Hololive’s Mori Calliope & Gawr Gura lift lid on VTuber beginnings

VTubers Mori Calliope and Gawr Gura have opened up on their VTuber beginnings in a new ‘Rise of VTubers’ YouTube podcast, explaining how they started out in the area.

VTubing may remain a mystery to some but, to others, the stars of Hololive are as normal to tune into as Ninja, TimTheTatman, Pokimane, and more. 

Now, two of the community’s biggest names – Mori Calliope and Gawr Gura – have delved into how they became involved in the space. 

They did so in a new YouTube podcast entitled ‘The Rise of VTubers’, designed to shed light on the rapidly expanding area of online content. 

For Calliope, who boasts over 2.1 million subscribers on YouTube, it was a case of immersing herself in a “unique” online space where she truly felt able to be herself. 

She said: “VTubing kind of offered this unique situation where I could totally, unabashedly, be myself and not worry too much about what I look like, and I can just do the things I want to do.

“Recently I did a live show in the real world. Real human beings came to a live venue. There was of course a big screen in front of them, but behind that screen I was really dancing, 100% as myself, dancing and singing live behind said screen. Being in Hololive influenced me to get voice lessons and become a singer. Now I’m able to do so much more.”

Gura, who has over 4.2 million YouTube subs, explained that it allowed her to bypass fears over performing in front of people, joking that the last time she sang in front of someone in real life was likely her mother. 

She said: “Last time I sang in front of anybody was in front of my mother years ago, and probably against my will. So I started it up and the next thing I knew, I had 120,000 people watching me sing. Live. From my bedroom. Which, to this day, absolutely blows my mind.

“You can potentially meet some fantastic friends, create a community for yourself, and if you’re technologically advanced and you say ‘I have ideas for this community’, please share them ⁠— we’re desperate! Please!”

Some may continue to dismiss VTubing but, for the stars of Hololive and their millions of fans, it continues to be a rapidly growing industry.