In January, Yatta-Tachi was able to interview Motoaki Tanigo, the CEO of Cover/hololive; one of the largest and most significant VTuber talent agencies in the industry today. A recurring theme that emerged throughout that interview was how VTubing as a medium would grow, with Tanigo’s vision being a Cover-led breakthrough into mainstream cultural, professional, and advertising spaces. While it’s understandable that the the head of a VTuber company would strive for this hyper-profitable future for the medium, it reduces the phenomena down to a gimmick.
VTubing, and streaming more broadly, is a kind of art form. The goal of art isn’t to make something that’s profitable; it’s to make something earnest. Something that’s a genuine expression of the person who created it. That’s why the work that drives a given medium forward is rarely spearheaded by major corporations, who pursue bland works for the sake of broader palatability and therefore greater revenue; and instead comes from independent creators.
In that vein, Yatta-Tachi interviewed nine independent VTubers to spotlight the breadth and authenticity that can be found within this medium. Collectively, they express their passion for VTubing, describe the micro and macro issues present in the space, and show just how much there is to explore within this burgeoning niche of the anime fan community.
Independent VTubers Interviews:
Now, more than ever, it’s important to support independent content creators of all disciplines, especially those of a marginalized identity or background. Both corporations that benefit from personality focused media, and the platforms that host said media, have grown increasingly hostile towards their talent expressing anything that might be controversial or get in the way of their global expansion. While these policies do, somewhat, curtail the actions of bad actors looking to exploit vulnerable peoples; more often than not it feels like they solely exist to punish people for being openly queer or for acknowledging the existence of politically contentious places like Taiwan or Palestine.
Put simply, corporations aren’t motivated to create better or more interesting media, and you’re not going to find the good stuff by only checking out what major labels put out. This has been true for decades, and your parents or grandparents can probably speak to the experience of scrounging through a record shop to find the cool albums that DJs couldn’t play on the radio.
In short, if you want to experience better art and be more knowledgeable about an artistic medium, you need to check out works outside of the corporate mainstream. If you care about VTubing and want to see the widest and most interesting array of what that space has to offer, the folks above are a great starting point and I hope you support the VTubers who resonate with you. More independent media and independent creators operating sustainably isn’t going to fix all of the world’s problems, but it will certainly help things trend in the right direction.
Special thanks to Chiaki Mitama for connecting this reporter to many of the VTubers interviewed in this series.
Article Editor: Kelly Stewart
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