A guy wants to marry a VTuber

"Oshikatsu" involves all the actions where fans support their favorite idols, and it is an increasingly popular trend. In general, an idol is considered as "an unattainable figure" for a fan. However, there are some who go so far as to develop romantic feelings for their "oshi", which could even become an obsession.

And the object of worship isn't always a real person. A recent article on Yahoo! News Japan commented on "Rex-san (れっくす)," who has fallen in love with the VTuber "Emu Alice" and has purchased all of its products, including a life-size acrylic panel valued at 330,000 yen (over $2,100). The subject has also stated that he has no intention of marrying anyone other than "Emu Alice," and in his live streams he often comments "Please don't fool me too much!"

However, these situations have not always been positive, considering the multiple cases of harassment that have arisen against VTubers in Japan. The problems of these people include the fact that they almost never get what they want, such as "dating" or "getting married," jealousy when they see how other fans respond to them, and a lack of interest in people in general while everyone around them moves in together or gets married. Rex-san agreed, saying, "I went through that too," but added, "Now I'm over it and I'm beyond it. I've learned to control my feelings, so I can continue to love my oshi permanently."

Rex-san was drawn to the VTuber's avatar "Emu Alice," which debuted four years ago, and went to watch her live streams. He was also drawn to her voice, and within a week he declared himself "madly in love." Currently, he spends between one and three million yen a year on it ($6,000 to $20,000) and publishes daily about how good it is. For the sake of her crush, she gave up her career and changed jobs to work in a restaurant. Thanks to this, he was able to successfully collaborate with his oshi.

How did you get to a state of "sense of control"? "The key is to determine whether your actions are to satisfy yourself or others. Even paying a large donation to a VTuber has a completely different meaning if you're doing it because you want care or because you want to support that person." The appeal of VTubers is that they can communicate interactively through streaming comments, making it easier for people to recognize the individual. Although the reason was that his appearance was a "resounding success", he says: "In the end, most people fall in love with the person. Even if the 'soul' goes to another body, the fans will follow where that 'soul' goes."

VTubers also face a dilemma regarding their hard-core fans. According to a VTuber affiliated with a company, the number of extreme people who demand something in exchange for supporting them as fans is increasing. If they are told that they are free to do so, they will act aggressively to approach them, but if they are told to stop, they will lose fans or even harass them. If taken too far, this can lead to annoying behaviors, such as replying to every post on Twitter, sending mass messages, or approaching people posing as a colleague to ask for collaborative projects.

In this context, Rex-san says: "The current situation is that it's hard for agencies to kick out the most obsessed fans. Fans are also looked at with a white eye by those around them when they perform their oshikatsu activities. Both sides are in a situation where they can't talk about it. These fans continue to agonize and worry on their own, and they end up becoming a nuisance."

As a measure to avoid annoying behaviors, Rex-san reiterates that "the issue of action revolves around whether it's for the other person or for yourself." The form of support varies depending on the occupation. "Think about what the 'best support' is for that person at that moment."

Source: Yahoo! News Japan