버추버 인터렉티브_허니즈

INTERACTIVE

버추버 인터렉티브_허니즈

Try clicking each VTuber and their signs!

Getting started

HoneyChurros

I got into VTubing completely by chance. Before I debuted, I was a big fan of foreign VTuber Shylily and was running a fan channel. As I got more subscribers, I just started VTubing myself. After that, every day felt completely new. I found it amazing how I could chat with viewers on stream and bring my imagination to life in a place completely removed from the real world. And all those people watched me go from being somebody’s fan to being a VTuber myself and getting to meet my idol. I saw a lot of them say that people would never buy it if it were a story someone wrote.(laughs) Maybe it’s the whole VTuber culture that let’s dreams like that come true—this culture where we can come together regardless of race, nationality, or age. I’ve had so many amazing experiences that made me think, I’m so glad I became a VTuber.

DDDDragon

Although I had a little interest in VTubing, I didn’t really give much thought to being a VTuber at first, but then my sister, who was really into it, sent me a recruitment ad. I never properly learned music because I lost my confidence and life got in the way, and I gave up after I tried, but I still wanted to sing so bad, so I worked up the courage for the first time ever. The people in my life gave me a lot of support, too. My audition video wasn’t very good—the script got leaked and it wasn’t even long enough, but they actually found that refreshing and could sense my passion, and I think that made me a shoo-in to debut. I got to take lessons for the first time, got to meet a lot of fantastic people, and was finally doing what I love, so I definitely did the right thing by finding the courage to do it.

Joining the group

DDDDragon

Honestly, I never thought I’d ever be chosen, so I completely forgot I even sent my self-tape. They emailed me right away, but I missed it, so they sent me a message on KakaoTalk instead.(laughs) I couldn’t believe it at first and didn’t know what to think, but when they said they wanted to meet in person, that’s when it really hit me. I figured this wasn’t an opportunity to miss so I told them right away that I’d go meet them. We had a short meeting where we talked a little and then they asked me to send them a song, so I worked really hard on that and sent it over. Then they said we should work together, so of course I joined. All the other members of the group went through something similar like me to be selected, and then one after the other we came together to form HONEYZ.

HoneyChurros

A big part of it was that I felt like being a part of a group would let me show my fans a little more variety. A lot of them already liked who I am as an individual, but after working in a virtual space, I felt like it would be even better if they could see me in that space having good chemistry with other people, too. The agency also talked about how working with others would mean being able to build a repertoire and that we could talk about our concerns together. I loved the sounds of that, so in the end I joined the group. A bunch of people with a lot of passion for music and VTubing came out for the open audition, which brought people I wanted to work with all together in one place.

Virtual, idol, group

HoneyChurros

There’s not many virtual idol groups out there that the public knows about yet, so it’s our dream for this as-yet unfamiliar concept to become its own thing like K-pop idols are. It makes us feel like we’re pioneers on a new path together, and I like that we really understand each other and can rely on one another. The way we support each other as a group is really helpful for letting us become even greater than the sum of our parts, which is a huge advantage of being in a group. Every member of the group has a lot they bring to the table.(laughs)

DDDDragon

Our leader just said it all!(laughs)

Music

HoneyChurros

The most important thing when singing a cover is how well it suits us. Different songs are better fits depending on whether it’s a solo, unit, or group cover, and some songs fit each member and their vocal style better than others. First off, in DDDDragon’s case, her voice is really pretty, and she knows it. She’s well-suited for singing jazzy songs and we try to have her gravitate towards those. We also have Ohwayo, who sings mainly energetic pop songs or when we need power vocals. We all have our own distinct vocal style yet they all blend together well, so we’re always try to work those things in too. Another great thing about our group is that we all really love music and fans get to look forward to whatever combination of us will be singing the next cover that comes out.

DDDDragon

I’ve heard from a lot of people that my voice isn’t overpower and goes well with any genre of music, so I guess that’s why I fit in with a lot of different subunits. I also have perfect pitch, meaning I can harmonize well, and since I can harmonize with the other members so well, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to do unit cover songs. So unlike when I’m doing my own streams and can do songs that reflect my personal tastes or take it easy a bit based on how I’m feeling, when we do cover songs as a unit, the most important thing is working together and being in harmony, I think. It’s also a chance for viewers who aren’t familiar with VTubing or HONEYZ to get exposed to us, so we try to do songs that grab your attention right away or are really popular. We got down to work when the Haikyu!! movie came out, since lots of people like that anime and it seemed like we could grab a lot of people’s attention by striking while the iron’s hot. And then there was when we quickly put up a cover of “T.B.H” when it was charting so we could be among the first ones and gain more exposure. We don’t hesitate when we see an opportunity to get the HONEYZ name out there. We go go go and get that cover out.

Changes

DDDDragon

I was always a bit shy, so even though I was confident I could be a VTuber, I had a hard time convincing myself to do it. I wanted to sing, but it was that part of my personality that was holding me back from acting. But now I’ve had the opportunity to fully express what makes me special as DDDDragon, and I think I’ve overcome that timid part of me and grown as a person thanks to jumping on that. And what I came to realize through streaming is how surprisingly real and refreshing it feels to just be myself. I actually ended up making more mistakes when I was completely wrapped up in telling myself I had to do a good job. I learned that there was no need to be all nervous like that and that it was fine to just act natural.

HoneyChurros

Before I started streaming, I never really thought much about who I am or what makes me special. I never really had the chance to and was just living day to day, but then I started streaming and started thinking about myself, and my fans said things like, I love how unpredictable and bubbly HoneyChurros is, or, She’s got such a unique voice. She’s beautiful. There’s no mistaking her voice. Stuff like that made me feel more confident and have more self-respect, and I ended up trying harder to discover more about myself. And before HONEYZ, I worked alone as a creator. I had to plan out, film, edit, and do everything else myself. It made me feel super fulfilled, but in a way it was also super lonely work. After I joined the agency and met the group, there were people around me I could confide in and I could work through things together with. It feels like I’m part of a crew now, working towards the same goals, sharing feedback and discussing what direction to take. It’s a lot better than before.

Fans

HoneyChurros

I think right now we need to keep working and improving. We can only improve if we don’t stop for even a second and keep thinking up and developing new content. It doesn’t matter if it’s tough because, when I hear fans say they find joy in what I do or that I give them motivation, it makes me want to try even harder for them. And, frankly, I get really energized from them, just like they do from me. I was an office worker before, and looking back on how much work I did simultaneously last year and how incredibly busy I was, it was so overwhelming that it’s hard to imagine how I got through it.(laughs) I wouldn’t want to do anything after I left work. All I wanted was to lie down, but then VTubing actually had me overflowing with energy. Whenever I showed different sides of me, whether it was being all bubbly or more calm and collected like at work, I worried if people would like it, but now, whenever I see how much my fans love me, it makes up for all the hardship I had to go through.

DDDDragon

I’m the same way—I’m driven by my fans. Just knowing they listen to me sing and like it is so touching. I didn’t think someone with my personality could really do something like this. I ended up debuting, ended up doing what I’m capable of, and they just like seeing me having a good time. And even though singing in front of other people is new to me, it’s touching seeing such an unbelievable number of people show their love, so for that reason I’m definitely going to keep working hard at it! And so, when I was planning out my birthday stream, I thought really carefully about how to display the gratitude I always feel for the fans, knowing they’re the whole reason I’m here. I took videos and recorded songs and played those for them, and read out the letters they wrote, but it was the letters that really stuck with me since they were basically full of what they wanted to say to be in written form. Usually, when it’s your birthday, it’s a day for people to wish you happy birthday, but now I see it as a day I can give back to my fans.