- Interview Date: 7/5/2024
- Interview Location: Anime Expo 2024
Anime Herald: How did the collaboration with the Los Angeles Dodgers come about?
Max Kim: We’ve got an occasion workforce in our firm. They deal with particular occasions. They had been in a position to join with the Dodgers. We jumped on the chance. We felt this was a great way to attach with our followers, and a brand new viewers as properly.
Anime Herald: Did you attend the sport?
Max Kim: Sure, I used to be there.
Anime Herald: Have been you in a position to see the traces for the playing cards?
Max Kim: Sure, I did.
Anime Herald: Apparently they had been the longest merch traces in Dodgers historical past. There clearly is a few demand for them. How do folks get these playing cards, or had been they solely out there on the recreation?
Max Kim: As per our settlement with the Dodgers, they had been unique to the sport. It was designed to be memorable. We did the tee shirts, the buying and selling playing cards and caps. We wished to commemorate this occasion.
Anime Herald: Can we stay up for extra buying and selling playing cards from you sooner or later?
Max Kim: This has already been introduced in Japan. We’re going to have our personal hololive buying and selling card recreation.
(Editor’s be aware: I initially thought he was referring to the Weiß Schwarz launch, however Max confirmed over e mail that he’s referring to a distinct product. It seems that that is the discharge in query. You may observe the hololive OFFICIAL CARD GAME on Twitter)
Anime Herald: Do we now have a tough timeline for when these shall be launched in America?
Max Kim: Not but, nevertheless it’s one thing that we certainly wish to look into.
Anime Herald: Are you able to discuss your collaboration with Anime Expo?
Max Kim: Positive. Anime Expo is among the largest anime conventions within the US. We had been right here final 12 months, as properly. We’ve been going to plenty of conventions world wide and the US. We wish to attain out to the followers, and provides them an expertise they’ll’t have elsewhere. We’ve got a sales space the place we now have unique streams. It’s not on YouTube or streaming; it’s unique for the followers right here.
The very attention-grabbing factor is we now have a digital camera arrange so our skills can see and listen to the viewers cheering for them. It’s a distinct expertise for them. Usually, they’ll solely see the YouTube feedback within the chat. Simply text-based communication. Right here, they’ll see the gang cheering and singing alongside and responding to them. It’s been a novel expertise for our skills and the followers.
Anime Herald: Have there been any alternatives for them to speak instantly?
Max Kim: Sure. We’ve achieved some question-and-answer classes. All of it is dependent upon what the abilities wish to do. They’ve achieved karaoke, Q & A’s, quizzes…
The love and engagement, not only for our skills… Our CEO, Motoaki Tanigo, or higher often known as YAGOO, could be very well-loved by our followers. And never simply him, different employees in our firm as properly. The love and engagement our followers have offered could be very overwhelming. We’re very grateful for that. We’re glad to have been in a position to interact with our followers in several methods.
Anime Herald: Have you ever had an opportunity to cease by the shrine?
Max Kim: Sure. A-Chan.
Anime Herald: If I recall, her retirement was introduced June twenty eighth, and he or she retired June thirtieth. Not plenty of time for folks to organize.
Max Kim: Sure, certainly.
Anime Herald: This was a uncommon case. I don’t suppose anybody anticipated A-chan to be as widespread as she was. A bigger function was crafted for her as a result of the followers beloved her.
Max Kim: Sure. She took a really energetic function when it comes to communication from the company aspect as properly. She was a spokesperson for hololive manufacturing. Not simply on the JP aspect. She tried very arduous over time to be taught English as properly. That gathered her affection from the English followers as properly.
Anime Herald: An enormous loss.
What’s your private function within the firm?
Max Kim: I lead the gross sales and licensing for the US workplace. We launched the workplace this 12 months.
We’d been doing plenty of this from Japan. There’s been plenty of collaboration on licensing and promotional work with recreation corporations. We work with iBUYPOWER. I used to be in Japan main the abroad enterprise division.
With the expansion of English fandom, we felt we would have liked a devoted department in america. For instance, I needed to be part of a name at 2:00 AM within the morning. It was troublesome to work with the East Coast. The West Coast was a bit simpler. That type of communication needed to occur. To make it extra fluid, we wished a US department. I’m right here because the Cowl USA gross sales and licensing director.
Anime Herald: What new occasions is the US workplace planning? What’s within the pipeline?
Max Kim: I can’t share many particulars.
Anime Herald: Simply typically, then.
Max Kim: I believe a very good instance is what we’ve seen with the Dodgers. We even have a collaboration with Tsujita Artisan Noodle (in LA, after which Fort Lee NJ). Pop up shops, or collaborations with cafes or eating places. That’s one thing we’ve been doing in Japan and all through Asia. They’re aware of it. That’s a case the place the group can collect and discuss with one another, and infrequently, commerce and alternate items as a few of our merch is random. It’s one thing we’ve achieved plenty of in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the remainder of Asia. Hopefully we will replicate that in America. Alternatives the place the group can collect.
Anime Herald: Have been you aware of the Fox tv present “Alter Ego”? There have been singers performing, however the picture wasn’t of them. The present doesn’t seem to have lived as much as what Fox hoped for because it didn’t come again.
It seems like VTubers join with youthful generations who perceive it instantly. The older generations are like “What is that this?”
Max Kim: (Laughs) Sure.
Anime Herald: Is that this a case the place you’re always introducing folks to the idea of what a Vtuber is?
Max Kim: Completely. The idea of a VTuber, whereas it has turn out to be mainstream in Japan, continues to be one thing that older generations within the US can discover a bit unusual. It’s a Japanese subculture. The appear and feel of anime continues to be one thing very international for the mainstream.
Really, the scenario was the identical in Japan 4 or 5 years in the past. When VTubers first got here out, there was a visible enchantment, however the idea was one thing new. Round 2017, 2018. What we did was collaborate with a number of the massive mainstream corporations and video games to extend visibility and publicity. Meals and drinks, immediate noodles, comfort shops. Enhance publicity to the mainstream and construct familiarity with the idea of VTubers.
I believe, finally, what we wish to obtain within the US is to attempt to replicate that success. We wish to introduce the idea of VTubers to wider audiences. Hopefully we will try this by our collaborations with the Dodgers and Tsujita Artisan Noodle, and different massive companies going ahead. I believe such collaborations may help us attain that aim.
Anime Herald: I’m a New York Mets fan. I believe a hololive night time at Citi Subject can be very fashionable.
Max Kim: We had been very shocked by what number of followers turned out on the Dodger recreation. It was surreal for us.
Anime Herald: You didn’t know what to anticipate. You didn’t anticipate this.
Max Kim: We didn’t anticipate it to be this partaking for the viewers.
In Japan we’ve achieved partnerships with the Pacific League. We had two skills per workforce. If we will try this with Main League Baseball, that’s one thing we’d like to do.
Anime Herald: Are there VTubers who’re big sports activities followers that is likely to be good matches for this?
Max Kim: We’ve got 89 VTubers. Each considered one of them has completely different tastes, hobbies, strengths, and experiences. There are VTubers who love sure sports activities and groups. For instance, Kiara (Takanashi), was doing a watch-along for Euros, rooting for her nation.
(Editor’s be aware: Takanashi Kiara speaks German, English, and Japanese.)
I believe sporting collaborations are one thing we will certainly do. We wish to attain out to the mainstream. I believe this can be a wonderful means to do this.
Anime Herald: You’ve had an opportunity to obtain some suggestions from the followers. What have you ever realized that may change how COVER Corp. operates going ahead?
Max Kim: We hear from followers on a regular basis, over time. If there’s one factor we’d wish to improve, it might be for customers within the West to have higher entry to our merch and content material. That’s one of many causes I’m right here. We’ve got our personal merchandising, in addition to merchandise that we create by way of licensing. Watching the stream is one factor, but in addition with the ability to purchase their items.
In Japan we name it “Oshikatsu.” Supporting the abilities that you just love, not simply by watching on-line, however collaborating in numerous actions. It’s very troublesome to do this within the West. The delivery charges are excessive. It takes time. It’s troublesome for followers to get their arms on the official items.
That’s why a number of the collaborations right here in America had been profitable. We may present the licensed merch for the followers, so they might put on it to the anime conventions and present their help. We wish to make it occur extra steadily so it’s simpler for them to get their arms on it.
Anime Herald: That sounds a bit like Japanese idols. You help your favorites by shopping for the merch, or the chekis.
Max Kim: Sure.
Anime Herald: I can think about why that will be a difficult tradition to recreate within the US.
Max Kim: On the identical time, right here within the US, sports activities followers purchase their merch. You watch them on TV. It’s not nearly watching. I don’t suppose it’s as international as idol tradition. It’s simply bodily troublesome proper now.
Anime Herald: In America, with rock bands, you purchase the tee shirt, you purchase the album, you go to the live performance.
Max Kim: Sure.
Anime Herald: Is there the rest you’d like to debate?
Max Kim: Ultimately, what enabled us to do the Dodgers collaboration, the Tsujita Artisan Noodle collaboration, what enabled us to develop this massive, to have this sort of presence at Anime Expo, is our skills, and the help from our followers. As I discussed, we grew in Japan by rising our publicity. It was a cycle we created. We’d like to copy that within the US.
Anime Herald: Do you ever go browsing and work together instantly with the fanbase?
Max Kim: Oh, no. I attempt to steer clear of that as a lot as attainable. I’m going into the group to learn what they’re saying however I attempt to steer clear of typing something there.
Anime Herald: That’s a really attention-grabbing reply you simply gave. There was a response there.
Max Kim: Sure. (Laughs)
Anime Herald: Is that this a scenario the place you are feeling like in the event that they knew you had been there, they’d all have questions for you?
Max Kim: That’s one factor, nevertheless it’s extra… how can I say… I don’t wish to make feedback on what I do know, as a result of it will likely be a distinct perspective from what followers know.
After all, monitoring the group is a vital half. Ensuring we all know what the followers are speaking about, and the way they’re reacting to our content material. That suggestions helps us enhance. However me typing there, and making feedback is one thing I wish to steer clear of. I come from a gaming background. It’s one thing I realized from there as properly.
Anime Herald: Do you will have any questions for us?
Max Kim: We’re simply getting our foothold within the US. We’d love to seek out extra connections and companions who we will work along with. We wish to increase the tradition of VTubers. It might be sports activities, or leisure, or main manufacturers. The query I at all times have is how can we discover them and discuss to them and make them thinking about what we now have to supply?
Anime Herald: In that case, I’ve a few questions for you. What are you in search of out of your collaborative companions? The Dodgers are fairly well-known, and have a serious Japanese connection by way of Shohei Ohtani. Tsujita Artisan Noodle Firm is clearly a well-respected ramen firm. For a corporation that doesn’t have a Japanese connection, what are you in search of from them?
Max Kim: As I discussed, we wish to increase past the Japanese anime group. Whereas VTubers feel and look very near anime, it’s additionally a streaming tradition. That’s one thing that’s spreading within the US as properly. If an organization is in search of a technique to interact followers, particularly youthful generations, I believe that’s a means we will work collectively.
Anime Herald: So, one of many stuff you’re in search of is corporations trying to interact with a youthful fanbase. You’ve heard of Carnegie Corridor.
Max Kim: Sure.
Anime Herald: There’s the well-known line. A vacationer asks a avenue musician in New York “How do you get to Carnegie Corridor?” He responds “Observe, observe, observe.”
Is that the type of venue the place you’d look to host a reside occasion?
Max Kim: After all. Final 12 months we did a live performance on the YouTube Theater in LA. This 12 months we’re doing a live performance at Kings Theater in Brooklyn throughout Anime NYC.
In Japan, we now have our annual FES (hololive SUPER EXPO 2024). This was our fifth FES expo. We offered out our offsite live performance, 56,000 tickets. We additionally offered out of our tour packages for our viewers from abroad. Final 12 months we offered out the YouTube theater, 6,000 tickets. This 12 months, we offered out King’s Theater, 3,000 tickets for every present, offered out.
What we try to do within the US is let folks know what VTubing is and what potential we now have. To succeed in out and interact youthful generations. You talked about Carnegie Corridor, however there are plenty of prestigious live performance halls.
Anime Herald: After all. I assume hololive manufacturing can promote out any live performance corridor within the US. I’m unsure if you happen to’d wish to attempt to promote out a stadium just like the Meadowlands. I’m guessing Kings theater offered out inside a number of days.
Max Kim: We do wish to go greater. It was very troublesome to get the tickets at Kings Theater. It offered out rapidly.
Anime Herald: There are concert events that we watch reside at film theaters. There are plenty of film theaters, so you may promote plenty of tickets total.
Max Kim: That’s one thing we’re doing proper now. When we now have a live performance in Japan we’ll do two issues. The primary one is promote on-line tickets by a 3rd celebration platform the place you may watch the live performance reside on-line.
The second is reside viewing. We’ve got partnered with theaters. We’ll ship the alerts to theaters in Japan and abroad, to Korea and Indonesia simply to provide a number of examples. We did this with the FES earlier this 12 months. We had on air, reside, within the theaters. Individuals who had tickets may are available, with their glow sticks and whatnot. Not simply watching it alone at residence, however with different followers.
Simply watching it on-line is one factor, however like with Anime Expo, with the ability to get along with the group is an enormous a part of the expertise. Sharing the love for the performers. Discovering extra alternatives the place folks can do that’s one thing we’re trying into.
Anime Herald: Thanks very a lot.
Max Kim: Thanks.
