Kagura Mea - VTuber

Kagura Mea has a reputation as one of the more polarizing VTubers. She received frequent backlash during her early years for her treatment of other VTubers. Her vulgar and sometimes questionable content can be too much for fans of more laid-back, mild content. However, her gap appeal has earned her a dedicated fan base around the world. Her late 2020 shift toward more musical content and self-reflection hiatuses may widen her appeal.

Kagura Mea Background

Kagura Mea is a Japanese VTuber known for her musical collaborations and brash behavior that contrasts with her cute appearance. She also has a diverse, international fan base and regularly posts and streams on the Chinese video platform bilibili.

Kagura Mea History

Kagura's YouTube channel was formed in late May 2018. She posted her first video in late June as part of PariPuro VTuber group debut. Kagura immediately polarized fans with her crass behavior and unfavorable commentary toward her group members and VTubers in general. Her tendency to upset others and cause misunderstandings led to two Twitter account suspensions by May 2019. In March 2020, Kagura announced the demonetization of her YouTube channel due to issues with the site's algorithm. In November 2020, Kagura took a brief hiatus from her channels and social media in response to fan backlash. As of April 2021, she has returned to a regular upload and streaming schedule.

Kagura Mea Physical Description

Kagura is a self-proclaimed 38-year-old woman with the appearance of a preteen girl. She has long, silvery-white hair styled in twin tails placed high on her head. Her eyes are two different colors. The left is a bright aqua and the right is mostly gold with an aqua ombre fade, representing her image colors. She wears a french maid's outfit complete with a frilly apron and matching gloves. On top of that, she dons a massive, black military-style coat. The coat draped over her shoulders, has an aqua band on the left arm and gold trim and wrist cuffs. She wears a matching military cap askew on her head and similarly heavy-looking boots. According to her official stats, her clothing weighs nearly 50 kilograms.

Kagura Mea Personality

Kagura's most notorious personality trait is her outspoken and often critical commentary about other VTubers. However, her main appeal derives from the gap of her cute appearance and initially kind demeanor, and crass actions. Her fans gave her the nickname "sloppy queen" based on her tendency to burp or pass gas on streams. She has mentioned her questionable hygiene routine on many occasions, stating she only bathes before special events. Another component of her gap appeal is her exaggerated frustration. When struggling with a video game or expressing anger toward her viewers, Kagura screams loudly and sometimes profanely. Her polarizing personality has led to a number of haters as well as a devoted niche fanbase.

Associated Company

When she first debuted, Kaguya was managed under the company PariPuro, or Project Paryi, formed by her illustrator. In April 2019, the group dissolved due to alleged disharmony between members. As of 2021, Kagura continues to operate as an independent creator.

Notable Releases/Videos

In contrast to her vulgar streaming and chat-style, Kagura possesses a cute and appealing singing voice. Her musical activities often involve collaborations with other VTubers and live promotional events. Starting in 2020, Kagura primarily streams on YouTube and TwitCasts but tends to delete her archives.

Covers

Most of Kagura's song videos involve covers of popular or new songs either done solo or in collaboration. Her most viewed video is a cover of J-pop band Arashi's song "Monster" from Halloween 2019. Arashi reposted the 2010 music video to their channel earlier that month for their 20th anniversary and retirement activities. Kagura sings the song choir style with four other VTubers including Ushimi Ichigo and Virtual Gorilla. Other popular covers include "Pretender" by Official HIGE DANdism and "Kunoichi Demo Koi ga Shitai" with Minato Aqua.

Original Songs

Kagura started releasing original music in November 2019 with the single "Strawberry Confiture." Her next single, "Amanojaku," received a music video posted to her channel in May 2020. In November 2020, she released her second-biggest hit, "Hari," boasting her production of a cool and slick song. Kagura performed her first live concert on a Japan region-locked stream on December 20, 2020. The performance was streamed again on bilibili on January 24, 2021. During the stream, Kagura debuted two new songs, "Memory" and "Goshujin-sama Otawamure." She posted music videos for each song on her channel in late January.

Special Guests and Collaborators

Kagura's most notable productive relationship is with Hololive VTuber Minato Aqua. The two often collaborate in superchats, video game streams, and singing videos. As of April 2021, their 2019 cover of "Kunoichi Demo Koi ga Shitai" is Kagura's second most viewed video on YouTube. In 2020, Kagura began collaborating with fellow maid motif VTubers Inaba Haneru and Inuyama Tamaki. The three stream video games together, often playing League of Legends. In March 2021, they collaborated on a cover of "Tomadoi → Recipe" in part of Kagura's return to regular posting.

Merchandise

Kagura's notorious antics and impressive musical talents earned her a figure from Good Smile Company in November 2020. The Kagura Mea 1/7 Scale Figure depicts her default outfit with an almost weightless quality despite the size of her trademark military coat.