Unnämed’s journey to the top of indie VTubing: “It helped me restart my life”
UnnämedVTubing is a powerful medium for expression. Few embody that more than Unnämed. The Japanese singing sensation has shot to the top of indie VTubing with their powerful voice. But the grind all comes back to one belief: repaying a debt they feel they owe.
If Unnämed’s original plan played out, they would have graduated from VTubing in December.
They only ever planned to make it to their one-year anniversary. They didn’t think the support would last any longer. After all, their debut was one of the most hyped of 2022. It was easy from there to think it was just a once-off event.
But the U-rei’s kept coming back. The fan base behind U-san even gave the Japanese singing sensation their shorthand nickname. And they felt like they had a debt to repay.
“I tried my best to give back to my community, but I decided to stay a bit longer because I got a lot more support than I expected,” they told Dexerto. “I couldn’t even use up all of the budget and savings I got from my fan base, so I’ve decided to stay around for longer.
“I enjoy making songs but to be really honest, I didn’t expect my fans to stick around for more than a year. I was scared for how long I could keep the hype.”
The decision to even start VTubing was a big one. After never finding their footing through other creative pursuits, VTubing let them focus on the art they were making. That applied to fans too.
“The reason I started VTubing was because I didn’t have to directly face other people,” they said. “I am able to control my feelings. I can focus on controlling my own things and not have to worry about people gazing on.
“I came back with my music video, and after that, I noticed everyone wanted to see me have a Live2D. I used all of my donations to buy myself a Live2D model. Then the more donations I got, the more I felt I had to give back.
“My current fan base is expecting me to create a ton of music and be confident. In this VTuber world, with my Live2D, I can be the most handsome guy in the world.”
And now, one year on and counting, U-san can finally celebrate all their hard work as potentially the brightest chapter of their life starts: “VTubing brought me back to the performing industry. I was completely lost before. It helped me restart my life.”
UnnämedLetting go for a new beginning
Unnämed didn’t just come from nothing. They have been chasing their creative dreams for years now, albeit under different monikers.
They were once a labeled musician — they’ll be the first to downplay the meaning of that — while living in Thailand. However that music career never really took off, and in fact left U-san in a more precarious position compared to when they started.
“I didn’t perform well there — not only me but my band members,” they bluntly said. “The producer started replacing the band members. He replaced my drums and my bassist. Then I noticed my guitarist was not happy with that group so they left.
“Later I knew I was going to be replaced by the producer because of a billboard that said ‘new upcoming rock band, major debut.’ It was the band that replaced us. I wasn’t there. The producer never told me that I was replaced to my face though.
“I had a bad depression and I couldn’t control myself. I was scared to perform in front of people because I felt like I didn’t deserve them. What if I was going to be replaced again? I couldn’t sing in front of people anymore. When I am on stage, holding a microphone, my hands shake. When I’d leave the stage, I’d immediately throw up.”
They found some comfort on TikTok, at least for a little bit. They knew this wasn’t what they wanted to do forever, but finding some stardom and validation on the platform at least helped them regain their footing creatively.
Personally though, the losses kept rolling in. They grappled with personal issues while doing the short-form videos. Those watching would discredit their gender identity. Unnämed, on the other side, was just a pretty face meant to dance along to silly songs. There wasn’t any way to truly express themselves.
“I was doing something I wasn’t happy with,” they bluntly admitted. “It was all the normie people, dancing in front of a camera, doing trendy stuff or some stupid things. I wasn’t doing any music content.
“But as I am growing my fan base there, I know what they want of me. When I tried to make music, they weren’t happy with that. When I did anime content, or a kawaii voice, a moe voice, they loved it.”
There was also the personal danger. U-san recounted the numerous times they were stalked, had their personal belongings stolen. Some even targeted close friends, doxxing them alongside the star.
“When I tried to talk to other people about my situation they said ‘well it means you are famous’ and not listening to my story seriously. Only my manager at the time took it seriously.
“I’m happy I don’t have to show my face and no one knows where I live in Japan — they only know I live in Tokyo. When I was living in Thailand, when I went to the police station for stalking, they didn’t really care for the foreigners. I was doomed at the time.
“I got tired of my old fanbase. I appreciated them a lot, and still do even now, but they scared me.”
However as time goes on, they’ve become more content with the arduous journey. While the scars remain, it’s worth it for the end result. People respect them for their work, and seeing the passion from fans inspires them to continue putting their best foot forward.
“I am honest with who I want to be compared to when I was a Tiktoker. I tried to be cute, stupid, and kind of ‘waifu.’
“Even though I made ‘utattemita’ [cover songs] and I drew illustrations, did the mixing and voice recording — I did everything by myself — I always got a ton of comments saying ‘this music video could have been better if you were recording your face just like your Tiktok.’
“And I was like ‘okay, these people are not attracted to my true interest of music, and I didn’t know how to entertain them anymore.’ So I thought maybe I should restart, and that’s why I am here.”
The emotional outlet of music
Summer Song was U-san’s first release in their new chapter. The song truly showcases their wide vocal range with a strong echo that resonates in your soul. Sometimes it’s the painful cry when they start singing about their loneliness, at others it’s the confidence of the verses.
“It’s about a friendship, my best friend, but we had a really bad fight,” they explained. “Later I learned they were moving back to Japan — and this was before I had moved back and was still abroad. When my friend told me that, I was really shocked.
“What I was able to tell them was ‘I’ll be here waiting for you to be honest to me again.’ But I was crying inside. I also knew my friend was hurting too, but they didn’t show it. They were crying in the storm. I grew up in Thailand and given that it’s a tropical country, it’s always raining. The storms always make a lot of noise, so that sound covers the crying. It’s how we hide our feelings from each other. That was the motive behind Summer Song.”
Since their debut, U-san has released three original songs and plenty more covers. And if you ask them, every song they’ve ever sung has such a deep meaning. It can be bittersweet or melancholic. It can be a memory of their past, like their belting cover of YOASOBI’s Idol. While they can be eloquent with words on stream or in an interview, music is their emotional outlet.
“I’m not that good at explaining my feelings to others. I describe my feelings through music instead, because it gets it across the best.
“I am quite an emotional person, so when I try to share that with someone, I am a bit clumsy and can’t really control my own emotions. Music neutralizes that a bit, it gives it a filter. People will take it as entertainment. I can express my feelings publicly, but people just take it in as content.”
Singing brings out the best of Unnämed. In their own words, they sound like they are “invincible”. And in many cases that is true. They can flick a switch to be “very strong, like a lion, while I am a little hamster in my daily life.
“Most of my followers know I have really low self-esteem. I’m always saying ‘I don’t deserve your support’ and it always makes my fanbase very upset. They’re like ‘stop apologizing! Take our support!’ When I am singing I am so confident though.”
And with VTubing now in the mix, U-san is finding a way to make sure their bigger musical dreams come true. It really starts with the aptly named Invincible Melody concert in Thailand alongside fellow star VTuber Shoto. Delayed from 2023, the in-person performance for February 25 will be the most notable example of independent VTubers putting on a huge concert. It will be U-san’s 3D debut as well.
It’s an important moment for Unnämed, who has struggled with performance anxiety ever since leaving their former band. It’s also why it’s important to do it alongside someone like Shoto, who has been by U-san’s side ever since they debuted. The two of them are domineering forces in the masculine VTuber space, and if anyone could pull off a project of this scale, it’s them.
“When I got offered the concert opportunity, I felt like ‘I think it would be very cool if the two of us can make this dream come true,’” they said. “It’s very hard for the indie VTubers to make concerts like this come to life, mostly due to the process.
“I wanted to have Shoto with me because the reason I am as notable as I am is because of him. He let people know where I am, he let people know what I am doing. I don’t know how I can express how much I appreciate him.”
And in U-san’s quest to give back to their fans, they see this as the “ultimate payback”: “At the end of the concert, I want them to feel proud for supporting me, and they feel like they’re part of the community. Because we grew this together.
Those aren’t the only wins U-san has taken from VTubing. They have managed to truly find themselves a community and connection unlike they had in music or on TikTok previously. That’s best exemplified in their relationship with Thai VTuber group Algorhythm Project (often shortened to ARP).
How they met was very fortunate, but it ended up blossoming into something beautiful, something that inspires U-san to keep pushing forward with their musical ambition.
“They are a group of professional musicians, the real pros,” U-san said, raising their voice a little bit in excitement. “Even some major labels can’t afford quality like them. They are talented and skilled — they can write songs, produce, mix. So I wanted to be friends with them!
While U-san is close to many of the members, it’s their relationship with Dacapo that stands out. The two have combined forces on covers such as Odo — which was less of a duet and more of a battle, two powerful voices fighting one another in “Muay Thai style” as they put it.
“I approached Dacapo because there was a time where he was doing a karaoke stream. He was asking for song requests, and so many people requested Summer Song to him. I was like ‘stop doing that!’ I was so embarrassed. But he said ‘oh, Summer Song’ in a tone that sounded like he knew me. So I used that as a chance to take my shot. I followed him on Twitter, sent him a DM saying ‘hey man, want to do a singing battle?’”
“Now Orion is one of my closest VTuber friends, and Dacapo is a really reliable guy. Whenever I want to do something cool or crazy I can ask him and he’ll be like ‘let’s go!’
Finally reaping the rewards
If you ask U-san the difference between them as a streamer and as a musician, there’s not much there. After all, they are just being authentically themselves — the medium, and sometimes the words and emotions, differ.
“When I’m streaming, I’m just trying to show myself. What I have learned from this year is people want to see the true and honest side of me. They didn’t expect me to roleplay as a character.”
That being said, they are still hypercritical of what they show. They often private VODs and don’t allow clips on most of their streams. To see u-san, you have to be there raw, in the flesh, like every performance is a concert. It makes for a pretty special feeling when you do catch them.
“I don’t want to look back at myself, and when I review my VODs, I feel like ‘oh my god, what the f**k…’ I am the number one anti of myself. It’s always like ‘stop talking!’
“I do more Twitter Spaces than YouTube streams too, and I do it at random times because I don’t announce a schedule. It makes me feel less nervous when I can do it at my own pace.
“When I am feeling down, I know I don’t perform well, so I always want to keep myself in a good mood. If I am in a good mood, that’s the time I stream. But if I feel like I’m not putting on a good performance, sorry, but the VOD goes.”
However, despite some of these insecurities, they find themselves in a supportive community, both in terms of the U-reis and the VTubers in their orbit.
Never in VTubing has there been such an intensely dedicated fanbase around an indie talent, to the point where fans organize collab cafes which are often reserved for agency talents. U-san got one of those for their first anniversary in December.
If you travel through various parts of Asia, there’s a chance you’ll see Unnämed’s face plastered on a billboard. And U-rei’s are constantly organizing fan events outside of conventions to spread the word of their oshi.
It’s a little embarrassing at times for Unnämed, but a bit of positive attention never hurt anybody.
“I’m trying to think of how I can return that love to them. I’m going to be scolded by my fanbase, but I don’t know whether I deserve that or not. If everyone is having fun that’s fine. But it’s just unreal to me that everyone is doing the concept cafes or doing the billboards.
“When I see it, I try my best to give back to the community. There was a time that u-rei played my original song in Shibuya’s Scramble Crossing. So in return, I bought the big screen in Shinjuku and did a 10-minute free concert.”
And so with all that in mind — the musical successes, the supportive community — U-san is going to stick it out, just this little bit longer, so they can achieve their dream.
“I am not doing it alone. I work with some awesome creators. I have amazing fans. So 100%, 200%, 500% I am proud of what we have done this year. Not what I have done, because I was not alone. That’s the reason I am Unnämed. Because I am nobody without my fan base.
“It would be cool if I became a major label musician. It would be a dream come true.
“Thanks to my fans I could release an original song, release cover songs, afford myself a Live2D, and have a 3D model reveal in February. Having a major label debut on top would be a dream come true.
“If I can make it happen, I will bet everything on it. If it makes me broke, I’ll accept it.”