FIRST STAGE PRODUCTION’s Avallum Is Here To Revolutionize Male VTubing

Avallum and its five members have certainly taken no time trying to make a splash in the VTubing sphere.

Japanese agency FIRST STAGE PRODUCTION’s foray into the English-speaking landscape has been a success so far as hundreds have turned out for the group’s debut, and thousands more across social media.

The group has already surpassed many of their Japanese counterparts in following, and the numbers keep climbing day by day—and with the trajectory of their growth, there’s real potential to be a hit for male VTubing.

But first, an introduction

Each of Avallum’s stars come in with different content creation backgrounds and goals. 

You’ve got VTuber lovers like Gale Galleon, who got into the medium thanks to Inugami Korone, meshing with a self-proclaimed former “VTuber hater” in Rosco Graves. Their skills are all vastly different too. Gale had aspirations to be an actor, while Lucien Lunaris and Cassian Floros have massive music goals. Zander Netherbrand is an eloquent storyteller. All of these interests and skills mean Avallum is very well-balanced.

Running down the introductions, Gale was the first to speak up as the captain.

“I am pretty much rambunctious, conniving ⁠— I like getting into trouble,” Gale laughed. “One of my favorite things to do is play games because I’m a huge nerd, and I decided to join FSP because it’s always been my dream to entertain and I love making people laugh and smile, as long as I can be cheeky while doing it.

“I visited Japan in August 2019, and when I came back home from that, I discovered what VTubers were. I started going down the rabbit hole after that, and year after year I watched more VTubers. It was a replacement for friends, honestly. It was really nice actually. That same exact feeling of giving someone a place to stay.”

Cassian Floros kept things pretty simple: “I enjoy creating music and playing FPS games such as Valorant and Overwatch. I’m a big fan of VSingers so I followed a lot of content creators in that area already before FSP. I really enjoy watching karaoke streams.”

Lucien Lunaris’ ‘gap moe’ was evident from the minute he spoke ⁠— even his genmates were calling him out.

“I am mostly the complete opposite of what my character is supposed to be,” Lucien laughed. “I am a very cozy, comfy, calm person. I think a lot of people have been calling me ‘gap moe’. I enjoy survival games, also TCGs, and I like to talk a lot ⁠— I think my genmates are tired of me just talking!

“I used to record myself, specifically with music. I learned how to play the guitar and I started uploading music, recording stuff, and in 2020 when the quarantine started, I discovered VTubers. There was a specific group I got into because they did everything I wanted to do. I wanted to be an idol, I wanted to sing, and I wanted to entertain people online.”

On the other hand, the rascal known as Rosco Graves, the “designated cute guy” of Avallum, brought a distinctly different energy.

“I am a gamer ⁠— I don’t competitive game and I think that’s a misconception people are going to have about me from the way I look,” Rosco said. I have an inclination towards Action RPGs and RPGs in general.

“It took me like a year to warm up to [VTubers], and once I understood it, I was like ‘I get it and I like it now.’ From there on I went on my training arc to be a better content creator. I just like making things. It took me a while to understand that, but I like making things for people to enjoy.”

Finally it got down to the surprisingly eloquent incubus in Zander Netherbrand.

“I’ve always been very driven by stories and creativity, and all the things around telling a good story from beginning to end,” Zander mused. “That’s why a lot of my interests and niches hinge around story-driven games with a lot of heart and passion around them. 

“I feel like all of the elements that make something compelling like voice acting, cinematography, direction, and the overall composition of a video game is what elevates it to art for me. It’s why I have such a passion towards the elements that create a story-driven game and it’s why I am very much passionate about sharing that with my audience. 

“That, and also I am a bit of a flirty bastard, so that works for everyone.”

Beating all expectations, and they haven’t even debuted

Avallum is the result of an interesting audition process. FIRST STAGE PRODUCTION put out silhouettes of the five characters with some personality traits back in July 2023 so prospective stars could get an idea of the models they would be piloting.

It was a stroke of brilliance that sparked interest in the group from well before debut. And for the five stars who eventually were selected, it gave food for thought.

“Because of the fact we already had the character traits or descriptions, it was harder in my opinion,” Lucien explained. “It was really hard to choose! 

“I really loved all the characters ⁠— maybe the incubus was the one I thought wouldn’t fit for me ⁠— but I really thought I could try to play every character.”

Some did apply for just one, like Rosco and Zander, but others like Gale and Lucien applied for multiple.

“I did try for the pirate and for the zombie,” Lucien continued, “and I think this one was the perfect fit for me. It’s very me, and I feel like myself, which is really nice.”

“I was dead set on being who I am,” Rosco admitted. “I have a certain type of voice, so I was like if I’m not pink, I cannot be any of the other guys because they look way too ikemen for me.”

Having the direction laid out for them did help everyone during the audition process though. They could figure out what FIRST STAGE PRODUCTION wanted, and also make sure they brought the right skills to the character they were given.

“Having the vision and the specific wants makes it easier for people to hone in on what is needed,” Rosco continued. “If it was just auditions, boom, I wouldn’t have auditioned. 

“Since they showed what they were looking for, when I saw the concept for zombie, I literally thought ‘that’s actually me, for real.’ But if it was like any other open audition… I don’t think I would have clicked on it.”

It was a good experiment in theory, but the real test came when their debuts were finally announced on January 18 (ET). 

The group had been building up to this point for months now. The nerves were high, and the expectations low. However the reception they received ⁠— with more than 11,000 likes on the debut trailer and tens of thousands of followers between their five accounts ⁠— was mind-blowing.

“I like to keep my expectations low because it’s a defense mechanism for me,” Gale laughed. “Life’s hard enough, I don’t need to be hit with the brunt of having my expectations crushed. 

“I’m extremely lucky and happy to have tons of people following me and listening to all the dumb things I have to say and replying to everything. I’m shocked the reception has been so warm, but I think people have been waiting for something like this.”

That last sentence is particularly poignant. There is a growing appetite for male VTubing groups, or at least groups tailored towards a more feminine audience. And they came out in droves for Avallum.

“A lack of reaction would be worse than anything large,” Zander said. “But seeing how quickly they have taken to us, not only as a group but as individuals, is really encouraging, and it shows now is the right time, right place, right environment for a group like Avallum to step in.”

The raucous entry caused a few nerves in the leadup to debut, according to Rosco: “It was kind of overwhelming… we’ve got all these eyes on us and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous for the debut.”

But they smashed it. More than 1,000 eager viewers crammed themselves into Gale Galleon's debut waiting room – after more than 250,000 watched his debut trailer – and the momentum flowed the whole way through the relay. By the time he went live, he crossed 3,000. It peaked at more than 5,000 by the time Rosco got his time in the spotlight.

And then the group blew everyone away with a host of original songs and covers. Rosco surprised everyone with an original rap in his debut live, Dead Meat. Then Cassian and Lucien dropped stellar covers for natori's Overdose and Ai Higuchi's Akuma No Ko. Finally there was the original song, Crossing Fates, bringing some rock into the VTuber music space.

Safe to say, those nerves of Rosco went to good use.

The immediate brotherly bond

From the day each member got their offers, Avallum has gotten on like a house on fire.

The injokes you’re seeing spill out publicly on twitter, like Shortsco, have been brewing for months behind closed doors. Even though each member is distinctly themselves with varying interests, they synergize amazingly.

“All of us simultaneously agreed we came from the same parents,” Gale laughed.

“I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I like to think I’m a good judge of character. And I couldn’t for the life of me find any of the god damned flags I was trying to find. I couldn’t see anything [bad]. It was all green from day one and I was very happy about that.”

Lucien continued: “I remember on the first day we made at least 20 inside jokes and so many memes, and we just kept repeating them for days. It was super instant.”

It was surprising, for some members like Zander, just how quickly they came together: “I’m very slow to get attached or become trusting of new people, especially in a formal environment. But with this, we all belong to each other now.”

That brotherhood is incredibly strong though. There was a moment in the interview when Lucien called the rest of the group his “bros”, and the coos cutely echoed throughout the call. It makes you realize just how close these guys have grown in a matter of months.

“All of the guys are really kind souls and I’m happy that I can be part of that,” Cassian said.

“Getting a piece of the pie”

Avallum enters a VTuber market that, truthfully, is hungry for male-presenting talents. 

That feeling isn’t lost on the FIRST STAGE PRODUCTION EN group, who believe they are here at the right time to capitalize on fan’s eyeballs.

“I think Avallum will set a different perspective on male VTubing and how it’s approached,” Rosco stated. “I’m very confident with all our abilities and personalities and synergy we will be able to entertain in different ways individually and as a group.

“We’re here to save the world from the drought of male VTubers,” Gale continued. 

It’s one thing to dream of that though, it’s another to capitalize on the chance. Given how every expectation was blown out of the water before debut, there’s every chance those lofty dreams are realized.

Individually, they have specific goals. Lucien wants to publish a ton of original music. Rosco and Cassian want to feel the fanfare at conventions, taking part in panels and meet and greets. But it’ll only be possible if they help each other as a group and put themselves forward as a true industry contender ⁠— not just in the male VTubing space, but broader.

“From when I first got the acceptance into FIRST STAGE PRODUCTION, I really wanted it to be my goal to be the catalyst that puts another name up there [in VTubing],” Gale asserted. 

“It’s a very competitive mindset to have, and an extremely daunting one to have, but the way things are looking, it’s extremely possible for us to have a piece of the pie as well.

“I want to show that we aren’t just a flash in the pan and we have staying power,” Zander continued. “As quick as trends pick up and die on the internet, I want this to be a thing of near permanence.”