Watching Virtual YouTubers is basically watching a live adlib of an anime character, mostly without subtitles from the get-go. Another term for this is “Virtual Streamers,” “Virtual Personalities” and the like, depending on what they do on stream or how they profess themselves as.
On this section, you will see and hear my thoughts on Virtual YouTubers and how it will change us.
I continue to write about VTuber culture on Kawa NewsDrop.
Rita Kamishiro of PRISM Project has successfully raised US$10,000 during her charity stream last May 15 for the United States-based National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The charity stream held in support of Mental Health Awareness Month brings together other virtual personalities such as Ying, Meru Matsuro, and Phase Connect’s Pipkin Pippa to discuss their personal experiences and the tips they had learned on their own mental health journey.
During the charity stream, all of the donation goals have been unlocked by the community. The accomplished goals lead to the next set of events for the PRISM agent, such as “trying to run a 5K while eating ghost peppers,” playing Minesweeper in VR, and doing a themed “anime character workout.”
Mental health is a topic Rita is passionate about, and she is happier to be able to bring awareness about it through her platform. Following the stream, she thanked her fans for raising so much for a good cause.
I'm really so grateful for you all. Despite my scuff and rambling and scatterbrained-ness, I'm really glad we were able to raise so much for a good cause. This really means a lot to me, and I hope you all feel the impact we've made.
Together, we're strong 💙
— Kamishiro Rita / 神代りた 💙【NOA】 (@RitaKamishiro) May 15, 2022
NAMI is the largest grassroots mental health organization in the US dedicated to helping people affected by mental illness. As NAMI amplifies its message, “Together for Mental Health,” it continues to help build better lives through advocacy, education, support and public awareness.
Youth.gov notes that the National Mental Health Month was established in 1949 to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness in Americans’ lives, as well as to celebrate recovery from mental illness.
As a PRISM agent, Rita Kamishiro plays a variety of games and hosts her RKNGL radio show on stream. Rita actively shares her journey to become an idol on a weekly basis to her 24,000-strong YouTube subscriber-base. Watch the 4-hour Charity Stream in full on Rita Kamishiro’s YouTube channel.
Agency VTubers in Southeast Asia and Japan are affected the most
YouTube has been plagued with spam issues as it grows. Bots spam either a YouTuber’s comments or live chat sections with links to vulgar or adult content. Some bots target each user’s comments in a video as it impersonates the uploader. According to a YouTube spokesperson, the platform has removed over 3.4 million channels, over 339,000 videos and over 950 million comments in the last quarter of 2021 for violating policies regarding spam, scams and deceptive practices.
Virtual YouTuber Xenon of Thailand’s VTOPIA agency has his channel terminated by YouTube on May 6 due to adult content. However, fellow Thai VTuber Kinari Hoku from Polygon Project explains his situation to the global audience.
Though Xenon’s channel has never been about pornography or anything of that sort, his live chat was recently bombarded with obscene messages from those with a lewd profile name and photo. The staff tried their best to keep a close monitoring by giving them penalties. (2)
— HOKU🦉 @PLG | 【PRINCESS】OUT!! (@HokuPLG) May 6, 2022
Days after this incident, the number of VTubers with terminated YouTube channels increased. The YouTube spam bot problem has led to a temporary ban of some VTubers in Southeast Asia as well as Japan—including Nijisanji’s Mika Melatika and Hololive Indonesia 3rd Generation member Kobo Kanaeru.
As described by Mika herself, different bot accounts have spammed the same vulgar thing in live chat. Moderators who are tasked to take out these comments from the chat log had to work faster, but YouTube’s artificial intelligence has already caught up with the spam and penalized the violating channel with a termination.
Kami menduga kejadian ini berkaitan dengan kasus penghentian akun YouTube yang sedang ramai terjadi. Kami sedang bekerjasama dengan pihak terkait untuk menyelesaikan masalah ini.
Mohon menunggu dan maaf atas ketidaknyamanan ini 🙏
The affected personalities raised their concerns to Team YouTube on Twitter. VTubers who have active Twitch accounts have adapted to the situation quickly, proceeding with their schedule as is. Mika and Kobo’s YouTube channels are now reinstated after a day, but some VTubers took at least a week to get their channels back.
Lulana Winternyx from Indonesia took 5 rejected appeals in a span of almost a week until YouTube lifted the ban on her channel—and within that period, she set up a second channel just to continue.
The VTuber community finds ways to avoid such untoward incidents. Shabir from the popular Velo City channel has provided a list of tips VTubers and YouTubers alike can take while YouTube addresses the spam bot issue, such as not displaying the chat on live stream, using the blocked words feature and enabling slow mode in live chat.
#SaveYourVtubers [ID] Halo Teman-teman, taukah kalian kalau di @YouTube menyediakan "Blocked Word" di setting-an mereka? Ini langkah"nya
[EN] Hello everyone. Did you know that Youtube provides "blocked words" in their settings? This is the steps
— ShinDion // Vibetronic (@shindion_0392) May 9, 2022
DJ ShinDion of Vibetronic Music has a detailed step-by-step thread on how to utilize the blocked words feature on YouTube Studio, including a link to a list of more than 2000 words which can be used to deter spam bots in chat and comments. Hololive announced on Twitter that they are taking countermeasures such as limiting comments on live streams and to allow only subscribers to chat with their talents.
Until YouTube successfully finds a way to thwart spam bot attacks, content creators including VTubers have to adapt to the situation by either moving operations to a sub-channel or a Twitch channel.
The Virtual YouTuber scene is continuously expanding as you read this. In the age of content, we see a lot of people making their dreams come true. A lot of countries have caught up to the hype already, but how about countries which have no VTuber representation whatsoever?
Enter the Israel-based Idol VTuber agency, which aims to fill the gap. On this feature, we take a look at what Idol is, and what’s their goal in the VTuber community. We also spoke to Idol to understand where they stand in the global VTuber scene.
With the theme “Where Gaming Worlds Collide,” Idol’s debut trailer is a mix of great talent. Kuli Komis’ PaztG (Video VFX/Editing) and Minutiae (3D/VFX) created the trailer with UWU Media in-charge of the logo design and Farhan Sarasin taking charge of the music.
Five VTubers will compose Idol’s first-generation lineup of talents: Kattarina Qutie, Nikki Rei, Neo Sparkles, Lily Sin and Emi Suika.
Kattarina Qutie
Described as “Fierce and menacing,” Kattarina grew up in the mafia long enough to be a mafia boss herself. Although she looks intimidating, she has a great interest in playing video games.
You take one look at her Twitter and you can feel that she’s adorable—there’s a reason why she is an adorable Qutie.
Magical fox Neo Sparkles looks cute, but we are warned that she can be unpredictable sometimes.
We reckon that she’s a foodie—she’s a member of the burger gang, and her current choice of drink is very specific: “Chocolate Irish Cream Bubble Tea is the best.”
This demon girl is someone to be feared. She has a dark, tragic past; and she has sealed a deal with the devil. Upon closer observation, she’s game for some soup and memes.
Apocalypse survivor Nikki Rei has been lied to in the past, but her endurance is what makes her move with hope up to this day. She has her spiked baseball bat ready in case something bad happens: “I don’t get bonks, I give the bonks.”
Among all the talents, Emi Suika seems to be the comfiest. She is also the shortest of them all at 135cm. All we can see from her is watermelon slices—wait, is that Netflix Israel recommending her some titles?
Genres: Platformer / Adventure / 2D
Birthday: February 1
Debut: May 10, 2022 (Tuesday)—3:45pm Israel / 12:45pm GMT / 7:45pm WIB / 9:45pm JST
Idol has explained in length their purpose and their goal in establishing VTuber footprints in countries which have no representation:
We believe that VTubing in general has been a rising force in content creation more recently. What started out as a niche entertainment scene based from Japan blossomed into a global phenomenon with millions of followers. From corporate-backed VTubers to your bedroom indie VTubers, the industry alone has been the source of new ways to entertain online followers, in addition with it being the future of content creation.
Despite the popularity of the VTubing industry in general, we have observed that this is only concentrated in several markets like Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe. Meanwhile, there are potentially hundreds of VTubers and other content creators in other parts of the world that have talent but lack the proper exposure.
This is where Idol Corp. comes in as a VTuber company. Our main driving force for the company is to spotlight the rising number of worthy content creators from countries and territories that have limited or no representation in the VTubing community. And with that driving force in mind, we are also hopeful to foster a generation of VTubers that will provide entertainment to the rising VTuber fan demographic. We believe that in every territory and nation, talent perseveres always and we seek to find the best of them.
In short, Idol Corp is a VTuber agency that brings the light of the VTubing community to more territories and aids accepted talents to became the best of their VTubing craft.
Do Idol’s VTubers Cater To Different Age Groups? Are There Any Chances That Idol Will Cater To Mature Audiences?
While Idol understands that the majority of the viewing audience is older, they commit to be responsible in following platform terms of service:
We understand that the VTubing space has been predominantly composed of fans older than 18 years old, so our entertainment direction will be always directed to these older and mature audiences. However, we are always mindful of the platforms our talents will be communicating with utmost care and mindfulness with the guidelines under these platforms.
Being online influencers themselves, we believe that influencers should set an example to their followers, and to those that are being welcomed into the community. As much as our talent growth banks on the large support from our growing fanbase, we believe that there should be greater thinking on deciding first if this content is worth posting online.
Choice of platform for Idol’s VTubers: YouTube, Twitch or Facebook?
Idol’s talents will stream on YouTube, but the management is open to other options:
After careful observation of the initial demographics our talents’ subscribers have gotten, we have come to the conclusion that YouTube will be Idol Corp’s platform choice for its talents, as it is the most accessible for the larger number of VTuber fans globally. However, this doesn’t mean that we’re disregarding other options.
For now, we would have to observe current streaming trends whether Idol Corp retains its choice of streaming platform or migrate to another streaming platform for other experiences.
Is Idol Open to Collaboration With Brands and Other VTubers?
[🎉הכרזה🎉]
איידול נותנת חסות לסטרימרים מובילים בישראל, צפו ביחד איתם באירוע ההשקה בשידורים שיעלו בערוצים שלהם! We are Sponsoring top Streams in Israel to watch-along our upcoming debut streams! #idolhe#Vtubers#vtube#יוטיובpic.twitter.com/KJLQXa3yEg
Following a deal with local Nintendo distributor TOR Gaming, Idol will sponsor top streams in Israel to host their respective watch-along parties. They are also open to collaborations with other VTubers:
For now, we have yet to announce any other collaborations or pop culture events that we at Idol Corp can join to. However, we are always reaching out to other brands and organizations that we believe can bring more value to our company.
Speaking of VTuber collaborations, we are more than happy for VTubers within the community to reach out to us for potential collaboration. You can always check out our contact form on our website should you reach out for VTuber collaborations. We’re also more than happy for other brands and organizations to reach out to us for potential marketing partnerships in order to amplify both parties online.
Does VTubers from Idol Have Full Autonomy on Creativity?
As an agency, Idol provides support to its talents by providing them streaming resources and legal support. In fact, each talent’s mic and mixer set is already prepared for debut. The question is, to what extent does Idol have when it comes to creative control?
As we have mentioned previously, our goal as a VTuber company is to foster a generation of VTubers that will be the best in their craft. As such, we want to intervene as little as possible in the content creation of our VTuber talents. For us, we’re here to give them resources and external support in order to make their content as impressive as possible. And them? They just need to be the best version of themselves and grow as a VTuber/content creator.
Perhaps our way of intervention for our very own talents would be in the form of talent advice should the planned content might harm or offend the talent, as well as providing legal support for our talents in the case of facing legal-related issues in the future.
What Should We Look Forward to on Idol’s VTuber Debut?
[🎉Press Release🎉]
We're excited to announce #idolhe first original song will be released before our debuts.
It is a tradition for big agencies to roll out a debut song featuring their talents as they debut, and a debut song for Idol’s VTubers is already in the works:
We recently announced online that we are working on an original song, to be performed by our first generation VTuber talents. This will be released days before the debut to keep up the hype to our loyal subscribers. We have worked with music producers dylonmaycel and Master Andross for this song, with lyrics being written by JubyPhonic and Monii.
We hope you can look forward to Idol Corp’s upcoming releases and most importantly, the debut of our talents!
Thank you to Idol Corporation CEO Aviel Basin for sharing his time for the VTuber Section.
VTuber agency marks major milestone with new partner overseeing production starting May 1, 2022
Multinational VTuber production agency PRISM Project establishes a new partnership with Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. in a major milestone that will help elevate the project’s vision. Sony Music Japan will take responsibility for PRISM Project’s management and production starting May 1, 2022 (Sunday).
As a global leader, Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) will apply its expertise in anime production, music production, voice actor/artist management and merchandising and bring opportunities for the growth of its talents.
In its official statement, PRISM Project detailed that as the agency grew, its management team actively sought a suitable company to partner with in order to broaden its horizons and access new resources. “Today, PRISM Project is excited to announce that Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. will step in to assist our activities. Effective on May 1st, they will assume responsibility for the main management and production of PRISM Project.”
With SMEJ’s entry into PRISM Project, its founders who go by the names of “Cap” and “Hacker” will move into advisory roles. A new PRISM producer will be debuting on Twitter at the same time to represent this major partnership.
We spoke to the incoming PRISM producer (to be referred as Shogun) about the opportunities in store for the agency, as well as its position in SMEJ’s umbrella of VTuber-related interests.
Aside from management operations, do we expect more PRISM Agents to have their own original songs in the future?
Shogun: With their skill and expertise, we’re excited to have the opportunity to work with the Sony Music team on more music production going forward!
What will PRISM Project’s place in SMEJ’s VTuber umbrella be? Should we expect collaborations between these brands?
Shogun: PRISM will be a separate project under the same Sony Music division as the VEE, VERSE, and Virtual Cinderella Project groups. Collaborations are a possibility in the future!
Is there any hint of adding more agents to the roster after this development?
Shogun: While there are no current plans for PRISM expansion, we’re looking forward to exploring possibilities in the future!
PRISM Project officially launched in 2021 with three talents (called “Agents”) and a founding team. Currently, the project has 12 active Agents with a worldwide fan base:
Sony Music Japan’s VTuber investments include Virtual Cinderella Project in cooperation with Bilibili, produced by Rino Sashihara; the VERSEⁿ project under Sony Music Labels’ NeOFRONT brand and Helixes; and the upcoming VEE virtual talent and development project which is expected to debut 50 virtual talents.
Sony Music Japan also has a major investment in ANYCOLOR Inc., the management company of Nijisanji.
As a Virtual YouTuber, you can be basically anything—from angels to demons, cats to dogs, some even went as far as becoming food—and ideas are still everywhere. A new group from the Philippines, Mito Entertainment, has local mythical creatures in mind when they built their VTuber concept.
Meet Mito Entertainment’s Generation X!
Let’s take a look at Mito’s Generation X—four virtual personalities with their own quirks: manananggal Mari Tesu, yaua Ixora Sada, bakunawa Eeya Mahalia and kapre Malik Jugo-Luntian.
Mari Tesu, manananggal
Mari is based off the manananggal, a kind of mythical creature akin to a vampire with the ability to separate its upper and lower half of the body. Unlike her clan, she does not like blood and unborn children who are still inside their mothers’ wombs, something that her race eats to survive.
If there’s a distinct feature that Mari has, she’s into video games—probably too much. Despite getting toxic playing games, she’s well-loved by her friends for her airheadedness and childish behavior. Just don’t tease her too much.
In the current context, Mari’s name can be read as Marites, a name associated with ladies who are said to have their ears glued to what’s the talk of the town. Mari though, the way we saw her, is a panicky cinnamon roll who is opening up to her future audience.
Ixora exists as the only living one of her kind: A Yaua. In the Binisaya language, this means “demon,” but Ixora is described as a complete opposite—a gentle being who lives in the tranquility of the forests, giving food to children and playing with them once she gets the chance to do so.
She woke up from a slumber spanning centuries only to realize that her race disappeared. Even so, she lives in the moment, and all she wants is to enjoy life. Checking her Twitter feed, she might be familiar to anyone who spends their weekends at a posh location, sipping bubble tea with her broskis.
Just like Ixora, Eeya is the last of her exquisite, first-class bloodline of Bakunawa in human form. The Bakunawa race is figured as moon-eating serpent-like dragons in Philippine mythology. While she appears as a beautiful noble, commanding awe and respect upon her presence, she’s still a maiden who loves to have fun deep inside.
Just like Mari, she can be chaotic and brash when surrounded by friends and people close to her. Despite her mysterious past, she looks forward to focusing on the beautiful things in sight. The mother figure also loves eating moon(cakes) and can relate to those who treat coffee as water.
Tall, dark and handsome: That’s how Malik is looked up to, but he is remembered by most people as someone who has a fascination for women.
Malik likes charming every girl that captures his attention—ironically, he gets flustered when they flirt back, because as much as he likes teasing them, his experience in romance is sadly limited to initial flings. Aside from his happy-go-lucky personality, his quirky expressions and innate charm are what draws the ladies.
As a CEO of a tobacco company, a role he inherited from his father, the tall Kapre (tree giant) has to manage his business—but outside work, he’s into video games and worshipping thighs, making him a relatable, chill guy. On the other hand, his Twitter feed tells us that he tells jokes only uncles can whip out.
We also talked to the team at Mito to know their journey, just before their first set of talents debut this May.
Out of passion for VTubing and Philippine mythology, founders Buvvles and Pammy set up Mito this year to promote local talent. The group aims to support its talents in creating the type of content they envision and helping them reach their full potential.
Are you catering to family-friendly audiences, or are there any chances that you can also cater to mature audiences?
Our main content such as live streams and videos will be mostly family-friendly! But maybe we’ll have something in store for mature audiences in the future!
We are also thinking about making a Patreon exclusive only for our audience/fans who want sneak peeks of our upcoming content, mature, and exclusive content; something of a “behind-the-scenes” perk for our supporters who love our talents.
What would Mito’s choice of platform be?
Twitch for live streaming, Tiktok, and YouTube for shorts, VOD and clips. Our target is to have Mito’s Gen X debut in mid-April with the official dates and time to be announced very soon!
Do you plan to collaborate with companies/brands, pop culture events, and/or other Virtual YouTubers?
Yes! We are open to collaborations in the near future! Though we would take into account when our talents are already comfortable and can manage collaborating with other VTubers aside from their gen-mates.
Do talents have full autonomy on creativity?
To a certain degree, yes. As long as their content doesn’t break any rules, they’re pretty much free to do anything they want. Mito is very open and free with their talents; they often ask permission for the smallest things that we’d normally approve of!
What should we look forward to Mito’s debut?
We do hope that everyone both in the local and international scene looks forward to our talent roster’s colorful personalities and all of the creative content & fun collaborations that will ensue!
Aside from streaming, Mito Entertainment has big plans for other types of projects like music videos, lore series, and maybe soon, short animations! We have a lot of projects planned and we do hope our community looks forward to what we have in store for the coming months.
Thank you to Mito Entertainment for sharing their time and giving us a glimpse of what’s to come. Know more about the group through their Twitter and Facebook pages.
