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In this article:
- Video game live streams gained popularity in the 2010s, with internet celebrities like PewDiePie and Markiplier.
- Virtual YouTubeers (or vtubers) provide a similar experience, but maintain some anonymity by never showing their face.
- The money they make is still very real, though. And Nijisanji, a vtuber agency, is the agency that’s making vtubers an international phenomenon.
- A list of Nijisanji vtubers that you might want to check out if you’re looking for non-Japanese streamers to watch.
- You, too, can become a Nijisanji vtuber. If you can nab an audition.
Video game live streams started to gain popularity sometime in the 2010s when streamers like PewDiePie and Markiplier began to wrack up a massive following on YouTube. Thousands of viewers tuned in to watch their streamer of choice play video games and react to them, mainly because of their magnetic personalities and funny commentary. Like these big-name streamers, many online entertainers show their faces on camera as a way to connect with their audience.
But some streamers stay out of the public eye. Literally.
VTubers, a name that stands for “Virtual YouTubers,” are a growing group of live streamers whose entire M.O. is never showing their faces. Hiding behind anime-style avatars, these entertainers make small talk with their audiences, play popular games with them, and even share tiny details about their personal lives to better connect with fans.
While the idea of watching people play games might sound silly to some and watching fake people play games sounds even sillier, none of the money made by VTubers is a joke which is why several agencies compete with each other to dominate the market.
And Nijisanji is on the fast track to blowing them all out of the water.
What’s Nijisanji? And What Makes This Vtuber Agency Special?
Nijisanji isn’t just one of many VTuber agencies — it’s actually the first of its kind. After the breakout popularity of Kizuna Ai, the first VTuber, in 2016, entertainment startup ANYCOLOR Inc. saw an opportunity.
It wasn’t that “faceless” YouTubers weren’t around before Kizuna Ai. Cryaotic, a streamer who has stopped his activities following allegations of grooming minors, was already fairly popular around the time. But neither he nor any of his fellow cam-off streamers had the same appeal and audience size as Kizuna Ai. Moreover, none of them were as visually dynamic and lively.
While they all solely relied on their voices and personalities, Kizuna Ai was a sprightly anime girl whose adorable facial reactions could be seen on screen, even if the talent behind her wasn’t visible herself. Since her debut, the virtual star has worked with Nissin and other major brands while selling NFTS.
It was a no-brainer for ANYCOLOR Inc. to start a dedicated VTuber agency called Nijisanji. Nijisanji was and still is an innovator in the virtual live streaming industry.
While VTubers like VShojo’s Projekt Melody and Kizuna Ai were using 3D models, Nijisanji’s entry to the VTubing scene marked the transition to 2D models that capitalized more on traditional anime aesthetics.
That said, Nijisanji isn’t the biggest VTuber agency out there, at least, not yet. Hololive, virtually their only major competitor, currently dominates the VTubing scene since the majority of popular talents are signed with their agency.
VTubers tend to get popular faster when they speak English, something that most Japanese VTubers aren’t exactly the best at. When Hololive debuted Gawr Gura, one of their first English language talents, she quickly surpassed Kizuna Ai in popularity. Hololive has kept the momentum it had going with its first generation of English talents.
Here’s the thing though: Nijisanji has more talents. With over 200 VTubers signed under their agency, the company is slowly working on expanding its reach to a global audience. Hololive rules today, but with how Nijisanji has steadily grown, we can expect it to start threatening its rival more.
Kuzuha, their most popular talent, beat out Hololive idols back in October 2021. A rarity considering that he’s male and not a Hololive talent. Add to that their ever-growing list of multilingual talents and you can see how Nijisanji is poised to become the global name in VTubing.
Nijisanji began to release a new wave of VTubers under the branch name “Nijisanji EN” back in November 2021, just a few months after Hololive did in September. But since then, Nijisanji has been more aggressive about its talent debuts.
After debuting Lazulight, the first generation consisting of Elira Pandora, Pomu Rainpuff, and Finana Ryugu, Nijisanji pumped out more and more waves of English-speaking VTubers. In two short months, we got OBSYDIA followed by Ethyria which brought the number of English Nijisanji talents up to 10.
And then, the breakout star came. Luxiem, the group name for the fourth wave of Nijisanji EN talents, consisted only of male VTubers. As the only big agency that focused on promoting English-speaking male talents, Nijisanji tapped into a previously underserved audience.
Nijisanji English Language and Multilingual Talents You Might Want to Check Out
Vox Akuma
There’s no denying that Vox Akuma is the current darling of Nijisanji EN. His sudden rise to popularity wasn’t expected by VTuber fans mainly because he was a male character. Much like in gacha games, women sell better than men in the VTubing scene.
But Vox Akuma’s relaxed air and kneecap melting voice thrust him into the spotlight. As of January 2022, Vox Akuma is at the top of Nijisanji’s list of superchat earners, narrowly beating out Ike Eveland, another male Nijinsanji EN talent who debuted as part of Luxiem.
Vox Akuma, like other VTubers, has a story attached to him. In his debut stream back on Dec 20, 2021, he read out a manga illustrating his character’s concept: a mysterious demon samurai lord who ruled in the days of feudal Japan. These days, though, you’ll find him playing Sims 4, Genshin Impact, Valorant, and Inscryption.
Finana Ryugu
Finana Ryugu was one of the first Nijisanji EN VTubers to debut as part of the first wave called Lazulight on May 16, 2021. Following the typical Japanese idol template that most agency VTubers have regardless of their “theme,” Finana Ryugu’s debut was followed by the release of “Diamond City Lights,” an original song composed by Mafumafu, a well-known composer and producer who initially gained fame for working on Vocaloid songs.
Finana Ryugu is one of Nijisanji’s multilingual talents. She speaks English, Japanese, and Hmong, a language spoken by an ethnic group found in Southwest China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar.
Her gimmick is that she’s the descendant of a dragon sea god who goes to the surface world ala The Little Mermaid. She still releases the occasional song but mostly plays Honkai Impact 3rd, Yakuza, Final Fantasy, Mario Kart, and Genshin Impact.
Nina Kosaka
Nina Kosaka is part of the third generation of Nijisanji EN talents called Ethyria with whom she’s released a song called “God Sees All.” Like the other Ethyria VTubers, Nina Kosaka has an ethereal theme that borrows from spiritual beliefs.
In her case, she’s a nine-tailed fox that presides over the heavens, putting her in the celestial side of Ethyria’s darkness and light dynamic. She doesn’t seem to stream as much as other Hololive EN female talents, but she’s a great option for people who want to watch a female VTuber who doesn’t have a high-pitched voice.
Her streams are also less chaotic in the sense that there’s less screaming and random shouting than you usually get from videogame streamers in general. If you pop over to her channel, you can watch the fox mom play classics like Portal, Layers of Fear, Night in the Woods, and the Forgotten City. Aside from English, Nina Kosaka also speaks French.
Millie Parfait
Millie Parfait debuted alongside Nina Kosaka under Ethyria. Her theme is that she’s a “Great Witch of Calamity” which may have less to do with her powers and more to do with the frenetic energy of her streams.
She has a very witty and aggressive sense of humor that might be a bit too much for viewers looking for something to relax to. If chaos is what you look for in your entertainment, though, this is the VTuber to watch.
Millie’s content is varied and she streams at least once a week. She plays League of Legends, Arc Knights, and Pokemon games. What’s memorable about her, though, is the pipes on this VTuber.
You might expect a cutesy, tiny voice and while she does do it for streams while she speaks, her singing voice shows she has real pipes. As you can expect, she’s gotten popular for this hence the karaoke streams.
Millie Parfait speaks English and Filipino regularly in her streams.
Layla Alstroemeria
Let’s step back from Nijisanji EN for a second to talk about a VTuber from one of the other Nijisanji branches.
Layla Alstroemeria is part of Nijisanji ID, the agency’s Indonesian branch. She debuted with Azura Cecilia and Nara Haramaung under the group “LAN_NEE3S.” Since every VTuber needs a backstory, hers is that she’s a time-traveling witch who comes from a future where magic is the norm. She traveled back to our time to learn more about history but ended up meeting Nijisanji staff and joining Nijisanji ID. Talk about breaking the third wall.
She streams mostly in Indonesian so if you speak the language, you’re in for a treat. Layla plays Ace Attorney, Dead by Daylight, Monster Hunter Rise, and Assasins Creed: Oddysey on her channel. When she’s not streaming games, she sings for her fans and hosts a show called “Alstroepedia” where she talks about history.
Luca Kaneshiro
Last but not least, there’s Luca Kaneshiro who debuted with Vox Akuma, Shu Yamino, Ike Eveland, and Mysta Rias (yes, that is his name) under Luxiem. This Nijisanji EN talent is a “mafia boss from the past with a slight temper” hence his outfit, being a pinstripe suit that gives 40s mafia boss vibes. Luca primarily speaks English but is learning Japanese and knows a bit of Filipino. He mostly plays Sekiro.
Want to Become a Nijisanji Vtuber? Here’s What You Need to Do
So you’ve read all that and decided you want to be a part of Nijisanji EN. While the auditions for this branch have already concluded as of 2022, it’s possible that there will be more Nijisanji EN auditions for English-speaking talents. Think of it this way: by the time auditions open again, you’ll already be prepared for virtual stardom.
Nijisanji typically asks their applicants to send in a 5-minute video of themselves acting as the character they’re auditioning for. Sounds easy, right? Until you realize that the only info you have to go off is basic descriptions like “Cat of Darkness” for Millie Parfait. It’s supposed to test your ability to get into character and fully embrace the role.
It’s hard, but if you can pull off a character, the requirements are fairly low. Nijisanji only asks that applicants be at least 18 years old, create content at least thrice a week, make content continuously for at least a year, and speak fluent English. Other skills like singing, voice acting, and speaking Japanese are nice to have but aren’t really required.
Got cold feet? Don’t worry! VTuber agencies will never ask you to show your real face on stream (and you’re really not supposed to). Plus, agencies like Nijisanji have a vested interest in protecting their talents from getting doxxed so there’s little to worry about.
