Aspiring VTubers rejoice! Hololive has started auditions for the second generation of their English language virtual YouTubers, also known as Hololive EN. This follows a period of rapid growth for the five channels that launched as part of the first generation: Takanashi Kiara, Mori Calliope, Amelia Watson, Ninomae Ina’nis, and Gawr Gura. Gura, in particular, became the Hololive member to surpass 2 million subscribers. All eyes will be on Hololive EN second generation to see if they can match this performance, but things are looking positive.
The only prerequisite outlined on the Reddit post to join Hololive EN second generation is the ability to speak English, with Japanese language skills being an added bonus. Gender is said to be ‘irrelevant,’ sparking speculation as to whether we might see some male personalities debuting this time around.
On the Google application form, however, several more criteria are outlined: the ability to ‘deliver content continuously for at least one year’ and ‘at least 3 times a week’ (although streaming doesn’t have to be your full-time job), a ‘proven track record’ as a content creator (not just gaming, but also making music, illustrations etc.), and an age requirement of 18 or older. Don’t send in an application unless you’re serious, obviously!
Auditions for a Hololive ‘VSinger’ were held back in November, but it’s unknown whether this personality will debut as part of this generation.
[🎉News🎉]
Second round auditions for hololive English to begin‼️
You can apply from today, Friday, February 12, 11:59 AM JST✨
🔽Info🔽
JP: https://t.co/eEHw6TwEzR
EN: https://t.co/fDvAfqUhoD#ホロライブ #hololive #hololiveEN— hololive Official (@hololive_En) February 12, 2021
Now that auditions for Hololive EN second generation are open, speculation is abound as to what kind of characters we might see debut. As mentioned, the irrelevance of the applicant’s gender might suggest that we could see some male personalities debut as part of this follow-up generation, although this has never happened before: male Hololive streamers are a thing, but they have their own associated agency under the name Holostars. Seeing a male character debut alongside females would, therefore, be unusual.
The theme for the first generation of Hololive EN was ‘myth,’ with characters such as Kiara and Calliope being based on immortal phoenixes and the Grim Reaper, respectively. Hololive’s third Japanese generation was also based on fantasy characters. That being said, many other generations don’t have a particular set theme, so it’s possible that this second English generation might be a bit more loose. That’ll depend on what kind of characters the applicants and the agency come up with, I suppose.
Check out the press release on Reddit for more information.