Despite the Short Time They’ve Worked Together, Their Trust Runs Deep: What Vox Appreciates About His Manager

— Let’s start off with a question for the both of you. Could you tell us about your first impressions of each other? Looking back on the time when you first started working together as Liver and Manager, what memories come to mind, and how would you describe each other’s personalities now?

Vox Akuma (hereafter, Vox): Sure. It's a bit of a tricky question because we haven't been working together super long, but if anything, the most exciting part about working with them as a manager has been their openness to trying different ways to help me with my various tasks. I really do give my all as a Liver, but I tend to get overwhelmed by small tasks really quickly, so I think I’ve always been a bit difficult to manage. But they've done an amazing job of keeping me on track and being incredibly patient with my struggles. Even after almost four years, it still feels like a lot to handle sometimes, all these responsibilities. But I think the right manager can really make a difference.

Vox’s Manager: Oh, thank you! My impression from the start until now has pretty much stayed the same. Vox is honestly just really easy to talk to, and whenever I need feedback, he gives such detailed and helpful responses that it's easy for me to relay to other teams. I'd say the only challenge is sometimes getting that feedback from him, or getting him to respond.

Vox: Yeah.

Vox’s Manager: I mean, I heard from his previous manager that he can be a bit unorganized, let's say (laughs).

Vox: Um, I think 'a bit' is very flattering, but I'll take it (laughs).

Vox’s Manager: So if I had to mention what changed from my first impression, it would be that the level of disorganization was a lot…higher than I initially thought (laughs). Because he tries so many different things and gets really busy, there are times when his replies are slow, and he struggles a bit with organizing his progress. But honestly, that's fine! That's why managers exist, and it keeps my job challenging and fun, so I don't mind it at all.

Vox: I completely understand. If I could just add to that for a second; something I find really refreshing and admire is Manager-san (hereafter, Mane-san)’s level of honesty. I know I can be a real challenge, and I do try, but things get tricky sometimes. I'm glad to hear such honest feedback about how I can improve. Sometimes it's in a company's best interests to keep their talent happy and looked after, so what I worry about now and then is that we might be placated or kept happy in a way that means we're not doing our best, and we won't know because we won't be told. But with Mane-san, I've never had that problem. I feel like they truly believe in me, but they’re also quick to give me honest feedback. And honestly, I think that's been a real asset.

Vox’s Manager: I try, I try.

— Let’s delve a bit deeper into that relationship, then. You both mentioned that you haven't been working together for that long. What is it like for you, Vox, when a new manager comes in? And for managers, when you have to switch from one Liver to a new one? How do you both adapt to that change?

Vox: Well, it's a very bizarre feeling because the relationship between a Liver and a manager is both very professional and very personal. Mane-san is someone who mostly pings me on chat, keeping me on task, and I respond professionally. But there have been times when I've needed to open up about something I'm really struggling with, and I feel like I can do that with them, like I would with a friend.

This has been the case with some of my previous managers too. So, when managers change, it can feel quite scary. When you have a really good thing going with a manager, a good rapport, you're working well together, and you understand how to get things done, then you get the news that they need to step away due to various circumstances. And in moments like that, you're never really sure what to expect next. Will my next manager be able to do this again? Am I ready? Because, in a sense, to get the best out of your relationship with your manager, you have to learn to be a little vulnerable. You have to share. It's not forced, but in my opinion, the best way is to view your manager as someone you can trust. Learning to do that with a new person is really tricky.

However, I will say that Mane-san made that very, very easy. Maybe it's because of our experience working together on (NIJISANJI 7th Anniversary LIVE) “OVERTURE”, but I definitely felt very able to open up about my worries, and I think they've handled all of that in a really great way. So, yeah, I appreciate that.

Vox’s Manager: Thank you so much. Yeah, honestly, there's a little bit of pressure on the manager's side too. You have to imagine, like Vox just said, they have a good relationship. And once there's a manager change, you know you're going to be compared to the previous manager. You never know if they liked the other person more, or if you're doing your job okay, and stuff like that.

But at the end of the day, it's not really something we have much control over. So, I always just try not to think about that and just do the job my way, the best I can, and I just hope to somehow connect with the Liver on that basis. If it worked with Vox, that's great. I hope it works with all the others as well.

There's pressure, yes, but it's also kind of exciting to know you can work with a new Liver and envision how it’ll work out between the two of you. I always try to be positive about it and look forward to the work and projects I'll be doing with them.

— Well, it's great to hear that things are going well with both of you, and I hope that continues. Moving on to the next question: within the range you're comfortable talking about, could you tell us what your day-to-day interactions are usually like? We would also love to hear any memorable episodes or stories from your time working together.

Vox: For me, I think we share a pretty common sense of humor. We find a lot of things funny, and if something's absurd, I think we can both relate to that. Something I'll always find really hilarious is from one of the first times we worked closely together during a recording at the studio.

This was something that I had decided to do, but the concept was very, very ridiculous. It was such a bizarre and funny experience to have a manager I hadn't worked with much before and then try to explain these crazy ideas I'd had, and then act out these ridiculous things in front of them, and somehow come out of it feeling like I’d been supported wholeheartedly the entire time.

The whole thing made the experience feel very light and fun, and we ended up finishing a lot earlier than expected. So, for me, as someone who can be quite sensitive and worries a lot about what people think, I tend to really benefit from a feeling that things are more easygoing and that we can have a laugh.

Vox’s Manager: It's really funny that you're talking about that moment, because I was thinking about it myself while preparing for today’s interview.

To add a little bit of context, when EN Livers are recording at the studio—especially those not fluent in Japanese—it's a little bit like a telephone game. They ask me something, I translate it and relay it to the studio staff, then they pass it on to other staff. And on that particular day, because Vox's idea was just really crazy—interesting, but also really absurd—he was just walking around the studio, and his explanation to me was kind of like, 'I’ll walk over there and I’ll do this and this, and the camera should be there, and then I’ll walk back and do this and this and this, and the camera should then go over there for these reasons, and then suddenly I’ll be on the floor.'

You could see the studio staff looking at him walking around, and then looking back to me with question marks over their heads. The only issue is that there was one over my head, too. (laughs) So I had to re-confirm with Vox, then break down the whole explanation part by part so that I could translate it in a more or less understandable way. Thankfully the staff were amazing and managed to connect the dots based on Vox’s movements and my somewhat adequate translation, so it ended up working out great in the end. But it was a super funny experience, definitely.

The 'Two Wolves' Inside Vox: What He Feels Caught Between Expectations and His Creative Drive

— Let’s put the spotlight on you for a moment, Vox. You've earned quite the reputation as a very unique and creative personality in NIJISANJI EN, particularly thanks to the wide variety of streams you do. With that in mind, where do you draw your inspiration from? Are there any hobbies or personal habits that influence how you go about your activities as a Liver?

Vox: I feel very flattered by those titles. It's really quite overwhelming to be told all of that. I think I'm usually of two minds, with two sides—or two “wolves'—inside me.

One of them is always watching films and thinking about unique ways to express stories. Most recently, we've been doing the VCraft Enchanted Minecraft server*. There was a stream on the same day as this interview, in fact, where I found myself so immersed in role-playing as the characters in the game that it felt like a brand new way of acting and delivering a story. This is incredibly addictive for me, and often something I get obsessed with. I constantly think about the nature and strict definition of story, film, experimental film, and TV—what all those things mean and how we can work within genre frameworks to bend the rules and tell stories in interesting ways that engage the audience. I'm always consuming and thinking about this kind of content, and I love it. This naturally leads me to try all sorts of different things.

Vox: The other side of me, as a member of Luxiem, experienced fantastic success in 2021, 2022, and beyond. To be honest, I'm still really happy with everything we've achieved. However, through that experience, I've been exposed to so many opposing opinions that do have an impact. This other half of me, I guess, is trying to strike the balance between what the fans want and what I want. So each day I find myself thinking, what do I want to do today? Do I want to do something that feels like it's just for me? Then I try to access this creative part of myself to satisfy that urge. Other times, I’ll ask myself if I want to forget all of that and just do a stream more suited to the viewers’ needs. That in itself would lead to positive reactions towards me, which there’s no denying feels great.

It’s almost like a push and pull situation of sorts, which can be very stressful. But at the end of the day, I love my fans, my job, and that I get to do all of this. If anything I feel like it’s made me a better artist overall, because I've had such a broad range of experiences with my audience and the content I create. I've learned and felt so much thanks to this experience.

On a personal level, having a connection with so many people who regularly show up and watch your streams can affect you strongly. I guess the Liver/viewer relationship really does go both ways. Sometimes I can feel really upset when I think I’m not doing enough. But in a strange sense, I know that one day I'll look back on everything I'm doing, and I hope I'll realize that maybe all of that was worth it because of the time I got to experience with my fans, and hopefully getting to weaponize the way that I felt into some creative stuff that makes people really excited, I suppose.

— It sounds very much like a situation where you won’t be able to satisfy everyone, which most likely makes the daily decisions on which side to prioritize all the more difficult.

Vox: You're absolutely right. As a personality, I have a significant issue with turning people down or saying no. When I first debuted, when I first joined, I was brand new to the VTuber space. There's so much to the culture and tradition of this art form that I was completely unaware of. Back in the early days of my debut, I felt so unprepared and overwhelmed by how different it was from what I'd imagined. As a result, I felt a need to be a chameleon. I needed to fit in.

Because of this, whenever I was asked if I could do something, I felt compelled to say yes. Sometimes I was happy and comfortable with it, but sometimes I wasn't. This led me to be known as someone who was always giving fan service, because at the time, that felt like the right thing to do, and it worked. It was so successful, and I felt good not just about the success, but also about my relationship with the fans. It felt wonderful and intimate in a strange way, and I think that was something really special. However, that also came with all sorts of caveats that I didn't know about at the time. Maybe I did, but I chose to ignore them due to my success.

These days, I'm still struggling with that push and pull between doing what’s asked of me like I did back in the day and following my own creative pursuits. 'The Demon Hungers' back in 2023 incurred some controversy, even. Not the film itself, of course, which was generally very well-liked, but more for how I tried to run my content afterward. A lot of long-time fans found it to be a very stark and drastic change. This was a huge project meant to lead into something I was so excited about, but it wasn't received the way I expected, which has always stuck with me.

Those sort of situations can be difficult to navigate, but I think the group of fans I have right now are truly wonderful to me. They encourage me a lot, and I just want to keep trying to find the right balance. Maybe at some point I'll figure out what it truly means to do this in a way that I'm 100% confident in. Although I'm sure that even people at the top of their game probably have plenty of doubts, just like I do.

— On the flip side, you could argue that it’s only been four years since your debut, which still leaves plenty of time to develop and grow.

Vox: I suppose so, yeah. There's still a ton of time. This isn't going anywhere, and there's always going to be room to grow and try new things. You never know what may happen. I get a lot of comfort from picturing the future, because you never do know what it will look like. If I can keep working on things now, hey, how will things look in 2 years, 4 years, 6 years, 10? I don't know. But I'm going to keep trying, pretty much.

In His Manager’s Eyes, Vox Is “Absolutely Sure to Continue Having a Big Impact on the VTuber Industry’s Future”

— Let’s shift the spotlight over to your Manager. As mentioned, Vox is known as someone who actively takes on a lot of different challenges. With that in mind, what do you consider most important when it comes to supporting him?

Vox’s Manager: I feel like there's only so much we managers can actually do to support our Livers. Vox already mentioned the struggles he faces every day with his fans and his content. When it comes to things like that, honestly, the most I can do is lend him an ear, tell him my opinions, and think together about possible solutions.

Maybe on a more day-to-day basis, I would say he probably has a lot of things going on, possibly even things that I’m not aware of. One of the things that I try to make sure is that his projects and ideas can be brought to life working together with the company. Forms, deadlines, rules, all of that is part of the process. As of right now, I try to do everything that can be done on my side without bothering him too much, then get in touch when it comes to certain things that I absolutely need his help with. Maybe that’s not the best approach, but it is my way of showing support.

— Earlier, you mentioned that Vox can be slow to respond to messages.

Vox’s Manager: Sometimes it feels like he checks something but forgets to reply, for example. And then I'm not really sure if he checked it or not. There’s times where he probably has things in his head but forgets to write them down or get back to me, so I might not be sure what the situation is. Most weeks I’ll have to send him a ton of messages where I already kind of expect that maybe half of them will get a reply, and for the other half, I just have to hope that he comes to our weekly meeting where I have him check everything.

Naturally I know that he's not doing it because he's lazy or doesn't want to respond. It's just kind of who he is, which is why I never get mad. I just try to stay calm and do stuff on my side, then call him if there’s urgent information I need.

If all else fails, I send crying emojis. That tends to get a reply (laughs).

— From your perspective, what do you see as Vox's main strengths and appealing qualities? Also, were there any surprising sides of him that you've discovered since you started working together?

Vox’s Manager: This is still a new industry, and there’s plenty of creators who each have their own reasons for going down this road. However, some individuals have had a huge impact on this industry, especially in bringing it to a Western audience. For me, Vox is one of them.

Rather than just focusing on his channel or content, I notice that he thinks about NIJISANJI EN and NIJISANJI, or even the industry as a whole. It's not just about how to become more popular, but how to bring greater attention to the industry in a positive manner. I believe this is a rare quality within the VTuber sphere, and it's thanks to people like him that the industry is as strong as it is today. I'm absolutely sure that he will continue to have a big impact on how things will change in the future.

— He mentioned how there was so much he wasn’t aware of when he first debuted, and based on your comments, it just goes to show how much he's come to love what he's doing right now. Not just his activities as a Liver, but the people around him as well.

Vox’s Manager: Definitely, yeah. You can tell that it’s more than just a hobby, or even a job, for him. The way he sees the industry as a whole, and how different things impact it, is just really interesting to hear about from him, and it shows how much he has grown since his debut.

Vox: These are wonderful, wonderful things you've said about me. This is incredible. Thank you so much.

— You’re both going to have us shedding tears by the time this is over. Following on from that, can you share a time where your Manager's support really helped you, Vox? Were there any memorable words that just kind of stuck with you?

Vox: Well, I think the big one that comes to mind for me is most recently there was a time where I really wasn't feeling so well about the things I’m trying to do, and I felt, as I described earlier, a bit of a loss in direction, and I was trying to decide what I should do. Normally we try to have a one-on-one meeting on a set day every week, but I reached out on a different day to discuss issues related to what I addressed earlier and they were quick to get back to me and set up the meeting then and there. We got on, we got to chatting, and it felt so easy to talk about what we talked about. I struggle to remember specific words, but overall, it felt really important that I was able to describe how I was feeling to them at the time.

I think there's a big pressure on public figures, no matter how niche you might be, to try and maintain a happy face. I’d describe myself as more of the emotional type, but there’s situations where I struggle to open up in spite of that. That meeting was a great chance to talk about what I was worried about, and once it was done, I came out of it with a plan and solid direction. What’s more, I also felt like all the crazy ideas I was coming up with were being met with genuine, constructive criticism meant to help me succeed, rather than empty words that just serve to keep me happy. It made me feel safe and supported.

It can be really difficult to narrow things down when you have so many fans suggesting ideas on what to do. Sometimes you have to go with your gut, and you have to go with really sound advice. And for me, as much as I appreciate and try to listen to what my fans say and suggest, I think sometimes it's important to be able to distinguish between what I should do and what I shouldn't, and to decide for myself. I think that's what Mane-san helped me with; coming up with my own ideas and learning to stick to them.

As He Enters His Fifth Year, He Vows to His Fans: To “Deliver Something No One Else Could Do”

— Now, Vox. As you enter your fifth year as a Liver, is there anything new that you're planning on starting, or are there any goals that you could share for us for your fifth year going forward?

Vox: Naturally there’s plenty that I can’t talk about at the moment, but there are some projects I'm slowly chipping away at in the background that I'm really keen on showing people and I hope will have a big impact. But more than anything, when I think about just my fifth year and the next year, if there's a challenge that I really want to try and overcome, it's to try and find a way of feeling fulfilled about the work that I'm doing and the streams that I'm putting out.

It's a remarkable coincidence that we’re having this conversation right now, you know. Just today, I did a 10-hour Minecraft stream where I felt completely immersed in the character I was playing. Almost like method acting* in a sense, where I felt like I was living like this, even in Minecraft, right? Living as this character and reacting to the way the other players were talking and doing things. I felt so immersed that I was getting frustrated and angry and upset in a way that only made sense for the character.
*Method Acting is an acting technique used in film, theater, and other performances in which actors build a character by deeply exploring their inner world. To bring authenticity to the role, they connect the character’s emotions and experiences to their own emotional memories.

Coming off the back of that, it makes me think about the other times that I've really let my creative juices flow and also ask myself questions like “What do I want to do? What is something that I think is really unique and wonderful that I want to work on?' And when you nail that down, when you really know while you're writing that you're putting something together that you genuinely believe in, it's like magic.

I do think about experiences like this, and I wonder if this is what I really care about. Even if I were to never reach the insane heights of my early days again. I think that if I'm having experiences where I feel like I am so proud of the work I'm putting out into the world, then that might be a good place to start.

I feel as though there's a long journey ahead when it comes to really mastering what I want to do with this career and lifestyle, because I change so much. I feel so easily influenced by what people tell me, and sticking to my own guns has always felt hard because I tend to doubt myself so much. But if I can reach a stage where I'm putting out, you know, really personal creative work that connects with my audience and makes them happy on a regular basis, I can't imagine myself being unfulfilled in that state. So, that's really what I want to focus on.

— In a previous interview with (Yu Q.) Wilson, he made his drive for creating scripts, screenplays, and the like very apparent. Meanwhile, you’ve made it very clear that acting, along with writing, is in your blood. The two of you putting your brains together sounds like it could be a recipe for something amazing.

Vox: It's good that you bring that up because it reminds me of the play* we did where I played the villain, and I had a really fantastic time. For a production where you have so many different elements on the streamer side, such as trying to arrange all of these different costumes and keeping such a huge cast organized, to just have these moments where you get to express yourself and be part of that cast, it did feel fantastic.

And, you know, Wilson is really good with a pen. I think that he is an excellent writer, particularly when it comes to comedy. My biggest weakness might be the fact that I tend to err on the side of being very dark and scary and serious as a writer. I always find myself wanting things to be terrifying, and I’m usually happy with the ideas that stem from that. But I do struggle with ideas that involve more levity and humor. Wilson, on the other hand, has a really, really great attitude towards those things, so, I respect him very much. Not just as a friend, but as a writer. I really enjoy reading what he comes up with.

— There could be a lot of cool possibilities for you in the future when you consider those contrasting styles.

Vox: Yeah, I think so too. Wilson gets a lot of playful teasing and jokes on stream, but he handles it with such grace and makes it funny. He never lets anyone feel like they're going too far, and I know if they did, he'd stop them, and it would be fine because that's just how it is – you gotta crack jokes sometimes.

For me, I'm super sensitive, which is something I struggle with a lot. Sometimes when someone jokes at my expense, I'll think that it’s just a prank at first, but then start wondering how they really think about me. It's difficult to get myself back into a good headspace after that, which is something I envy about Wilson. But maybe you're right, maybe there's so much we can learn from each other. And maybe I could really learn from him how to think only about the future and not about how I feel in the present.

Vox’s Manager: I’d just like to add that your part in Wilson's 3D* was also hilarious.

Vox: Peak cinema, honestly. There was this silly moment where Wilson had to do this little stunt where he jumped and then, as he hit the ground, he farted. Vanta (Vantacrow Bringer) and Zali (Vezalius Bandage) were laughing so unbelievably hard, but I'd already gotten into playing this villain character. The whole thing was supposed to be funny, but I suddenly started feeling annoyed that people were laughing during recording. I was like, I'm supposed to be in character! I wasn't genuinely annoyed, of course, but it made me aware of the fact that when I get into something, it can be hard to snap me out of it. And maybe I need to treat that less as something I'm embarrassed about and more as one of my strengths.

— Now then. Vox, do you have a message that you’d like to share with your fans? And to your Manager, do you have any words of encouragement for Vox?

Vox: I think if I could say anything to my fans, to my Kindred, it would be that I know sometimes it can be a bit stressful to be a really invested fan of mine because I'm always changing. I have a lot of choices to make every day about my activities as a Liver, and I always approach it with honesty, thinking about what will create not just the most sustainable and happy experience for me, but also what people will enjoy the most.

And I don't always get it right. Sometimes I can get really caught up in trying to make something creatively thrilling, unique, and experimental that maybe some people won't get. And then sometimes I might lose sight of what I really want to do because I'm trying to win you back. I guess as fans, maybe sometimes I worry that if I'm losing you, I'm losing someone I genuinely care about, and that can make me scared. But I want to promise that I am always trying to find the right way forward, and I hope in the next year or so, however long it takes, you'll see me as someone who's mastered his craft and can give you a fantastic experience no matter what, come rain or shine, to be able to come out with a smile and at the very least deliver something no one else could do.

Not because I'm trying to say I'm better than anyone else, but everyone's got a unique voice, and I want to use mine as much as I can. So, I just want to say thank you for being patient with me. And when my fans show me kindness and patience, it always brings a tear to my eye. So, I'll never forget how that feels.

Vox’s Manager: Vox, I know you face a lot of challenges every day, and it probably doesn't mean much, but I just want you to know that I am incredibly proud to be your manager, and whatever path you choose in the future, I will always have your back. Not just me, but everyone else as well, of course.

Vox: Thank you. I hope I'll make you proud.

Vox’s Manager: You're already making me proud. Don't worry.