Over the past couple of years, Virtual YouTubers (or vtubers) have exploded in popularity. First gaining traction with Kizuna Ai in 2018, there is now a dedicated and massive fanbase revolving around YouTubers who entertain their audiences behind a virtual avatar.

VTubers are now akin to celebrity idols as they sing, play games, and perform skits over livestreams while maintaining a certain character that people have associated them with.

People love to support their favourite VTubers for the same reasons idols are admired: vtubers provide a consistent stream of entertainment on a weekly or even daily basis, giving color to the mundane everyday. Plenty of people admire their personalities and talents, of which seem so impressive that they just sweep everyone away.

More importantly, VTubers have the appeal of being hidden behind cute anime avatars. They aren’t constrained by personal or identity issues, and often come up with creative ways to entertain their audience to make up for the limited expressions in their avatars.

The popularity of VTubers has also spawned many agencies looking to jump in on the trend. One of the biggest VTuber agencies is Hololive, which has a whole host of popular VTubers under its label. Notable names include Akai Haato, Natsuiro Matsuri, kiryu coco, and more.

Recognizing the popularity that VTubers have overseas, Hololive has been eager to cater to global fans outside of Japan by debuting a new and unique group VTubers. Enter Hololive Myth (also known as Hololive EN), a group of five idols who are every bit as silly as you’d expect from Hololive. Except that they now speak English!

Now that’s great and all, but keeping up with over five brand new personalities all at once can also be daunting. Curious as to which of these VTubers is the best for you? Here’s a closer look at these five Virtual YouTubers and how you can enjoy them.

Ninomae Ina’nis

One day, she picked up a strange book and then started to gain the power of controlling tentacles. To her, tentacles are just a part in her ordinary life; it has never been a big deal for her. However, her girly mind does want to get them dressed up and stay pretty. After gaining power, she started hearing Ancient Whispers and Revelations. Hence, she began her VTuber activities to deliver random sanity checks on humanity, as an ordinary girl.

Do you like VTubers who also moonlight as exceptionally talented artists? Ninomae may very well be the best of the bunch when it comes to drawing art. Heck, saying that she’s great artist might even be an understatement, seeing as what she’s shown so far has all the makings of a true professional.

Here is the illustration I drew for my end card!
Thank you everyone for a wonderful day today! #inART #???? pic.twitter.com/0M0H8tephW

— Ninomae Ina’nis?holoEN (@ninomaeinanis) September 13, 2020

As you might expect, Ninomae is very in tune with otaku culture, and is a fan of a lot of notable franchises. She loves Final Fantasy XIV, NieR, and Apex Legends, while also playing various mobage such as Fate/Grand Order, Arknights and Granblue Fantasy. Besides games, she also watches a lot of anime, some popular titles to name being Neon Genesis Evangelion, Demon Slayer, and Made in Abyss.

Though she uses mostly English on the channel, she can also speak Korean and Japanese. In fact, she says that she may interchange between these languages on the side, which is something worth looking forward to.

Ninomae’s character, from her tentacles to her history of having heard ancient voices, is very much inspired by Lovecraftian myth. As such, you can check out her playthrough of Call of Cthulhu, and perhaps learn a little more about her backstory in the process.

Twitter
YouTube Channel
Illustrator: Kuroboshi Kouhaku
Live2D Modeler: rariemonn

Takanashi Kiara

An idol whose dream is to become a fast food shop owner. She is a phoenix, NOT a chicken or turkey. (Very important) She works extremely hard since she will be reborn from ashes anyway.

From the get-go, you can tell that Takanashi Kiara is upbeat and full of energy. She’s multilingual, being able to speak in English, Japanese, and German (26:36). Though she’s classified as an English Hololive VTuber, expect a good mix of both English and Japanese when diving into her streams (as well as fan support from both sides of this language barrier). She’s even gone as far as telling her fans that there’s no need to translate her content, as she’d rather do all of it herself!

Kiara is a fan of the Tales of and Atelier series, as well as Super Mario and Zelda. Her anime interests cover a variety of tones, from more serious shows like Bakemonogatari and Steins;Gate, to light-hearted ones such as Nichijou and Working!!. She also mentions that she enjoys listening to anime songs and nostalgic video game soundtracks.

If any of these sit well with you, or if you’re just in it for the fried chicken memes, Kiara is a great choice to watch. Her hilarious reactions as she plays Fall Guys may be just the thing to check out after a long day, and even moreso if you happen to know a little bit of Japanese on top of English.

Twitter
YouTube Channel
Illustrator: hukeweb
Live2D Modeler: keffiy

Watson Amelia

She heard strange rumors surrounding Hololive online: talking foxes, magical squirrels, superhuman dogs, and more. Soon after beginning her investigation on Hololive, and just out of interest, she decided to become an idol herself! She loves to pass her time training her reflexes with FPS games, and challenging herself with puzzle games. It’s elementary, right?

It’s just as her description says: Watson Amelia is amazing at first-person shooters. If you’ve seen how she powers through skirmishes in Apex Legends, you’ll no doubt be eager to watch some more and maybe even learn from her example (27:54).

She’s into Apex, Counter-Strike, and Valorant, but also enjoys open world games such as Grand Theft Auto and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Every gamer needs a game with downtime though, which is why she also enjoys puzzle games like Portal and Inside. That being said, she’s probably the most action-oriented gamer of the bunch!

Though she debuted with a British accent, she actually speaks with an American accent. Hololive Myth offers a variety of VTubers of different talents, and Watson Amelia is the recommended pick for those wanting a VTuber who doles out witty jokes, even as she slays opponents online. She’s also just all-around silly, which you can see as she sings her own version of the Puru Puru Pururin anime opening (26:05).

Twitter
YouTube Channel
Illustrator: NABI
Live2D Modeler: Naname

Mori Calliope

The Grim Reaper’s first apprentice. Because the world’s medical system advanced so dramatically, she became a VTuber to collect souls. It seems that the lost souls vaporized by the wholesome relationships of VTubers flow through her as well. In the end, she’s a gentle-hearted girl whose sweet voice contradicts the morbid things she tends to say, as well as her hardcore vocals.

First apprentice of the Grim Reaper and also a consummate rapper. Mori Calliope is the go-to VTuber if you want one that straight-up spits fire. Her debut song is an original song written by herself, called “失礼しますが、RIP♡” or “Excuse My Rudeness, But Could You Please RIP?”

Like the other Hololive Myth VTubers, Mori is fluent at English and is also capable of speaking some Japanese. She’s still learning the ins and outs of Japanese, though, and may study up on the language alongside her stream.

Perhaps as a reflection of her character, her favourite anime shows include somewhat dark stories like Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Made in Abyss. Likewise, her favourite games are Bloodborne, Ghost of Tsushima, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Reaper?Rapper??????????
?(???????)?
Hololive English’s rapping reaper, Calliope Mori! I am at your service!

rap/lyrics/track/mix: me!
mix help: @kokorobeats

“Check it out, yo!”https://t.co/rxvmQBiZ7F#holoMyth #hololiveEnglish pic.twitter.com/cMSORCFdIs

— Mori Calliope?holoEN (@moricalliope) September 14, 2020

If you’re like many others who were enthralled by Mori’s rapping ability, you’ll no doubt want to keep an eye on her future exploits. Of course, she’s also promised funny streams and entertaining video game playthroughs on the road ahead.

Twitter
YouTube Channel
Illustrator: yukisame

Gawr Gura

A descendant of the Lost City of Atlantis, who swam to Earth while saying, “It’s so boring down there LOLOLOL!” She bought her clothes (and her shark hat) in the human world and she really loves them. In her spare time, she enjoys talking to marine life.

A lovable midget of a shark that, for some reason, has an odd number of teeth. Gawr Gura is the shortest member of the group, who has managed to build a following based on her excitable attitude and the odd noises she makes. Fans lost their minds after witnessing her debut stream begin with unremarkable silence, only to then be followed by the sudden sound of a single “a” (3:09).

Gura enjoys Resident Evil and Borderlands, as well as rhythm games like Taiko and Rhythm Heaven. Her favourite anime is KonoSuba (God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!), which fits all too well with her eccentric personality. Amusingly, her listed birthday is on the 20th of June, which is the same date as when the film Jaws released.

Don’t let Gura’s childlike demeanour fool you, though. Contrary to how she acts, her singing talent is bound to impress even the most jaded. Just listen to her vocals as she performs a cover of the song Ride on Time by Tatsuro Yamashita, an old classic from the 80s (43:22).

Gura has also done a live playthrough of Maneater, where she assumes control of an in-game shark to prey on human beings. Though she seems to be enjoying it a little too much here, she promises that she prefers eating salmon!

Those who are comfortable with the odd and unpredictable might take a liking to Gawr Gura. She’s a wild card for sure, but there’s also genuine talent hidden behind that toothy exterior.

Twitter
YouTube Channel
Illustrator: Amashiro Natsuki
Live2D Modeler: Shin

Collab Stream

Curious how the girls get along if they were all in the same room? Check out Hololive Myth’s first collab stream here.

Lastly, if you’re eager to watch Hololive Myth’s future streams, you can always refer to this handy official schedule, which is always up to date. The times on this page are listed in JST (GMT+9). You can also follow Hololive EN’s official YouTube channel for more information.

Bonus VTuber – Liliana Vampaia

Are these five girls not your cup of tea? Maybe you’re looking for a VTuber who’s a little more in tune with the Malaysian way of life? Believe it or not, Malaysia has its own up-and-coming VTuber agency, called MyHolo TV.

Liliana Vampaia is one VTuber who exists under this label. She’s a happy-go-lucky personality who often refers to herself in third-person. Even so, she speaks fluently in both English and Malay, and as you might expect, her staple food is everyone’s favourite Nasi Lemak. Once you get past the initial weirdness of having a Malaysian VTuber, her cutesy tone and cheerful attitude may just be right up your alley.

Curious about what Liliana has that only a Malaysian could pull off? Look no further than her playthrough of No Straight Roads – a game that was also developed by Malaysians. Her reaction to the game’s use of “lah”, for instance, is quite priceless.

Know of any other VTubers we should keep an eye on? Who is your favourite VTuber? Let us know on thekkp.com and on our Facebook/YouTube page!