Mirai Akari Retires from VTuber Activities on March 31
One of the Four Heavenly Kings of Japan's VTuber scene is retiring from VTubing activities, with one last live stream to be held before her exit.
Mirai Akari, considered as one of the "Four Heavenly Kings" of VTubing, is set to retire from VTuber activities on Friday, March 31. In a four-page announcement posted on Twitter at 5pm Japan time, she expressed her sadness with her decision to retire.
According to the letter she wrote (in Japanese), she would love to continue VTubing, but the most important reason for her decision is the difference in values between her and the management and how they could proceed with future activities.
While they had a hard time settling such differences, she is grateful to her management for their hard work and for taking on the challenge of managing her activities in this still new industry.
【大切なお知らせ】
— ミライアカリ(Mirai Akari)🦋 (@MiraiAkari_prj) March 24, 2023
改めまして、ミライアカリは、2023年3月31日をもってVTuberの活動を引退します。
突然の発表、本当にごめんなさい。
どうしても直接想いを伝えたくて、
3月31日に生配信の機会を作っていただきました。
最後のわがままですが、どうかアカリに逢いにきていただけると嬉しいです。🦋 pic.twitter.com/0oz1STRE7c
The Mirai Akari Project YouTube channel will remain, and her existence will continue even after retirement. She did write (in third-person form) that Akari is a virtual existence to begin with, with no retirement or graduation.
She thanked all of her fans for supporting her VTuber activities; as well as her clients; and her illustrators KEI (known for illustrating Hatsune Miku's V2 voicebank art), MONQ and her 3D model artist Digitrevx.
Mirai Akari is set to hold her last stream before retirement on YouTube, a once-in-a-lifetime request for everyone to bid their farewells. Following the retirement, her management at Bandai Namco Music Live's GOOM Studio label will also end its operations, according to a separate announcement in the company's website.
The once-time travelling VTuber first debuted on YouTube on November 2017 as a character from what was known then as Eilene Family. During the course of her VTubing career, she was managed by Eilene, and then by ENTUM (before its closure in 2019). She joined GOOM Studio in September 2020.
Last year, her alter-ego KOKOROYAMI had her music debut with her first single CRY TO NEW WORLD. In addition, Akari herself debuted as a DJ at the 13th and 14th Re:animation anisong DJ festival in both held in 2019. Among her overseas guesting is her appearance at Cosplay Mania 2019 in the Philippines.
Kaguya Luna and Kizuna Ai, who are also considered part of the Four Heavenly Kings, gave her the birth date of November 21.
Banner Photo: Mirai Akari on YouTube
Translation assistance by Kurumeme