Long-time “friend” of VShojo, Haruka Karibu, has finally joined the US-based agency as part of the group’s second anniversary. The Canadian caribou has featured in numerous lore videos for the group, but is now a fully-fledged part of the family.
VShojo has been slowly expanding as of 2022. The US-based VTuber agency was once an enigma in the space with their small roster of established English-speaking talents, but they have continued to go from strength to strength as the year goes on.
The agency’s second anniversary across late November and early December was expected to be a massive affair, and now the biggest news of all has landed with long-time friend of the group, Haruka Karibu, finally joining their ranks.
The Canadian caribou debuted as a VTuber in May 2020, and quickly cemented herself as a fan-favorite in the indie scene with 175,000 followers. She has been on numerous collaborations with VShojo in the past as one of their extended friends, especially with the likes of Zentreya.
She debuted for the group on December 3 with her own lore video as the VShojo cinematic universe continues to grow. Haruka also debuted a new model — her first in two years — to commemorate the new beginning.
“I went through so many things over my time as a VTuber,” Haruka said. “I lost so much, sacrificed so much. There were so many instances where I stressed about it all, and it became overwhelming to the point where I hated who I was.
“But now, what I believe, is that the realization of all of this is what actually makes me smarter. In the beginning I didn’t realize all these things about myself. I didn’t take into consideration a lot of things — I didn’t know how to interact with people I didn’t know, I stuck a bandaid to every problem, and I basically wore a mask.
“I’ve learned so much ever since becoming a content creator. It gave me my purpose in life. I took my shot here and I came to love it. Nothing else gives me that feeling. I feel happy that I can make others happy.
“There’s still a bunch of stuff I have to learn, and a lot of flaws I have to fix myself. But this is something I really want to do. I want to keep doing this for as long as I can, and make peoples’ day just a bit brighter. I can be really stupid, I can be really careless, but this is what I want to do. I am happy.”
More than 25,000 viewers showed up to celebrate.
“I am so proud and happy for my best friend to join us in this adventure,” Zentreya tweeted as her debut was streaming. “We met barely 2 years almost, and here she is. I love her so much and she is the sweetest dork I have ever gotten to be friends with.”
“Our VShojo family is a bit bigger today and will only get bigger soon,” Ironmouse added. “The horizon is looking really really bright! I hope you guys continue to join us on this journey!”
It’s a big moment for VShojo, which continues to grow ever slowly by recruiting top independent talents into their ranks. Now it’s Haruka’s time in the sun, but eyes will drift towards who the agency will bring on next.