At 12:00 AM on August 1, 2026, Kataribe Tsumugu, a VTuber affiliated with ANYCOLOR's virtual idol agency NIJISANJI, uploaded a brand-new video to her YouTube channel. This marks her first content update in approximately seven and a half years, with her last livestream having been on February 16, 2019.
This unexpected return after such a long hiatus has left many fans stunned and buzzing with speculation about a potential comeback.
Kataribe Tsumugu debuted in 2019 alongside Seto Miyako and Onomachi Haruka. Her lore describes her as an earthbound spirit haunting a school library. While usually quiet, she becomes incredibly excited and energetic when discussing books or encountering new knowledge.
Her first livestream was on January 30, 2019, followed by only two more: a chat stream on February 6 and a game stream on February 16. After just three streams, she went completely silent, with her last post on X (formerly Twitter) on March 11, 2019, simply stating "mycelium." Despite this prolonged inactivity, she was never removed from the NIJISANJI roster, becoming a unique phenomenon within the agency and earning her a legendary status among fans.
However, Kataribe Tsumugu has recently shown subtle signs of activity. For instance, she participated in this year's major summer event, "NIJISANJI Koshien." The official announcement even confirmed that her consent had been obtained for her participation, leading many fans to speculate that she might be preparing for a return.
The new video, released after a 7.5-year gap, concludes with only the date "2026 08 16." This date coincidentally marks Kataribe Tsumugu's birthday.
▼ Kataribe Tsumugu's video, released after seven and a half years, features a garbled title: "縺ｫ縺帙□ 縺ｫ縺 繧阪￥縺ｭ繧 縺ｯ縺｡縺後▽縺□".
Even her original character designer, illustrator Maki Hitsuji, expressed surprise at the update, further fueling fan excitement and theories. 
In recent years, NIJISANJI has seen several VTubers return after long periods of inactivity. For example, Amemori Sayo resumed streaming after approximately four years, and even the graduated Suzuhara Lulu made a comeback after about four and a half years. This trend has led many fans to believe that "long-dormant members returning" is becoming more common.
However, Kataribe Tsumugu's situation is even more unique. Her initial period of activity was extremely short, with only three livestreams before she vanished. Therefore, this sudden YouTube update after 7.5 years has truly shocked fans, with many exclaiming, "I finally waited for this!" and "The legendary VTuber is back!" The anticipation is high for what news she will bring on August 16.
