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Kuramochi Meruto (倉持めると) is a female Japanese Virtual YouTuber affiliated with NIJISANJI, debuting as part of the unit "Idios" (いでぃおす) alongside Igarashi Rika, Koshimizu Toru, Ishigami Nozomi, Sophia Valentine, Kaburaki Roco, and Shishido Akari. Previously, she was enrolled as a student in VIRTUAL TALENT ACADEMY (VTA) as part of its second generation.
Introduction Video[]
Profile[]
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Meruto has a crush on cute things. She strives to be a girl who deserves what she likes. The bear in her hand is "Lune". Maybe there is a secret item in its belly...?[3] |
nijisanji.jp |
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キュートなものが大好き。 大好きなものが似合う女の子になるべく日々努力を忘れない。 手に持っている熊は「ルネ」。 お腹の中にはひみつ道具が…?[4] |
nijisanji-store.com |
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可爱的事物是她的最爱。 她每天都不会忘记为成为一个可爱的女孩而努力。 她手中的熊叫"Lune"。 肚子里还有一个秘密工具…?[5] |
Personality[]
Meruto is an extremely cheerful girl who likes chatting a lot. Much like her debut-mate and fellow ex-VIRTUAL TALENT ACADEMY (VTA) student Ishigami Nozomi, Meruto can quite often burst into loud laughter while streaming, to the point that it is now considered by many fans as her signature trait. True to her own description of herself, she is a mature and sexy bright and curious but slightly airheaded gyaru with some childish tendencies and a preference for solving her problems with power (i.e., her fists).[6]
However, that impression would change radically when it comes to singing; she has a magnificent singing voice that is considerably different from her normal voice, which is quite popular with both fans and fellow NIJISANJI livers.[7] Her natural cuteness also masks glimpses of a more scary nature referred to as Dark Kuramochi (暗持), especially as she is known to be one of the most physically imposing Livers in all of NIJISANJI.
Occasionally, Meruto performs a surprisingly excellent play in the video games which she is inexperienced with, sometimes even overtaking other Livers who are good at them; the most notable example of this is during the New Year! NIJISANJI Mahjong Tournament 2024, in which despite she had started playing mahjong only a few days before the tournament, she miraculously ranked at 10th on non-1st-place participants' final score during the qualifiers and made it into the knockout round, much to Meruto herself's surprise. She then reviewed her play during the qualifiers and discussed how she should play in the knockout round with her fans on a practicing stream next morning, deciding to rely on only Riichi using regular suits; she had an amusingly successful run on the round with that playing style, ultimately advancing to the finals and ranked 4th in the entire tournament.
Appearance[]
Meruto has medium-length pink hair that ends in a light purple tinge and a side ponytail on her left side, decorated with pink and black hairpins (in the same ◇◆ motif that all of the Idios members share) and a black polka dot hair tie ribbon. She has blue eyes. In her default appearance, she wears a cropped black hooded jacket with pink lining and white ribbons down the sleeves. She wears a sleeveless white shirt with a pink bow tie and a pair of high waisted black shorts with a diamond-shaped zipper chuck. She has mismatched socks: one black thigh-high stocking with a garterbelt and one pink mid-calf length sock. Her socks are tucked into black legwarmers and white sneakers with pink accents. She carries her bear, Lune, as a shoulder bag. Options:
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Meruto's second outfit is a school uniform-type outfit in a more overtly gyaru style. It consists of a pink, purple, and white windbreaker, a white dress shirt that is unbuttoned at the top and tied beneath her bust, a dark purple bowtie, a short black pleated skirt, a pair of knee-length black socks, white legwarmers, and black school shoes. Her accessories include a black school bag with a Lune charm, and jewelry including earrings, necklaces, and rings. Her outfit came with a new hairstyle, featuring Meruto letting her hair down and various hair decorations; she also now has an ahoge. Options:
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As a VTA student, Meruto had long pink hair and blue eyes. She wore the VTA female uniform, consisting of a hooded black varsity jacket with white stripes, a black cardigan, a white dress shirt, a black necktie with blue, lime green, and purple stripes, and a black pleated skirt with diagonal pinstripes along the bottom hem. She wore black tights and black loafers. |
History[]
Background[]
Shortly after the first generation students of VIRTUAL TALENT ACADEMY (VTA) began publicly streaming, the project announced the beginning of recruitment for its second generation. Applications to audition for VTA's second generation were initially accepted from 19 November to 13 December 2021.[8] Following this, some adjustments were made to the program's curriculum to make the program friendlier to more experienced applicants; second generation audition applications were subsequently accepted for a second period from 22 March to 31 March 2022.[9]
On 21 June 2022, the names and appearances of VTA's second generation of students were revealed on the official VTA Twitter account, including Kuramochi Meruto.[10]
On 22 June 2022, Meruto held her first stream ✗ on the VTA channel. Her first Tweet was made on 27 June 2022.[11] Meruto was placed in class 1, alongside Watarai Hibari, Shikinagi Akira, Aokiri Mihono, Tsuyuzaki Tsuyu, Ishigami Nozomi, Warabi Raika, Kuno Orihito, Saiki Ittetsu, Mikoshiba Jin, and Usami Rito.
On 16 January 2023, ANYCOLOR announced the debut of 7 new female NIJISANJI Livers, including Meruto - making her one of the first members of VTA's second generation to graduate in order to debut directly into NIJISANJI. The 7 Livers' debut stream relays were to be held on 19 January and 20 January 2023.[1][12] In preparation for her debut, Meruto received a full redesign, and all YouTube videos previously created during her time in VTA were hidden.
Meruto's YouTube channel was created on 24 October 2022, and her Twitter in January 2023. Her first Tweet was made on 16 January 2023.
Debut[]
The 7 Livers whose debuts were announced on 16 January 2023 started their activities that same day. On 17 January 2023, they were introduced on a segment of Japan News Network's news program THE TIME,, which aired nationwide and included profiles and reactions to the announcement of their debut.[13]
Meruto made her debut on 20 January 2023, and was the fifth of the group to hold her first stream. After the stream, she released her first solo cover song, of "MIRA" by KANARIA. On 21 January 2023, the members held a clip compilation relay, with clips taken from a collab they had done prior to their debut.[1]
2023[]
On 19 January, prior to her debut, Meruto reached 10,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel.[14]
On 20 January, on the day of her first stream, Meruto reached 20,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel.[15]
On 28 January, the 7 Livers who made their debuts the previous week held their first full group collab stream on Meruto's channel. During this stream, they revealed their unit name for the first time: Idios.[16]
On 29 January, Meruto's channel was approved for monetization.[17]
On 1 February, Meruto's channel became open for memberships.[18]
On 28 February, Meruto reached 50,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel.[19] Also on 28 February, VTuber Style magazine's March issue went on sale, featuring an interview with the members of Idios.[20]
On 16 July, Idios held a stream on Igarashi Rika's channel to celebrate their half-anniversary since debut. During this stream, they announced the release of their line of half-anniversary goods as well as their first group cover, of halyosy's "Connecting".
On 4 November, Meruto debuted her second 2D outfit.[21]
At NijiFes 2023, which was held from 23 December to 24 December, she was one of the judges for the 3rd NIJISANJI Uta Uma Senshuken!! singing contest alongside Morinaka Kazaki and Genzuki Tojiro on Day 1.[22]
2024[]
On 7 January, shortly after the conclusion of the New Year! NIJISANJI Mahjong Tournament 2024, Meruto reached 100,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel during a guerilla endurance stream.[23]
On 16 January, Idios held a stream on Meruto's channel to celebrate their first anniversary since debut. During this stream, they announced the release of their line of first anniversary goods as well as their second group cover, of halyosy's "Blessing".
On 21 February, her first solo single was released as part of the FOCUS ON - NIJISANJI SINGLE COLLECTION project. It contained two original A-side tracks, "Sentimental Beat" (センチメンタルビート) and "Odd Night". It peaked at #24 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart.[24]
On 27 September, Meruto debuted her 3D model.[25]
Discography[]
- Main page: Kuramochi Meruto/Discography
FOCUS ON | 21 February 2024 | |
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Digital Release • NIJISANJI Official Store |
Events[]
2023[]
- On 23 January, it was announced that the January 2023 wave of NIJISANJI Livers, including Meruto, were chosen as models for accessory brand Dinamis. The chosen Livers were included in advertisement campaigns at two locations featuring original illustrations highlighting their accessories: Tokyo Station, running from 23 January to 5 February; and Umeda Station, running from 23 January to 29 January.[26] This has since become a recurring collaboration, with the members of Idios continuing to model for Dinamis' subsequent collections alongside the brand's non-virtual models.
- On 24 July, it was announced that the 2023 Kanda Myōjin Nōryō Matsuri (a major summer festival that takes place at Kanda Shrine) would be collaborating with Idios. The collaboration included goods featuring original artwork of the members in yukata, such as shaved ice, a summer festival set (consisting of a T-shirt, hand towel, an uchiwa, badge set, and shopping bag), posters, the uchiwa separately, and ema-themed charms. The 7 members of Idios also performed the original theme song for the festival, "Kanda Myōjin Ondo" (神田明神音頭). The festival ran from 10 August to 13 August; non-edible goods from the collaboration were made available for online purchase from 7 August.[27]
- On 16 December, Dinamis announced their first pop-up booth event, held at NijiFes 2023 from 23 December to 24 December. The event featured products modelled by the members of Idios, including the debut of their 24MW / Melty Collection, with Meruto and Shishido Akari chosen as models. It also included goods such as original stickers featuring Koshimizu Toru, Sophia Valentine, and Roco, as well as original clear files featuring all the Idios members.[28]
2024[]
- On 8 April, the J1 League, Japan's top tier of association football, announced a renewal of their annual partnership with NIJISANJI for the 2024 season.[29] Meruto was announced to be one of the Livers chosen for the 2024 campaign, endorsing Cerezo Osaka.[30] The collaboration included various goods featuring artwork of the Livers in team regalia, stadium advertisements, and the Livers participating in official commentary for matches.
- On 20 April, the members of Idios and Hyakumantenbara Salome were revealed to be virtual models for Dinamis' 24 Nail Collection of nail polish and nail oils. A sales campaign featuring stickers and postcards with original illustrations of the chosen livers ran from 20 April to 26 May.[31]
Programs[]
- NIJISANJI Quiz Show/NijiQuiz Episode 32 - Guest (23 February 2023)
- NIJISANJI no TOYBOX! Episode 23 - Guest (11 April 2023)
- NIJISANJI 6th Anniversary! Game & Variety 2 Days All-Star Daikessen Day 1 - Team NIJI (3 February 2024)
- NIJISANJI no TOYBOX! Episode 48 - Guest (24 April 2024)
Competitions[]
- 1st Oemori NIJISANJI Cup - 4 March 2023
- Enjoy! NIJISANJI Super Smash Bros. Cup - 9 April 2023
- Fighting Spirits Custom for Fall Guys - 27 May 2023
- Team: Kaburaki Roco, Ishigami Nozomi, Kuramochi Meruto
- New Year! NIJISANJI Mahjong Tournament 2024 - 6 January to 7 January 2024 - Finalist (4th place overall)
- NIJISANJI 6th Anniversary! Game & Variety 2 Days All-Star Daikessen - 3 February to 4 February 2024
- NIJISANJI Bomberman Big Battle!! - 3 February 2024
- Team: Sasaki Saku (leader), Naruse Naru, Onomachi Haruka, Luis Cammy, Gwelu Os Gar, Ha Yun, Kuramochi Meruto, Rosemi Lovelock, Ver Vermillion, Vantacrow Bringer, Yuhi Riri, Mononobe Alice, Honma Himawari, Belmond Banderas, Lain Paterson, Fura Kanato, Rai Galilei, Min Suha, Aster Arcadia, Ren Zotto - Round Winners
- NIJISANJI Bomberman Big Battle!! - 3 February 2024
- 6th NIJISANJI Mario Kart Tournament - 5 May to 6 May 2024
- Enjoy! NIJISANJI Super Smash Bros. Cup 2024 - 2 June 2024
Mascot and Fans[]
- Meruto's fans and channel members are officially referred to as "Melunates" (めるねいと), a combination of her name, Lune's name, and "mate".[32]
- Her fanmarks are 🧸 (teddy bear) and 🌙 (crescent moon).
- Her mascot, a small white bear plush that she always carries with her, is named "Lune" (ルネ). She met it at a French accessory exhibition. Its name is a mispronunciation of the katakana reading for the word "lune" (リュンヌ), which means "moon" in French.[6]
- As her profile hints and as illustrated in her reference sheet, the inside of Lune is actually a pocket dimension (i.e., hammerspace) where Meruto keeps muscle training items such as dumbbells and resistance bands. The size of the items are much larger than Lune's apparent volume.
- Lune is featured in the majority of her membership badges.
- A cushion in the shape of Lune's head was released on 16 January 2024 as part of the lineup of Idios' first anniversary goods.
Relationships[]
- "Idios" (いでぃおす) - Meruto, Koshimizu Toru, Shishido Akari, Igarashi Rika, Ishigami Nozomi, Sophia Valentine, and Kaburaki Roco. They are debut-mates.
- Unlike the two preceding NIJISANJI main branch waves, they did not have a unit name upon debut. Instead, their name was suggested by Nozomi, derived both from the English word "idiosyncrasy" and the Greek word "ίδιος", meaning "one's own"; it became their official unit name on 28 January 2023.[16][33]
- Hashtags:
#いでぃおす - General tag - "Nozomeru" (のぞめる) - Meruto and Ishigami Nozomi. They are the two second generation VIRTUAL TALENT ACADEMY (VTA) students who became members of Idios.
- "Akameru" (あかめる) or "Team Passion" (チームパッション) - Meruto and Shishido Akari.
- "Rocomeru" (ろこめる) - Meruto and Kaburaki Roco.
- "Sophimeru" (そふぃめる) - Meruto and Sophia Valentine.
- "Idios Zunōhan" (いでぃおす頭脳班) - Meruto, Kaburaki Roco, and Sophia Valentine.
- "Ishishimochi Kazoku" (石子持家族, Ishishimochi Family) - Meruto, Shishido Akari, and Ishigami Nozomi.
- "Noromelty Kiss" (のろめるてぃきっす) - Meruto, Kaburaki Roco, and Ishigami Nozomi. They are the three members of Idios who originally streamed as VTA students, with Roco being a former first generation student and Meruto and Nozomi being former second generation students. They were also teammates for the Fighting Spirits Custom for Fall Guys, which took place on 27 May 2023.
- "rufome" (るふぉみー) - Meruto, Sophia Valentine, and Igarashi Rika.
- Hashtags:
#るふぉみー - General tag
- Hashtags:
- "Rocomerusophirika" (ろこめるそふぃりか) - Meruto, Kaburaki Roco, Sophia Valentine, and Igarashi Rika.
- "GABC" (がぶっく) - Meruto, Shishido Akari, Ishigami Nozomi, and Sophia Valentine.
- Hashtags:
#がぶっく - General tag
- Hashtags:
- "Idiospla Club" (いでぃおすぷら部) - Meruto, Igarashi Rika, Shishido Akari, and Ishigami Nozomi. While these four are the "main" members, this name still applies when other members of Idios participate in Splatoon collabs.[34]
- Hashtags:
#いでぃおすぷら部 - General tag
- Hashtags:
- "Tasukami" (たすかみ) - Meruto, Takamiya Rion, Mashiro Meme, and Fura Kanato.
- "NIJISANJI Hameln" (にじさんじハーメルン) or "NIJIMeln" (にじめるん) - Meruto, Hanabatake Chaika, Takamiya Rion, Belmond Banderas, and Shishido Akari.
- "NIJISANJI Dance Club" (にじさんじダンス部) - Meruto, Yamagami Karuta, Todo Kohaku, Nagao Kei, Lain Paterson, Seraph Dazzlegarden, and Koyanagi Rou.
Quotes[]
- Greetings:
- "Ohameru~ konmeru~ konmeruto~ NIJISANJI shozoku shinjin virtual Liver no Kuramochi Meruto desu. Onegaishashashasha~" (おはめるー こんめるー こんめるとー にじさんじ所属新人バーチャルライバーの倉持めるとです お願いしゃしゃしゃしゃ~, Ohameru~ konmeru~ konmeruto~ I'm NIJISANJI-affiliated newbie virtual Liver Kuramochi Meruto. Please take care of me me me me~) - Opening
- "Otsumeruto~" (おつめると~) - Ending
- "Auauauau!" (あうあうあうあう)
- "Na-na-nandassore?" (なっなっなんだっそれ, Wh-wh-what the hell is that?)
- "Tsukue wa tomodachi, tsukue wa tomodachi, tsukue wa tomodachi..." (机は友達机は友達机は友達..., The desk is my friend, the desk is my friend, the desk is my friend...) - When Meruto gets mad enough at a game to want to punch her desk.
- "Nakayoku naru ni wa kobushi de katariau shikanai jan!" (仲良くなるには拳で語り合うしかないじゃん!, The only way to make friends is to talk to each other with your fists, right?)[35]
- "Kashite morau? Inochi." (貸してもらう? 命, Won't you give it to me? Your life.)[36]
- "[Shitsuren shite tsurai?] Maa, ima wa tsurai darō kara ne. Tsurai wo zenryoku de tanoshindara ii to omou yo, watashi wa." ([失恋してつらい?]まぁ、今はつらいだろうからね つらいを全力で楽しんだらいいと思うよ、私は。 [Having your heart broken hurts?] Well, I know it must be hard right now. But I think enjoying the most of the hard times is the best thing you can do.)[37]
Trivia[]
Identity[]
- Color: #EB4682[6]
- Background: A gyaru and university student.[6]
- Occupation: Accessories model.[6]
- Her MBTI is ENFP.[38]
- Meruto shares her character designer, ASG, with Zaion LanZa of NIJISANJI EN, Kohaku Nuino of UniVIRTUAL, and Aoi Ui of Nanairo V Production.
Character and Lore[]
- She originally became a gyaru thanks to the influence of her close friend, who she refers to as the "ganso gyaru" (元祖ギャル, progenitor gyaru). While Meruto was a high school student, she was going through some troubles but tried to hide it. A gyaru in the same class suddenly expressed concern for her; Meruto was surprised but relieved that someone had noticed. They became good friends, and Meruto too became a gyaru out of admiration for her new friend and the "gyaru mindset".[17]
- Because her friends were mostly gyarus and not many of them liked things like anime and manga, she would run to the people who did like anime and manga and share her thoughts on them when her gyaru friends left to go to the washroom or other places.
- She has another gyaru friend nicknamed the "zenchi gyaru" (全知ギャル, omniscient gyaru), who Meruto describes as knowing and understanding more about Meruto than Meruto herself.[39]
- After her NIJISANJI debut, she no longer ages.[40]
Name[]
- Her surname Kuramochi is written as 倉持, with 倉 meaning "warehouse" and 持 meaning "to own".
- The nickname for her darker side, Dark Kuramochi (暗持), is phonetically identical to 倉持 in Japanese, substituting a different kanji for "kura" (暗, dark) for the original "kura" (倉).
- Meruto's given name is written in hiragana (めると), usually reserved for feminine names, and is phonetically identical to the Japanese pronunciation of the English word "melt" (メルト). It is also a rather rare name, especially for girls, in keeping with VIRTUAL TALENT ACADEMY (VTA)'s tradition of giving their students kira kira names.
Preferences[]
- Hobbies: Dancing, singing, piano, ball sports, doing her nails, embroidery[6][41]
- Likes:
- Games: Minecraft, ARK, Overwatch 2, action RPGs, simulation games, Nintendo games[6]
- Anime, manga, and light novels: My Hero Academia, BEASTARS, A Silent Voice, Violet Evergarden, Hozuki's Coolheadedness, Call of the Night, Golden Kamuy, Gintama, New Game!, Shirobako, Eromanga Sensei, Re:Zero, 86, Lycoris Recoil[6]
- Food: Udon, fatty salmon sushi, vanilla ice cream, fruit (especially Japanese mandarins, apples, strawberries, and cherries), tamago kake gohan, liver, nori, Lotte Sasha Chocolate, burnt food[42][43][44][45][46]
- Other: Capsule toy vending machines[6]
- Dislikes:
Miscellaneous[]
- Idios' default outfits all feature accessories with a shared ◇◆ motif, all of which are real-life accessories from the brand Dinamis' 23AW / symbol Collection (a brand they later officially became models for). The accessories were designed by Sophia Valentine's illustrator yadapot.[47]
- Meruto's accessories include two of Hair Pin NBS-2307 (one in her hair and one used as a tie pin) and a black color variant of Ring NBS-2303 that is not available commercially on her right hand.
- Despite her cute personality and appearance, she is known for her strength, physical ability, and her skill in martial arts in real life, and is occasionally referred to as things like "gorilla" (ゴリラ), "nōkin" (脳筋, muscle-brain), or simply "kobushi" (拳, fists).[48]
- She broke 20 concrete tiles with her bare hands on-stream during her debut, 13-14 of which she broke with her first strike.[6][49]
- During a ball throw as part of a physical fitness test at school, the strength of her throw was apparently "unreadable" according to the measuring device. Because of her throwing strength, the physical education teacher would ask Meruto to retrieve stuck objects from the gymnasium ceiling by throwing something at them.[50]
- Her fastest time in a 50-meter dash is "around 6 or so seconds".[51] For reference, the world record for women is 5.96 seconds.
- She is capable of endurance streams, and has reached YouTube's 12 hour stream length limit several times.
- When she first debuted, due to soundproofing issues she infamously streamed from a closet until she was finally able to move on 9 November 2023.[52] This included her birthday countdown stream and some of her singing streams.[53][54]
- Her microphone cover at the time of her debut was made from cardboard.[55]
- While now known for her singing ability, she was asked "why are you so bad at singing?" by a friend as a child. Her current skill is the product of studying the singing technique of her friends who were considered good singers.[56]
- She started playing the piano when she was 3 years old.[6]
- She has been dancing since she was in elementary school, and her best styles are hip-hop, jazz, and ballet. She is also capable of choreographing routines.[57]
- She is a member of acapella and dance circles at her university.[58]
- She has a younger sister, who she refers to as "Minimochi" (ミニ持). Whenever Meruto returns home, she tends to dote on and spoil Minimochi.[59]
- Prior to her debut, she had been a fan of NIJISANJI for quite some time. The first NIJISANJI Liver she watched was Naraka, while the Liver who inspired her to join NIJISANJI was Sasaki Saku. Upon seeing Yuki Chihiro's sky castle for the first time after joining the NIJISANJI JP Minecraft server, she apparently cried.[60][61]
Live Chat Etiquette[]
- Common VTuber chat etiquette is summarised here: "VTuber Chat Etiquette"
- From stream descriptions:
- Please avoid strong language and excessive backseating that people would be surprised to see!!
- Please avoid talking to each other in the chat, whether in the waiting room or during streams. Talk to Meruto instead lol~
- Of course, fighting in the chat is a definite no-no.
- Please don't respond to trolls, annoying comments, or spam! Just ignore them!
- Please refrain from bringing up the names of other Livers or talking about things that aren't relevant to the stream. ;;
- Please avoid mentioning the name "Kuramochi Meruto" in other Livers' streams!!
- Please don't behave in a way that causes trouble for other Livers or viewers (e.g., don't "pigeon" - chatting along the lines of: "XX said this!" in other streams)!
- The fanart Meruto uses for thumbnails were done for her as a courtesy - please don't say anything that might make the artist feel bad.
- Even if someone does the above without realizing it, please avoid pointing it out and just leave them alone.
- From pinned comments:
- Please avoid game spoilers in your comments. As for backseating, reserve it only for when Meruto is stuck and even then, do it gently.
- Additionally:
- Regarding "confession"-type comments, like "I like Kuramochi a lot!": Meruto doesn't want to ban them outright, but is wary of making her streams feel like an environment that's meant only for her and people who are already fans of her and thus alienating viewers who are just discovering her for the first time. She asks viewers to remember that other people might be watching and be mindful of what they comment, as she's "trying her best to let as many people as possible know about Kuramochi".[62]
External Links[]
Media[]
- Kuramochi Meruto's corporate profile on NIJISANJI website
- 倉持めると / Kuramochi Meruto【にじさんじ】 - YouTube channel
- @k_meruto - Twitter account
Twitter Hashtags[]
- #めるとりーむ - Stream tag
- #もちめるあーと - Fan art tag
- #ぼいすめーる - Comments about voice release
- #めると見ルネ - Egosurfing
- #おすすめると - Recommendations
Further Reading[]
References[]
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