>>105836399The drama began when Phase Connect announced the termination of VTuber Shiori's contract. The official reasoning cited "continued breaches of contract," a failure to meet expectations, and a mention of her "inability to separate her personal life from her professional one." This vague explanation immediately sparked intense speculation and backlash from her fanbase. Many believed the termination was a sudden, harsh decision by management, especially as Shiori herself had recently expressed excitement for future projects, making the announcement feel abrupt and unexpected from her perspective.
The situation escalated significantly when a close friend of Shiori, known online, began posting alleged details of the situation. These posts accused Phase Connect management of severe unprofessionalism and poor treatment. Specific accusations included management allegedly leaking Shiori's private, un-aired models and personal information to third parties, attempting to control her personal relationships and online interactions, and fostering a generally toxic and stressful work environment. A particularly damaging claim was that management had forced Shiori to stream while she was visibly ill and vomiting, which became a focal point for community outrage. These allegations painted a picture of an agency that was at best incompetent and at worst actively malicious towards its talent.
In response to the growing firestorm, Phase Connect's CEO, Chibidoki, made statements on a public Discord server in an attempt to address the allegations. She denied the most severe claims, specifically refuting that they forced Shiori to stream while sick and stating the private model was only shown to a single, trusted artist. However, her responses were widely perceived by the community as defensive, unprofessional, and dismissive of the core concerns. This failed to quell the anger and instead solidified the narrative among fans that Phase Connect's management was the primary source of the problem. The fallout severely damaged the agency's reputation, leading to widespread calls from the community for the company to address its internal management practices and treat its talents with more respect and professionalism.
