What Many VTubers are Missing 

I made a companion worksheet to go along with this video! Please feel free to fill it out || drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OM4nVFEFqQY3fuqNwVx3u79dRM0GrAm3?usp=share_link I also have a discord server, feel free to join, just be sure to read the rules first! discord.gg/J7cQc8f7mt

Mysta definitely gets made fun of by other NIJI EN members for his contrasting concept 😂

As an artist and character designer, I never thought people don't start with a concept and move on from there as it makes life so much easier! This was a really cool video to watch, I learned a lot about myself and things I ended up doing subconsciously! Thank you ^O^

Getting traits added on to you by viewers can also be a very fun moment. I havent been around to long and i originally kinda put the trait of "being mediocre" to myself, but very quickly my few viewers kept calling me "evil" due to my morally questionable choices in games. I at first was very self concious about it but embracing it while still not leaning into it on purpose turned out to be the right thing. You cant fight a lot of your own behaviours if you like them or not so just naturally accepting them was the right thing for me personally. On another note when i decided for my character design concept i took the things i always was very drawn to which are "fish", "water" and "witch" and never made a personality for the design as i dont play a character and am just me.

this is why i love Tempus’ concept so much. maybe it’s the old fairy tail fan in me but Holostars EN being an adventurer’s guild allows for a lot of freedom for each one to be unique yet still fitting with each other through a common link. some people complained about wave 2 also being considered Tempus and thus less unique but i think it gives the whole Holostars EN branch its own unique footing and relationship rather than being individual groups under the same branch. edit: just wanted to add right after i posted this but with Tempus it’s less about the lore but just the concept of being a guild in of itself. there’s just a lot of freedom with a guild concept because uniqueness with a sense of solidarity has always been a core theme of guilds, and the way Holostars EN took it with making the whole branch (as of right now) a whole guild is a really good direction rather than just making only one wave a guild. it’s a really simple yet solid concept and i’m just repeating myself right now lol

I've been having trouble with my vtuber concept for a while to the point I just kinda gave up. My sisters and partner have interesting concepts that suit them, but i never feel like mine is right, or it's too boring. I really appreciate this video and the videos you make. I love character design but struggle with representing myself. I'm gonna try not vtubing with a special concept, just a drawing of myself to settle back into streaming.

Someone who strayed from his concept: Nijisanji Ex-Gamers Kanae. His concept is a lonely and shy angelic amnesiac who has no one aside from his (haunted? demonic?) cat plush who's good at games, but what we get is a sassy prankster FPS god who makes friends everywhere, has an anecdote about his childhood/school days, hardly shows Roto outside of outfit charm points, and got visited by his (half?) foreigner mom a lot when he first moved out. The only things that stayed were his gaming skills, and his chill vibe.

I certainly understand the importance of a good concept. Before I started to stream, I thought it'd be a great idea to act like an 'Ojou-Sama' type character. But I quickly realised that I'm not super comfortable acting like that all the time. So I shifted my concept to focus more on my innocence and 'Britishness'. So please think about your own comfort level in portraying certain characters. Don't feel bad about changing your initial concept if you don't like it. Its never too late to adapt it. ♥♥

Even if you don't want to be a vtuber, it's fun to work your brain and come up with your own characters, too. Get those noggin juices working. If not that, just admiring and looking into the details of designs you really like is good too. I really found myself really studying designs like Shiki Miyoshino, Rie Himemiya, and Misaki Nobunaga to name a few. Thanks for this real informative video, as the hardest part to me is getting an end result you yourself are proud of.

im conceptualizing and considering becoming a vtuber. the amazing thing i realized while watching this is how conceptualized my planned model already is and how well it fits my personality. ive been creating art for a while now (making ocs and such) and so to become aware of how natural it is for me to create a character that resonates with me was cool. obviously this video has made me aware of a few things i need to iron out, but thats still amazing!

I'm a character designer so this particular facet of the design process has always been at the forefront of my mind. Honestly, in my artistic process, the concept almost always comes first since it's such a helpful foundation/framework to work from, and it's responsible for so much cohesion and appeal in the character, like you said. This is even relevant to me, because my own (in-progress) model has roughly the same CONCEPT as a very popular vtuber, but is taken in an entirely different direction, like the Gura vs. Artemis comparison.

YES YES YES why aren't there more analytical videos for vtubers it honestly annoys me. also cool video, Character design and the marketing aspects of it always have interested me.

Thank yah for making this! Hope it helps a lot of folk choose a concept they are happy with. Hopefully it means they can spend more time and effort making things they want to do instead of fighting with their concept/design.

Looking at the worksheet is funny to me because i had the exact same thought process. also yes vtuber concepts need more attention !! a lot of the time how concepts relate to their personality is my favorite thing abt a certain vtuber

I’m not an aspiring v tuber or even watch v tuber stuff or anything like that but this video was so informative and entertaining even though you’re not super energetic it felt like it went by so fast I struggle to even watch 8 minute videos! That’s extremely impressive! you definitely took everything into account and made it your own thus making everything so interesting!

Also for the tropes part, I hightly recommand to reach more 'niche' things as possible. This is easly something that makes you stand out!!

I draw heavily on my own life experience and personality when creating my concept because I would find it hard to act for multiple hours a day. If you an experienced actor, I applaud you for being able to keep it up for that long. However for the majority of aspiring vtubers, this isn't the case. Thank you for making this video.

I dont have a computer/laptop yet but I love thinking of concepts. I have four concepts I would love to make a vtuber off 1. A clumsy, mischievous moth boy (my persona) 2. A holy birma cat in a hot chocolate cup 3. An intimidating yet charming space traveler 4. A cozy retired hero sky kid from sky children of the light

Very little is mentioned but on the subject of lore and concept of the nijisanji chronoir duo (kuzuha and kanae), their story was a great impulse for these guys to become the most popular men of said company, now they announce an anime made by a1 pictures studio That kind of containment playing with their covers and streams, creating crumbs for the fans that feed the fandom, is an interesting thing.

I have been thinking about this for SO LONG. I often just find it hard putting myself inside a box or fitting any aesthetic, and doom a lot thinking I can't get a concept that works with me, however, I have still been trying to come up with something, and this video solidified that one of the characters I am starting to think might really work! I am super glad to have watched this, it really helps a lot. This will help me refine my work :)) good video

This was so helpful! I had trapped myself thinking that I just *had* to go with my first design. But I knew it just wasn't working out. I was so focused on "What would the audience like?" that I neglected to think about what I would like to do and how to stay in a consistent and sustainable character. This video has given me the courage to go for a much more suitable character concept. Thank you so much!!!

Very helpful video! I've been a vituber for a couple of years and i only considered my concept in the past year after realizing a nice design wasn't all i needed. I still don't have it fully figured out (mainly my type of content is not clear), but this video helped me get a little closer. I've loved all your videos i've seen so far Yam, keep it up!💖

I really appreciate these types of videos that give some structure and foundation to things I've already thought about. With this framing in mind, it reminds me of how I desperately wanted to try vtubing back in 2019, however, I felt a massive disconnect between the concepts I thought were most "acceptable" at the time (the earlier idol and anime heavy concepts) and which concepts I 'should' adopt. It genuinely upset me for a long time. As the variety of vtubers have increased, I've found role models who've assured me in looking for my own path. I'm very much someone who needs to be themselves. I spent so much time hemming and hawing, and now I have a concept I love dearly that reflects myself and the person I want to be to others. Now, I'm in my practical study/training arc. Starting to build the foundation I need to confidently move forward. Also, just gotta say, I saw a worksheet and I was HYPED. LET'S GO YAM SENSEI. Get me applying the theory!! Going through the worksheet also helped me refine keywords for concepts I had but hadn't yet recognized. So thank you!

I just discovered your channel, and I'm so happy someone "theorised" the VTuber science :3 Chara design is what make me wanted to watch VTuber and what I love the most in this hobb

Super interesting video!! Love your effort to explain some concepts that are not the most obvious for people like us (me) in the most simple and understandable way possible

This was by far, one of the most inspired, helpful and insightful videos on vtubing I have found in awhile! Really really well done, keep up the great work 😊❤

This is such a well made video!! Thank you for making VTubing more accessible for everyone, you're amazing 💜💚

amazing and in-depth explanation that also works for any type of marketing outside of creating a vtuber. I had learned about concept creation in school but it's been a while and this was a fantastic reminder. Again, great video!

Wow Yam! This is fantastic, and I'm so impressed and grateful you have laid everything out so well. This is something I have been thinking about since the New Year, and you have expressed it so informatively. Thank you! 🌻🌿💕

Vast majority of resources available to aspiring vtubers cater to the anime aesthetic and Japanese themes, which further incentivise concepts that utilize these themes. It can be incredibly discouraging to develop concepts that are unrelated to Japan and anime simply because of the lack of available resources. It is simply EASIER to create anime characters for vtubing, which is part of the reason they are so common in the sphere.

i can't thank you enough for this video!!!!! i kept changing designs and moods and aesthetics on my model and was never satisfied since i'm all over the place when it comes to hobbies, likes, and etc but watching this and the importance of concept design over the actual design and lore i was finally able to come up with something that i like AND makes sense!! but also short and concise enough that doesn't let me stray too far from what i'm going for

As a wannabe writer and role-player (D&D, or one on one), I have had so many times found a character lacking or no longer fun. Or many times the core concept changing, and evolving as I write or role-play. Experimenting I found very important. Or keeping different paths as I progress also key to keeping the involvement with the character. I really like how you approached this vtuber concept video. Reminds me of the rule of KISS. Keep it simple, stupid. Then you build upon that. Great work!! Thank you for sharing this thought invoking and simple steps to build upon.

Sonic is a Cocky Speedy Hedgehog Mario is a heroic italian plumber Guts is a depressed swordsman Spyro is an Adventure loving Dragon Demoman is a Black Scottish Cyclops See, it works with every type of character!

I love the worksheet you made!! I feel like I entered vtuber school haha. thank you Yam sensei xD

An amazing video! It surely helps a lot, and despite having a concept basically ready, I still found some tips to work with it, and I'm sure many other creators can use it to improve

ALPHONSE ELRIC MENTION!!

Thank you so much for this

Thank you so much 😭 I needed this video (and the worksheet)

wow, thank you! that's veeeery enlighting, even that i'm not really trying to be an influencer or vtuber, your explanation about thematic concepts was very insightful for me, thank ya!

My concept idea: Fluffy jacketed coffee shop owner who is the only normal-ish thing in a world where everything is weirdcore/dreamcore What do you all think?

you spoke about having a concept that felt like your own, and this was probably the easiest thing for me to come up with, as the visual shape and character history was something that had been building in my head for years. It was basically my "sona" by the end of things, it was just refining colors and visual details that needed to be done. I'm super grateful for this video as it helped with some questions I had for finishing up. c:

Awesome vid, definitely something that needs to be talked about more. Never would have thought about using a core concept to better flesh out my Vtuber👍👍

Lovely video! Small correction, Jung is pronounced like "Young" or "Yoong" Glad to see the crystallization of your efforts c:

Videos like these help me go more in depth with designing my VTuber model and overall story its basically like designing a character for a movie or book so much more then meets the eye

Thank you for sharing! the insights is helpful along with the sheet to help me future plan! I'm glad I'm checking off list while I go thru the sheet!

This was so fun to watch! I'm creating a vtuber for the first time. Only because I want a face to put next to my art, without showing my actual face. I didn't realize that the Vtuber community went THIS deep! Thank you for posting this, I learned a lot :)

The segment on what happens when your vtuber persona doesn't fit you hits a little hard on me. Not just because I've had that disconnect between me and persona(e) back then, but because of the process of "fixing" them. I fully agree that your persona, let alone your vtuber, should content you and link well with who you are and what you want to do. Oddly enough this part of the segment actually encouraged me a bit to embrace my comfort character (another shonen anime character who isn't mine) as a persona, even if that means embarrassing the crap out of myself. This was a great video btw

This is a great video! Thank you so much for going in-depth on all of this.

I had this happen to me before! Before, I was representing myself with my character Ringo, a mature, eldritch apple goddess, which didn't sit right with me despite my love for apples. Since Ringo was mature (btw, I am not mature, I laugh at dumb jokes) it didn't sit right with me, it even got to the point where my voice hurt from me putting a low voice for my audience. I then rebranded into Juhin, who is more cheerful, and immature but pragmatic, theme-wise, I went with Loving, Valentine's themed Bunny Baker. I loved the concept of Valentine's and it made me more comfortable in my own skin. I wished that I saw this video sooner because I was having a huge Vtuber identity crisis 😅😅 But this video cleared up the issues I was having, thank you so much Yam!💕💕

Great video. I appreciate the thought that went into this. Nice job 👍🏼

After watching this video I feel better about my concept. So many people go with humanoid Vtubers, which there isn't anything wrong with mind you, and I almost did as well... But in the end I decided to scrap my first draft entirely and just go full cat. I don't see many Vtubers being straight up animals, and cats are a subject I'm very passionate about. I just felt more comfortable with it this way as well. Your video was very helpful, and helped build my confidence in what I was doing. Thank you very much!

What a great video. Thanks for making this. Ive only started dipping my toes into vtubing and I know i'll have to change some things down the line since I'm still creating my identity for myself and this really helped out.

thank you so much, your video helped a lot. i already have a concept in mind that will probably fit myself well, but you helped to sort my ideas.

You make such interesting videos :D your observations are so clear and easy to follow! I always look forward to uploads and even rewatch a lot of times ^^)/❤

its good to know alot of the facts, and I also saw kawa and I miss kawa but kozii and all of the other members have cool designs and even updated designs. i love how vtubers design themselves!

When choosing a vtuber concept, I feel like it's super important to pick something that means something to you. A guy I know picked a park ranger since he loves hiking and the outdoors and wants to be a ranger one day. I chose a frat boy because, well, I'm a frat boy irl. Your avatar should reflect something about you. If it doesn't, you'll have a very hard time getting into character.

Wow, didn't expect Artemis to be mentioned in one of these kinds of videos lol

this just answered all of my uncertainties thank you so much!

This is such a gift to the community. Thank you!

This is probably the best video I've watched regarding vtuber concepts, this has definitely helped with the concept I wanna go for, for my vtuber.

man, this really helped me in thinking of what i actually want to have my v-tuber persona be. thanks, i guess time to do some word boards rather than just a design itself.

Your new concept is so good!

I wanna start vtubing one day, and I've had a concept in my head for a while now. It's a ghost boy who lives in a haunted house, and he won't hurt you as long as you watch him play on the computer (streams). There'd be a visual juxtaposition where you have this typical haunted house, but the ghost prefers bright colorful aesthetics, and his personality would be chaotic and a bit feral. He would also be able to turn into a cat, but that's basically just extra.

As someone who wants to be a character designer and just started watching Vtuber, this really helps me understand more on how to build a character for bother Vtuber models and other characters. Vtubing looks like a lot of fun. I might try it out once I’m done with college

This is so helpful! Thank you for making this video!

Excellent video as always Yam. I definitely agree that Corpos should move towards giving their new talents more freedom. I get why they have overall wave themes for branding and merch but with Nijisanji's latest two wanted being bound by having the same-y school uniform, I feel it was a bit much. Also, Obsydia's and Ethyria's second outfits were similarly constrained by having a unifying theme (military & Queen of Cards). On the other hand, Luxiem had a brilliant 2nd outfit glow up by simply having the very loose theme of (Past Forms). And the 3rd outfits Ethyria and Selen have got are thankfully very personalised. Hope future waves have more freedom earlier to express themselves. Great work as always and with a very short turnaround time for this video as well 😄👍🏼

I love the chart visuals you have in your videos :3

What an informative video! I ended up learning a lot about Vtuber concepts and its importance

Kinda funny that I basically stumbled Into my concept. My design is an amalgamation of alot of things I like. The Maternal Eldritch dragon Mob boss thing happened over time and wasn't planned for at all.

Ive had so much challenge as of recently in the realm of VTubing, beyond these concepts where when I stream Im less so the character and moreso just me playing the game. I really enjoy this because I love writing stories of the avis I use, and how people relate me to them

Based on a previous Yam video, when I read the title I figured: well it's noses innit? Great, astute content as always, thank you.

As a aspiring character designer in general this was very helpful and interesting, thanks a lot! Now about the vid, another funny one for contrasting is Shishiro Botan, she looks like a scary lion and she's good at fps but she just keep laughing all the time and she has a curiously soft voice. I think Holo is interesting when it comes to groups, like half of them have lore and half doesn't, Gen 5 for example doesn't have a full concept and you could say with the time they became kind of like the party group you would find in a rp, unline Tempus which debuted with a theme in mind, or Myth (which is contemporary to Gen 5), or so.

Agreed. I’ve always thought that if you can’t do a proper sentence in your bio without trying to explain things, you need to look deeper within. Glad that “Fanatic Cosmic Alpaca” follows your formula lol

I definitely agree with your thesis that the concept of a vtuber plays a huge part in the success of a lot of vtubers in the current market, but I also feel like something I would have liked to see you touch on in this video are instances where the vtuber has such a cult of personality that it actually transcends whatever their initial concept, or lack thereof, might have been. I think a lot of successful indie vtubers experience that. I know off the top of my head several fairly successful indie vtubers whose initial concept has either been totally abandoned or taken a complete backseat to the charisma and personality of the persona behind the model. Definitely a well thought out and refined video overall though!

Nice to see the finished video.

I love Marikyuuns (i think thats how its spelled) concept!

I appreciate this video so much! I've been feeling a disconnect with the model I've been working on building and have been struggling with narrowing it down. Thank you so much on the video and the sheet to help possibly refine.

Quick take notes! TAKE NOTES! *furiously types things up in Notepad* I've been doing a lot of research in between streams, while adjusting and optimizing my setup. You and several others have been absolutely invaluable with your insights and for that I thank you so much. Side notes: You're the most adorable bat ever. And yes, more big noses on vtubers! :D

I don't know if I'll ever be able to pursue v tubing However this video is really helping me come up with a persona for content I hope to make in the future. I want to be able to make a safe space for current and aspiring artists while having fun and expressing creativity through art and semi-complex stories. I like the themes of art, creativity, ice, freedom and more, which I think could go well for what I have in mind. I enjoy your content and is helpful, thank you.

This is a pretty interesting video:) Thanks for making it:)

i love the thumbnail where the gorilla just in the middle of it. But no joke i remember watching her debut or lore video and it was refreshing interesting and funny.

Im eternally cursed to create a design first and then retroactively add a concept later. And in the case of my current design, I tried to add it to a group theme but i wasnt drawn too any real concept, so its mostly an uncoordinated mishmash of charater traits i think look neat

I desire to make a vtuber model soon, even if my streams usualy have 0 to 1 viewers and chat messages, it's still something i desire to do, the steps you showed on this video gave more to think about. A chill place to talk with with viewers,(if any show up) draw and play. Im not that energetic or hyped(?) like most vtubers out there, but it's still wish i to try.

I see rin i click

Tysm for the idea worksheet!

Honestly, my favourite example of unique concept is Honey goblin. Mature yet playful goblin girl

This is honestly really helpful! I really wanna do a Pokemon trainer VTuber eventually someday but I'm not sure how it would work. This is a super helpful video I'll be revisiting quite a bit, thank you!!

Honestly, I came into my concept by pure accident. It was an evolution of my previous usernames (where I kept Mochi because thats what everyone called me) that started as a bit of a joke (wanted to be a demon magical girl and thought a name related to heaven (Amari) would be funny) and as i streamed I slowly looked more into things and went "hey, i can extend mochi into mochizuki" and "hey mochizuki means full moon and i love rabbits and their association to the moon, isnt that funny" (and now its "hey im half asleep all the time, isnt a space/moon theming funny" + apparently Amari is pretty close to a name that also means moon so heyyy). When I finally return to streaming (uni is kicking my ass), i will now be a sleepy shapeshifter from the moon with lots of cutesy and slightly edgy aesthetics and im honestly pretty proud of that. Like, its my vibe. Im always tired and love cute shirts paired with all black. Plus, that kind of duality has always been in my designs (i mean, my og lore was i was a demon lord that got bored and wanted to be a magical girl on earth (only to find there arent any in Australia lmao)) and i can be half asleep one second and getting extremely hyper and excitable the next lmao

Awesome video, I never thought about these things before

Honestly, I kinda had the same experience. I had designed a cute moth girl that I think looked nice. But then changed it to a design based on a Bakeneko that I liked way more (and also fit me more). But now that I want to solidify my design, I find myself inspired by more things all the time (I love Saida Aisu's design) and have to stop myself from losing what I actually like.

some day,we will see a meta type vtuber vtuber whos job is a vtuber that have 9 vtuber channels

I'm currently trying to make a Vtuber but not for streaming purposes, more of Vtuber that mostly makes content And the sections you mentioned in the video is a great guideline for making a decent vtuber

THANK YOU FOR THE VIDEO AND ALSO THE WARNING

"Think about the your personality" I'm cooked 🫠

This was really interesting and educational. Love the video. New here and subbed already.❤

YAY a worksheet! I don't want to become a vtuber but I love worksheets and itneractive stuff haha :D

Hi hi I found your content from a dif yt channel that is currently watching your video. They really like it ! I don't want to advertise so we will go with M.Y. as their initials. Keep up the good work and this video was very informative! Liked and subscribed! Have a nice day

This is so cool! I make characters and although I don’t think I could ever be a streamer I very much admire the time it takes to be a vtuber!! It’s so cool

I don't plan to be a Vtuber because it's expensive( but if i finally have alot of money then i'm planning on it), but i always come up with a character and it's lore because it's so fun.

Very good video and helpful!