We had the pleasure of interviewing Vtuber @nyanjunnaVT all about their journey!
1. What inspired you to become a Vtuber?
I’ve always looked at Youtube and wanted to be a content creator. But it was the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic that pushed me forwards towards doing anything like that. I remember I was looking for inspiration on what to focus on when I stumbled on Nijisanji. Specifically it was their 2020 group, VΔLZ. I was so entranced by these people who are well, in my eyes, living the dream. They were using anime-like models and they could sing, play games, and entertain people with live streaming shows. I thought, “Hey, I’m already comfortable with live streaming anyway so why not?” Bonus, I could be an anime girl!
I didn’t start until May 2021 though because I didn’t know what or how to start to be just like the people I look up to, to be honest, which was why it took nearly a year. That and of course my real-life work responsibilities. But I’m glad I just thought in the end “EH, YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE” and pressed that Start Streaming button because here we are today!
2. Tell us about your model!
My model is initially based on an OC I used when I used to do roleplay threads on Tumblr. Skyvault, a friend who I have unfortunately lost contact with after Tumblr purge, drew it for me. I used it in the beginning as I started with PNGs. Added a blink, open mouth, turned into .gif. And hey presto! I’m blinking, in PNGtuber.
I adored it enough that I wanted to incorporate it into my actual live2D which was rigged by Rebung https://twitter.com/Rrrebung . I asked my model artist, Kairi Whisper https://twitter.com/KairiWhisper/, to keep as much of the facial features as possible. Make me a Bunian, an elf. As that’s what they technically are, Bunian (boo-ni-yan). In Malay folklore, Bunian would be comparable to the fae or Fair Folk from Celtic myths. We do similar tricks too like kidnapping people we like to our world so they could live with us. Repaying favours. Always up to mischief. Amusing ourselves.
In folklore, I would usually wear white, but since I am now living in the mortal realm, I wear red. Speaking of clothes, the one I’m wearing is a modernized version of a Malay traditional dress called kebaya. I’m wearing a modernized version of a kebaya called “Kebaya Kota Bharu” with ruffle sleeves and a mermaid skirt instead of the normal straight skirt. It is something traditional, yet modern. To signal where I come from. And just to signal to Malaysians or Southeast Asian “Look! I’m Malaysian!” without going down the “I’m obviously wearing a traditional dress” route. Simply put, my model is an elf from Southeast Asia!
3. What is the best part about being a Vtuber?
I get to be an anime girl! That and meeting people from all over the world. Learning a bit about their life. Talking about anything. Connecting with other indie vtubers. I mean, I’m quite an introvert who had little to no skills in small talk but something I’ve realized is that the more I converse with people, the more I develop the skills. The more I learn how to be able to keep a conversation. It actually has been a good experience for me.
You also discover things that you might have put yourself down for years might not be actually true. I believed for such a long time that I didn’t have a good singing voice and my speaking voice could be unnecessarily stern or harsh. In addition, I thought that, well I’m boring. A year into Vtubing, my followers, friends, support me and say that I actually have a good voice. A calming voice they could fall asleep to. A sweet singing voice they like to hear. And well, am not boring. Needless to say, my self-esteem and self-confidence has grown.
4. What would you tell someone who wants to become a Vtuber? Any advice?
Create content. You won’t get anywhere without content. No matter how amazing you look, how amazing you personality is, or how funny you are, people won’t know about it unless you create content. I will be the first to admit that my vtuber model is fairly plain. There’s no two ways about it. I don’t have the wow factor, or a uniqueness. However, I’m grateful that consistency of creating content has helped me grow. So yes, create!
I’m also at an extra disadvantage as I have a problem with simulation sickness so most FPS and games that rely on speed will make me sick. I would just throw up. So, secondly, I found that you need to find your niche. My niche is city-builders, horror games, puzzle games, and the occasional RPG. So you can expect those games when you see me. Sure, the games I play themselves are niche unlike say Apex Legends or Valorant, but when you see people coming in and enjoying the games you love because they enjoy watching you enjoy it, that’s when you’ll feel like you’ve done it!
And lastly, create your community. I’m not talking about just Discord. I mean friends, other streamers, other Vtubers that will help you grow. That you can support. To grow and have fun together. That’s how you can keep on going. Starting out can be lonely, but when you have friends, a community. When you have fun, you can power through anything! Best of all, you’ll always have at least 1 person there in your stream you know you can talk to.
5. Goals for this year?
For 2022, I want to reach 1000 followers on Twitch. I also enjoy singing karaoke so I want to release a cover song before the end of this year. And hopefully, I can fulfill my sincerest wish to get a 2.0 model soon.
6. Where can people support you?
The best place to support me is Twitch at https://www.twitch.tv/nyanjunna. I will also upload the occasional VOD or Short on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_FNWfyLqdnAZN4tYrKUlOg.Not forgetting, for randomness and scheduling, follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/nyanjunnaVT .
