In September 2020, hololive production launched its first English gen, hololive Myth. Four year later, the members came together to celebrate their anniversary once more. Takanashi Kiara — alongside Mori Calliope, Gawr Gura, Ninomae Ina’nis, and Amelia Watson — set the foundations for the VTuber industry to come.
Anime Trending had the exclusive opportunity to interview Kiara about hololive English Myth and her love of performing.
Myth outperformed everyone’s expectations. It arguably cemented VTubing as a global sensation. What were your feelings when you debuted? Did you think you would still be streaming 4 years later?
Kiara: I think I was only able to imagine doing it for a year. And I wasn’t even planning on streaming so much each week because I didn’t think it would go so well. But, it became a full time job, and now I can’t really see an end to it.
When I debuted, I was super excited to be part of the company that I saw from the perspective of a fan. We were very lucky in terms of timing because everything came together so perfectly. So many people were stuck at home at the time, and that’s when VTubers started booming. English VTubing wasn’t very popular yet, so a while after our debut, more and more popped up. Four years later, aka now, I get told a lot how Myth and hololive English inspired and influenced the English VTubing market. I am so honored to hear that. I never thought our little dorky group of five VTubers would have such a huge impact. It’s great to be a part of it, and I am so proud.
Did you ever imagine performing in front of so many people? What does it feel like to perform on the virtual stage?
Kiara: I definitely always dreamt of it. Especially the annual concerts and expo we do in Japan are kinda crazy. It’s always a bit surreal because we are virtual. I think there is a big difference in feeling between performing virtually, to someone who does it… how to say… in flesh? These kinds of feelings are quite complicated and maybe even a bit melancholic, so I sang about it in my song “The Great Wanderer” last year. Check it out if you are interested!
You’re now one of the Daisenpais of Hololive EN. How does it feel to watch the branch grow and evolve over the years?
Kiara: I do feel a bit like a grandmother or aunt now who has settled down a bit, maybe a bit exhausted here and there. Looking at the new kids with all their energy, I feel like I can’t keep up all the time. But, it’s exciting to see our branch grow and thrive, and I hope it will continue to do so! Myth really didn’t expect any success in the beginning, so seeing the explosion in the beginning and the good times now as well, I am very proud of our accomplishments — Myth’s, and EN’s as a whole.
As a unit, you have celebrated your anniversary in a number of unique ways, from your smol and humble origins, to finally taking the stage in your idol outfits! How has the experience changed over the years? Do you have any particularly fond memories?
Kiara: From gaining so many newcomers in our English branch, the atmosphere has definitely changed. Sometimes I miss the times of us just being five, but I also love the spice and refreshing flavor the new girls bring us. One of my favorite memories will always be the time when all five of us finally got to spend some quality time together in Japan while preparing for our 3D debut. Being scattered all across the globe and most of our first two years being affected by the pandemic meant that we couldn’t really meet up mostly. But, when we did spend that time together in Japan, our bonds strengthened much faster than usual (when we would only interact digitally). I wish we could do that more often, to be honest!
VTubers come from a whole range of backgrounds, all with their own unique strengths. What has it been like to perform with Myth as a unit?
Kiara: Everybody has their own quirks and strengths for sure. The way everybody sings, dances, and talks is very different indeed. When we do get together, I always hope that I can be of some sort of help and guidance when it comes to dancing, or leading a dialogue. I hope we can do more performances together in the future!
During Myth’s 4th anniversary concert, you all performed a genmate’s original song. What inspired the choice of “ChikuTaku?” What did it feel like to perform it live?
Kiara: Since starting out with Myth, I have been working closely with my genmates, especially Amelia, who has helped me out with a lot of things.
I have been watching her do super cool projects and streams constantly, and I always just really liked her personality. Over time I have really become a fan of hers. When we had to decide who’s song to perform, I immediately jumped onto “ChikuTaku,” because I love that song, and I want to perform it as an homage to her! It was so fun to do a bubbly, cute song like that and I hope I did it justice.
Myth’s 4th anniversary has been a bittersweet moment for many fans. As a long time fan of idols — where saying goodbye is a natural part of the fandom — do you have any words of encouragement?
Kiara: Well, I guess the good thing is that Ame can always show up again for bigger projects. It certainly won’t be super often, but there is this hope that she will still show us her smile every now and then. Amelia Watson will forever be here, and the time we spent with her will always be a great memory. Just like any other memory you made with the rest of us, too! Just because a good time has ended, it doesn’t diminish its greatness. Let’s look back on the fun memories.
We can all agree that VTubers are distinct from idols. As the scene matures, new parallels start to appear. There is a growing sentiment that VTuber fans are the most dedicated otaku of this generation. How do you think the two scenes compare?
Kiara: If we are talking about fans of J-pop idols, I was one of those fans. Honestly though, the community overseas always felt pretty small to me, and kind of hidden. Western VTuber fans have gradually adapted to Japanese customs and trends, such as how to cheer at concerts, what to wear (happi’s), carrying itabags, using the language (“Kami-oshi!” “Wotagei!”), and all that kind of stuff.
Not only that, but they have grown immensely. I have heard from so many of my fans that even though they liked anime and Japan already before VTubers, they never went to anime conventions or J-pop/Idol concerts before. But, they started going because of us appearing there a lot. So, now you go to anime conventions in a lot of countries where it’s taken over by VTuber fans.
You see our fans camping at our booth and cheering loudly, having big gatherings with their merchandise, then going out afterwards in groups for dinner and karaoke, and other fun stuff. So many of my fans also told me how our community is so friendly and welcoming, and how they made so many good friends. So, it’s fulfilling to see how we are having a great effect on the social lives of our fans, and perhaps also successfully hyping up conventions and other events more than ever before!
Your fanbase, the members of KFP, are admirable. At live events, they shine a bright orange, carrying the flame of their phoenix oshi. How does it feel to have them by your side?
Kiara: I have a really low self esteem (KFP is nodding their heads right now), so anytime I see them showing their love for me, it makes me so happy. But, I want to be deserving of their support, so I always try to give back and make them proud — give them a good reason to show off their support and spread my name. I think KFP are really great people who are friendly to other fandoms within hololive, and always very helpful. They are also, from the western fandoms, one of the most passionate groups about the whole idol-culture and [know] how to cheer and support us at concerts — because of my background of loving idols and focusing on music and performances.
It’s great to know that they got my back.
You have been prolific when it comes to original songs, many of which you have performed live! You even released your first official album Point of View. From pop bangers to darker themes, you’ve explored a lot with your music! How has that journey been?
Kiara: It was fun to experiment a bit in Point of View, as I was trying to give everybody a taste of different music genres that I have kind of dabbled in up to that point. But at the same time, I was transitioning into a K-pop-esque style since “Sparks,” — which I noticed that people really loved — and [realized] that it could be my niche within hololive. Especially when I released “Sparks,” there weren’t many other English lyric songs besides Calliope’s, and people seemed very excited for that. Combining that with a more western-sounding vibe, I decided to move on from the J-pop sound that I had before. I love that kind of music too and have been listening to it for most of my teenage years, but nowadays, my personal taste has changed a lot.
Seeing the demand for more songs like that, I got the courage to strengthen my image and continue to go into that direction. Since then, I think I managed to really put that picture of Kiara = English VTuber K-pop into everyone’s heads, and I am having a lot of fun with it. It gives me a chance to bring out fun choreographies in 3D music videos, so I have been living it out creatively too.
I think there is still a lot of potential, and for me right now, I think it’s the right thing to continue focusing on that portrayal of myself. Hopefully, it will be beneficial to me in the future, maybe for interesting music collabs, concerts, or other cool endeavors. Even if nothing really comes out of it and it’s really just for my own satisfaction, it’s like I am finally able to do what I really want with full creative control. It’s very fulfilling, and I thank everyone who believes in me and my vision for my music!
Will you ever beat the chicken allegations?
Kiara: To the usual room with you!
Takanashi Kiara can be found on YouTube and X (formerly Twitter). Anime Trending conducted this interview via email.
Petrit Baillet, Melvyn Tan, and Alexis Kavouras contributed questions to this interview.
