INTERVIEW with Independent VTubers: YaBoiEdgee

VTubing is a form of artistic expression, and YaBoiEdgee’s streams make that clear off the bat. A babiniku, or a non-female identifying person who represents themselves with a feminine avatar online, Edgee’s streams are filled with a wild and fun energy. While his talkshow and JRPG streams are delightful in their own right, his Monster Hunter streams are his bread and butter. If, like me, you’ve been aware of that franchise for years but haven’t found a good inroad to them, YaBoiEdgee’s time with those games is definitely worth checking out.

What’s the elevator pitch for you and your channel?

Hi, I’m Edgee! I’m obsessed with Monster Hunter and I often play action games and RPGs! I’m incredibly charming, entertaining, and funny! But above all… I’m modest.

What is a babiniku and why do you VTube as one?

To the best of my current understanding and knowledge, “babiniku” is a Japanese term for a man who streams and/or makes videos using a female character/avatar. It’s been gaining traction in the VTuber community recently, and babiniku VTubers are emerging more and more! There’s even nonbinary babiniku!

I’ve been VTubing since 2021, but chose to become a babiniku VTuber in 2024 due to feeling somewhat dissatisfied with my male model. A lot of VTubers use their model as a form of gender expression, which makes perfect sense and is totally valid (shout out to all the trans VTuber homies), but for me it was about aesthetics and design. Every time I changed or upgraded my male model, I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing. In late 2023, it finally clicked. I realized a VTuber doesn’t have to be an extension of myself, it can also simply be an OC, so I opened up VRoid Studio and got to work putting together my very first female model. Now I’m much more content and happy with my model and my streams in general. I’ve even gotten in the habit of getting new assets and outfits every few months so I can have a look or style that matches a holiday, special event, or just a game I really enjoy. It kinda feels like an anime version of Build-A-Bear.

Why’d you get into VTubing? What makes VTubing preferable to traditional streaming or “fleshtubing” for you?

I got into VTubing once it had reached a point where it was accessible and viable for people who often have little to no budget (me). VRoid Studio was pretty much a godsend, being free to download and having so many customization options. It’s not perfect but it’s only gotten better since it first became available, and I’m gonna keep using it for the foreseeable future.

I vastly prefer VTubing because I don’t have to worry too much about looking good for the camera. Sometimes my hair is a mess or my face could use a shave, but if my main plan for the day is sitting down for a stream, looks are a non-issue that can be handled after. All that matters is having a good source of lighting so my webcam tracker works properly.

How does VTubing fit into your life and broader career? Is it something you are trying to do full-time or is it closer to a side-hustle that bolsters your other pursuits?

VTubing actually helps me be more organized! I’ll usually schedule days and times for streaming a week in advance, do chores and errands early each day so I can spend the afternoon being a funny little anime person on Twitch, then end the stream before my partner gets home so I can begin preparing dinner. Scheduling and planning out my days this way keeps me on top of things.

I was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer in 2017, and although I was thankfully able to overcome it, the chemo and many surgeries left me disabled and unable to work most jobs. I gained a new lease on life and my creative passion was reignited like never before, but at the end of the day rent and bills are due so yes, I’d love to someday be able to make a living from an activity that allows me to connect with people in such a fun way. I won’t lie, there are lots and lots of times when it feels like I’m slowly chipping away at a large boulder, but with time and perseverance, maybe one day it’ll give.

What are the biggest issues in the VTubing space right now and, subsequently, how can the VTubing space improve?

The main thing I’ve been worried about lately is the rise of AI-generated models, specifically those barely-rigged 2D ones that are found on Etsy. It’s genuinely sad to see. From my point of view, the VTuber community is a space that celebrates art and creativity, which is inherently human no matter the skill level, and using something generated by a machine that’s usually trained on someone else’s art directly flies against those foundations. Not to mention all the energy that goes to waste. The whole thing’s just a nightmare.

I think the space would vastly improve if people would be more open and willing to share VTuber assets and resources, you never know who out there might need them. Maybe that way, less people would feel inclined to use those detestable AI-generated models. Right now, it’s very easy to be a VTuber, whether that’s PNG, 3D, or 2D, but you still have to do some homework and find assets on your own. It would be so cool if there was some kind of VTuber asset database some day.

Do you have any advice for people looking to start VTubing?

Stream.

Just stream something first. Find out if it’s an activity you can enjoy. I’ve genuinely lost count of how many potential VTubers I’ve seen who spent thousands of dollars on a model, emotes, overlay, stream transitions, etc., before even doing their first stream, only for them to realize that their heart isn’t really in it and quit soon after

Even if you end up putting a little MS Paint doodle of your model on the corner of your screen, just try to stream. If the passion is there, the rest of the pieces can take their time falling in place.