youtube life and real life separate forcing a work/life balance. I always like the idea these young people having a digital avatar and playing a character instead of putting their real face, real life, and real personality out there for people to consume.

[@Eh_Nope]

He's obviously very knowledgable on the topic. We might have lost him to the rabbithole Who is your oshi Accented Cinema?

[@pyrelordz]

Probably Korone

[@bryanxie]

Imma guess Marine

[@MonomonoChYT]

He used Korone clip in one of his video

[@Moglidor]

​@@MonomonoChYTAnd Amelia Watson in his Kung fu hustle video.

[@shaithis77]

@@pyrelordz was gonna say the same thing. He feels like a fellow Koronesuki to me.

[@qng3975]

There is something about Accented Cinema’s humor that kind of stand out from other monotone-ish humor

[@Sim_Pole]

Before this, I never knew there is a term for communal make-believe, "Kayfabe". Congratulations on finally going back to the basement *for work*, AC. Weird how worlds of different interests collide, as I never would have expected Accented Cinema to make a video on Vtubers. Anyhow, April's Fool seems perfect for videos on experimental subjects like this and I do look forward to more of such content. Until then, please always remember that in 1998, The Undertaker threw Mankind off Hell In A Cell, and plummeted 16 ft through an announcer’s table.

[@Mahbu]

The term is/was really only well known in the wrestling community and its fandom. Up until the emergence of vtubers, nothing really shared that type of communal make-believe. Besides maybe things like Renfaires where they and you pretend to be in the middle ages for however long you feel like it.

[@strawberrymilk607]

​@@Mahbu A channel called FD Signifier also made a video connecting Kayfabe and the performance of being "hood" that many rappers do

[@sweetsnejinka9411]

Thank you. Thank you.

[@supercheetah0]

There are also some vtubers, like Ironmouse, whose reality can't really be hidden from their audience. She still has her fictional backstory, but she's admitted to how her health has interrupted her streaming (I guess it could be bullshit, but that would be quite surprising.) She does this in large part because she thanks her audience for being there, and helping her pay her medical bills (and other bills too), and because vtubing is one of the few jobs she can do with her disabilities.

[@danashrulez]

An absolute fantastic video as usual. I love vtubers and you did a great dive into the space. Also huge respect for including our dear Sana in the corner when you mentioned HoloCouncil.

[@bryandream1832]

Unexpected video theme but a welcome one

[@Nakytzu]

This is very true. Vtubers are trying to sell you on the idea of the a certain fantasy, and it comes to the point where if popular enough, fans will create their own wave to ride on. A pretty interesting phenomenon really, and glad you touched on it

[@brokenrecord1323]

Not gonna lie. I was already expecting this especially today. Thank you Accented Cinema

[@MattiasPilhede]

I think the topic of authenticity and sincerity in the Vtuber sphere is super interesting and this was a great watch and analysis. I was expecting to just get brainwashed for 12 minutes.

[@Dr.PicklePh.D.]

Unexpected but welcome to see you here

[@ThunderSmell]

That was the best explanation of how professional wrestling works that I've ever heard! The fourth wall is BEHIND the audience. Chef's kiss!

[@onebraincell-q9f]

It's nice that you bring up the comparisons to both wrestling and live streaming because vtubing definitely sits somewhere in the middle between these two, probably more as a spectrum instead of something that can be easily generalized. It has less of a script than wrestling but it's more focused than live streaming, each vtuber basically has a character description and then are left to fill the rest of it with their own personality. There's some vtubers out there who take their "persona" very seriously and enact it all the time and others that basically just stream as themselves but with an anime avatar and amongst their fans you'll find people who like them for all sorts of different aspects. I think it's a very inventive medium that allows people to produce content that can be more interesting than simply real life but with much less effort than an actually directed show which allows people to basically follow the everyday lives of these "characters".

[@Real-_-human]

Dude looked at the WWE and Vtubers and said, "They're the same picture".

[@rrr-mi9kv]

1:42 Okay, I'm gonna be that nerd. This isn't strictly debut order, because "Generation 0" is just a catchall for members who didn't debut with a generation. Only Sora, Roboco, and Suisei debuted before Gen 1, and Suisei debuted as an independent before joining the agency much later. Her and AZKi's outfits shown in the video are both later redesigns, not the outfits they had at debut (AZKi's debut outfit is actually this flashy sci-fi getup). Miko and AZKi were originally part of separate projects the company was doing, before they decided to merge everything into their hololive brand. This is all pretty confusing stuff, and it's entirely understandable why newer or more casual fans would just assume Gen 0 debuted first. That said, I do agree that there is an overall trend of the character designs getting more overdesigned over time.

[@Whisom1018]

Well Miko is a strange one, she was around before Gen 1, her accounts were all active over 6 months before but since she was doing recorded content like Kizuna she didn't actually debut until later. Also Sora has talked about how Miko was the second person she met after Roboco. So like Suisei and Azki now, Miko is in that weird limbo of being both senpai and kouhai at the same time.

[@Nathan-nk2wk]

@@Whisom1018 Just a correction, her first video is considered as her debut, it's unusual for Hololive, but AZKi is the same in this regards as well, since her first video is also her debut. Miko's timeline: 2018 Mar. 31 Twitter account created. (4 weeks after Roboco's debut) Apr. 24 YT channel created. Aug. 01 First video and debut date. (1 week before the first Gen 2 debut) Dec. 25 Joined Hololive (almost 3 weeks after Mio's debut)

[@Whisom1018]

​@@Nathan-nk2wk Yeah, I meant in the sense that even though technically her debut date was after Gen 1, making her a kouhai, she's actually been with Cover longer than anyone except Sora and Roboco, which makes her a senpai. I think she's talked about being around for the Gen 1 auditions after Yagoo scouted her, but I could be wrong about that.

[@commenter4898]

Just because he grouped some of them together does not negate it being in debut order. I mean everyone within each gen debuted one after another instead of simultaneously, and you still accept them being shown together.

[@chomosuke0720]

Coming from Pikamee's grad stream. This put a smile on my face. Thank you.

[@Carreau-sama]

As someone who is pretty deep in the vtuber rabbit hole I felt this was a really well written and easy to understand video essay. You weren't judging or starting from a point of stand offishness and gave a lot of information that would really explain it in simple terms for someone who doesn't watch the medium. You also kept out any unnecessary terms that vtuber fandoms and their fans would use when explaining it to someone who isn't invovled in it which would make it all come off as more confusing or less inclusive. Great job.

[@Giorgal]

"Fans are acting alongside the wrestlers/vtubers". That's the best way I've seen someone describe this.

[@hanchiman]

I recall before Vtubers, there were youtubers who have "cute voice" like Lilypichu and Nyanners who would basically make Meme videos or some singing covers. I think Ina is most popular due to her fans of "Takodachi" where she and the fans play along with creating the Takodachi lore

[@Xirvet]

Funnily enough, both are VTubers now and Nyanners is even part of a VTuber agency

[@hanchiman]

@@Xirvet Yup. I used to follow Nyanners when she was a "Shitposter" where she post silly videos and some singing covers. This was before she found her true calling as a Vtuber

[@steveericson9137]

"she is in fact NOT a helicopter" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Stlwartheart14]

Kroniicoptor begs to differ lol

[@wondersuave]

I more recently got interested in Vtubing's ability to craft and play up a character, but never quite understood the DIE HARD dedication that people have with it. This helped me understand a lot more

[@dandanthedandan7558]

11:43 Surprised you didn't mention Neuro-sama when you mention the actual AI vtuber. She's like one of the earliest chatbot-turned-vtuber created by Vedal and have been getting a lot of fans and collaborations because her chatbot is so unhinged

[@AccentedCinema]

I originally wanted to show Neuro-sama, but her stream always has text on screen, which obscures the "actual AI" text that I want to show. So I had to show Kit instead.

[@dandanthedandan7558]

@@AccentedCinema that's cool. Hearing the thought process behind the video is interesting

[@angeldude101]

Another thing I find interesting about Neuro-sama is how mundane her avatar is, which sharply contrasts the much more exotic models of most VTubers, but also the fact that those more exotic models are still fundamentally human behind the mask, while Neuro's more unassuming model hides possibly the single most inhuman VTuber behind it, and that inhumanity becomes painfully obvious every time she opens her mouth. I wasn't aware of Kit, so I'm curious how they compare.

[@dandanthedandan7558]

@@angeldude101 Neuro is mundane because her model is the default starter model in the L2D program lol

[@angeldude101]

@@dandanthedandan7558 I know. Vedal is collaborating with an artist to draw a new avatar for her, but I still hope they keep the more simplistic and mundane style (rather than adding cat ears like they were mentioning during that stream), with just adding some more personal touches. Also, I say "avatar" instead of "model" 1) because "model" usually implies 3D rather than 2D, but more importantly 2) because her AI is considered a "language model" and I'd rather not use "model" for both terms.

[@naujuanauj]

I was a stupid child and expressed my love for anime when I was young back in the early 2010s It's safe to say everyone hated anime back then so I painted a target on myself Long story short I stuck out with anime for over 10 years till everyone started to like it so I have no shame being a vtuber fan

[@97Multiphantom]

Thank you for covering my fandom in such a deeply understanding way. So many of these talents have come to mean so much to me, and it warms my heart to see someone from outside the Rabbit Hole talk about vtubing in such a nuanced, positive way. ❤

[@GearOFFBlack]

Accented Cinema talking about Vtuber? The rabbit hole is expanding more and more!

[@Tonbizzle]

I love seeing people squirm with the idea of vtubers as a form of entertainment, yet can't realize that they've been watching movies and reading books and seeing plays with the same lenses. I'm an old man watching people 10 years younger than me that "just don't get it".

[@FengLengshun]

3:02 don't let Kroni deceive you into thinking she's not actually a helicopter. She is, in fact, 100% a helicopter. Good video, the comparison to wrestling is the one that I often draw myself. The biggest difference I think is that over time you're expected to break kayfabe here and there. There's a tradition of watching your debut video a year or so later, and this is often because your persona has gotten so different from its initial presentation that it's fun to look back on it. For example, Yukihana Lamy is initially presented as the calm big sister of the group, but she's in fact a giant drunkard. Ceres Fauna started out similarly but she is now a boomer who used to be an IRL goth/emo and as a result we got a lot of time when she cringes whenever the zoomer Hakos Baelz don't know things like Teen Titans. For me, this "broken kayfabe" is what draws me in. I don't care about their settings, but I care that Houshou Marine is an older lady who's fed up with traditional work culture, who knows and loves Touhou and Sakura Taisen, and that Fauna plays the same game as I do as well as watch the same thing as I do.

[@Lianpe98]

that's just gap moe

[@ocea_aeco]

"being british" 💀

[@rudetuesday]

This is very helpful! I've been a heavy user of the internet since the late-1980s, when there were relatively few places to go and it was fairly simple to get a sense of the flavor of various community spaces online. There's so much more nowadays, and I find myself having to describe, explain, and translate various concepts for older people who only use Facebook a couple of times weekly (for example). Using wrestling as a framework to describe concepts like parasociality is such a great idea.

[@Lianpe98]

More than an act I think it's like Gigguk once said, it's putting their most fun facets of themselves during the livestream in order to entertain, but everything is genuine. At most it's an exageration of themselves. Something very important that this video missed is that the vtuber model works like a mask most of the time, that by protecting their identity allows them to be more honest and genuine without fearing the judgement and harasment that they would by showing their faces, specially women. At the same time the audience ends up paying more atention to the personality of the streamer and is unconciously forced to ignore the physical look of the body. Vtubing ends up protecting female streamers and also helps them to connect better with their audience. Now, vtubers that aren't streamers obviously have different dynamics with their audience.

[@MrTheil]

Figured you’d end up making a video on vtubers considering how many times you’ve shown Korone and Ame clips

[@LunarCrusade]

Kronii is, indeed, not a helicopter, but Kroniicopter.

[@Punkalopi]

Vtubers are cringe, but its really cool to see them explained in such a straightforward and clean fashion! You're making the niche more accessible and easy to understand. For that, I thank you :D

[@OldRedGrizzly]

We are cringe but we are free!

[@azurisuru]

The only thing I'm grateful for having the covid pandemic lockdown was the eventual exposure to vtubers after having more time to explore and watch youtube.

[@robotjox77]

Glad to see you put Miko at the start there

[@zynerza]

In short: What get us who watch it to like it? Kayfabe What made us stay? Their personality. Sometimes they let their true personality to come out and we all felt connected with that. Sure there are a lot of funny moments but when they're being "out of character" and show who they really are, that's when we love them. Maybe it's true with most streamers or entertainers in general, but that's what always makes someone a fan. Sincerity

[@JunkPhuJP]

Something I didn’t expect from Mr. Accented Cinema (Hey, let’s put a spotlight on Asian and Foreign cinema, actors, and culture), but a welcomed surprise nonetheless. 30+ year old here and I’m fascinated too, but never had the time or patience to watch a full stream. So thank you for taking the dive and sharing your observations.

[@christian_swjy]

As a thing to note, while every vtubers have lores and assigned personas, not every one of them play their character 100% of the time. This is what makes them connected and relatable to their viewers. Vtubers are just like regular livestreamers with an anime (or cartoon) avatar.

[@Silk_WD]

I feel like there's a spectrum of Vtubers ranging from constructed personalities to regular, if anonymized, streamers. I agree that Hololive as a company prioritizes character backstory when it comes to presentation and marketing. But there's a bit of variety when it comes to the streamers themselves. Some play into the performance aspect, while others use their character more as a structure for in-jokes. I also like watching smaller, indie vtubers. They very much tend to the regular streamers direction. There's also a huge difference if you're streaming to 10000+ people, or a handful regular viewers.

[@cleverman383]

It sometimes feels like a response to the need to have a webcam ever since Twitch popularized it. People used to always just use a microphone on KZbin and never show what they looked like, but now everyone wants to see your face while you're talking. So, now people who want to stay private will just use a vtuber avatar instead of their actual self.

[@kitsunesden8085]

Ina is (technically) the priestess for a Lovecraftian eldritch horror that resembles a Flapjack Octopus (thus the flaps on her head) and the book she's always holding is the book of the Ancient Ones (Chtulhu and such), aka AO-chan. Myths: Death itself, Immortality personified, Eldritch Horror, Time Traveler and the last Atlantian

[@shaoronmd]

3:02 "she is in fact, not a helicopter " ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT!?

[@nutshot_brawler8466]

0:45 Ah, yes, "being British", one of my favourite types of streams

[@GeneralLiuofBoston1911]

YOU!!! YOU GOT ME INTO THIS ACCENTED CINEMA! Remember that little joke that you made about how you don't just watch others watch Kung Fu Hustle not just because they were a cute anime girl? That was the entry into the rabbithole. I never took Vtubers seriously, BUT THEN THAT CLIP. And man has it been a wonderful ride of enjoyment that I would never experience from elsewhere. It has been just about a year since I entered the rabbithole. I've seen debuts and graduations and controversy. It's April Fools, but I don't care. Your clip was, genuinely, my gateway. Thank you for that.

[@adiantomahendra]

"The fake is of far greater value. In its deliberate attempt to be real, it’s more real than the real thing"

[@Syiepherze]

Never would've expected this as both a Vtuber aficionado and a watcher of the channel, but for an April Fool's, you REALLY committed to the bit just as if it was another video. Well done!!

[@KeebeThePlush]

Having a unique design to your character and having extra lore to it and it’s songs are a great way of keeping interest and development

[@Zeis]

As a big fan of Vtubers and a Vtuber myself, this is genuinely the best video on what Vtubers are that I have seen. Well done dude! I've been watching and loving your channel for ages :D

[@toruiwatobi1484]

One of the appeals in the first place is finding that pocket where you see someone grow from just being an amateur small-time content creator trying their best to make do with the limits of their genre, to making it big by actually getting a 3D model, which when you think about the logistics of it, is pretty massive. By putting limits on the genre (the 2D aspect of it), creativity is highlighted and those that make it work are respected and loved by the community for their game changing ideas. This ties into the idol culture where is originates (which is, I kid you not, is similar to shonen manga levels of wholesome character growth) where you grow with the talent, supporting them along the way, and celebrating the milestones they've achieved. Whereas korean idol groups focus on perfection and the peak of entertainment, japanese idol groups focus on the pureness and almost imperfect aspect of the character, which makes sure that even if the talent can't really sing well, they will inevitably learn to do so, and once they've improved, the fans are rewarded by looking back and appreciating the growth of their idol. Part of the reason why Japanese vtubers are so popular even if they do not have a face, is because voice actors in Japan are highly regarded, and are sometimes even more popular than actors. This unique focus on the vocal aspect is what makes vtubers so fitting for the next evolution/generation/iteration of "voice actors". Part of the appeal is mostly finding a voice that is unique enough to be memorable. It has been shown that just having a personality present in the voice, is enough to get a following, which conveniently ties into why some japanese vtuber avatars don't even need to move well. In the visual side, this video explains it perfectly. The visual aspect is unexplored territory here despite having great artists in Japan. Its ultimately a style choice, but the emphasis here has always been the personality. In the western side of things, vtubers is seen as more practical. Having an avatar is a way to express yourself without being judged or straight up putting on a show to attract more people. This is a stark contrast to japanese vtubers usually having limited movement on their 2d rigs which emphasizes on the character, not the model. In the west, having an insanely rigged model is often seen as a plus. There are many talents in VShojo that have 2d models that blow the competition out of the water in terms of rigging and models are only going to get better. Its easy to say that vtubers do have this fantasy around them thats seen as not geniune, but I like to think of it as on-demand entertainment in the form of an anime. You have to buy into the suspension of disbelief in the first place. Is it real? Is it scripted? It does not matter as long as it is entertaining. When a new Hololive member debuts, fans often bet on how long will they last while keeping their debut persona. After a few months of streaming, they start to get more comfortable and suddenly the fantasy gimmick is gone, the personality remains, and the geniune fans stay. Like any other streamer, vtuber or not, fans are hooked by a gimmick (whether its content, design, or booba), and they stay for the personality, which fans get to see grow throughout their career.

[@MrXav94]

Regarding the "sincerity" or "authenticity", because of the anonimity that usually goes with Vtubing (before it was introduced as a major trend in the west, at least) The person behind the avatar is a mystery, you don't know who the person behind the character is, and they know you don't know, which can lead to the person behind being more honest and open about their feelings, opinions, and experiences. Cases such as Watame talking about her family, or Aki opening up about feeling inferior because of sub counts, come to mind. And because of this, there's this belief that the people behind can be and are more honest than regular youtubers or streamers. Again I know that may not necessarily be the case, they might be lying, we do sometimes know who the person behind the avatar is because of "forbidden knowledge", sometimes the person behind the avatar doesnt mind their true identity being exposed. I'd dare say that most JP vtubers real identities arent known, and that the "face reveal" was something that was introduces after Vtubing became so popular in the west. Just my 2 cents, dont mind my disconnected rambling, hope it makes sense.

[@team56th]

I find it really interesting as to how Vtubers and VRChat dial up the alter ego/Kayfabe thing to 11 and let people transcend their physical identities, and people seem to be so much more accepting about it compared to IRL. It's been such a boon to a lot of people wanting to explore new identities and others taking a fresh new look about it.

[@releasethekraken5039]

Until they realize that their "physical" online appearance is just a bunch of mocapped pixels.

[@sycamoretre3]

when I saw some vtuber clip you used in the Mahjong video, I knew that you are one of us! thank you for this video😊

[@NUUvs4kt]

Totally did not expect this video. A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. Of the occasional vtuber things that pop up in my subscription feed, I sort of mindlessly clicked on this. However, I was surprised to find out it was this great man. As a "dabbler" in the vtuber community, I must say that I'm happy you made this video. Now maybe my friends will finally see how my hobbies aren't that weird. Right? Nah, who am I kidding. Great video, even if it is the April Fools theme.

[@jocax188723]

VTubing also allows people like Ironmouse, who would otherwise never see outside their own room due to medical concerns, to visit Tokyo, hold concerts, and bully monkeys.

[@TheHeptagonEffect]

honestly I was always iffy regarding vtubers playing a "character"- it just feels like it's inviting those sorts of unhealthy, parasocial relationships by pretending it's all real. I never really thought of it in wrestling terms (probably because I don't watch wrestling) but that actually does frame it in a new way for me. it still feels a bit weird but I'm glad to have the new perspective since when you put it like that, it's a lot more fun!

[@ronsongathus9634]

Streamers' main drive and direction are mostly content creation via vlog/gaming/just chatting/podcast, while they have a following in the community, the involvements are usually memes and funny moments that happen during those content creation. Vtubers on the other hand, rely more heavily on the community, memes are made front and centre on the streamers themselves, the chat will make fun and banter with the Vtubers, and the community loves the collabs to see Vtubers clash with one another for chemistry or rivalry comedy. While a lot of Vtubers do gaming and game playthroughs, they lean more on variety games, they don't try to focus on one game and get good at it; often times it's more about laughing at Vtuber's silly mistakes than completing the game itself. On top of being very engaged with the community, Vtubers especially the Japanese branch/variant tend to sell their talents like idols which is why it attracts a lot of unhealthy individuals that seek out parasocial relationships. I think it's pretty well-known that a lot of idols fans are unhinged. Vtubers appeal to them even more because, of the ease of access to watch it from their home instead of going out to the stadium/theatre hall, they get to interact more with Vtubers via chat (superchat / donation message) than just a simple handshake. There are groups of indie Vtubers and agencies that do the opposite of selling idol-like Vtubers; the Vtubers joke a lot, make vulgar remarks and act haughtily to sell as an entertaining comedian to secure a less toxic fanbase. Nijisanji for example is more well-known as the Hololive counterpart that is less of an idol group and more of a bunch of goofers. Either way, in every group of the population of humans, there are bound to have small numbers of crazies and sick people, it's always easier to spot them than normal people because of how loud and unimaginable things they do to break common sense. Just like how the news always picks up the extreme events to report than the seemingly normal, good and healthy things. So try to ignore erm, and pay more attention to the good side.

[@TheHeptagonEffect]

​@@ronsongathus9634 that's for sure a fair point! honestly, all of the weird and irksome qualities that I find in vtubers can be traced back to/also be found in idol culture. I should mention that I'm by no means saying that I disliked vtubers before. heck, they SHOULD be right up my alley in terms of interests and- from the clips I've seen, I'm probably missing out on some good content honestly, I do know a fair amount about the vtubing scene- more than someone who doesn't follow any particular vtuber(s) probably should, but I guess I just haven't found one that's managed to broken through the wierd, icky fake-feeling for me. though, even if I did find a streamer I liked, I doubt they'd be with like, hololive or a similar large company because at the end of the day, they're an employee who's job it is to make the company money. I'm sure most of them see it as more than that and I'm sure they're allowed to be (mostly) themselves, but it does add another wrinkle to my potential enjoyment when I know that there's a decent chance the avatar was made to be appealing to an audience rather than to reflect and express the person behind it. honestly, I just kinda find all this interesting to talk about

[@cryforhelp7270]

​@@TheHeptagonEffect Try indie vtubers. Chibidoki is one I love, she's... Something.

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

So vtubers point a mirror to the general toxicity of AMerican objctification, of ACTUAL people like Britney Spears and Jeannette Maccurdy, because that's who Americans prefer to abuse. Instead of a cartoon character that the performing artist is palying with, and lampsahiding the DIFFERENCE. This offends the American, who pretends there's "kayfabe".

[@TheVeryHungrySingularity]

it's been a growing joke, especially over the last two years, about avoiding parasocial relationships.

[@shirleysmovieaftershow]

I’ve been binge watching your videos today. I have been going through some stuff and I find your videos helping.

[@heerotomoe]

What if Wrestlers Were Streamers is a great way to introduce Vtubing to the general world. I still feel like the person underneath is what really makes a loyal fan, but the fluidity of the keyfabe in interactions between chat, between Vtuber collaborators, and so many creative endeavors is part of what makes watching Vtubers exciting and fun. It's like how fantasy and sci-fi can sometimes hit harder than fiction based in reality, sometimes the truth behind the keyfabe feels realer than ordinary streamers. (No diss to streamers of course - experiencing genres of all types is a great time imo)

[@johnnychopsocky]

Which is funny when you consider just how many current wrestlers are also streamers, with Austin Creed's UpUpDownDown being one of the biggest ones.

[@tjtoic]

As a Hoshiyomi A welcome surprise. and a surprising amount of well known community memes. ONE OF US

[@hafirenggayuda]

I still believe he actually a "normal" fan, who take this moment to show his love to vtubing world

[@ihvdrm]

@@hafirenggayuda I bet he's the one who bought life sized Yagoo statue.

[@within_the_sky2356]

3:17 Gotta say detectives are my favorite mythical creatures, god I wish they existed

[@solthas]

"She is, in fact, NOT a helicopter." Top quote of 2023 right here folks. Hah I love the Detective is a mythical creature.

[@pingpong5877]

What do you think of Kobo's pronunciation of bing chilling?

[@wreckmanwithhat]

If we reference your definition of vtubers, then we can definitely conclude that jerma985 is a vtuber. Props to the designers and animators of jerma on how realistic he is🤰🇵🇷

[@RatteDrago]

Holy shit. You poked fun, analyzed and broke down vtubers in such a amazing way. As much as I know how cringe and how the vtubers are just playing a role. I loved them and enjoyed them since forever. Also the wrestlers analogy is perfect. Vtubers biggest selling point is actually us, the audience. They play the roll and we sell the character and mold them.

[@dylansporrer1198]

I know that you can only do so much in a 12m video, but I wish this had gotten more into the issues baked in to the Vtuber industry which it adopted from the industry it emulates: Asian (esp. Japanese and Korean) idol culture. I was only tangentially a HoloLive fan for a few months and even in that short time I was shocked by how much the industry and the fan base pit these performers against each other in an off sort of zero-sum training to be the best Vtuber. Then there's the whole structure of a bunch of contractors working for a management group across international borders that just sends the "workers rights violations" red flags shooting up. Also the massive amount of... well I don't have a better term for it than queerbaiting... that any anime fan is familiar with that medium doing feels so much weirder when dealing with he blurry line between character and performer inherent to Vtubers/ido culture.

[@thenoisyninja]

Love the pro wrestling comparison. Really puts into perspective how fans interact with the streamer!

[@sanana3803]

Not only am I glad to see a nice video on vtubers, I am also glad to have found my favourite youtuber Jaymoji at 8:45

[@eggman6605]

Accented cinema has fallen down the rabbit hole? Sensational.

[@envd916]

Hes been in it for a while

[@acudaican]

@@envd916 That much is obvious from the chosen clips and references lol.

[@ALGOChannel]

It's nice to see this kind of video coming from someone that makes content that isn't related to the world of vtubers and having them talk about it in a direct, respectful and sincere way. Great stuff.

[@krowkovtuber]

oh damn, i was included in this video! 😳 probably just out of random luck that my model popped up when you googled "vtubers with wings on their heads" 🤣 still, as an indie vtuber, i really appreciate your efforts in diving deep into the hell hole that is vtube culture, and even including indie vtubers in your video ❤️ wishing the best for your channel ✨

[@johiney02]

Yo dude lmao check out this indie vtuber with wings on her head and totally emo armour and a wicked sickle and...impressive singing abilities and...a warm heart and...a genuine care for people and...a lovely community....dang guess I better subscribe

[@_B.C_]

Good video but you forgot to mention where this whole using a live avatar to interact with the audience concept originated from… Disney’s Turtle Talk with Crush which predates Kizuna AI by 12 years. Turtle Talk with Crush started in 2004. Kizuna AI started in 2016.

[@Damian0358_]

This was a genuinely fun video, Accented Cinema! A lot of great points made throughout. I do want to just build off your point of personas and kayfabe though, because there are two elements worth considering, that being the extent of personas and the porousness of kayfabe. One important element to remember is that, while persona/character-driven VTubers were definitely the founding block of VTubing as we know it, more often than not, beside the backstory, lore, etc. that persona is often informed by the personality behind the VTuber. That naturally ended up leading to a transition towards personality-driven VTubers beyond indies once technology made it easier to integrate the avatars into streamers (away from 3D models as popularized early on, towards 2D models thanks to the power of the iPhone X), which all then ultimately came to a head with the Game Club Project controversy in 2019, with the personalities behind its VTubers being unceremoniously replaced, prompting mass backlash and basically putting a stop to any similar ideas elsewhere (as well as false rumors of it happening elsewhere). So why do VTubers continue to have at least minimal personas (basically akin to actual streamers, just with extra flourishes) when what is sought-after is the personality driving them? That links back into your point on market competitiveness and standing out, and for the IP holders (indies, agencies, etc.) it provides an avenue for merchandising, which is more often than not more profitable than the actual streams. The porousness of kayfabe is what allows this sort of dynamic between persona and personality to keep up. In this day and age, we have many wrestlers now engaging in social media, and the way kayfabe is upheld varies across many of them. Heels can range from keeping up their antagonistic personas at all hours, to being just professional representatives of the company online, same with faces, tweeners, etc, because many more folks are smarks these days and recognize that wrestling is just "soap opera performed by stunt actors" (with folks respecting the amount of work that goes into that), and as long as the wrestler doesn't break the internal logic of kayfabe, it is maintained. In that same vein, even with the 'absurd' conflict between a VTuber's backstory and how they actually act, as long as the kayfabe isn't broken, then there's nothing to fix, especially if the personality can inform the persona to certain degrees. Even if they don't fit 100%, the emotional realism is kept up, because the viewer knows how complex actual people can be.

[@NinjaMan47]

A very under-appreciated bonus of having a virtual model be your face and of not using your real name is just to separate yourself from the omnipresence of being online. Being even a niche celebrity can be terrifying and so having privacy and an ability to just relax in public is invaluable.

[@theonlymegumegu]

Man, you really ARE our favorite husbando, you make such great content! I was expecting an April Fool's video, but I'm impressed you took the subject seriously and gave your usual great insights. Which is even better, really. Thanks so much!

[@gnivrihog]

Every time my friends ask me why i like watching Vtuber and i alway can never give a good enough reason. But now i will just tell them to watch this video. Thank you for this amazing video essay on Vtubers.

[@ani-mate_reviews]

1:24 cool seeing the progression in style and design, the tech too. 5:52 Factual error.

[@AMITAWAGHADE]

Codemiko is really good because her good sense of humor and understanding of editing and comedy along with insane technical skills.

[@Penjelajah68]

Vtuber at hololive still the best at using this concept story telling. Hacaama, Ayunda risu, pysco suisei, usaken kensatsu , gura reflect, dad calli, etc. In comparesion other vtuber kinda "stuck" at their story telling.

[@9Tensai9]

I'm glad to see that no matter how much time has passed or what the actual subject of the video is. When somebody is talking about vtubers from an "ousiders perspective" as "this is what a vtuber is" the Velociraptor guy ALWAYS comes up. He's always an example of a "weird" vtuber. Or a "random", the "funny", the "one that ran out of ideas" or my favorite "the chad giga brain god of vtubers and any other vtuber should just give up and kneel before our velociraptor god"

[@-Raylight]

Actually made sense, Vtubers are like Wrestlers all along Is this your excuse to make video about Vtubers? That's a lot of info that casual viewers won't know. Like the connect 4 or Subaru's duckness xD Gotta agree, makes me happy to know that people, esp. introverts are able to express themselves... like becoming a kettle girlfriend

[@wcjerky]

I came here after seeing a few instances of VTubers, not knowing about itt and wanting to know more. Today, I leave with a greater understanding. Thank you for the education.