>>94869310>I do think the EN branches of actual Japanese corpos will remain a fairly popular niche, because they are close enough to the real deal to satisfy weebs. They're the vtuber equivalent of dubbed anime.I used to agree with this, but not anymore, at least not for the past 2, maybe 3 maybe even 4 if not close to 4 years.
I agree that established EN branches of Japanese corpos like Hololive EN have a dedicated fanbase and will likely continue to exist as a 'dubbed anime' equivalent, as you said. HOWEVER, that proves your point more than it refutes it. The success of Hololive EN isn't evidence of a thriving Western VTubing industry (we all know this already, for years now, this couldn't possibly not be something new to say in this day and age after SO MANY events in the fast passing years that have taken place in the vtuber scene), it's evidence of the enduring appeal of the Japanese model. They're leveraging the established framework and cultural context of Japanese VTubing, not building something new in the West.
Look at the Western VTubers who aren't attached to Japanese companies. How many have achieved mainstream success or even sustainable growth? The market is saturated with independent creators and Western-founded groups struggling to find an audience, you can only name extremely few, and I will point out that they WERE VERY LUCKY. The bubble has popped. The initial novelty wore off, and what's left? A lot of imitation without the cultural understanding or organic growth that fueled the Japanese boom. THE WEST IS NOT JAPAN, the Japanese mentality for vtubers is not, and I will dare to say, not even 50% for anyone outside of Japan and geographical areas close to it, yes, I'm talking about ALL of Asia. The West tried to replicate the form of VTubing without understanding the content that made it resonate in Japan. It's like trying to build a temple without understanding the religion behind it – you might have the structure, but it lacks the spirit. The HoloEN branches are successful because they're tied to that original spirit(with some questionable behavior for multiple ENs and IDs), not because they represent a healthy Western scene. They're a bridge to the real thing, not a thriving entity on their own.
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Also, western women are rotten and souless, way more than Asians... God forgive me, but I'm unironically going to
“Tap the sign”.
