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>Because of that constant monitoring of talents, fans hold VTubers to a behavior standard that is very fragile. Their love is conditional on the subject maintaining an illusion of accessibility at all times, and they can become enraged when the slightest hint of human behavior shatters that illusion.
>The Hololive member Uruha Rushia was best known for girlfriend roleplay streams, in which she would talk to the audience as if she were their girlfriend talking to them one-on-one. Fans would support her using superchats, a kind of donation done through YouTube during streams that’s akin to tipping a performer in real life. When she received a Discord message from the male singer Mafumafu during one such stream, fans began to speculate about their relationship. Some became enraged, claiming they felt “betrayed” at even the idea that she might have a partner in real life, and harassed her with vulgar messages so severely that Rushia took a leave of absence to recover.
>Many said their sense of betrayal came from the fact they sent Rushia superchats during her girlfriend roleplay streams. While superchats are a valid way to support an entertainer, parasocial fans may donate huge sums in an attempt to stand out and buy their subject’s attention and, in their mind, love. Rushia’s fans allowed themselves to start to believe in the illusion created by the girlfriend roleplay streams, developing a sense of ownership and entitlement. When the message appeared, the illusion was shattered, or they felt like she was cheating on them.
>Unfortunately, Rushia would not recover her position even after her leave of absence. In an attempt to address the speculation and to salvage her ability to perform what had become her niche, Rushia disclosed personal, confidential information to a gossip YouTuber known as Korekore, requesting they keep the details private. Despite that, Korekore revealed what she had told them, and Cover terminated Rushia for breach of conduct. In her desperation to escape the aggression and anger brought on by her former fans’ sense of parasocial attachment, Rushia made an ill-advised choice that cost her career.
