KemoV (けもV , KemoV), also known as the Kemono Friends V Project (けものフレンズVぷろじぇくと, Kemono Furenzu V Purojekuto) is a Virtual YouTuber spinoff of the Kemono Friends Project run by the media conglomerate KADOKAWA.
Background[]
KemoV and the greater Kemono Friends multimedia franchise feature moe anthropomorized girl versions of real animals, called "Friends", who live in a special zoo called Japari Park. Kemono Friends is a multimedia project with anime, manga, games, and live events. The franchise also does collaborations with other franchises. A special part of Kemono Friends due to its subject matter is promotions with Japanese zoos & other groups invested in wildlife preservation & education. The concept designer for Kemono Friends is Mine Yoshizaki.
Kemono Friends also features the concept of "generations" (not to be confused with the VTuber/idol definition). The same type of Friend can have differences in appearance, personality, or backstory depending on which generation they're a part of. Depending on the installment, the Friends exist in a thriving environment co-existing with humans in and outside Japari Park (Generation 1), taken care of by staff but not able to interact with the outside world due to attacking the park, or in an abandoned Japari Park reclaimed by nature with no human activity (Generation ?). Most Kemono Friends media takes place in Generation ?.
KemoV VTubers stream with 3D avatars on YouTube. The character designs are similar to their appearances in other Kemono Friends media, but have details specific to their VTuber incarnations. It's currently unknown what generation of Friends KemoV belongs to, if any. KemoV itself is newcomer friendly, but KemoV VTubers occasionally make references to certain characters and aspects of the franchise in their streams.
History[]
2021[]
On 25 April 2021, KemoV was first announced during PPP ONLINE LIVE ~Sekai Penguin no-chi Dai Kanshasai~, a live concert for the Kemono Friends idol group, Penguins Performance Project.[1]
On 26 April 2021, African Penguin and Humboldt Penguin debuted on a collaborative stream on African Penguin's channel in full 3D.[2] In other Kemono Friends media, Humboldt Penguin has always been a part of PPP across all generations. Humboldt Penguin is described as a PPP member on the official KemoV website.[3]
On 7 June 2021, Island Fox's debut was announced during SEGA's "Wakuwaku Dokidoki Exploration Report" livestream for the game Kemono Friends 3. She debuted on 11 June 2021.[4][5]
On 19 September 2021, African Penguin, Humboldt Penguin, and Island Fox performed during Life Like A Live!2, a weekend virtual idol concert.[6] The same day, African Penguin's appearance on Gariben Girl V aired.
On 22 September, African Penguin had the first collab stream with a VTuber outside of KemoV. She played the horror game Tsugunohi with Hololive's Natsuiro Matsuri, who was also a guest on African Penguin's episode of Gariben Girl V.[7]
On 1 December, KemoV introduced Coyote, their first bilingual English/Japanese speaking VTuber. She debuted on 5 December.[8][9]
Members[]
| African Penguin (Cape Penguin) | Humboldt Penguin (Hululu) | Island Fox (Shimahai) | Coyote |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Dire Wolf | Caracal | Large-Spotted Genet | Geoffroy's Cat (Geofu) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
KEMONO GAMERS[]
| Siberian Chipmunk (Shimarisu) | Jungle Cat (Gururu) | Brown Long-Eared Bat (Usako) |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
The members are also assisted by the moderator Arai-san, a mysterious individual who the members don't remember giving mod privileges to. Arai is able to provide help when they're struggling with something. Arai-san is also the name of a specific Raccoon Friend who appears in the Kemono Friends anime and in the Nexon mobile game.
External links[]
- KemoV Project official website (in Japanese and English)
- KemoV official Twitter (Japanese)
- Kemono Friends official website (Japanese)
Twitter hashtags[]
Further reading[]
- KemoV on Japari Library (English)
- KemoV on Pixiv Dictionary (Japanese)
- KemoV on Wikiwiki (Japanese)
References[]
- ↑ https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000083.000050441.html [Post]. (n.d.). PR TIMES.
- ↑ https://youtu.be/Gxia9tP6jWM [Video]. (n.d.). YouTube.
- ↑ https://en.kemov-project.com/%E3%83%95%E3%83%B3%E3%83%9C%E3%83%AB%E3%83%88%E3%83%9A%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AE%E3%83%B3 [Post]. (n.d.). kemov-project.com.
- ↑ https://youtu.be/f4scXxO5YuU [Video]. (n.d.). YouTube.
- ↑ https://youtu.be/MGYIVKqHW-Q [Video]. (n.d.). YouTube.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20210921130827/https://lifelikealive.zan-live.com/ [Post]. (n.d.). Wayback Machine.
- ↑ https://youtu.be/ykVL9IsdWUU [Video]. (n.d.). YouTube.
- ↑ https://twitter.com/KEMOVP_staff/status/1465908518125547522 [Tweet]. (n.d.). Twitter.
- ↑ https://youtu.be/vYx4QBSQnZ8 [Video]. (n.d.). YouTube.