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Crunchyroll-Hime Launches Virtual YouTuber Channel
posted on by Kim Morrissy
Crunchyroll mascot Crunchyroll-Hime launched a YouTube channel and previewed her Live2D VTuber avatar on Saturday. She held her debut livestream on Tuesday, and will stream every Tuesday and Thursday. The channel will focus topics such as anime and video games. She will also hold monthly "AniMarathons," where she will host a curated block of anime episodes on her channel.
The popular TikTok personality Kristine Fel, who performed the character for Crunchyroll's 2021 Anime Awards, is helping "power" the new YouTube channel.
A 3D avatar of the mascot first appeared as a guest on the VTuber Kizuna Ai's channel in November 2019. She was voiced by Rian Tachibana. Her 3D model was produced by Victoria Holden, who also voiced the character in the English version of Kemono Friends.
More recently, a virtual avatar of Hime hosted the opening ceremony of the Virtual Crunchyroll Expo event in August and participated in a skit with horror manga artist Junji Ito.
The Crunchyroll-Hime mascot was first unveiled in 2013. The character was designed by Eunice Dahae Baik and submitted to the Anime Industry-tans Contest, a fan art contest run by Crunchyroll, Funimation, Aniplex of America, and NIS America.
In April, Netflix launched its Virtual YouTuber ambassador N-ko Mei Kurono. The VTuber's weekly show shares information about Netflix anime and "information that only employees know."
Source: Email correspondence
