Commentary: Leading International Indie VTubers Connecting One by One: Will They Become a Major Force in the Near Future?
From 2024, there have been noticeable scenes of leading indie VTuber talents outside Japan strengthening their collaboration with each other through frequent collaborations and live appearances. These movements originating from indie talents could become a major movement that could affect the whole world, including Japan, the birthplace of VTubers.

Mint Fantôme
Dooby
Nimi Nightmare
The Trigger was Dokibird’s Big Breakthrough?
In the VTuber industry to date, developments originating in Japan have had a major impact. Many of the industry’s leading players, such as hololive Production (ホロライブプロダクション), are from Japan, and it was natural that developments from Japan would lead the global VTuber industry.
Today, however, it is not uncommon for developments outside of Japan to have the opposite effect on Japan.
One of the most representative topics of 2024 was the major breakthrough of Dokibird, an indie talent from North America. Although she was unreasonably terminated in February of the same year from a virtual streamer group to which she affiliated under a different character, the international community fully supported her and some companies also backed her. As a result, 2024 became her year and changed the entire industry as well.
Dokibird’s great breakthrough attracted the attention of VTuber fans and related companies around the world. Her success has awakened the courage of many people. Of course, it was no exception in Japan. The virtual streamer group to which she affiliated and its management company continue to come under even greater scrutiny today.
For those who want to become agency VTubers and knock on the doors of companies, as well as for those who want to work as indie, her success has served as a guidepost.
And along with the distrust of some companies, more and more people are trying to identify companies and agencies that truly care about their talents. Dokibird’s breakthrough has given the VTuber industry as a whole the courage to realize that even indie talent not affiliated with a company or agency can make it this far.
Leading Indie Talents Debuted and Collaborated One After Another
Since Dokibird’s big breakthrough, Mint Fantôme, who is a close friend of hers, has really stepped up a gear, renewing her modeling, and new talent Dooby has appeared in live shows and collaborations with both of them. 2025 has seen Nimi Nightmare and Mint Fantôme have been seen interacting with each other, among other things.
What they all have in common is that they are all indie talents with highly popular and subscribed YouTube channel. Without prying into their careers, it is possible that, like Dokibird, they have been exposed to a variety of environments and gained experience. This is evidenced by the fact that they are all geniuses, with streaming, planning, and technical skills that are unbelievable for new talents.
Although it is not clear whether Dokibird’s influence is responsible for the recent debuts and collaborations of these leading indie talents, it does not seem to be a coincidence that so many talents have gained experience in various environments and taken a new step forward.
Will it Become a “Major Force" in the Near Future?
For a long time, the theory in the VTuber industry has been that VTubers are “Agency" type (affiliating to an agency such as a company and working under its management).
However, this may not be the best way for talented people to pursue more flexible activities. This may be the reason why it is not uncommon for people to choose to leave an agency, even though they have the advantage of continuing to work as an agency-affiliated talent, due to differences in direction.
The term “Kojinzei (Indie Force / 個人勢)" has existed since the dawn of VTuber in Japan, and has not disappeared to this day because indie talents have continued to have advantages that only indie talents can have.
Dokibird’s breakthrough in 2024 was inspiring and encouraging to many, and sparked a movement that indie talent can change the entire VTuber industry. This year, more and more indie talents will be active and collaborate with a wider range of fields.
They may be a Major Force in the near future, along with corporate agencies, that will further change the VTuber industry.