DO NOT SUPPORT THESE VTUBER AGENCIES || The 13 most common Red Flags in VTuber Agencies

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You've all heard of VTuber agencies like Hololive, VShojo, Idol, and Nijisanji, but what about the more obscure and less competent VTuber agencies out there? In this video essay I cover everything to watch out for in VTuber Agencies, whether it be toxic work culture to bad contracts.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
4:10 Background
4:50 Sponsor
9:00 Background 2
10:51 Incompetent VTuber Agencies
12:29 Malicious VTuber Agencies
14:53 VTuber Agency Red Flags
15:36 Red Flag 1- Obscurity
16:28 Red Flag 2- Lack of Vision
17:03 Red Flag 3- Unnecessary Secrecy
18:37 Red Flag 4- Constant Drama
19:15 Red Flag 5- Child VTubers
19:32 Red Flag 6- Inappropriate Work Culture
20:14 Red Flag 7- VTuber Fan Staff
21:39 Red Flag 8- Gender Separation
22:33 Red Flag 9- Disregarding TOS
24:27 Red Flag 10- Lack of Support
25:25 Red Flag 11- High Turnover Rate
25:14 Red Flag 12- Not Paying (Artists or Otherwise)
27:40 Red Flag 13- Bad Contracts
33:18 Researching VTuber Agencies
39:40 Conclusion

[@YamAlbat]

Use code "YAMALBAT" to receive $5 off for your first #Sakuraco box through my link: team.sakura.co/Yamalbat or your first #TokyoTreat box through my link: team.tokyotreat.com/Yamalbat

[@miniwirud]

sorry to ask you had you seen DepressedNousagi sorry.

[@MisterUmbra2kXx]

HoloLive and VShojo are not really,...THAT!,...Bad,are they???!!!

[@MisterUmbra2kXx]

Where are BOTH part one AND part two?

[@modenoatr]

Shout out to Amiya Aranha, from the ex-company Tsunderia, that let all its talents keep their models after it fell apart! Retro spider-mom simply went indie and kept everything on the same channel.

[@YamAlbat]

All the ex Tsun members are incredibly talented and deserve so much support! I have loved to se Amiya grow over time. Such a talented individual!

[@abx_yenway]

Amiya is a champion

[@greed-1914]

Tsunderia truly handled things gracefully. There was no drama or blame. They simply acknowledged they didn't have the resources to keep going, handed over the models, and wished everyone luck going forward. I understand that companies had investments in the IPs, but when they completely close, it makes no sense to keep the assets that they will never use.

[@mayuravirus6134]

I thought i have to be a member to comment

[@cranberrysauce61]

probably should be said, just because a company has a couple of red flags, doesn't inherently mean its a bad company. but each is a stop sign telling you to hold up and make sure the path forward is right for you.

[@YamAlbat]

True!

[@mu1642]

I know this is about vtuber talent agencies but I’ve worked for companies in the USA that fall under these red flags. 😂

[@jayzenstyle]

We need to fight the big corpos, choom. They only go where the money's at, no matter how short sighted it be

[@YamAlbat]

Agreed!

[@BrightBlueInk]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure my work contact has an NDA that has a vaguely phrased thing about not revealing company secrets. Not only that, they have a "non-disparagement" clause that means we can't speak negatively about the company unless it's just something that's factually true, lol. And they wonder why we unionized!

[@TripleARMS]

This is a well-produced and smart primer about creator awareness in the VTuber landscape and how to protect oneself when choosing their future in an organization.

[@YamAlbat]

Thanks for watching!

[@squiiji3D]

Thank you for making this Yam! I know it's been such an undertaking, but it's so worth it and I really hope it'll be able to reach people and save them from experiencing the horrible agency situations we've been witnessing lately.

[@YamAlbat]

Thank you for helping me out with this script behind the scenes, it was a really tough upload to get together, but it was very much worth the effort!

[@AmanogawaAku]

God I've been saying this so much lately, but people need to really consider things before joining agencies, especially the more obscure ones. I've had an ex friend in Vrev have a terrible experience, and a current friend that was in ProjectF that had a bad experience too. Consider the flags, and wonder if it's worth it- because we get it's exciting but... seeing so many small corpos fall is really disheartening.

[@YamAlbat]

As someone who really wanted to join an agency as a talent once upon a time, I can say that its really hard to get out of the star struck phase and take the negotiations seriously. You become so worried about losing the opportunity that you don't think about whether the opportunity is 100% in your best interest. What happened to VReverie and ProjectF are both awful situations. I hope your friend gets back on their feet as an indie VTuber!

[@semiengima]

I like the term [Red flag Agencies] or even [Red Agencies] because that is way more accurate to some of them. I don't like how black company gets tossed around and is slowly just describing all Companies when the company pisses off a fanbase for one reason or another. These are some great things to look out for since not everyone knows what is actually bad in this growing community. Companies and groups have their positives and negatives but alot of bad actors will take advantage of people.

[@YamAlbat]

Yeah, the term black company being thrown around willy nilly didn’t sit right with me. Red Agency works well too! Thanks for sharing!

[@semiengima]

No problem! Again, thank you so much for this video!@@YamAlbat

[@GCJACK83]

Black company gets thrown around because in Japan, a black company is one that abuses it's employees by treating them no better than slave labor. In Japan, there's a law called the Labor Standards Act which dictates how companies must treat their employees, such as rates of pay, hours a week they can work, safety practices, and other areas. Most VTuber agencies are based in Japan or South Korea, with IdolEN being based in Israel. For examples, see the following agencies: IdolEN, Nijisanji, WACTOR, and V&U.

[@zoruasnivy]

Every time I see your new model I can't get over how good it is, you did such a great job on the art as well as Ootoriazu on the rigging! Also this is a great video in general even outside of the VTuber sphere, so many companies fall under some of these red flags

[@YamAlbat]

Aw thank you so much for saying so. Azu really brought my model to life. I really love how it turned out!

[@misternuggets6604]

Yam is not the hero we deserve... but the hero we need!

[@YamAlbat]

Aw thanks kenny!

[@Sei003]

Parasocialism isn't just unique to VTubing but is prevalent in content creation in general. I don't see anything wrong with it personally so long as the audience and the streamer knows their boundaries as an audience and an entertainer. Unfortunately, human's unga bunga brains are too slow to catch up to this rapid progression in technology so we're stuck with stupid people who lost their touch with reality trying to gatekeep people from interacting with the opposite gender. It's honestly disgusting behavior and it needs to be stopped but I don't think it will anytime soon given how loneliness has become even more prevalent and entertainment has become even more accessible. All in all, I think this problem bleeds over to a wider problem which is the loneliness of people in the world and is not just unique to the VTuber space. Final Note: Get a fcking lawyer if you don't want to be blindsided by a company. Cheaping out on checking if your contract is alright or not is gonna bite you in the ass in the long run so don't be stupid and get a good lawyer who could negotiate with the company for you.

[@YamAlbat]

Thanks for sharing! I am much more specific about what kind of parasocialism is troublesome in my other video about the topic. And yes! I definitely agree with you on the lawyer point!

[@rimaevenstar]

Hyped for this

[@CHeroVT]

What's up Rima! I can't wait for this video, too.

[@miniwirud]

k

[@denzelmedes1780]

Spotted the fox 😂

[@gregd806]

Wooo!

[@leoburstazurin]

Do you mean Horse?@@denzelmedes1780

[@MoonTruffles]

Great breakdown of the topic as always! Even though I'm also someone who has no interest in joining an agency, I found it really informative and helpful to have the info laid out in an objective, neutral way. Sometimes trying to glean these things from direct examples AS things are happening can get overwhelming, because level-headed discussions can be overshadowed by arguments fueled by emotion (while the emotions can be justified, it's a lot to bombard yourself with when you're just trying to learn things).

[@YamAlbat]

Glad you found the video helpful! After witnessing many many tearful agency closings and graduations I am happy that I can show a broader overview that may help people make more informed decisions for their careers in the future!

[@deepseakitty]

Great video!! This definitely will help a lot of other Vtubers out there think before joining an agency or so. Its so important to realize whats good and whats a defiant red flag ❤️

[@YamAlbat]

Thank you so much for saying so! I hope this video reaches the VTubers who are weighing their future career options!

[@Evillious_Oracle]

On the part about NDAs, I also think that agencies who plan to target an international audience with international Vtubers should at the very least research about international laws. Some NDAs can be considered null and void because the Vtubers simply cannot be subject to a lot pf the clauses in the contracts since they either; a. do not live in the same country where the company's main office operates and are therefore not subject to follow the same laws, b. the contents of the NDA are in violation of laws where the Vtuber lives. Agencies seeking international merit should at the very least do the bare minimum, and making sure their NDAs are correct both morally, legally, and heck especially when it comes to personal information such as the contractees' stated name(s), should be within the bare minimum.

[@YamAlbat]

Very very true!

[@sbatou87]

We've already seen this being broken after a red flag company fired a certain purple dragon. Thankfully, said dragon is now flying high as a much happier yellow bird.

[@BubblegumPatty]

Very Good and very important video! It really makes me sad that so many vtubers got screwed over by incompetent and malicious agencies . I hope this video can help aspiring CorpoVtubers know what to look for before they sign away months or years of their life working at a dead end.

[@YamAlbat]

Thank you for saying so! My goal is to get more aspiring VTubers informed before they sign a contract yes!

[@Midevi]

Very thoughtful listing and several of them can be easily applied outside the vtuber sphere as well. Good job, and hope it pops off in the algorithm for you. 😊

[@YamAlbat]

Thank you Midevi!!!

[@raitoiro]

Something I would lookout for, more than just red flags, is wether they learned from theirs and the industry's mistakes. To take an easy example from a big agency, I wouldn't consider Cover hiring minors at the beginning much of a red flag since the industry was young back then and they've learned from it and now have strict policy in place, however if they started redoing it now or a new agency does it, that would be a huge redflag.

[@YamAlbat]

Very good point! Hololive, VShojo, and Phase Connect seemed to have learned some big lessons and improved over time!

[@Ram-wv8kb]

Its important to remember that even well establish companies and agencies, can have strong red flags that they mistreat their workers. Such well established companies may have a very strong brand identity that makes them appealing to join, but they may have a very poor work ethic, and may work their employees to the bone to extract maximum value without a care for their wellbeing. Never fall in love with a brand or company, and always be prepared to leave for a better workplace or to go indie when things start going bad. There are countless stories in the news, where even well established companies have mistreated their workers, who may have been silenced and those who spoke out have often suffered retaliation.

[@YamAlbat]

Very well put. I think following individual VTubers instead of companies is the good call here!

[@otakueve117]

You really dodge a nuke from joining Nijikuro

[@kumori_77]

Does that mean nijisanji but as a black company or something?

[@dalriada7554]

@@kumori_77 Kuro means black, so yes.

[@embee753]

Isn’t it supposed to be Kurosanji?

[@corrinflakes9659]

@@embee753 potayto potahto

[@dalriada7554]

@@embee753 Niji is roughly a pun on 2D while sanji is a pun on 3D. Since Nijisanji has been very slow with the 3D models for its livers (euphemism), some people prefer to emphasize the niji rather than the sanji.

[@DungeonSlime]

Awesome video, some really interesting and important observations, for both vtuber agency and broader career advice.

[@YamAlbat]

thank you!

[@Candii132]

Thank you! As somebody who wants to get into an agency later in life, this really helped❤

[@PrincessRosca]

Yam! I finally found time to watch everything, man this video was long but FULL of such insightful info! I think a lot of this info also applies to the corporate workplace so it's actually applicable to a wide audience. Great job on the vid, can't wait for the next one!

[@YamAlbat]

Aww that’s so sweet, thank you for watching Rosca!!!

[@shoggmommy]

Fantastic video, you handled this topic eloquently and in a professional manner. Can't wait for the next installment.

[@YamAlbat]

Aw thank you so much! That is high praise coming from you ( ´▽` )ﾉ

[@shoggmommy]

@@YamAlbat Aaaa~ idk about that! Haha, I'm blushing, ngl. Thank you. I do mean it full heartedly.

[@leonardowesselka4124]

I love how respectful this video is, tackling every subject without exaggeration and overexposure, amazing work

[@peachnkey]

Excellent video

[@YamAlbat]

Thanks for watching!

[@LassoCatsidy]

Great video Yam! Hope folk dont read too deep into that b-roll though

[@YamAlbat]

Thanks Lasso! Its okay i think everyone knows youre not a corrupt CEO of a vtuber agency who just surrounded yourself with vtubers for... "personal reasons"

[@AndrewS-vu4ji]

every time you said "type a" my mind instinctively went to the keyboard cause i was waiting for the "if you like X over Y" sorta question lol

[@YamAlbat]

Lol!

[@TenchiFreak5]

Took me a while but I'm glad I was able to get to this. It is a great help to have this stuff all outlined. Some of these are something a lot of people should think about for many more regular job, too. I've followed a couple of talents that worked for agencies that went under (Yuria at VirPro, then Amiya at Tsunderia) and I've been lucky that even though things with their company didn't work out they were to make a clean and amicable split from them and keep everything. Know that that's not always the case.

[@YamAlbat]

Thanks for commenting! I have not heard about Virpro, but I know that Tsunderia was a company that had good intentions but ultimately just didn’t stay financially viable. Im so glad they got to keep all their hard work with them when they transferred out of the agencies!

[@edibleghost]

Didn't expect quite so long a video but it felt very concise, also you have such a nice voice to listen to and you do a mean ad read to boot.

[@YamAlbat]

Aw thank you so much! I’m glad it didn’t feel like a tough video to watch the whole way through!

[@beary_softie]

I was surprised when you brought up gender segregation as a red flag, and I both agree and disagree with you on this point. I agree that hiring only female employees, with all males as managers, is a MAJOR red flag for any company. However, it's a bit different with Vtubing agencies sometimes, as they often have their models already drawn and rigged before they even start auditions. With this system, it's much easier to have an all-female gen or an all-male gen than to have all genders auditioning together. It's for this reason that I think gender segregation is more of a yellow flag than a red flag.

[@YamAlbat]

I knew full well that point would be a tough sell to my audience. Thanks for considering it! From my point of view I’ve seen a lot of women get taken advantage of in this industry. I suppose that this is a milder red flag if the agency looks otherwise well put together… but if the agency has inappropriate work culture AND gender segregation, it’s a total deadly combo. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[@gokbay3057]

Yeah it is a thing that one should keep in mind but I don't think "gender segregation" ala Hololive/Holostars is a red flag on its own. One can certainly have a personal dislike of it and that's fine but well, even in that example it isn't that segregated anymore. A lot of Hololive talents who want to collab with Holostars do and do so pretty frequently. Other talents don't but well, it is all personal preference in the end. Thought it is true that more actually bad forms of "only female talents" certainly is also a thing that happens sometimes. The oft rumored "CEO wants to create a harem" agencies. So prospective vtubers definitly should keep that in mind. So while I wouldn't call gender segregation a red flag on itself it certainly can be in specific situations.

[@xANDR3Wx]

Thanks for the great video. Truly informative 👏🏼

[@YamAlbat]

Thanks for watching!

[@ChocoboRacer93]

This was so well spoken and concise. And very educational. 👍 Thank you for stating not to attack the live streamers, too often that seems to happen, due to the actions of the company.

[@YamAlbat]

Yeah, as someone who is a big fan of some of the vtubers who are stuck in horrible companies, i really just want them to be able to enjoy their time at their job.

[@Yurie13]

really well put video and good content.. 👍 i really appreciate when people does this.. information like this is helpful, hoping more people see this tbh..

[@YamAlbat]

Thank you so much!

[@FangHanna]

Constant drama? But that's the whole industry...

[@YamAlbat]

touche

[@ArjunTheRageGuy]

You know that the dark blue pacman speaking rainbows is in shambles when u got a video like this to exist lmao

[@ZingoBananaa]

did depressed nousagi copy your video or is it just a coincidence? Edit: nvm he responded that it was a coincidence and already talked to you.

[@YamAlbat]

It was my turn with the brain cell yesterday and today it was DN’s turn. But yeah, don’t worry, we were talking the other day and realized we were making the same video at the same time. Luckily our perspectives are different enough to warrant watching both videos so it’s not a big deal!

[@vxxiii4160]

Oh my goodness, I love your vtuber model

[@YamAlbat]

AH thank you! I was the one who designed and illustrated it, and my friend @ootoriazu hooked me up with the fantastic rig!

[@i-dont-burn-under-the-sun]

First time seeing this new model, i love how "bat" it is.

[@YamAlbat]

Thank you! I had a lot of fun with the design and illustration of my model. @ootoriazu did a lovely job with my rig as well!

[@abx_yenway]

Type A just brought to mind NexStage... They decided to debut their first gen with a full 3D live. I get the passion, but that's a heck of an investment. Still wishing the best to whoever is still there.

[@YamAlbat]

Yeah I remember how that went. I appreciated the ambition but saw the lack of foresight and “scuff” as an indication that the company was definitely green and a little underprepared

[@VolticWind]

27:17 That’s an awfully specific example for a red flag.

[@YamAlbat]

owo awfully specific indeed

[@Jazmin-yv8cr]

Thank you so much for talk abaut this❤

[@YamAlbat]

Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@gregd806]

Let's Gooo, Yam is Bam!

[@YamAlbat]

Thanks!!!

[@pakxenon]

Calling out the fish man with several of these points, damn.

[@ieatanimaljamplushies]

phase connect? i didnt know he was bad. can you tell me a bit more or show me vid links

[@IvyAltdrachen]

?

[@Midevi]

​@ToxinThefurry4089 I think is in reference to one of the talents that came in with there own IP, but when they were terminated they had to leave the IP behind. Also only hiring a single gender. Could be a few more flags that are getting checked, but those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

[@zacsubach]

Phase Connect in the first year of their operation definitely checked a few of these flags. They started with no female manager despite being an all female lineup. The talents talked a lot about how terrible it was back then. But they pulled through. I don't know how Fishman did it but some of these red flags have definitely lost their color.

[@stargateMimhi]

I must disagree about a "controversy" section indicating a bad company. Continuing with Hololive/Cover as the example, a great deal of the controversy surrounding the company was not their wrongdoing, but was due to attacks by Chinese national extremists because talents mentioned Taiwan. Do the research into companies individually and judge any past history as such, for example I would much rather work with/for a company that stands up for the same things I do than a company that is outwardly politically neutral, even if that company had gotten in hot water for supporting the things I do (IE supporting Taiwanese independence, LGBT rights, etc.). I would love to work at a company that was all women, but that is even more important for the people working behind the scenes. Working with other women as a talent doesn't mean anything if it's all men in control.

[@YamAlbat]

A vtuber agency having 1 red flag does not mean they are a bad company, but if they’re checking multiple of these boxes, it’s reason for caution. Context is everything! Thanks for the comment!

[@cranberrysauce61]

i feel like one red flag is if the company is recently made and is then hiring for the their debut generation. this might of been grouped under 'obscurity' but i do think its important to point out separately. especially now since the vtuber scene has blown up. the fact a talent agency company is made then is looking for talent, was it really a talent agency? like would you open a restaurant then look for what menu to cook?

[@YamAlbat]

Agreed! I think if you’re applying to the first generation of a talent agency, it’s incredibly risky! They don’t have any track record of whether they are a competent good company or not!

[@mayuravirus6134]

That is what i kept saying better be Indie vtuber yea the growth potential is low but it'll be safe that the only cut taken away is YTSC that they take 30% by default

[@YamAlbat]

Slow and steady wins the race!

[@AaaaNinja]

41:36 You are correct. Going to talents to bother them about some grudge one has against their company is like the guy who went to Chic-Fil-A to yell at a drive-thru worker because he didn't like the CEO. They're just employees. Their message is never going to make it up the chain. And nobody can presume that every talent is naiive there could be plenty working there who are experienced who know how to negotiate well, can navigate the culture, and have good contracts and are perfectly happy.

[@YamAlbat]

Exactly. I like your analogy. Thank you for sharing!

[@paranorma_]

Thank you so much for covering this topic. It's awful when you get stuck in a situation with a company and even when a company looks clean, good, looking out for talents you need to read and re-read the contract with a lawyer and look into laws in the country where it is based because it can be a disaster when there isn't a way out or the contract is in another language. I'm so glad this conversation is being had as I know if I had seen a video like this sooner it would have saved me a ton of time and heartbreak.

[@YamAlbat]

Same here. This video exists because I experienced a ton of wasted time and heartbreak myself (T_T) I hope I can save some people from the same fate

[@paranorma_]

@@YamAlbat Seriously, great work! Also I really, REALLY hope the obsession with being in a vtuber company shifts soon. Once you are in one and see the other side feelings can shift a lot. But we need to collective feeling of vtubers that "company vtubers are the pinacle of vtubing" needs to change. Especially if you are already an indie and doing great on your own. You really don't need a company and sometimes that company will hinder rather than help.

[@ringoreddo308]

Thank god I barely looked outside of Hololive.

[@Bobbias]

While it is great to help people spot the bad, I think we should also be praising the companies who treat their talent well. Just saying "yeah there are a couple good ones out there" without explicitly saying who is actually good is, I feel, actually somewhat harmful to those good companies. I say this because it leads people to speculate that perhaps a company which is in fact treating their talent well, might not be one of the good ones. While it is fair to avoid explicitly naming bad companies when the purpose of the video is general advice, I do think that overall, we should be talking specifics more. We should absolutely be calling companies out directly (even if it involved leaked material such as contract details) both for good and bad practices. We need better overall transparency about how each company treats their talents.

[@YamAlbat]

I very much appreciate that sentiment! The reason I didn’t give any names of agencies good or bad is because I wanted this video to remain as neutral and evergreen as possible. Public opinion of agencies can change in an instant. If I made this video two years ago I would’ve said Nijisanji was a good company, and thus, this video would not have aged well. I would’ve considered VShojo a bad company 2 years ago even though I consider them a good company now. Red flags can crop up out of nowhere years after a company starts. I hope you better understand why I was so ambiguous now!

[@Bobbias]

Yeah, I absolutely get that. I agree that for a video like this, it makes perfect sense to avoid names. I was more venting because I know the information is out there, but nobody is stepping up and saying "here's what we actually know about xyz's contracts/business practices". Yes, NDAs are a problem, but that can be worked around.

[@YamAlbat]

Ah I see! Sounds like a good stream idea! A stream would be easier for me to get together and wouldn’t be the end of the world if it aged poorly.

[@Bobbias]

@@YamAlbat well, now that the Niji contract is out there that's a good start lol. I can say with certainty that even knowing the massive boost you get for being a member, I'd never have signed something that awful.

[@5boxes]

Holo when it was starting out definitely feels like the Type A. But they succeeded. It makes the dream of Type A even more bitter sweet, especially for the talent that does believe in the dream.

[@YamAlbat]

I would say so too! Type A red flag agencies can definitely become good agencies with the right insight and resources… and of course, luck in the algorithm!

[@sbatou87]

I wish there was a way to look up a talent to support staff ratio. This is due to possible talent, or talents, not having enough staff/support to help with projects or communicate with other staff or higher chains. If an agency has too big of a talent pool, and not enough staff, that's a red flag. And as you said, always, ALWAYS have a lawyer go over the contract.

[@Hatsune-Miku_Fan]

Helpful video for people !!

[@YamAlbat]

Thank you! I hope the people who need it will find it!

[@ScoutOlson]

I won't name names, but I'm worried about the lewdtuber agency that's just getting off the ground. For one, their literal _primary_ purpose is to feed into the fans' parasocial feelings for them, with a focus on ASMR and audio roleplay content, and secondly they're only seeking women, which could change in the future but it definitely comes across like they're only going in this direction because they believe female talents are more marketable and thus more profitable. Their staff page is also vague as to who actually runs the agency which is also a red flag to me.

[@YamAlbat]

Glad you’re applying your knowledge! I hope that agency treats their talents well and everything turns out alright (T_T)

[@greed-1914]

You are right that it is worth it to have a contract reviewed beforehand. It may cost some money, but much less than hiring a lawyer to deal with a contract dispute afterward. One of the things that I really question is why anyone would agree to being adopted into an agency and giving them the rights to your model in the process. They didn't help make it, and they know you are attached to it, so you may have a hard time leaving it behind. The latest Prism gen all made a point that they kept their IP.

[@YamAlbat]

I think the reason people join an agency with their IP is to get help running their content. I almost joined an agency for the same reason. I wanted to give part of my revenue in exchange for advertising and a video editor. I would never hand over my IP though… I would definitely triple check the contract to make sure my IP is MINE

[@okasch.8412]

Artfully presented, good job “Michael Jackson”-ing any agency references 🤫

[@YamAlbat]

thank you i really had to be a smooth criminal here

[@AngelTail]

aah arigatou for sharing insighto, Yam-sensei! 'just sharing this comment about other possible red flags ((also moi making 'em on Depressed Nousagi-sensei's similarly themed video)... Especially these red flags that are pretty much "industry standard"... nobody batting an eye as to why companies, including Vtuber talent agencies, adhere to them as a way to maintain power over labor? - not recognizing the Vtuber talent as a "legal company employee" and instead assigning them as an "independent contractor" - lack of an independent workers union that advocates for workers security and rights in the company 1) Moi feels that, just like with any other company out there, VTuber talents face lack of job security because they aren't considered company workers, so under the guise of "freedom" under the gig economy, Nijisanji and even white companies like Hololive have more power to enforce their bottom line on talents/workers. A red flag since companies worldwide, pursuing profit, can claim they're adhering to "industry-wide labor practices" and be "pro-talent", yet the company's always going to have the final say. 2) Labor contractualization has been a industry practice (not limited to Vtuber agencies) employed to lessen labor power, the ability of workers to promote their rights... setting terms individually, as only one person with little to no power vs. an entire corporation and its ability to pay for legal fees and all. 3) And even when workers are just deemed contractuals, they can still form unions! There's a misconception in many countries about contractual workers not allowed to form 'em, moi feels. gomen for unclear thinking, but 'hopes this adds to discussion! Moi hopes that for more serious explorations of power dynamics between worker and company... maybe simplistic, but still quite true to keep in mind, that entering a relationship with any company having all the power is always going to tilt towards the company's interests... But the way out is always systemic change within and without... with talents, Vtubers, culture workers asserting their basic workers rights to organize?

[@Lohpezhoh]

Here it is. Yam AlGOAT

[@YamAlbat]

Aw tysm!

[@that1ragingbat_603]

Oh no another bat Vtuber to follow, whatever will I do?!(love the model by the way)

[@YamAlbat]

Aw thank you! The model was designed and drawn by me and it was rigged by @ootoriazu!

[@that1ragingbat_603]

Oh, I see I see. Well I'm glad I found another bat Vtuber to follow :3

[@rtx2169]

Interesting video i don't agree with everything but i get 90% of what you said

[@YamAlbat]

Thank you for watching and giving my video a chance!

[@Ramanuj_Sarkar]

I haven't watched the whole video, but you wrote: 25:14 Red Flag 12- Not Paying (Artists or Otherwise) The "25" should be "26".

[@YamAlbat]

Thank you for catching that error!

[@ArjunTheRageGuy]

Everybody gangsta till the video shows every portrait video with literal red flags shown in them lol.

[@brownsugarissupreme]

Idk how i feel about this. On the one hand, I agree with all of the red flags. On the other hand, I just think that corporations are always going to be invasive, period, and it is the categorization of red flags that is incomplete for me. These problems will never go away when corporations suddenly dont have these red flags. It is the power imbalance that enables these red flags to emerge, because corporations will always ultimately choose to be self sustaining over supporting their talents. Maybe im wrong and im open to be corrected But I will ALWAYS SUPPORT INDIE VTUBERS

[@YamAlbat]

Hey thanks for giving the video a watch and sharing your thoughts! And yes! Let’s all support indie VTubers!

[@overthinkingkpop]

Hi Yam! I want to thank you for how helpful and informative all of your videos have been. I am working on developing a Vtuber to introduce on my channel, where I post long-form KZbin videos about Kpop. Your heads up about agency Vtubers being very forthcoming with copyright strikes was extremely helpful, since obviously that's something I'd like to avoid. In the coming weeks, I am going to produce an episode about how I want to bring indie Vtube to Ktube (the nickname for the Kpop-centric corner of KZbin). Would you mind if I included a brief snippet or two of wisdom from your channel in an upcoming episode where I tease that this is coming to my channel in the coming months? I would, of course, provide ample proper attribution, both in the audio/video and linkage in the description. (Also, side note, the selection of Farmdew Valley music in the background during your advertiser message was 🤌🏻✨️ so perfect hahaha) Either way, thank you for all of your delightful content!

[@YamAlbat]

sorry to get back to you so late! You are free to use any of my footage if you credit me in your description!

[@overthinkingkpop]

@@YamAlbat Yay, thank you so much! I really appreciate it!

[@nox_lumiere_archive]

corporate ethic everywhere needs to change.

[@YamAlbat]

Agreed!

[@Timan19]

I get all the references. Can you show some example of red flag company Please!

[@YamAlbat]

For examples, i recommend you check out Depressed Nousagi, Khyo, and FalseeyeD's videos. I am a creator who does wider analysis content tht I try to keep evergreen, so I try to avoid naming specific names that won't age well! Thanks for the comment!

[@TheSkyheart5]

@@YamAlbat Idk, it could be a minor boost to the channels popularity if you ended up on a certain company's enemy list.

[@adedolapofamuyiwa2944]

Well this aged poorly the accuracy of this video to nijis contract is just perfect.

[@YamAlbat]

So you’re saying it actually aged like a fine wine :3c

[@justkev6277]

#6 is common in normal bad companies as well.

[@YamAlbat]

Agreed!

[@Ghosttree817]

Oh hey you in my recommendation

[@YamAlbat]

YAY! glad to hear im getting recommended~!

[@gregd806]

Queen Bat

[@YamAlbat]

👑🦇

[@greibach_vt]

But what about the agency black flags?

[@YamAlbat]

The only acceptable black flags are on pirate ships! ⬛☠⬛

[@alexbdagger]

red flag 6 hit home for me considering the fact that my first job said stuff like that

[@YamAlbat]

Sorry to hear that, I hope you have a better job now!

[@yoya.]

These red flags apply to all major vtuber corps. lol

[@YamAlbat]

True, though there’s a clear difference in my head between an agency with 1/13 of the red flags than 12/13 of them!

[@aidanfolkes]

Well, this is a very timely video. A couple of indie vtubers I would shout out: Briatcookiebox Umi Kyoku

[@YamAlbat]

Thank you for sharing! Those two really do deserve so much love and support! Both really talented individuals who have been through a lot ( ´▽` )ﾉ

[@fordhos747]

Are you Amelia watson?

[@YamAlbat]

Nope, I just borrowed her magnifying glass :D

[@irystocrattakodachithatmooms]

When it comes to gender, I'm against it when it comes to talents but all for it with management. Given how things have gone it should be men managing men and women managing women. This sort of thing greatly lowers the risk of traumatic events due to management. Putting that aside, there should be the ability for men and women to work together as talents and not need to worry about audience response. Of course, when it comes to this with ones where that is a more major thing, somebody should be willing to take the full blow in another's place. Only through that can it be broken down.

[@YamAlbat]

thanks for adding your insight!

[@irystocrattakodachithatmooms]

@@YamAlbat Oh yeah, I just thought, is it too vague to say traumatic events? Or is it not since you have full context?

[@YamAlbat]

I understand what traumatic events means in this case yes.

[@irystocrattakodachithatmooms]

@@YamAlbat Okay, I thought so but was just a bit worried. I had a conversation where the other person was confused. Then again, they didn't have context or forgot.

[@feorge33]

#8 is going to have its own supporters considering the top Vtubing agency does this for their EN talents. To the point that even acknowledging each other is a big no-no.

[@gokbay3057]

That's not at all the case thought. I am assuming you mean Holo (live/stars) since Niji does not practice gender segregation and neither does Vshojo (which only has one male member anyway). First things first it isn't an EN thing. HoloJP is also divided by gender. Second, acknowledging each other is not a no-no. There is still some fan culture against it sure and there are certain talents who ignore the opposite gender (Fuwamoco is the main one that comes to mind for EN as they abruptly fell silent when Holostars appeared on an official stream they, alongside other HoloEN talents were commenting on. Otherwise I remember Kanata saying she would not collab with males and think some other JP members also said things in that direction as well). On the other hand there are also talents who interact with men quite often. ID branch in general is quite close to Holostars (both EN and JP), several JP talents have also collabed with men several times as well (Towa, Matsuri and Fubuki are probably some of those who do it more) as did several EN members (Calli and Bae are big ones here). So while males and females are in different branches it is hardly a hard barrier that fully isolates one from the other and whether to collab with the opposite gender or not is pretty much a personal choice.

[@aphs]

Being one of the first into the vtuber scene also had a large part to play in creating that two-branch system, too. Hololive started out modeling itself after female-only non-virtual idol groups, which are VERY strict in keeping their singers from co-ed interactions to better encourage that lucrative parasocialism. As time has gone on, however, Cover has appeared to realize that while singing on stage is part of their talents' appeal, vtubers are more than what music-only stars were capable of within the old system. This has resulted in Cover not only loosening but approving of cross-gender interactions (Bae's recent birthday live featured her on-stage with two HoloStars JP talents)! The only resistance to the concept has been from fans expecting the parasocial-focused model, and being disappointed when that is not met. What is a red-flag now for new companies should not necessarily be applied the same way to Hololive, but only because they were creating the practices for this new entertainment field as they went, using idol agencies as a template and modifying their practices as they learned what did and didn't work, whereas newer agencies have a wide range of examples (both good and bad) to look to for how vtuber-specific agencies should operate so both agency and talents benefit. TL;DR: In my view, the Hololive/HoloStars divide is likely because of being first-on-scene with IRL agencies as their business template, but Cover has appeared to be changing that as they go.

[@feorge33]

@@gokbay3057 Since you brought up Fuwamoco, I also would like to put in the Overwatch collab in the past where Irys had to tell her audience that she will not be interacting with the StarsJP team. There was no reason to even bring up the Stars in such a conversation, and to make it seem that an interaction between the two parties is a detriment is a slander against the men. I would understand the idea that they don't want to interact with Stars, that's on them. It's one thing to protect your brand. But to openly give indication that they are not wanted, like what Fuwamoco and Irys did, is a different thing.

[@katto_kitto]

video isnt out yet but the commets vile already 💀

[@akaritsukinojanimes2251]

YES AGREED

[@Polkaknot]

No they aren't

[@YamAlbat]

thats how it be with these topics unfortunately

[@fkle32rw14]

18 minutes in and any specific agency has not been mentioned. honestly lost a lot of respect for this channel, please don't clickbait.

[@YamAlbat]

By not mentioning any specific agencies I am keeping this video evergreen and encouraging people to do their own research and form their own opinions. I believe that it is more impactful to remain neutral and give my audience the tools to make their own decisions rather than tell my audience what to think about certain companies that I do not like. Thank you for giving the video a chance!

[@gokbay3057]

@@YamAlbat I appreciate the sentiment and the intent but to be fair to the guy you did heavily allude to one particular company in the thumbnail.

[@fkle32rw14]

@@YamAlbati appreciate your maturity with this response and i understand that we probably just do not agree fundamentally on how content about malicious companies should be presented (and the title, but w/e). wish you the best going forward.

[@YamAlbat]

Likewise!

[@fraktaalimuoto]

As a vtuber enjoyer, the agency content feels less and less relevant. The indie realm is where interesting things happen.

[@YamAlbat]

I mostly keep up with agencies for their music and then get the rest of my content through indies!

[@illyasvielvallkyrie5855]

Nice i can't believe there's have vtuber reporter understand the situation yes she right if you have problem in agency mail them not attack the artist and the talent Don't being a dramatuber like the one i know

[@YamAlbat]

thanks for the comment! Expressing your discontent with a company through emailing them directly or boycotting them is much better in the long run than bullying their talents!!!

[@protato4034]

Based vid

[@YamAlbat]

Thanks!

[@2BXD]

o.o

[@YamAlbat]

owo

[@koralgol777]

Some good points, some very questionable ones. I say ranting about parasocialism is also a red flag for any Vtuber essay, don't listen to this person if you want to succeed, it's clear that she sees Vtubing as little more than a hobby where the target audience is mostly yourself and perhaps a bunch of other 0 view indie friends. Why would you even cosider joining an agency when you have this mindset?

[@YamAlbat]

Thanks for sharing and giving my video a chance!

[@notatallfunctional]

Parasocial behavior has caused a lot of big problems in the industry, so I understand not wanting to encourage it. It’s dangerous for the talents and the fans.

[@gokbay3057]

Extreme parasocialism has certainly been an issue and I would agree that ideally a content creator (Vtuber or not) should strive to build a respectable and professional distance between themselves and their fans rather than go all the way into GFE/BFE/parasocial relationships (even if the latter does seem like an easy money earner). But I think we should all remember that parasocial relationships are inherent to all internet content creation. It is pretty much unescapable. Ultimately I would agree that one can't call parasocialism in on itself a red flag but I can see that in certain cases it definitly can be a problematic thing.