6 False Myths About the Vtuber Community
Can you guess which ones?
As vtubing keeps getting more and more popular, we are reaching people who are unfamiliar with this medium.
This can sometimes cause some misunderstandings between people inside and outside of the community since vtubing is still a new and niche space with all kinds of people in it.
This post is meant to help introduce vtubing to new members and try to clear up some of the usual myths surrounding this space.
1. Vtubers aren’t AI..…most of them
The vast majority of vtubers (around 99%) are real people who are just using a virtual model.
When you see a vtuber on a video or live stream, there is a real individual behind the model who is using specific software to track movements and expressions and uses keyboard toggles to create funny moments for their audience.
However, there are very few exceptions to this.
There is a creator, called Vedal, who developed his own AI vtuber “daughter” called Neuro-sama, or Neuro for short. She can talk, react to things, do Discord calls, and even interact with other vtubers and streamers in collaborations.
However, the interactions are not like they would be with a real person. You can clearly tell that this is an A.I., but she can still create very funny moments within the limits of her programming.
So don’t worry, AI isn’t taking over the world…yet.
2. Not all vtubers are japaneese
The vtuber industry originated in Japan, but as the technology became more accessible, it quickly expanded to other regions, especially to English-speaking countries.
Thanks to this, we now have vtubers from every part of the world. Predominantly, Japan, Canada, Indonesia, and the United States.
In Hololive alone, we can find talents from many countries in their English branch, but they also have their Japanese and Indonesian branch, and as the vtuber space grows, we will see more people from other countries making their debuts as vtubers.
3. Not all vtubers are idols
Because vtubers originated in Japan, they adopted something we call “idol culture”, which is pretty much Japan’s version of Hollywood’s celebrity culture.
Almost all the first vtubers started their journey by participating in it because they all originated from Japan.
That’s why it is common, even now, for vtubers to do many traditional “idol-like” practices like singing, dancing, and voice acting as well as “debuts” and “graduations”.
But not all vtubers do this.
Most just do the regular content live streamers do like playing games, talking with their audience, setting up events, crafting stuff, or anything really.
Also, depending on the type of content you plan to create, you might not even need to have a “debut”.
4. Not all vtubers are from a company
There are corporations focused on vtuber content. These are called vtuber agencies, and their talents are commonly referred to as “corpo vtubers”.
Currently, 4 agencies dominate the market of corporate vtubers:
Besides agencies and their talents, we also have what we call “indie vtubers”.
They aren’t part of any corporation/agency/company. These vtubers are independent talents who do their own thing without the restrictions of an agency while also not having the protection of a company.
Some popular indie vtubers would be:
5. Not all vtubers do NSFW content
If you spend some time researching vtubers, you will pretty soon find some who create NSFW content on websites like OnlyFans or Fansly.
While some big names in the community do that, the majority don’t offer that type of content.
However, the fans will still make NSFW art and animations without their knowledge, and the vtuber can’t do much to stop them, so you might still come across it online.
6. Not all vtubers are men pretending to be girls
While I can understand why some people believe that, when people can hide their appearance behind a model, the truth is that most vtubers are not trying to catfish you.
They just get a model they are the most comfortable with and make content with it, and some even give lore to their character to roleplay in their streams or videos.
With that being said, there are bad actors in every community, so it's a possibility that someone might try doing that, but those are rare cases since the majority use vtubing as a creative outlet or to build a community.
Final Thoughts
Despite what some might think, the animated PNGs you see on screen doing funny things and saying unhinged things are adults who are trying their best to entertain you, and not an A.I. following prompts.
Vtubing is a medium inspired by idol culture, but that doesn't mean that all vtubers engage in it or are part of a company.
While agencies are prevalent in this space, some prefer to be independent since it offers more freedom and allows them to keep more of the earnings, even if it is harder to grow that way.
There is a wide variety of vtubers, and they all make different kinds of content.
Even though some popular members create NSFW content, most make regular videos and streams that you would expect from a normal content creator on Twitch or YouTube.
If you are new to this space, you will likely find someone whom you can connect with and whose content you enjoy if you approach it with an open mind.
