I'm going to answer seriously, the magic died years ago long before COCOK left, everything innovative has been done, collabs once pure magic beyond comprehension are now just ways to introduce people to other vtubers, playing certain games are (and always were) marketing opportunities, and now we have vtubers in multiple different languages people will just form their own opinions on what they are.
I want to blame nijisanji for what vtubing has become, since we've moved on from 3D characters doing stuff regular youtubers couldn't do and being larger to life, to basically a regular streamer with their character as a "dressing", fact is mass produced vtubing was coming didn't matter who put it out there, and quite frankly hololive dominates this board and while I'm happy Tokino Sora's brand has gotten the fame it deserves what it has become and the associated fanbase is certainly not what I wanted it to be.
If anything rather than NUMBERSNUMBERSNUMBERS I've fallen back to smaller ones, not indies, being an EOP english indies are just not my thing, least english company start ups least have a small chance of becoming something more than some weeb with an avatar who just mumbles into the mic and bitches on twitter breaking character which was what what I wanted from this shit, a character, is escapism so hard to get?
I guess when COCOK was around I was just in denial, if anything I can simp for someone that needs that encouragement that they are unique even with barely triple digit viewers, just because they make me smile despite being the worst years of anyones lives.
In short, like me, you were in denial because of the shit that happened and only just opened your eyes, but my problems were a thing long before her departure.
