History Main / OpenSecret

* This is the case for many {{Virtual YouTuber}}s, especially in cases where an independent [=VTuber=] (or other sort of content creator) joins an agency with a brand new corporate identity, were part of an agency but have since "graduated"[[note]]a term adapted from the Japanese entertainment industry which can mean "to retire from a group" (i.e. to go solo) or simply "retire"[[/note]], or have left one agency to join another. Due to how the Japanese side of the industry works, most of these talents lose access to their previous identities and have to come up with a new one. While the new and former identities eventually get connected (especially if the person has distinctive features such as a unique voice, distinctive laugh, or other easily recognisable quirks), the fandom tends to downplay the connection and even helps in preserving the now open secret (it's considered very poor form to actually bring these identifies up during a live stream). Most [=VTuber=] fan communities ban discussion of "past lives" (sometimes shortened to PL) or "roommates", as they're often called, to preserve their anonymity. This is also the case when [=VTubers=] continue making content under their original identity even while part of an agency.
** [[WebAnimation/{{Hololive}} Cover Corporation]] is fairly open about the fact that many of their talents from both hololive and Holostars (from all their branches) have "past lives" that are still active (for example, at least 2 of their talents are voice actors, some do in-person streams, others still are professional singers or dancers), and their policy is that so long as the PL doesn't interfere with their Cover-related activities or affects the company, they have no objection. In fact, ever since [[Characters/HololiveJapanGenerationTwo the Second Generation]], content-creation has been a requirement to apply and so it's a given that nearly all their members have "past lives" [[note]]For example, of [[Characters/HololiveEnglishGenerationThreeAdvent Advent's members]] at least three were previously [=VTubers=] with sizable fanbases and recognisable voices (one member in particular had been active before ''hololive was even formed'')[[/note]]. The "career" page on the Cover Corp official website outright states that employees are permitted to do part-time work so long as it doesn't affect their duties to the company.
** In contrast to Cover Corp. [[WebAnimation/{{Nijisanji}} ANYCOLOR]] ''demands'' that "livers"[[note]]the term Nijisanji uses to describe their talents in order to further differentiate them from other agencies like Hololive or VSPO[[/note]] cease '''all''' non-Nijisanji activities (independent [=VTuber=] [[Creator/AlejandroSaab CyYu]] confirmed this in early 2024, when he explained that during the interview phase of his audition to Nijisanji he was asked if he was willing to give up his '''professional voice acting career''' to join). In what is sometimes described as petty spite, graduated livers who "reincarnate" often have their old Nijisanji channels completely privated so fans can't go back to watch them.[[note]]Most other agencies only take this step when a talent is terminated (as was the case with hololive members Rushia and Mel) or at their request (as was done with [[WebVideo/VOMSProject Amano Pikamee]] when she graduated)[[/note]]
** On the Western side of the Virtual [=YouTuber=] industry, WebVideo/VShojo has a notable track record of hosting talents who once held different identities under other high-profile [=VTuber=] companies, to the point of being meme'd as the "[=VTuber=] retirement home" or as "isekai for [=VTubers=]".
*** Fans of Henya (the Genius!) were immediately aware of who she was in her previous iteration, in large part because of the controversy surrounding her graduation from it [[note]] For clarity, there was no issue with her former agency and the split was amicable. However, the buildup to her graduation was marred by her getting caught up with the ''VideoGame/HogwartsLegacy'' "controversy" with Twitter warriors attacking her simply for expressing interest in playing the game, to the point people thought she was bullied into graduating[[/note]]. However, as far as the fandom is concerned, Henya is Henya only, and she has no ties to any previous [=VTuber=]. She tried her best to suppress certain verbal tics and her distinct laugh, all of which were identified nearly immediately by the fanbase who simply pretended it was a new thing they had never heard, and were more than willing to go along with it in a new light. It's not hard whatsoever to discover this supposed identity, ''but if you want to discuss it...''
---->'''Henya''': [[InJoke WASURERO BEEEEAAAAAM!]][[labelnote:note]]"Forget Beam!"[[/labelnote]]
*** Hime Hajime is another example, though her other identity isn't that of another [=VTuber=] but the in-person [=YouTuber=] Sydsnap. Her denying the connection and then blundering evidence to the contrary is a RunningGag, as is her go-to excuse of Hajime having a grandmother named Sydney.
*** WebVideo/KsonOnAir for a time worked as a [=VTuber=] at a Japanese agency and continued to be active as Kson even while working there. She was even roommates with one of the agency's talents and they continued to live together after she left the company, until her formally joining [=VShojo=] put an end to that due to them now working for business rivals[[note]]This was for legal reasons, as Kson herself is still on such good terms with her former company that she's invited former colleagues using their PL identities to stream with her[[/note]]. Like the case with Henya above, due to her verbal tics, mannerisms and interests, there was no hiding her former identity. Kson herself only seems to pay the slightest of lip service to keeping her former identity secret, once erupting in laughter when she happened to find a card of her former boss in a wafer-and-card pack and off-handedly mentioning she could get the card signed by said boss (to increase its value before she sold it).
*** Matara Kan, Kuro Kurenai, and Michi Mochievee were all pretty much immediately recognized as being former corporate [=VTubers=] from another notable agency. Matara has even nearly slipped up numerous times when collabing with Kuro, and has also openly helped re-establish another former member of said agency when they returned to being indie.
** A significant caveat to the "don't link new and former identities" informal rule is when a [=VTuber=] "reincarnates" as the result of some sort of controversy at their former workplace. In such cases, their fans will often share information about their new (or old) PL in order to rally the faithful, though it's still considered bad manners to outright bring up the identities in chat during a live stream. Another important thing to consider is whether the [=VTuber=] '''wants''' to be associated with the PL, as some are very open about their previous identities while others are much more coy (most likely due to legal reasons). Examples of both can be seen below.
*** Athena Nightingale of WebAnimation/AkioAIR quit by making a very public statement while the company was already embroiled in another, unrelated controversy, and ''every other remaining talent in the company'' stood beside her and quit en masse when the CEO reacted poorly. The former Akio Girls took control of their channels and social media accounts and openly rebranded, the two newest members simply going back to their past lives and the original members making new identities with [[WritingAroundTrademarks similar names]] and keeping what their old boss couldn't copyright. All of them are very open with who they used to be, save for [=RoaFen=], who had graduated before the mass walkout and has mentioned that she can't be open about it "for legal reasons." However, Fen's current identity has alluded to it multiple times, standing in public solidarity with her former genmates, mentioning openly that [[https://twitter.com/DeetheSphinx/status/1771897810327069038 she isn't interested]] in buying back the rights to her old model when the company finally closed, and [[https://clips.twitch.tv/GentleImportantAlfalfaMrDestructoid-F303NFFSGruUgLY8 warning hopefuls away from predatory small agencies]].
*** WebVideo/{{Delutaya}} is a probable Ur-Example of the above. She had a very brief stint as a corporate [=VTuber=], but at one point she accidentally doxxed herself, and the subsequent harassment she faced from angry viewers was so severe she fell apart, left the company with little fanfare, and attempted to kill herself (she failed). Thankfully, she recovered and took on her new identity as Delutaya, and those who stood by her side during that time flocked to her out of solidarity. Her old colleagues, for their part, have always considered her a part of their group.
*** WebVideo/{{Dokibird}}, aka former WebAnimation/{{Nijisanji}} liver Selen Tatsuki, is the other Ur-Example. She drew a lot of attention in large part to the circumstances behind her contract being terminated. To put it simply, the [[FanCommunityNicknames Dragoons]] and English [=VTuber=] fandom in general were not happy with how Nijisanji terminated Selen[[note]]She was hospitalised for nearly a month with no updates to the point her numerous acquaintances (both IRL and virtual) were alarmed enough to get the hashtag "Where's Selen" trending on Twitter, she learned she was terminated from the termination notice being posted online, it was revealed that Nijisanji's [[AbusiveWorkplace toxic work environment]] had nearly [[DrivenToSuicide driven her to suicide]], and Nijisanji's tone-deaf response to the backlash included describing the termination as "negligible" despite Selen being by far the most popular and well-connected liver of the Nijisanji English branch[[/note]]. So severe was the backlash that even Selen's official mods outright rebelled and acknowledged that Selen had moved back to her previous indie persona Dokibird. In addition, Dokibird has been open about her previous life as Selen and the issues she faced at Nijisanji, insofar as her being willing to give closure regarding the subject before moving forward as Dokibird.
*** kyOresu is a singer/streamer who had a relatively brief stint as WebAnimation/IdolCorp's Riro Ron and was ultimately fired from that role, with Idol citing the use of drugs (which she calls "silly pills"), the soliciting fans for private offline meetings, and her trysting with a manager (who has also been terminated). She has since come back with a song called "Internet Overdose", which references her termination, and has returned as an independent [=VTuber=].
*** Pomu Rainpuff of Nijisanji English unexpectedly graduated in January 2024. At first, it was thought this was due to her desiring to finish her schooling until she made public ''all'' of her members'-only content while in the middle of her graduation stream. One stream in particular, taking place in mid-May 2023, included her breaking down when talking about a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity she was offered that was off-handedly denied by Nijisanji management without any possibility of negotiation. Nijisanji made the mistake of hurriedly privating the aforementioned stream, resulting in the StreisandEffect as news of the stream's content (and most crucially, Nijisanji's clumsy attempt at suppressing it) spread. As a result, people concluded that it was true management had denied Pomu that "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity and began scouring the internet in the hopes of finding her, with the [[FanCommunityNicknames Pomudachi]] rallying to both her IRL and indie [=VTuber=] accounts.
*** When [[Characters/HololiveJapanGenerationThreeFantasy Uruha Rushia]]'s contract was terminated in 2022, the [[FanCommunityNicknames Fandeads]] quickly found her previous identity and spread it amongst themselves. Similarly, when [[Characters/HololiveJapanGenerationOne Yozora Mel]] was sadly terminated in January 2024, not just her [[FanCommunityNicknames Kapumin]] but Hololive fans as a whole found her PL and shared it with others as a show of support [[note]]Unlike Rushia, who had made the mistake of leaking confidential information in an ill-advised attempt to defend herself against online complaints, Mel, [[LooseLips while dealing with off-line issues, let confidential information slip completely by accident]], which even Cover seemed to acknowledge[[/note]].
** It should be noted that there are multiple reasons why a [=VTuber=] maintains their PL. Common reasons include more creative freedom[[note]]for example, when Kson was working as an agency [=VTuber=], she often used her Kson identity to play games that either hadn't been approved by the rights' owners (e.g. the developers or publishers) for her agency to stream or were simply too controversial (e.g. she once played a game that involved trying to avoid the assassination of a Donald Trump expy not long after the contentious 2016 election) [[/note]], an additional source of income[[note]]it's been pointed out that at least one hololive member actually has a higher income from her PL identity, but she enjoys being part of hololive due to the friendships she's made there[[/note]], a way of venting or interacting with fans without affecting their agency identity[[note]]in the case of Hololive's Yozora Mel, this is how she explained just how she'd broken NDA that had resulted in her termination[[/note]], or as a way of offering PlausibleDeniability to their agency[[note]]when WebVideo/{{Dokibird}} began streaming again, some of her friends from another agency came to play with her utilising their PL identities due to the sensitivity of the situation (thus allowing their agency to claim "No, those aren't our talents, those are clearly different people who have nothing to do with us" if necessary)[[/note]].

*** Fans of Henya (the Genius!) were immediately aware of who she was in her previous iteration, in large part because of the controversy surrounding her graduation from it. However, as far as the fandom is concerned, Henya is Henya only, and she has no ties to any previous [=VTuber=]. She tried her best to suppress certain verbal tics and her distinct laugh, all of which were identified nearly immediately by the fanbase who simply pretended it was a new thing they had never heard, and were more than willing to go along with it in a new light. It's not hard whatsoever to discover this supposed identity, ''but if you want to discuss it...''

*** WebVideo/{{Dokibird}}, aka former WebAnimation/{{Nijisanji}} liver Selen Tatsuki, drew a lot of attention in large part to the circumstances behind her contract being terminated. To put it simply, the [[FanCommunityNicknames Dragoons]] and English [=VTuber=] fandom in general were not happy with how Nijisanji terminated Selen[[note]]She was hospitalised for nearly a month with no updates to the point her numerous acquaintances (both IRL and virtual) were alarmed enough to get the hashtag "Where's Selen" trending on Twitter, she learned she was terminated from the termination notice being posted online, and Nijisanji's tone-deaf response to the backlash included describing the termination as "negligible", despite Selen being by far the most popular and well-connected liver of the Nijisanji English branch[[/note]]. So severe was the backlash that even Selen's official mods outright rebelled and acknowledged that Selen had moved back to her previous indie persona Dokibird. In addition, Dokibird has been open about her previous life as Selen and the issues she faced at Nijisanji, insofar as her being willing to give closure regarding the subject before moving forward as Dokibird.

** A significant caveat to the "don't link new and former identities" informal rule is when a [=VTuber=] "reincarnates" as the result of some sort of controversy at their former workplace. In such cases, their fans will often share information about their new (or old) PL in order to rally the faithful, though it's still considered bad manners to outright bring up the identities in chat during a live stream.

*** Similarly, Pomu Rainpuff unexpectedly graduated in January 2024. At first, it was thought this was due to her desiring to finish her schooling until she made public ''all'' of her members'-only content while in the middle of her graduation stream. One stream in particular, taking place in mid-May 2023, included her breaking down when talking about a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity she was offered that was off-handedly denied by Nijisanji management without any possibility of negotiation. Nijisanji made the mistake of hurriedly privating the aforementioned stream, resulting in the StreisandEffect as news of the stream's content (and most crucially, Nijisanji's clumsy attempt at suppressing it, which led many people to conclude that it was true management had denied Pomu that "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity) spread. As a result, people began scouring the internet in the hopes of finding Pomu, with the [[FanCommunityNicknames Pomudachi]] rallying to both her IRL and indie [=VTuber=] accounts.

*** Athena Nightingale of WebAnimation/AkioAIR quit by making a very public statement while the company was already embroiled in another, unrelated controversy, and ''every other remaining talent in the company'' stood beside her and quit en masse when the CEO reacted poorly. The former Akio Girls took control of their channels and social media accounts and openly rebranded, the two newest members simply going back to their past lives and the original members making new identities with [[WritingAroundTrademarks similar names]] and keeping what their old boss couldn't copyright. All of them are very open with who they used to be, save for [=RoaFen=], who had graduated before the mass walkout and has mentioned that she can't be open about it "for legal reasons." However, Fen's current identity has alluded to it multiple times, standing in public solidarity with her former genmates, mentioning openly that [[https://twitter.com/DeetheSphinx/status/1771897810327069038 she isn't interested]] in buying back the rights to her old model when the company finally closed, and [[https://clips.twitch.tv/GentleImportantAlfalfaMrDestructoid-F303NFFSGruUgLY8 warning hopefuls away from predatory small agencies]].
*** kyOresu is a singer/streamer who had a relatively brief stint as WebAnimation/IdolCorp's Riro Ron and was ultimately fired from that role, with Idol citing the use of drugs (which she calls "silly pills"), the soliciting fans for private offline meetings, and her trysting with a manager (who has also been terminated). She has since come back with a song called "Internet Overdose", which references her termination, and has returned as an independent [=VTuber=].
** It should be noted that there are multiple reasons why a [=VTuber=] maintains their PL. Common reasons include more creative freedom[[note]]for example, when Kson was working as an agency [=VTuber=], she often used her Kson identity to play games that would've been either too controversial for her agency identity or were not permitted to be played by her agency's members[[/note]], an additional source of income[[note]]it's been pointed out that at least one hololive member actually has a higher income from her PL identity, but she enjoys being part of hololive due to the friendships she's made there[[/note]], a way of venting or interacting with fans without affecting their agency identity[[note]]in the case of Hololive's Yozora Mel, this is how she explained just how she'd broken NDA that had resulted in her termination[[/note]], or as a way of offering PlausibleDeniability to their agency[[note]]when WebVideo/{{Dokibird}} began streaming again, some of her friends from another agency came to play with her utilising their PL identities due to the sensitivity of the situation (thus allowing their agency to claim "No, those aren't our talents, those are clearly different people who have nothing to do with us" if necessary)[[/note]].

*** WebVideo/{{Delutaya}} had a brief stint as a corporate [=VTuber=], but at one point she accidentally doxxed herself, and the subsequent harassment she faced from angry viewers was so severe she fell apart, left the company with little fanfare, and attempted to kill herself (she failed). Thankfully, she recovered and took on her new identity as Delutaya, and those who stood by her side during that time flocked to her out of solidarity. Her old colleagues, for their part, have always considered her a part of their group.
*** WebVideo/{{Dokibird}}, aka former WebAnimation/{{Nijisanji}} liver Selen Tatsuki, is probably the Ur-Example of the above, due in large part to the circumstances behind her contract being terminated. To put it simply, the [[FanCommunityNicknames Dragoons]] and English [=VTuber=] fandom in general were not happy with how Nijisanji terminated Selen[[note]]She was hospitalised for nearly a month with no updates to the point her numerous acquaintances (both IRL and virtual) were alarmed enough to get the hashtag "Where's Selen" trending on Twitter, she learned she was terminated from the termination notice being posted online, and Nijisanji's tone-deaf response to the backlash included describing the termination as "negligible", despite Selen being by far the most popular and well-connected liver of the Nijisanji English branch[[/note]]. So severe was the backlash that even Selen's official mods outright rebelled and acknowledged that Selen had moved back to her previous indie persona Dokibird. In addition, Dokibird has been open about her previous life as Selen and the issues she faced at Nijisanji, insofar as her being willing to give closure regarding the subject before moving forward as Dokibird.

*** WebVideo/{{Delutaya}} had a brief stint as a corporate [=VTuber=], but at one point she accidentally doxxed herself, and the subsequent harassment she faced from angry viewers was so severe she fell apart and left the company with little fanfare. Thankfully, she recovered and took on her new identity as Delutaya, and those who stood by her side during that time flocked to her out of solidarity. Her old colleagues, for their part, have always considered her a part of their group.

*** kyOresu is a singer/streamer who had a relatively brief stint as WebAnimation/IdolCorp's Riro Ron and was ultimately fired from that role, with Idol citing the use of drugs (which she calls "silly pills"), soliciting fans for private offline meetings, and trysting with a manager (who has also been terminated). She has since come back with a song called "Internet Overdose", which references her termination, and has since returned as an independent [=VTuber=].

*** kyOresu is a singer/streamer/[=VTuber=] who had a relatively brief stint as WebAnimation/IdolCorp's Riro Ron and was ultimately fired from that role, with Idol citing the use of drugs, soliciting fans for private offline meetings, and conducting a secret relationship with a manager (who has also been terminated). She has since come back with a song called "Internet Overdose", which references her termination, and has since returned as an independent [=VTuber=].

*** Similarly, Pomu Rainpuff unexpectedly graduated in January 2024. At first, it was thought this was due to her desiring to finish her schooling until she unprivated several members-only streams in the run-up to her graduation. One stream in particular included her breaking down when talking about a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity she was offered that was off-handedly denied by Nijisanji management without any possibility of negotiation. Nijisanji made the mistake of hurriedly privating the aforementioned stream, resulting in the StreisandEffect as news of the stream's content (and most crucially, Nijisanji's clumsy attempt at suppressing it, which led many people to conclude that it was true management had denied Pomu that "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity) spread. As a result, people began scouring the internet in the hopes of finding Pomu, with the [[FanCommunityNicknames Pomudachi]] rallying to her IRL account.

*** kyOresu is a singer/streamer/[=VTuber=] who had a relatively brief stint as a corporate [=VTuber=], but the company she worked for terminated her contract, citing the use of drugs, soliciting fans for private offline meetings, and conducting a secret relationship with a manager (who has also been terminated). She has since come back with a song called "Internet Overdose", which references her termination, and has since returned as an independent [=VTuber=].

*** WebVideo/{{Delutaya}} had a brief stint as a corporate [=VTuber=], but she broke down and left without much fanfare after facing very severe harassment from angry viewers upon accidentally doxing herself. After recovering from this incident, she took on her new identity as Delutaya, and those who stood by her side during that time flocked to her out of solidarity. Her old colleagues, for their part, have always considered her a part of their group.

*** WebVideo/{{Delutaya}} had a brief stint as a corporate [=VTuber=], but she broke down and left after facing very severe harassment from angry viewers upon accidentally doxing herself. She has since recovered from the incident and took on her new identity as Delutaya, and those who stood by her side during that time flocked to her. Her old colleagues, for their part, have always considered her a part of their group.

*** WebVideo/{{Delutaya}} had a brief stint as a corporate [=VTuber=], but she left and broke down after suffering very severe harassment from angry viewers upon accidentally doxing herself. She has since recovered from the incident and took on her new identity as Delutaya, and those who stood by her side during her brief stint flocked to her. Her old colleagues, for their part, always considered her a part of their group.

*** WebVideo/{{Delutaya}} had a brief stint as a corporate [=VTuber=], but she left after suffering very severe harassment upon accidentally doxing herself. She has since recovered from the incident, and those who stood by her side during her brief stint flocked to her new identity as Delutaya.