Sometimes I think about how many members of hololive have “alternate personalities,” and I don't mean the past lives of other streamers or entertainers. More than simply a hidden yandere-like side, they also resemble split personalities or alter egos. Some come from legend, while others have developed over time. It really reminds me of what we see in professional wrestling.
Haachama, Eater of Worlds
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Akai Haato, also known as Haachama, is arguably the most famous example of alternative identity expression. What started as a conscious decision to go from humble tsundere schoolgirl to unpredictable eccentric, eventually became an interactive story and then two possible ways for Haachama to stream online. You never know which one you will get and this gives special meaning to her self-proclaimed title of “World's Strongest Idol”.
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Even though I've compared her to Brian Pillman and Matt Hardy, this versatility also reminds me of the late Bray Wyatt, whose outgrowth of his gimmick came when it was time to showcase multiple similar identities. counter. At one point, he would switch between being the host of a disturbed children's show and the Devil in another world. Before that, he was a bayou cult leader. Each time, it feels like a great opportunity to look deeply into an unpredictable mind, and this is what Haachama offers.
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Moona Hoshinova and Gawr Gura, and their Demons
Moona from hololive Indonesia is said to be a female college student who is also an idol and singer. According to her official biography, she is sometimes taken over by someone else named “Hoshinova,” who has a deeper voice and a sadistic personality. The transformation was most evident when she performed her original song “High Tide,” recently accentuated by a change in eye color. It's as if there are two sides to her that make her both goofy and serious.
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Similarly, Gawr Gura has its “red version”. It was not initially part of her lore, but it became a feature of her personality upon the release of her original song “Reflect.” This aspect is part of her lyrics and was even featured in her animated short film Shark'd. Red Gura doesn't appear often, but when she does it's special.
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Since their alter egos appear more rarely, they are reminiscent of wrestlers like Jushin Liger and Finn Balor. Each has a special transformation to become more ferocious: Kishin Liger and The Demon respectively.
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Ayunda Risu and Shirakami Fubuki, Masters of Flexibility
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Moona is not the only member of Indonesia to have two opposing sides: her companion Ayunda Risu also divides herself between the high-pitched Risu and the smooth-as-silk Ayunda. In Hololive Japan, the fox girl Shirakami Fubuki sometimes transforms into the darker Kurokami Fubuki. In both cases, the transformation highlights the performer's vocal talent. Risu is considered one of the best singers and possesses impressive singing ability, while Fubuki is famous for his impersonations.
These transformations are similar to the differences between Mutoh Keiji and his other self, Great Muta. Unlike many other transformations, Mutoh and Muta actually struggle with different styles—not unlike Risu and Fubuki being able to change their voices significantly.
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The many faces of Amelia Watson
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The time-traveling detective went a different route by creating an entire story built around the multiverse. According to her, Amelia is just one of countless Amelias whose ranks include gorillas, bees, muscular snakes, etc. Here, Amelia changes her personality a bit and considers each model as a different entity, but they essentially all have the same personality.
In this way, Amelia resembled a latter-day Mick Foley, who would wrestle as all his various gimmicks: the violent Cactus Jack, the disturbed Mankind, and the attractive Dude Love. And much like how Mick once actually appeared as all three in a Royal Rumble match, it's no wonder Ame showed off his parallel self. Nowadays, this happens less often.
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Other occasional gimmicks
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There are some people who will have creative outfits to express themselves instead. Inugami Korone has his fur ball model. Kureiji Ollie features Olivia (see above), a meek human version who never dies. Takanashi Kiara is sometimes taken on by Frogiwawa, a gun-toting amphibian version of her.
I consider these similar to one-off jokes. Elias once became his brother, Ezekiel. Braun Strowman once appeared wearing nerd glasses and identified himself as a sibling named Brain Strowman. This approach provides a bit of fun.
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The power of possibility
I think the consequence of these substitutions themselves is that it allows a greater degree of creative freedom and opportunity to experiment. Just like in professional wrestling, this practice seems to help prevent VTubers from being locked into a particular way. It can help break up the feeling of monotony and hopefully bring joy and novelty to creators and audiences alike.