March hasn’t even ended yet, but we got ourselves yet another big VTuber Graduation coming by the end of the month as Vtuber Legend Mirai Akari of GOOM STUDIO Label announced her retirement.
【大切なお知らせ】
改めまして、ミライアカリは、2023年3月31日をもってVTuberの活動を引退します。
突然の発表、本当にごめんなさい。
どうしても直接想いを伝えたくて、
3月31日に生配信の機会を作っていただきました。
最後のわがままですが、どうかアカリに逢いにきていただけると嬉しいです。🦋 pic.twitter.com/0oz1STRE7c— ミライアカリ(Mirai Akari)🦋 (@MiraiAkari_prj) March 24, 2023
On March 25, 2023, Mirai Akari released her statement through her Twitter account regarding her sudden retirement, stating that the main reason why she decided to end her five-year-long Vtuber career is due to the difference in values with her managers.
Due to these differences, a gap was formed that “widens for thinking about her future” activities as a VTuber. She also stated that this was a hard decision as she was unsure if this was the right choice to do, but after giving it much thought, she had made up her mind to graduate.
She also apologized to her fans for this sudden announcement after being absent for quite a long time. Mirai Akari also stated that she still loves streaming, singing, and her activities as a VTuber, but she will not post videos on her Youtube channel after graduation. Though she thanked her fans, the VTuber friends she made throughout her career, and also the management team for all the support they made on her long journey as a VTuber.
According to the following post by Mirai Akari herself on the same Twitter thread, before she decided to retire, she recorded several videos that she will upload before her final day. Mirai Akari will hold her graduation live stream on March 31, 2023, with GOOM STUDIO Label also ending their activities on the same date. Despite ending her activities Mirai Akari’s channel will remain along with its content, but memberships will end on the final day.
Mirai Akari is credited as one of the pioneers of the VTuber industry along with Kizuna Ai, Kaguya Luna, Dennou Shojo Siro, and Nojaloli. They were dubbed as the Four Heavenly Kings of VTubers, as they have the biggest subscriber count on YouTube by the end of 2017, with Kizuna Ai being above the rest earning her the title of Oyabun (Boss). Mirai Akari is also the first VTuber guest of Cosplay Mania back in 2019, back when the industry was still green thus fully cementing her as one of its big four (Five).