Eviry Co., Ltd. has released the results of a survey conducted with its "kamui tracker" analysis tool, one of the leading YouTube data analysis tools in Japan, on the subject of Vtubers.

The history of Vtubers is said to have begun with Kizuna AI in December 2016. Today, company-managed Vtubers represent a rapidly growing and increasingly lucrative field. The number of management agencies hoping to stake a claim in the Vtuber business continues to rise. With increasing funds to back up these endeavors, tie-ups between companies and VTubers have also increased.

Using data compiled by kamui tracker, Eviry measured the number of Vtuber-related YouTube channels opened between 2016 and the present, along with the number of related videos, the number of times videos containing specific keywords were viewed and the number of times specific words appeared in the titles.

The survey results show that interest in and attention to Vtubers is growing not only among viewers but also among companies. Eviry also identified the trends in the most popular Vtuber content.

Fewer Vtuber channel launches but growing popularity

As you can see in the first chart, Vtuber channel launches peaked in 2018 and have gradually settled down. On the other hand, the second chart shows that the number of videos related to Vtubers is increasing every year, suggesting that the popularity of Vtuber content is growing and that the Vtuber market is highly active. By the end of 2022, the number of Vtuber-related videos is projected to reach 474,330.

As you can see in the charts above, the number of commercial tie-ups (collaborations) utilizing Vtubers is on the rise and is expected to continue to do so in the future. In addition to the number of tie-up projects with games and web applications that have a high affinity with Vtubers, the number of projects in other genres is steadily increasing every year.

Specifically, tie-ups with companies in the food, cosmetics, apparel, and tourism industries are on the rise. For example, Vtubers collaborate with products to produce original packaging, Vtubers actually try out the products, visit tourist spots, etc., and promote the products in all kinds of ways.

Indeed, Vtubers have the potential for tie-ups in all types of industries. And with new ways of interfacing real and virtual expressions, the possibilities are endless.

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Japanese Vtuber video trends in 2022: Tegaki and Aruaru

English text in images above added by grape Japan.

A survey of Vtuber-related video titles posted in 2022 reveals the following trends:

For about two years now, secondary Vtuber content in the form of 切り抜き kirinuki, known in English as "clipping" or "clippers," has risen to the fore, with simply animated 手書き tegaki, or "hand-drawn" illustrations of Vtubers featuring prominently here. The most popular illustrations seem to be ちび chibi or 二頭身 (nitōshin | literally "two-head scale") with disproportionately large heads.

For example, in this video using audio of Ookami Mio, Sakura Miko, Houshou Marine, Hoshimachi Suisei and Takane Lui during the hololive Summer Festival 2022 event, hololive clipper こまいぬ Komainu brings a humorous scene to life with animation and text.

Another type of content that seems to be popular in short video formats such as YouTube Shorts is あるあるネタ aruaru neta, which can be loosely translated as "relatable topics." These often take the forms of skits by Vtubers.

For example, in this video with over 3 million views by Vtuber group Aogiri High School, Komaru Kurikoma (role: newbie Vtuber), Gabu Rieru (role: mid-level Vtuber) and Oshiro Mashiro (role: veteran Vtuber) show what happens when Vtubers sneeze and a typical fan's reactions.

For those who don's speak Japanese, the amateur Vtuber apologizes and the fan gushes "how cute" and sends a Superchat, the mid-level Vtuber apologizes similarly and the fan shows appreciation but with a blasé attitude, quipping how fans send Superchats just for a sneeze and then sends one herself, while the veteran is unapologetic. With a hearty guffaw, she confidently jokes that both pollen and Superchats will surely fly her way when she begins her stream.

What will be the next trend in Vtuber content? Will there be a crossover influence from the growing non-Japanese Vtuber community? Will new stars emerge? Will AI have a role in secondary Vtuber content? Fans of Vtubers surely have much to look forward to in 2023...

For all the details on the parameters of the survey and other types of content surveyed, see the official press release here (in Japanese).