VTuber fan guide: fan letters, merch and voice packs
Understand oshi, hashtags and clips; compare merch and download voice packs. For hololive or NIJISANJI fan letters, compare their different rules, draft your own message with an example, and check it before mailing.
Updated
How to get to know a VTuber community
A fan name, an emoji and a hashtag can refer to the same creator while serving different purposes. Start with the official profile and channel guidance, then choose how to take part at your own pace.
What oshi means
Oshi is used for someone or something you especially like and want to support or recommend. The Japanese dictionary Digital Daijisen records that broader meaning; it is not the name of a particular YouTube or other platform feature.
To find someone you enjoy, try different kinds of work: a song, a conversation or a collaboration. You can enjoy a performance without knowing every community joke. This guide offers starting points, not a test of how much you know or spend as a fan.
Fan names: two official examples
Hoshimachi Suisei’s official profile identifies her fans as Hoshiyomi (Stargazers). Mori Calliope’s uses Dead Beats. These show how a community can have its own name rather than simply using the channel’s name.
When you encounter a nickname in a post, check whether the creator lists it in their profile or introduces it themselves. Do not use that name to infer who pays for membership, or assume a third-party nickname is official. The artist profiles linked below offer a route into their work and careers.
Oshi marks and hashtags: check their purpose
An oshi mark is an emoji or combination of emoji associated with a creator; it is not a search hashtag. Look for how the creator presents it before copying it. A hashtag groups posts, and one creator may use separate tags for stream discussion and fan art.
Suisei lists #ほしまちすたじお for streams and #ほしまちぎゃらりー for fan art. Calliope lists #calliolive and #カリオライブ for streams, and #callillust and #カリイラスト for fan art. Keep the exact spelling and check the purpose at the source: an approximate translation does not replace the published tag.
Before joining the chat
Read the stream description and the channel’s pinned guidance. Check whether the creator specifies languages, spoiler handling or topics to avoid; do not turn another channel’s customs into rules for this one. If you arrived through a clip, watching that passage in the original stream helps establish context.
For concerns, use the reporting routes provided by the platform or creator. As one specific example, COVER asks people not to use its guidelines as grounds to attack or publicly expose other fans. You can enjoy the content without joining a dispute.
Subscribe and Join are different
On YouTube, Subscribe brings a channel’s new uploads into your Subscriptions feed. Notification settings are separate. Join is the membership programme of a participating channel: it involves monthly payments and may include badges, emoji or exclusive content.
Do not confuse those membership emoji or badges with an oshi mark in a biography. Before paying, read that channel’s offered benefits and terms. A fan name identifies a community; it does not establish that someone has paid membership.
VTuber conventions and meet & greets: what your badge includes
Before booking, identify the session organiser, admission method, time and recording rules. The table uses OffKai as a specific example; for another convention, consult its own terms. A participation announcement does not itself confirm an individual session with you.
| What to check | Official-source example | Your next step |
|---|---|---|
| Badge and session | OffKai requires registration for M&G lotteries; Whale includes one ticket with guest exclusions. | Read the tier terms; a badge does not automatically reserve your chosen session. |
| Priority access | Supa Rainbow offers priority lottery access, not M&G early entry; exclusions apply. | Distinguish entering a lottery from holding a ticket; confirm the session time. |
| Who runs it | OffKai separates its own meet & greets from third-party sessions, which it neither endorses nor operates. | Check who manages the session and whom to contact if something goes wrong. |
| Photos and recording | OffKai bars photography and recording during panels and events unless stated otherwise; permission is required to capture attendees, guests or cosplayers. | Check that session’s rules and posted signs; holding a ticket is not recording permission. |
Fan art and clips: check whose material you use
COVER and ANYCOLOR publish their own derivative-work guidelines. ANYCOLOR also asks fans to respect its creators’ individual directions. Consult the rules for the particular material; do not transfer one company’s terms to another or treat a fan-art hashtag as permission for every use.
For clips of its content, COVER asks for the source link and title, and for the stream to end and its archive to become public first. Its general clip rules do not cover paid content without express permission. Preserve context and attribution when sharing; consult the original and its current terms when deciding what to reuse.
Clips: compare each agency’s rules
Start by identifying the material’s rights holder and the creator’s directions. This comparison highlights specific differences; for a particular video, open the full policy linked below and check the rights to games, music and other people’s images too.
| Organisation | Before publishing | Revenue and limits |
|---|---|---|
| hololive / COVER | Wait for a public archive; give its title and URL. Clip-channel registration is available. | Platform monetization depends on compliance with the rules. Do not register clips in Content ID. |
| NIJISANJI / ANYCOLOR | Register your clip account beforehand; link the original. Respect talent-specific directions. | The fan-work rules are not blanket commercial permission. Check the applicable conditions. |
| Phase Connect | Requires an added creative element; excludes members-only content. | Fan or hobby scope; businesses must contact the company. |
How to prepare a translation that preserves context
A useful translation makes clear who is speaking, what is happening and where the passage comes from. This is an editorial workflow for organising the work; it does not replace the policy checks above.
- Save the original title, channel and URL, plus start and end timestamps. This lets the reader return to the exact passage.
- Watch what happens before and after it. Preserve who asks a question, who answers and whether someone is quoting another person or performing a character.
- Check names, game terminology and jokes. If a word is unclear, mark it or leave the passage pending; do not fill the gap with a guess.
- Separate subtitles from your explanations. Label translator notes and avoid titles that turn a joke or question into a factual claim.
- Compare the result with the original and credit the source, language and translation or editing. If you later find an error, publish a correction the audience can find.
Can a permitted clip earn money on YouTube?
YouTube assesses reused content at channel level, separately from copyright. Having the creator’s permission does not guarantee passing that assessment. The platform looks for significant original contribution; making minimal changes to someone else’s video can breach its rules even without a copyright claim.
Before planning revenue, resolve both checks: whether you may use each piece of material and whether your work meets the channel monetization policies. Adding subtitles alone does not establish that both checks are satisfied.
Where to buy VTuber merch: identify the seller
Start with a link published by the creator, agency or event and check the domain when you reach the shop. A character image or the word “official” in an advert does not establish that relationship on its own. Distinguish a creator’s own shop, a linked retailer, and resale or fan-made goods: each calls for different checks.
For a verifiable example, hololive’s official SUPER EXPO 2026 merchandise page listed both hololive production OFFICIAL SHOP and Geek Jack. That publication identifies sales channels for that event; its past order window does not confirm current availability. For another product or creator, return to the specific announcement.
In-stock, preorder and digital goods
Before comparing prices, record which version you are buying, what it contains and when orders are accepted. A preorder deadline, an album release and a parcel dispatch are different milestones. Keep the deadline’s time zone and distinguish an estimated shipping date from an arrival date.
| Type | Check the listing | Before comparing |
|---|---|---|
| In stock | Variant, contents, stock and handling period. | Do not equate “available” with immediate delivery. |
| Preorder or made to order | Closing time zone, shipping window and order conditions. | Compare the same edition; note whether a bonus is random, printed or hand-signed. |
| Digital | Format, language, access method and any inclusion in a physical bundle. | Do not assume a CD, download or redistribution licence absent from the listing. |
Where to download hololive and BOOTH voice packs
Before buying, check the performer, language, track list and file format stated in the listing. Check whether the pack belongs to a bundle, whether an extra track is sold separately and when each item is delivered. A free sample can help you decide whether you enjoy the recording; it is not the complete product.
After paying, keep the confirmation and return to the shop where you ordered. Access depends on the seller: a shop account, a YouTube membership and a digital purchase are not interchangeable. Do not buy again just because you cannot find the download button.
| Shop | Where to look | What to check next |
|---|---|---|
| hololive production OFFICIAL SHOP | Sign in to My Account and open Digital Content List; on mobile, start with the person icon. | For missing content, check the order and the date specified in the listing. |
| BOOTH | Use the payment-completion email link, purchase history or library. | Check which file you are downloading; a ZIP needs extraction. |
How to open a voice pack on iPhone or Android
First identify the downloaded file. If it ends in .zip, extract its contents before looking for tracks; if it is already an audio file, move to playback. ZIP is a container, not an audio format. Keep the original filename so you can compare it with the listing.
Open a track with an application that supports its format. If the file is visible but silent, check the volume and audio output, then try another track from the pack. Renaming an extension does not convert audio. For an archive other than ZIP, check the seller’s instructions before choosing a tool.
| Device | Open the ZIP | After extraction |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone or iPad | In Files, find and tap the ZIP. Open the folder it creates. | Find the tracks inside that folder. |
| Android with Files by Google | Select the ZIP, tap Extract, then Done. This feature supports .zip files. | The extracted files are saved beside the ZIP. |
Missing download, failed ZIP or no sound: what to check
Note which stage fails: order access, download, extraction or playback. That distinction avoids asking the shop to fix an audio player, or looking for another app when you have not obtained the file yet.
| Problem | First check | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| The product is missing | Compare the shop, account and payment confirmation. | For a missing hololive purchase, use its inquiry form with purchase email, date and product names. |
| You cannot find the BOOTH download | Return to the payment-completion email, history or library. | If still missing, consult BOOTH help with the order identified. |
| The ZIP will not extract | Check the extension and whether the download finished. | If Files by Google reports full storage, free space and extract again. If it persists, give the seller the filename and error. |
| The track will not play | Check that you opened an extracted track and that the app supports its format. | Try another track and check audio output. For help, record the device, app, format and error message. |
International shipping and combined orders
For hololive production OFFICIAL SHOP, check destinations and shipping options on its international-delivery page and at checkout. Not every product or destination offers the same methods. Enter your actual country and address when comparing; a price displayed for another market is not your own quote.
Its FAQ says an order containing different shipping dates waits for the item with the latest date. Geek Jack likewise ships an order’s items together when ready, and says separate orders cannot be combined into one shipment. Decide what to group before paying, balancing how long you can wait against each shipping quote.
These are those shops’ rules, not every seller’s. If you need an intermediary, check purchasing, receipt and onward shipping separately, including who handles problems. Save the order confirmation and shipping window, then check parcel tracking when dispatched; a preorder without tracking is not by itself evidence that a parcel has been lost.
Compare total cost, not just the item price
Use the same basket, destination and comparison currency for both shops. Start with the checkout total and add only costs it excludes. Do not add taxes or shipping a second time when already included. Mark a missing quote as “not quoted”, rather than zero; do not call a shop cheapest before completing the comparison.
| Cost | Record for each option | Avoid counting twice |
|---|---|---|
| Item | Same edition, quantity, bonuses and applied discount. | A bundle and a single item are not the same basket. |
| Shipping | Each shipment, including any intermediary’s onward leg. | Mark whether checkout already includes it. |
| Taxes and handling | Amounts included, charged separately or not yet quoted. | Do not apply a universal rate or repeat included tax. |
| Intermediary | Applicable purchase, receipt, storage or consolidation fees. | Check what its quote covers and what remains pending. |
| Currency and payment | Charged currency, conversion and payment-method fees. | Use one currency for the final comparison. |
- Save the listing, confirmation, seller and deadline with its time zone.
- Read that shop’s cancellation, problem-reporting and contact terms before payment; do not borrow another shop’s rules.
- For a date-sensitive gift, compare production and shipping lead time, not just the sales deadline.
Fan letters: hololive and NIJISANJI rules
Do not carry one agency’s rules over to another. Checked on 20 October 2026; ANYCOLOR’s page states a revision dated 12 November 2025. This table is a starting point: read the linked full conditions before preparing your envelope.
| Recipient | Letter contents | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| hololive production | Current talents; no gifts or photographs. No length limit. Omit your address, phone number and email from the letter body. | Use the current FAQ for the address and recipient name. Delivery dates and replies are not promised. |
| NIJISANJI / NIJISANJI EN | Eligible talents; up to five pages of writing paper: both sides count as two. Use a handle; omit real names and social IDs. | Read ANYCOLOR’s full rules for formats, envelopes and any announced final acceptance window for that talent. |
Writing your fan letter: an adaptable example
This exercise is an editorial suggestion, not an agency’s required template. A specific observation can communicate your thanks better than a catalogue of the creator’s entire career. You do not need to share private information or prove how much you have spent.
Fill-in example: “Hello [talent name], I enjoyed [work or stream] because [specific detail]. I especially liked [moment], and it encouraged me to [effect you want to share]. Thank you for [appreciation]. I wish you well with your next projects. [Signature allowed by the recipient’s rules].” Replace the fields with your own experience; do not invent one to complete the example.
- Choose a work or moment you remember; check the title if you name it.
- Write in a language you can review. If translating, check names, tone and meaning; this guide does not promise that a particular language is accepted.
- Explain what you appreciated without requesting private contact or making a reply feel like an obligation.
- Review your signature against the recipient’s rules: permitted names and identifiers differ.
Before mailing your letter from overseas
Run this check after drafting and before paying for postage. We do not duplicate a postal address that could become outdated: open the linked official instructions for this particular mailing.
- Confirm the talent, recipient name and current acceptance window; an old profile is not enough.
- Open that agency’s policy and copy its current address. Check contents, page count, format and envelope; do not use another company’s conditions.
- Ask your postal operator which sender details and forms it requires. Separate shipping information from the message the talent will read; clarify any apparent conflict before mailing.
- Keep your receipt and any tracking. Postal delivery does not confirm that the talent has received or read the letter; do not assume a reply.
A short checklist before posting
These checks help you move from recognising a name to sharing something useful. You do not need to complete them to watch a video; they are especially helpful when recommending, translating or sharing something.
- Confirm the creator’s channel or account through their official profile.
- Check who uses the fan name and what it means in that context.
- Copy the exact hashtag and check whether it is for streams, art or another purpose.
- Read this channel’s guidance before posting in chat.
- Keep the original link and distinguish a quotation, a clip and a translation.
- Before reusing material, read the applicable guidelines and their current version.