Is there a VTuber who people want to protect at all costs? Can you not possibly imagine them saying anything sus? Chances are, they are a Seiso VTuber.
Much like traditional streamers, VTubers can choose to hold themselves in a manner of different ways. Some are family-friendly, while others lean heavily into crude humour. VTubers, however, have a much stronger opportunity to play into character, given their often-anime-inspired models. Seiso is somewhat of a buzzword in the community and describes one of many personalities that VTubers can lean into.
What does Seiso mean in VTubing?
The word Seiso, meaning “neat and clean, tidy, trim,” is a term borrowed from Japanese and is used interchangeably with “wholesome” when talking about VTubers. Heralding from the industry’s roots in Japanese idols, the term originally referred to someone who is considered “pure, clean, and ideal.”
A VTuber can be considered ‘Seiso’ when they play into a wholesome character archetype. While there is no official definition for what a Seiso Vtuber is, it is common for talents who personify this trait to present as cute and innocent. Oftentimes they will be soft-spoken, calm, and their voice will be easy on the ears.
One thing most people can agree on is Seiso VTubers aren’t sexual. Their models can still be sexy, scary, or just about anything. Instead, it’s more of a personality thing. As long as the streamer themselves is “innocent,” they are considered Seiso.
VTubers of this kind will avoid cussing or making crude jokes on stream. Lewd humour and unintentional innuendos often fly over their heads, which always gets a rise out of their audience. Usually, their chat or collaboration will explain the joke, leaving them flustered and embarrassed.
Occasionally, Seiso VTubers will slip up and curse. The stark contrast between cursing loudly and their usually innocent and calm demeanour is the source of much amusement, and is celebrated by fans as a form of “Gap Moe.”
Where did the phrase “Seiso” originate for Vtubers?
As a descriptor, Seiso is not always used literally. The term is often played up for humour and applied ironically to talents who are anything but Seiso.
The term originally made its way into the VTuber community to jokingly describe Dennou Shojo Siro and Tsukino Mito, both of whom carried a reputation for being exactly the opposite.
The two VTuber forerunners are far from the only ones to embrace the term ironically. In August 2020, VShojo’s Nyatasha Nyanners released a parody of Doja Cat’s “Say So,” poking fun at the concept. Aptly titled “SEISO,” the lyrics reflect a VTuber who is self-described as “The purest, sweetest maiden.”
Over the course of the song, cracks in Nyanners’ facade appear. The VTuber reveals that “No Matter what I do, my inner demon comes through”, and confesses “My mind is truly rotten.”
The tradition of being ironically Seiso has since been carried on by the likes of Mysta Rias, rpr, and many others.
During the second collaboration between the members of Hololive English Myth, Takanashi Kiara brought out a graph that charted each VTuber on a set of axes marked “purity” and “intelligence.”
“The higher you are, the more pure and Seiso you are,” Kiara established early into the exercise.
Kiara’s bit backfired when her character designer, huke, dropped into her YouTube chat and accused her of being “bottom left.” The phrase started being used as a derogatory signifying the opposite of Seiso, “dumb and horny.” It was one of Hololive English’s earliest memes and was the topic of many clippable moments.
Kiara famously explained the term to Hololive’s content manager, A-chan, via her talk-show-inspired segment HOLOTALK.
