📚What Are Vtubers?

It is the year 2025, and the vtubing industry keeps expanding to the point where more and more people are learning about vtubers, the community, and the whole industry around it.

For that reason, I think it is about time I made a post dedicated to explaining what exactly vtubers are why someone would become one.

What are vtubers?

The term vtuber comes from combining the words youtuber (content creator who makes content on YouTube) and virtual (because they use a virtual model).

A vtuber model is first drawn by an artist who also divides each part of the model into sections, so the riggers can add all the movements, tracking, and toggles that give life to the model.

It’s a slow and meticulous process, so it can take months to finish. For that reason, the prices can vary from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. Some vtubers start with a premade model that they can modify to their needs and preferences, but most choose to commission a custom model so it fits their vision.

Then they use that model to create content on different platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, TikTok, or Kick.

Basically, vtubers are regular content creators who use a virtual avatar to create content for social media and interact with their audience in ways that wouldn’t be possible if they used their real bodies.

That’s pretty much what vtubers are, we are not that complicated.

The history of vtubing

It is commonly believed that vtubers originated in Japan when, in 2016, a girl named Kizuna AI made her first appearance on YouTube in a video trying to create a Twitter account for the first time while struggling because someone had already taken the username she wanted to use.

That was the start of everything.

It remained something that only she was doing for a while, until in 2017, Cover Corp would create its all-female vtuber agency, Hololive, and debut their first generation of talents, composed of:

• Tokino Sora
• Roboco
• AZKi
• Sakura Miko
• Hoshimachi Suisei

Over time, other agencies like Nijisanji, VShojo, and Phase Connect appeared and brought new talents to the industry, which helped popularise the industry in the West.

What do vtubers do?

Regarding the activities of a regular vtuber, it depends on whether or not the vtuber belongs to a vtuber agency or is independent.

Agency vtuber

A vtuber from an agency is usually more involved in activities from Japan's idol culture and has to do other activities that their agency wants or needs them to do.

This includes:

• Releasing songs and albums
• Doing live stage performances
• Collaborating with other brands and organizations
• Doing interviews or appearing as special guests
• Promote company merch, products, and projects

Independent vtuber

When a vtuber doesn't belong to an agency, it is called an independent or indie vtuber, and since they don't have the backup of a corporation, they can't do various activities that most agency vtubers do, at least at first.

Instead, they focus on the activities a regular content creator on social media would normally do, like:

• Livestreaming to interact with followers
• Creating videos that entertain or educate
• Building communities around certain topics
• Get sponsors and promote brands

They are similar but different

Even though both types of vtubers tend to perform different types of activities, they are not restricted to only them.

If you look at what the biggest agency vtubers do, you will notice that most of them also live stream and create content on platforms like YouTube or TikTok. Likewise, some independent vtubers do concerts, record songs, or sell merch.

It all depends on the goals of the company/indie vtuber.

Why become a vtuber?

After learning about vtubers, their origin, and what they do, you might be wondering:

Why don't they create content as a regular person?

There are a few reasons for creators to use these virtual models instead of their real bodies, and we will get to them next.

Anonymity

The internet is a blessing and a curse, and as a vtuber, you will have to deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of the Internet.

On one hand, you have the chance to connect with many people, network, build a community, and potentially make a living creating content online that people enjoy watching.

However, not everyone online has your best interests in mind, so you can never be "too careful" when protecting your privacy.

Vtubing is another method for people to create content online while keeping their real identities hidden from the general public, offering another security layer.

Every now and then, some vtubers might do "face reveals", showing their looks on platforms like Twitter or BlueSky, and a few others are even well-known people who have worked on big projects.

For example,

CyYuVtuber has openly said that he is Alejandro Saab, a voice actor who has voiced characters in big games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail, and is now voicing Jun Oda in Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut.

Yet, it is not the same for everyone.

Most are just regular people who want to create content online like a normal creator while using a vtuber avatar and have fun with their community, so they prefer to keep their lives private, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Branding

Vtubing lets us build a semi-personal brand where you can better customize your model's appearance to tell the viewer what kind of content you create as soon as they see you.

For example,

• A model with a fantasy theme might hint that you are interested in Dungeons and Dragons and ARPGs
• A model with a science fiction theme can hint that you are into tech and software, or games like Cyberpunk 2077
• A model with a cozy theme might hint that you do ASMR or like low-energy games like Animal Crossing
• A model is a racing theme can tell people that you are into cars and racing games like Need For Speed

In the case of the video above, we have Camila, her model is a clown imp that combines circus themes and pastel colors for a look that tells you that her content is full of silly moments that will make you smile if you have a sense of humor, and her lifestreams reflect that.

With that being said, while some vtubers get models that mirror what they want to do with their videos and livestreams, some choose a specific appearance because it just looks cool, and they do whatever they want with their content.

Creative Outlet

Not being dependent on the limits of your real body and instead using an avatar that lets you interact with your audience in ways that aren't possible otherwise is one of the strengths of vtubing.

An example of this is what you can do with the Twitch Integrated Throwing System (or T.I.T.S for short... heh), which allows viewers to throw items to the vtuber model by redeeming them.

Another one is allowing viewers to redeem toggles that can change the look of the model by:

• Changing hair color and length
• Shifting eye color and expression
• Swapping outfits and models
• Adding assets like sticky notes with a funny message

These are the ones I can currently think of, but I’m sure there are more, and you can use all these tools to create funny moments with your community, friends, and collaborators.

Socializing and Working

Getting up every day, dressing up, and walking outside is not something normal people would consider special or even give much thought to, since we do it every day almost automatically.

However, not everyone can do these little things that most take for granted. Especially when they have a disability that affects them every day of their life and limits what they can do with their bodies in ways we can't imagine.

For those individuals, vtubing can be very attractive for a few reasons:

• They only need an Internet connection and a vtuber model
• The model becomes the focus, not how they look
• They can socialize by livestreaming on platforms like Twitch
• They might be able to earn money to cover medical bills
• They can build friendships with other people who understand their situation

The biggest example of this is VShojo's Ironmouse.

Throughout her journey, she has opened up various times about her medical condition and the struggles she has dealt with after being diagnosed with common variable immune deficiency (CVID).

Now, she is currently one of the biggest faces of the vtuber space and proves that a medical condition has no say on how far you can go in this space.

Conclusion

Vtubers are just regular content creators who use a virtual model to create content on different social media platforms.

It might have started in Japan, but it has expanded to the rest of the world, and since the technology for it has become more accessible, people of all backgrounds are joining the space.

Some enter with the intent of either creating content, building a brand, or socializing.

By using a virtual model, vtubers can add another layer of interaction between their viewers and them, which makes their content stand out from the rest. And since the main focus of the stream is the model, you don't have to worry about your appearance, which is a nice plus.

I hope this post helped answer some questions about the vtuber space.

See you next time.