TLDR;
The video tells the story of Mano Alo, a Hololive VTuber whose promising career was cut short due to controversy and harassment. It covers her debut, the events leading to her suspension and graduation, the online backlash, and her eventual rebirth as Delutaya. The video also highlights the support she received from her international fan base and the impact of the events on Hololive's policies.
- Mano Alo's debut and subsequent suspension due to leaked content and past online behavior.
- The role of online harassment and doxing in her downfall.
- The support from her international fan base and her eventual rebirth as Delutaya.
- Hololive's response and implementation of anti-harassment policies.
Intro [1:35]
Mano Alo debuted as part of Hololive Gen 5 on August 15, 2020, quickly gaining over 100,000 subscribers. Her talent and charm positioned her as a rising star, but just two days later, she faced a two-week suspension. This suspension significantly hindered her growth, as her captivating voice and personality had already attracted a large global fan base. However, a misstep led to intense scrutiny, harassment, and doxing, ultimately derailing her promising career.
How it all started [6:42]
In August 2020, Hololive Gen 5's debut celebration was overshadowed by controversy surrounding Mano Alo. Anonymous forums buzzed with discussions about her past life and sensitive information. Despite this, she proceeded with her debut stream, initially appearing successful. However, a week-long Twitter restriction and the accidental leak of her VTuber model during a test stream intensified the situation. Hololive responded with a two-week suspension just two days after her debut, leading to a tearful apology from Alo. The situation worsened as more details emerged, causing a split within the fan base and doxing that revealed personal information deemed incompatible with the VTuber idol image.
Ground News Ad [8:22]
The video includes a word from the sponsor, Ground News, a platform that gathers news from various sources, showing different perspectives and political leanings. It helps users recognize biases and understand how stories are spun. Ground News provides summaries, bias ratings, and factuality checks for articles, allowing users to compare perspectives and form their own opinions.
The tweets [12:07]
A week before Mano Alo's debut, Momo Suu Nene, another Gen 5 member, shared fan art, inadvertently revealing the past lives of the entire generation. Fans recognized the art style, found the artist, and connected the dots to the other girls' past life accounts. This made it easy to confirm Mano Alo's distinctive voice with her past life. Disgruntled fans used this information to attack her, finding reasons to hate her and uncovering confidential information.
The "Fatal Stream" [13:47]
Mano Alo had been active online since 2014, leaving a significant digital footprint. Around 2017 or 2018, she became Delutaya and created a Twitter account. On this account, where she shared her dreams of joining Hololive, antis found horny and immature jokes deemed unsuitable for an idol. They criticized her for being unprofessional and unfitting for Hololive. However, the context of Delutaya's online persona was a result of a difficult past, including childhood trauma and dropping out of high school. She found escape online, making questionable jokes, including derogatory remarks. Additionally, rumors of a boyfriend and her diagnosis of severe bipolar disorder further fueled the backlash.
Nijisanji Rumors and Kudo Chitose [20:08]
The biggest issue stemmed from a Twitcast stream on her Dei account, where she discussed her past experiences and criticized the idol industry and black companies. Despite her critiques being aimed at the industry in general, fans twisted her words into accusations of hypocrisy and breaching NDAs. She also brought the ire of the Nijisanji fan base upon herself by mentioning Kudo Chitose, an ex-Nijisanji member, and linking her Indie VTuber account to her past identity, considered a major taboo.
MASS & Western Fan reactions [22:35]
Nijisanji supporters accused Mano Alo of breaching NDAs and spreading misinformation, while Hololive fans accused her of recklessness. Fans penned an open letter to Hololive's international fan base, emphasizing the gravity of her actions. Mano Alo acknowledged her mistake and apologized, but the context of her actions was often ignored. Her stream was a space to share genuine concerns about the VTuber industry's darker side, which ironically foreshadowed her own fate. Despite attempts to debunk misinformation, a rabid fan base painted her as a threat to Hololive's image, intensifying calls for her removal.
Graduation [26:17]
As Mano Alo faced controversy, her international fan base formed the Mano Alo Support Squad (MASS) on August 18, 2020, to combat negativity with love and encouragement. They launched a website, message board, and hashtag project to amplify their message. While some claimed this exacerbated the harassment, the campaign resonated with Mano Alo, demonstrating unwavering support. The atmosphere on English-language Discord servers was different from the negativity on Japanese platforms, with many expressing concern and offering encouragement.
Where did the antis go? [27:48]
On August 30th, Hololive announced Mano Alo's voluntary graduation due to the mental and physical toll of relentless harassment. The remaining Gen 5 members confirmed the news on September 1st. The antis celebrated, while others questioned if they had gone too far. International fans grappled with grief, anger, and guilt. Blame shifted to Hololive for not protecting her, leading to demands for an anti-harassment policy. Hololive eventually implemented such a policy and a reporting feature in 2020. After her graduation, the harassment drastically decreased.
Delutaya is Born Again [33:24]
After her graduation, Delutaya fell into despair and attempted suicide. She received mental health support and eventually reemerged to protect her fans from a fake Mano Alo Twitter account. Fans rallied to support her, brainstorming ways to help her escape her difficult home environment. Fanbox emerged as a solution, allowing fans to provide direct financial support. She started a diary format, sharing her thoughts and feelings, and fans contributed by purchasing items to create a sanctuary within her room. Delutaya credited her fans with saving her and giving her a reason to keep going.
Drama with Mikeneko [34:19]
Delutaya embarked on a difficult journey towards recovery, marked by hospitalizations and hiatuses. She reemerged slowly, eventually returning to the public eye with a new 2D model in September 2022. However, she found herself in a controversy with Mikeneko, who accused her of spreading negative rumors. Delutaya denied the accusations and attempted to resolve the misunderstanding, but Mikeneko refused communication without legal representation. Delutaya released a public statement and declared her intention to move forward with her content creation.
Outro [35:28]
Mano Alo's story is a reminder of the internet's cruelty and the power of hope and resilience. She emerged stronger, having made peace with her past struggles and grateful for the support of her fans.