>>16359514Many newer viewers would be okay with just normal streams and the memes. That's fine, and it's what most vtubers provide.
But Hololive still is a business that is marketing idols (however chaotic they may be), not just entertainers. Most, if not all holos take lessons in singing/voice training/dancing, and the concerts are the main big events. They appeal to the Idol market and crazy fans who are willing to spend a lot of money. They hold auditions for talents/idols. Talents join to be idols, knowing quite well what that entails.
You can and should justifiably criticize the ugly outgrowths of the Idol business, but Idols literally are what hololive is selling and what is setting them apart from other agencies, at least in the JP market. They won't and can't simply change how they've established themselves and what they have already sold to hundreds of thousands of fans.
I feel they have to sleep in the bed they made.
As part of their business strategy, cover/hololive as an organization have embraced many aspects of the idol business. It also really comes down to how the talents decide to present themselves, and what kind of fanbase they actively cultivate. Depending on how strongly a specific holo decides to embrace the idol image or girlfriend experience, them interacting "too closely" with men may put off their hardcore fans.
If they want to collab with men or stop doing idol stuff, they can do that. They can express their wishes for change and call out possessive gachikoi. But as I mentioned, doing so will be a considerable change from what they've been selling, so I think they would lose a non-neglible part of their fanbase beyond just some gachikoi. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
On a more personal note:
I wouldn't want them to completely discard what they've built. I'm repeating myself, but it really should be left up to each individual holo to decide how they want to present themselves and what fanbase they foster.
I watch hololive to see and cheer on a group of cute Japanese girls having fun together while working towards their dreams of being idols to bring happiness to their fans. It's a unique wholesomeness, and part of it is thanks to the idol branding, even though it brings its fair share of grief as well.
If I wanted to watch a mixed gender group of normal streamers and hardcore gamers just hang out (perfectly fine, mind you, but not what I'm interested in), I'd watch Nijisanji.
