When one of the most iconic VTubers came out of retirement and returned to YouTube—not only under a new name but also completely independent—over 200,000 people showed up for her stream to witness her return. No face reveal, no scandal, no extravagant stream, just a virtual anime shark girl.
And in an industry where everyone is trying to make it, people can’t figure out why VTubers are so popular. Where did they come from? What are they? And why has it attracted millions of viewers and fans worldwide?
Why VTubers have reached global popularity
While streaming has increased in popularity over the last few years, VTubers, or Virtual YouTubers, have been quietly gaining traction, especially overseas. If you’re still not sure what a VTuber is, think of them as anonymous content creators who use animated avatars to represent themselves online.
Similar to Dream (before his face reveal) and Corpse Husband—but instead of hiding behind an image, they design and animate their characters in real time.
VTubers, or Virtual YouTubers, are content creators who use animated digital avatars to interact with their audience. They stream, game, sing, and chat while embodying their virtual characters. Originating in Japan, VTubers are now popular around the world.
VTubers first took off in Japan around 2016 with Kizuna Al and quickly grew their audiences in Korea, China, and, more recently, North America. English-speaking VTubers, such as Ironmouse and Gawr Gura, have helped overcome language barriers and attracted a new global audience to their streams.
As of right now, some of the biggest VTubers to date are Gawr Gura, Houshou Marine, Filian, Ironmouse, Usada Pekora, ZilverK, and Hoshimachi Suise.
Japanese-based VTubers tend to be categorized as a “classic VTuber”, where their content is more scripted and focused on their developing backstory.
Modern VTubers, like Shylily, focus more on creating livestream content and using their character as an extension of their real personality.
Virtual celebrities living the pop star dream
While some VTubers, such as Mikeneko, operate independently, the majority are signed to talent agencies that provide them with technical support, branding, and a supportive community. The most well-known agency is Hololive, a Japan-based recruitment company owned by Cover Corp.
Their agency provides its talent with high-end tech, marketing support, brand partnerships, fan merchandise, and even music production. Other major companies include Nijisanji, based in Japan, and Vshojo, a Western-based, creator-first agency co-founded by Ironmouse.
Hololive VTubers aren’t necessarily just streamers; they are viewed as virtual idols. Many of them can sing and have pursued music under their virtual persona. Mori Calliope, Kiara, and Senzawa are examples of releasing original songs and even hosting virtual and real-world concerts.
Hololive’s success comes with a sacrifice
Although there are numerous perks to being signed with an agency like Hololive, there are also downsides.
Similar to K-pop recruitment agencies like HYBE, Hololive offers structure and stardom, but it comes with limitations. Talents must maintain a PG-13 persona, avoiding explicit topics and foul language.
Most female VTubers avoid collaborating with male creators, as it can negatively impact their idol image. Many VTubers feel overworked and forced into their persona, as Hololive has numerous pre- and post-stream activities and side projects.
Since Cover Corp owns the IP, if any of the talents overstep these rules, their character “graduates.” And a graduation is just a nice title for forcing characters into retirement. Similar to how your pet goes to a “farm” and never comes back.
Because of these restrictions, VTubers can’t openly express themselves or have creative freedom over their character, which is why Gawr Gura’s comeback is so powerful.
The return of Gawr Gura
On May 1st, 2025, Gawr Gura graduated from Hololive due to disagreements with management and the company’s direction. Her announcement stream was the #1 trending video on YouTube and received over two million views within 12 hours. Some fans were unsure if their favorite VTuber would return, while others held out for hope.
On June 28, 2025, a brand-new independent VTuber named Sameko Saba debuted with record-breaking numbers of 200,000 live viewers and quickly hit 1 million subscribers in just three days.
While there were clues on social media hinting at Gawr Gura’s new identity, many waited eagerly for Sameko Saba’s debut. Between the similarities in voice, character theme, and name, fans were quickly convinced that Gawr Gura was back.
Not only is she entirely in control of her schedule, but also the IP and creative direction. Arguably, Sameko Saba has been one of the most significant independent VTuber debuts to date.
The virtual streamer era is here
Now that we’re past the weird novelty phase of VTubers, we can definitely expect them to become more prevalent in Western media. Ironmouse has reached major milestones, having previously been the most subscribed Twitch streamer before being surpassed by Kai Cenat. And then there’s Filian, another rising star who has reached over a million Twitch followers in the last year and is a growing VTuber in North America.
And technology? It’s getting better, helping VTubers develop better avatars, videos, and content. Whether AI is a threat to them is up for discussion. While it has tech advantages, it can’t replace the personality behind the character, which is where the real content is.
Niche subcultures are going mainstream
Honestly, I can see why people think the VTuber world is a little weird. Ongoing stigmas around the sexualization of fictional female characters create a risk for attracting and misleading the wrong audiences. While most agencies try to protect their talents from it, explicit content, fan art, and other NSFW content can’t be controlled.
That said, I do think VTubers have opened another realm of content that is only going to grow with new technology. While the limits of the virtual world are wide, the possibility of weird stuff is also high. And how that’s going to translate into media is unpredictable.
Although we can clearly see that VTubers are no longer a niche internet genre. Virtual creators are popping up everywhere. They are making music, collaborating with car brands, fashion campaigns, and slowly but surely making their way to mainstream media.
What might’ve started out as a quirky subculture from Japan is now becoming a new reality for creators all around the world. While the idea of it all seems absurd, VTubers are dominating the internet, and they have the content, followers, and views to prove it. So maybe you’re in denial now, but just wait until you find your anime girl—then it won’t be long until you officially join the club.
