Hololive's YAGOO Interviewed at Indonesia Comic Con x DG Con 2023

"VRChat Presents viv:ID CRUISE hololive Meet Asia Tour" first kicked off at the Indonesia Comic Con x DG Con during the weekend of November 4-5, 2023. Hundreds of hololive Indonesia fans gathered at the Jakarta Convention Center to witness the viv:ID Crew (Ayunda Risu, Moona Hoshinova, Pavolia Reine, Kobo Kanaeru) alongside other Hololive talents.

Prior to the concert, our Indonesian partner Nawala Karsa along with the rest of the Indonesian Otaku Media was able to ask COVER Corp. CEO Motoaki Tanigo "YAGOO" questions about the popular VTuber group established in 2016.

Nawala Karsa provided their transcript to VTuber NewsDrop with the goal of sharing their account of their experience with the popular tech-entertainment executive, who was also chosen by Forbes Japan to be included in their Japan Entrepreneur Ranking 2023 list.

A Lesson in Establishing Trendsetting Businesses

Nawala Karsa (NK): Seven years in the entertainment industry is not a short time. [Our] question is, are there any significant experiences from COVER that can serve as lessons for the public in developing a business in the future?

Motoaki Tanigo (YAGOO): "Sou desyou ne... I don't remember the most significant moment by myself. The reason is the process, where COVER itself started from scratch, and every day in operations had its challenges, and my team and I continued to produce content.

"When asked if there is something significant or a significant experience, there isn't a day or event that stands out as significant, but rather, each day in itself is meaningful in the process of producing VTuber content and other works.

"For advice to those who want to start a business, regardless of the type of business they intend to pursue, it is to explore new communities or fields or themes. Of course, when creating something new, there will be competition, but it's important to compete in a healthy manner and also be friendly with other competitors.

"By doing so, the community and/or industry will continue to grow, and in the end, it will achieve a balance, where sometimes we compete and also make friends with other competitors."

Moving Forward from the Pandemic and Retaining Their Audience

NK: During the COVID-19 pandemic, with such extensive social movement restrictions, hololive gained a massive audience. However, now that the pandemic has ended, how does hololive plan to retain its current audience, considering that many agencies and independent talents are beginning to cease operations?

YAGOO: "We continue to provide the best products and content to our consumers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people were confined to their homes due to restrictions, we created content and products that could be enjoyed by fans in their homes.

"In the current post-pandemic conditions, many people are now able to resume their activities, and we are also adapting to our consumers or target audience, many of whom are no longer confined to their homes. Therefore, we provide content that suits those who prefer to be outside the home.

"One of them is events like this one (at Indonesia Comic Con x DG Con 2023), so we often participate in offline-based events. In these offline events, we strive to create an atmosphere that can be enjoyed by our fans in person."

Countermeasures Against Harmful Actions

NK: Often, there have been attempted doxxing actions by some fans and haters of VTubers against hololive talents. So far, what measures has COVER taken to anticipate and address these issues, and how effective have they been?

YAGOO: "For actions that harm the agency or the company as a whole, we follow up legally. As a corporate entity, we certainly respond to such actions (doxxing), and if we find any actions that violate legal rules, we will pursue legal actions."

Reaching Out to Talents and Worldwide Audience

NK: In your opinion, what are the unique values of Hololive that you feel are not possessed by other agencies?

YAGOO: "The question is a bit challenging, isn't it...? The uniqueness of Hololive is that we prioritize listening, especially to our talents, who enjoy or want to engage in various activities. This is Hololive's strength. We also provide content that is translated into multiple languages, with the hope of reaching audiences worldwide."

"Fans and VTubers have a connection."

NK: Do you have a message you'd like to convey to the VTuber community in Indonesia in general?

YAGOO: "My message is to keep providing the best works to Indonesian fans, especially during live sessions. Fans and VTubers have a connection. We will continue to give our best to VTuber fans in Indonesia."

viv:ID Cruise's next stop is at Anime NYC in New York City on the weekend of November 17-19, followed by Anime Festival Asia from November 24-26, and lastly at Comic Fiesta in Malaysia from December 23-24.

Nawala Karsa is one of NewsDrop's strategic partners in the Southeast Asian region. Comic Frontier 16 is Nawala Karsa and NewsDrop's first major coverage collaboration.