Former adult film actress Kaho Shibuya, now an artist, streamer, and cosplayer, has been actively building her community and making waves in various fields since her retirement. She's particularly shined in the ACG (Anime, Comics, Games) world, gaining even more recognition than before. She even made the cut in the hostess selection for "Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name" and has traveled internationally to host events and give speeches.
Recently, Shibuya was invited to become an annual ambassador for the streaming platform Twitch. While this brought her considerable attention, it also led to international netizens questioning her past as an adult film actress, igniting a heated debate online.
Shibuya has actually been a streamer for years since her retirement in 2018. Her successful transition has seen her active in various fields, including cosplaying, TV hosting, and DJing, and she's even published a book. She expressed immense honor at being chosen as an official Twitch international ambassador.
She stated that for someone as introverted as her, who usually keeps to her own little world, Twitch provides a comfortable space to relax, chat, and connect with everyone.
However, despite being retired for over eight years and successfully developing multiple supported ventures, many overseas netizens remain puzzled by her "former adult film actress" status. Some even sarcastically pointed out the irony of her claiming to be super introverted after starring in so many adult films. They criticized Twitch's decision to select someone with her background as an international brand ambassador, suggesting the platform was making a mess.
But Shibuya faced her detractors head-on, clearly anticipating such reactions.
Conversely, many netizens praised her efforts since her career transition, even giving her positive reviews for her work as a streamer, arguing that criticizing her solely based on the "former adult film actress" label was unfair.
Of course, this isn't the first time a "former adult film actress" has faced such controversy. Many individuals transitioning after retirement encounter similar issues, even if they, like Shibuya, have put in years of hard work in their new fields.
Ultimately, as an official ambassador, it might be more appropriate to evaluate her based on her current work and achievements rather than just her past label.