VTubers have absolutely exploded in popularity over the past few years, taking the world by storm from Japan to Asia and even the West. But with massive growth comes a downside: a rise in anti-fans and "trolls" who spread negativity and misinformation, unfortunately giving the entire VTuber community a bad rap.
The latest drama centers around Hololive's second-generation talent, Shion Murasaki, who held her graduation live performance on April 26. During the show, she covered several songs. However, one particular netizen repeatedly spammed the original artists' YouTube videos with comments like, "Please consider this song Shion's song." This didn't just annoy fans of the original artists; it even infuriated other Hololive fans, sparking a heated debate and widespread anger online.
As seen in the screenshot below, the netizen directly commented on RADWIMPS' YouTube video for "Sparkle," a song Shion Murasaki performed. The comment read: "I apologize to RADWIMPS fans, but this song is very important to Shion Murasaki as she sang it at her graduation concert. So, from now on, I hope everyone can consider 'Sparkle' to be Shion Murasaki's song."
This behavior ignited fury across the internet. Not only did it paint VTuber fans in a negative light, but even fellow Hololive fans were disgusted by this "bad apple" behavior. Many rushed to the comment sections to apologize to the original artists' fans, turning the threads into a bizarre mix of VTuber fans apologizing en masse and others criticizing the VTuber fandom for the incident.
▼ Head over to the "Sparkle" YouTube video, and you'll see that even Hololive fans couldn't stand this toxic behavior. Naturally, it also fueled the fire for those who already dislike VTuber fans, leading to a barrage of angry comments.
And it wasn't just one video! This netizen seemingly went to various original artists' videos, leaving similar comments everywhere.
Of course, many Hololive fans in the comments argued that this person was likely an anti-fan or a troll trying to stir up trouble. They urged others not to let these provocateurs tarnish the reputation of VTubers and their legitimate fans, offering apologies to RADWIMPS fans and asking everyone to ignore the malicious trolling.
▼ The comment sections were also flooded with criticism from other Hololive fans.
Whether this individual was a genuine, albeit misguided, fan or a deliberate troll, their actions undeniably created a deeply uncomfortable situation for Hololive and the broader VTuber fandom. Unfortunately, it's incredibly difficult for the average person to distinguish between a true fan and a troll, which only serves to reinforce negative stereotypes about the community. Perhaps this is just one of the unfortunate side effects of VTubers' meteoric rise to fame.