>>48576877A few days ago I saw a thread debating the top 5 most influential vtubers. OP had Gura and Veibae among the top 5, and some people objected that Gura didn't belong in the top 5. Let's set the record straight: anyone who says Gura isn't a top 5 most influential vtuber is utterly wrong. She launched vtubing into the Western world like no other vtuber before or after her. Kizuna Ai first coined the term, then Fubuki, Miko, Coco, and Korone kindled the fire in the west through viral memes, but none of them could never have lasting influence in the west because they speak Japanese and the language barrier is too much. Gura was the one who turned those initial sparks into an explosive inferno back in her 2020 debut. Sure, Twitch streaming might be more mainstream in the West than Japanese anime idols, but it's not normie like Saturday Night Live, the Kardashians, and football. I asked my gf's little sister (a middle schooler who loves the Emmy's and celebrity gossip) to list some vtubers, the only person she could name is "Guh-war" Gura the shark girl who says "a". She wouldn't recognize Veibae if I showed her a picture, let alone name her. Like it or not, Gura has become the de facto face of vtubing in the western cultural conscious, akin to Coca Cola and Apple, turning a niche little fad from Japan into a recognizable entertainment sector in the eyes of the mainstream west, and lending credibility to the many western vtubers that came after her. That's true influence.
