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Watarai Hibari (渡会雲雀) is a male Japanese Virtual YouTuber affiliated with NIJISANJI, debuting as part of the unit "VOLTACTION" (ヴォルタクション) alongside Fura Kanato, Shikinagi Akira and Seraph Dazzlegarden. Previously, he was enrolled as a student in VIRTUAL TALENT ACADEMY (VTA) as part of its first generation.
Introduction Video[]
Profile[]
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The heir of a family of thieves. He aspires to be a righteous "Great Thief" who captures people's hearts. Since he does not steal for money, he earns his living by working part-time in a cafe.[3] |
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怪盗一家の跡取り。 人の心を掴む正義の「快盗」に憧れている。 金銭目的の盗みはしないので、カフェのアルバイトで生計を立てている。[4] |
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怪盗家族的继承人。 渴望成为一个能够抓住人心的正义 "快盗"。 因为他不为了金钱欲望盗窃,所以需要靠在咖啡馆里做兼职来谋生。[5] |
Personality[]
Hibari is outgoing, talkative, enthusiastic, loud, and according to his debut-mates, nearly perpetually cheerful and high-spirited.[6] He is a natural performer and has a flair for the dramatic, in line with his backstory of being from a family of phantom thieves. He has been referred to as the quintessential extravert,[7] and as someone who enlivens the atmosphere and raises the mood of whatever group he's part of.[8]
However, he is also infamous for being book dumb and lacking some degree of common knowledge, which he himself acknowledges.[9] For example, he occasionally interrupts the other members of VOLTACTION or other collab partners of his to wonder what the idioms or phrases they just said mean, and honestly believed that the reciprocal of 6 is simply the number 6 written backwards. During a stream in which the VOLTACTION members all took a comprehensive exam, he had by far the lowest score - earning him the dubious honor of the title BAKATACTION.[10]
Despite this, he is often described as being an exceedingly nice person and quite sensitive to the needs of others, to the point where his senpais are afraid of him.[11][12] While not a natural leader, he provides a great degree of both emotional and technical support in other ways to VOLTACTION as well as other livers behind-the-scenes.[6]
Appearance[]
Hibari has short layered purple hair with hot pink layers underneath. His eyes are light yellow with diamond-shaped pupils. He has a snaggletooth/fang that juts from the left side of his upper jaw, which is visible even with his mouth closed. Both his ears are pierced, with his left ear having black piercings and his right having gold ones. In his default appearance, he has a long black jacket with pink-purple gradient belts and trim, and his winged logo printed on the back. Underneath this, he wears a white, slightly cropped shirt with black trim over a harness that covers his right arm as well as another harness over the shirt. He wears black pants, tucked into white sneakers with red accents and black soles and laces. His accessories include a black choker, a pocket watch suspended from his belt, a pair of red gloves, and a holster on his right thigh. Options:
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Hibari's second 2D outfit, like those of the other members of VOLTACTION, is the Erfolg College school uniform. His is the standard uniform, consisting of a black tailcoat, grey dress shirt and tie, and black slacks. Hibari's variation on it includes various badges and decals on his sleeves, a pair of headphones, a guitar pick necklace, bracelets and rings, and his pocket watch. Instead of his usual set of piercings, he wears a spike-shaped black pendant earring on his right ear and a skylark feather earring on his left. The outfit also came with a new hairstyle, which features his bangs being pinned up and a short side ponytail. Options:
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Hibari's second 3D outfit, designed for his appearance in Day 2 of NIJISANJI's 5th Anniversary LIVE "SYMPHONIA", is in the same "royal military"/"idol"-esque style of NIJISANJI's past anniversary live costumes. It features a navy blue and white coat and slacks with gold accents and hot pink trim. |
As a VTA student, Hibari had parted reddish-purple hair and greyish-purple eyes. He wore the standard VTA first generation male uniform, consisting of a black varsity jacket with white stripes, a black cardigan, a white dress shirt, a black necktie with blue, lime green, and purple stripes, black slacks, and black loafers. |
History[]
Background[]
On 18 June 2021, ANYCOLOR announced the launch of VIRTUAL TALENT ACADEMY (VTA), a vocational school and talent development project to help prospective Virtual YouTubers develop skills related to streaming and content creation. Applications for VTA's first generation auditions were accepted from 18 June to 5 July 2021.[13]
On 1 November 2021, VTA opened official YouTube and Twitter accounts and revealed the names and appearances of its first generation students, including Watarai Hibari.[14][15]
On 5 November 2021, Hibari held his first stream ✗ on the VTA channel. His first Tweet was made on 8 November 2021.[16]
While the students all took part in dance, vocal, acting, and other practical lessons together, they were divided into classes for lectures and classroom-based studying in smaller groups. Hibari was placed in class 1, alongside Ponto Nei, Amagase Muyu, and Fura Kanato; the division was based on their streaming schedules, with class 1 streaming on Fridays and class 2 streaming on Thursdays.[17]
Following Ranunculus' NIJISANJI debut in March 2022 and the arrival of VTA's second generation students in June 2022, the classes were re-shuffled. Hibari became part of the new class 1, alongside Shikinagi Akira, Kuramochi Meruto, Aokiri Mihono, Tsuyuzaki Tsuyu, Ishigami Nozomi, Warabi Raika, Kuno Orihito, Saiki Ittetsu, Mikoshiba Jin, and Usami Rito.
On 11 July 2022, in a first for NIJISANJI, ANYCOLOR unveiled a "peel-off" advertising campaign for their upcoming four-member unit "VOLTACTION", which ran from 11 July to 17 July 2022. It featured an advertisement spanning the entire length of Dogenzaka Happy Board B at Shibuya Station covered with various flyers associated with lore for each of the respective members; peeling enough of them off would reveal their key visuals. Details regarding the actual debuts were to be disclosed at a later date.[18][19]
On 13 July 2022, ANYCOLOR announced that Hibari would be graduating from VTA to debut directly into NIJISANJI as part of VOLTACTION, confirmed to be the second wave of Livers formed from VTA graduates following Ranunculus' debut earlier in the year.[2] In preparation for his debut, Hibari received a full redesign, and all YouTube videos previously created during his time in VTA were hidden.
Hibari's YouTube channel was created on 2 July 2022, and his Twitter account was created in June 2022. His first Tweet was made on 13 July 2022. In addition to the members' individual channels and accounts, the unit debuted with their own official YouTube channel and Twitter account. The VOLTACTION YouTube channel was created on 5 July 2022, and the unit's Twitter account was created in July 2022.
Debut[]
VOLTACTION started their activities on 13 July 2022 and had their first stream on 16 July 2022.[1] Hibari was the second of the group to hold his first stream. Afterwards, all four members of VOLTACTION appeared on a special debut program on NIJISANJI channel, hosted by Hanabatake Chaika and Joe Rikiichi.
The short version of VOLTACTION's first original song, "INLAID" (インレイド), was released earlier on 13 July 2022. This song was written and produced by R・O・N of STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION.
2022[]
On 16 July, on the day of his first stream, Hibari reached 50,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.[20]
On 18 July, Hibari reached 100,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel in less than 2 days after his debut,[21] which he celebrated with his first singing stream on 31 July.
On 1 August, his channel was approved for monetization and opened for memberships.[22]
On 14 August, Hibari reached 150,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.[23]
On 31 August, Hibari released his first music cover, of Mrs. GREEN APPLE's "StaRt".
On 13 October, VOLTACTION's first voice drama, "Opening Today", was released.[24]
On 19 October, Hibari reached 200,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.[25][26]
2023[]
On 12 January, VOLTACTION announced that that all four members would receive their second 2D outfits, and would reveal them via a stream relay with 30 minutes allotted for each member.[27] The relay was held in the same order as their debut streams with Hibari going second, revealing his second outfit at 23:00 JST that same evening.[28]
On 13 January, VOLTACTION celebrated their half-anniversary since debut by releasing their second original song, "Watercolor". The song was written and produced by the band Novelbright. During a celebration stream for their half-anniversary held on the same day, they also announced the release of their second voice drama, "undertake any request", which was released that evening.[29]
On 28 January, Hibari reached 250,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.[30]
On 25 April, Hibari opened a personal TikTok account.[31]
On 26 April, VOLTACTION announced a 3D model debut stream relay, with Hibari as the second person to have have his 3D model debut on 12 May.[32]
On 12 May, Hibari reached 300,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel during his 3D debut stream,[33] which peaked at over 111,000 concurrent viewers.[34] During his 3D debut, Hibari also announced his first solo original song, "skylark", which was released at midnight the following day. The song was written and produced by Horie Shota, also known as kemu.
On 24 June, it was announced that Hibari would be a coach for the 2023 edition of NIJISANJI Koshien,[35] NIJISANJI's annual summer event and tournament featuring games in the eBaseball Powerful Pro Baseball franchise. He coached the Kaitou Gakuen Kōkō (快盗学園高校) team during the tournament, which ran from 1 July to 13 August (with an exhibition match taking place on 19 August).
On 5 July, VOLTACTION announced that they would be celebrating their first anniversary since debut with a live 3D concert, "RAISE the VOLTAGE", which was streamed for free on the group's YouTube channel on 15 July.[36] At the concert, they debuted their third original song, "RELOAD!!!!", which was written and produced by OSTER project. They also announced the release of the "Memories of Nostalgia" series of voice dramas over the course of the following months, each of which are set during VOLTACTION's formative years at Erfolg College and focuses on a different member and their respective backstories/lore; the first, "Seraph Dazzlegarden-hen", was released shortly after the concert.[37]
On 13 July, VOLTACTION opened an official Instagram account.[38]
On 23 July, an an magazine revealed that VOLTACTION would be featured in its 2359th issue as part of its NEXT Generation 2023 segment, which was released on 2 August.[39]
On 28 July, Number magazine announced that Hibari, along with the other coaches and organizers of NIJISANJI Koshien 2023, would be featured in its 1078th issue as well as on its back cover; the issue was released on 3 August.[40]
On 1 August, the formation of a band composed of NIJISANJI Livers (later formally named 2-ji Datoka) was announced during a joint band session live stream between Hibari and Fuwa Minato,[41] with the other members (Ibrahim, Lauren Iroas) being revealed in subsequent videos uploaded on Fuwa's channel.
On 19 August, Hibari reached 350,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.[42]
On 23 October, VOLTACTION's second "Memories of Nostalgia" voice drama, "Shikinagi Akira-hen", was released.[43]
On 1 November, Da Vinci announced that VOLTACTION would be interviewed and featured in the magazine's December issue.[44]
From 4 November to 11 November, coinciding with the second anniversary of their VTA debuts, the 8 former members of VTA's first generation who ultimately debuted with NIJISANJI held the Ano 8-Nin Nayutan Medley (あの8人でナユタンメドレー), a cover relay in which each member sang a different NayutalieN song. Hibari released a cover of "Newton Dance" (ニュートンダンス) on 11 November as part of this relay. The relay concluded with a cover of "Alien Alien" (エイリアンエイリアン) by the full group on 12 November.
On 13 November, VOLTACTION's third "Memories of Nostalgia" voice drama, "Watarai Hibari-hen", was released.[45]
At NijiFes 2023, which was held from 23 December to 24 December, 2-ji Datoka held their first live as part of MUSIC GARDEN Day 1.[46] On Day 2, Hibari took part in Day 2 of NIJISANJI 5th Anniversary LIVE "SYMPHONIA", an appearance which included a new 3D outfit; also on day 2, he participated in the NIJISANJI Dance Live alongside the other members of VOLTACTION.[47][48]
2024[]
On 13 January, VOLTACTION's fourth "Memories of Nostalgia" voice drama, "Fura Kanato-hen", was released.[49]
On 31 January, NIJISANJI announced that Hibari would receive a 3.0 Brushup to his 2D model.[50]
On 15 February, Hibari's TikTok account was converted to an account shared with Kanato (i.e., as Zeffiro).
On 13 March, Hibari reached 400,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel.[51]
On 18 April, VOLTACTION's fourth original song, "Desert Diamond", was released. It was written and produced by Chihiro Tamaki, and served as the ending theme for the TV Asahi show Break Out.[52]
On 19 May, Hibari debuted his NIJI3D (i.e., home 3D) model.[53]
On 11 June, a Zeffiro-centric voice drama, "Compagno ~Shinku no Nazo wo Oe~", was released.[54]
On 10 July, during a 3D off-collab stream to commemorate the milestone, VOLTACTION debuted a dance remix of "INLAID" (インレイド) and made several announcements for their second anniversary celebrations: new unit key visuals;[55] a group cover of "Shukumei" (宿命) by Official HIGE DANdism; the release of their fifth and final "Memories of Nostalgia" voice drama "Kessei-hen" and their line of second anniversary goods on 13 July;[56][57] and the premiere of a documentary, "Documentary of VOLTACTION 「150 Days」".[58]
On 14 July, an 80-minute documentary about VOLTACTION, "Documentary of VOLTACTION 「150 Days」", was released, chronicling the eponymous 150-day training process leading up to the performance of their dance remix of "INLAID" (インレイド). The project was a challenge; by completing it, they secured an eventual offline concert tour and album release. It is available to watch for free on the VOLTACTION YouTube channel.[59]
On 27 October, VOLTACTION announced their 1st Mini Album "Action!!!!!!!!!!!!"[60] consisting of 6 new original songs with 2 of the songs being Zeffiro and Room 4S unit songs. The album has 3 version: Regular Edition, Limited Edition A, and Limited Edition B. All the Edition has different 6th song with Regular Edition having "I can be the One", Limited Edition A having "Inlaid Dance Remix", and Limited Edition B having "Desert Diamond". Limited Edition A has a bonus Blu-ray of candid footage from "Documentary of VOLTACTION 「150 Days」", holographic pouch and slogan, and three-sided sleeve. Limited Edition B has a bonus CD of the members' solo cover of VOLTACTION original songs. The album will be released on 8 January 2025.
Discography[]
- Main page: Watarai Hibari/Discography
skylark | 1st solo single | 13 May 2023 |
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External links | ||
Digital Release • Music Video • YouTube |
Events[]
2022[]
- On 14 September, it was announced that VOLTACTION goods would be sold at Animate Girls Festival 2022, which was held from 5 November to 6 November.[61] A secondary campaign, "Luxiem × VOLTACTION ~Secret Mission~ in AGF2022", was announced on 2 November in collaboration with NIJISANJI EN's Luxiem; those who successfully solved the campaign's riddles would receive an exclusive acrylic keyholder.[62]
- On 27 December, the members of VOLTACTION participated in Minecraft Japan's Minecraft Relay 2022 ~ Minna no Story.[63]
2023[]
- On 28 April, Taito Toys released a VOLTACTION Street Style series of original collaboration goods via kuji (i.e., received goods are randomized). The goods featured original artwork of the members in streetwear, and included a poster standboard, large cushions, face towels, badge sets, posters, and rubber charm straps.[64]
- On 29 May, makeup brands Love Liner and iCouleur announced a collaboration with the members of VOLTACTION, with tie-in goods available to purchase from 14 June to 30 June. They featured original artwork of the members in casual clothing, and included eyeshadow palettes and liquid eyeliner designed by each member as well as acrylic stands, with stickers and postcards as purchase bonuses. The campaign also included a pop-up event at @cosme's flagship Tokyo location in Harajuku from 18 June to 19 June.[65]
- On 15 August, convenience store chain Lawson announced a sales campaign in collaboration with VOLTACTION which ran from 22 August to 4 September, with customers reaching a certain purchase threshold eligible to receive goods featuring original artwork of the members.[66]
- On 25 October, perfume brand Anideal announced the fourth volume of its collaboration series with NIJISANJI, this time featuring the members of VOLTACTION. The collaboration featured original fragrances designed by the members, which were released on 28 November.[67]
2024[]
- On 28 February, Lawson announced a sales campaign in collaboration with NIJISANJI, with Hibari as one of the Livers involved. The campaign ran from 12 March to 25 March, with customers reaching a certain purchase threshold eligible to receive goods featuring original artwork of the featured Livers.[68]
- 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.[69] Hibari was announced to be one of the Livers chosen for the 2024 campaign, endorsing Kashima Antlers.[70] 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 26 July, Karaoke Manekineko announced a collaboration with VOLTACTION at all 300 of its locations, with a poolside theme. The collaboration included exclusive collaboration food and drink, various exclusive goods, and campaigns involving VOLTACTION's original songs and themed rooms. The collaboration ran from 1 August to 31 August.[71]
- On 26 July, it was announced that he would be attending Seoul POPCON 2024 in Seoul, South Korea as a main stage guest/panelist on 17 August, alongside Ha Yun, Seffyna, Yang Nari, Min Suha, Fura Kanato, Shikinagi Akira, and Seraph Dazzlegarden.[72]
Programs[]
- NIJINoon 2022 Summer - Monday Regular Cast (15 August to 26 August 2022)[73]
- Ishou Ken's MuComi VR - Guest (23 October 2022)[74]
- NIJISANJI no TOYBOX! Episode 14 - Guest (21 November 2022)
- Shikinagi Akira's All Nagito Nippon V Episode 3 - Guest (22 November 2022)
- NIJINoon NIJISANJI 5th Anniversary Special - Guest (3 February 2023)
- Nagao and Petra's We are NIJISANJI Episode 4 - Guest (25 April 2023)
- B-Grade Variety of NIJISANJI (Tentative) Episode 51 - Guest (10 May 2023)
- B-Grade Variety of NIJISANJI (Tentative) Episode 52 - Guest (24 May 2023)
- Game-Ru? Game-Lu! Episode 52 - Guest (7 June 2023)
- Game-Ru? Game-Lu! Episode 53 - Guest (14 June 2023)
- NIJISANJI no Kikaku Kaigi! - MC (4 July to 11 July 2023)[75]
- NIJISANJI no TOYBOX! Episode 37 - Guest (9 November 2023)
- NIJI3→4 - Guest (31 December 2023)[76]
- B-Grade Variety of NIJISANJI (Tentative) 3rd Anniversary Special - Guest (10 January 2024)
- NIJISANJI 6th Anniversary! Game & Variety 2 Days All-Star Daikessen Day 2 - Team NIJI (4 February 2024)
- Fukamachi Toshinari's V-Vara Episode 15 - Guest (13 February 2024)[77]
- Takeuchi Eiji's Zero Kara Shokunin Episode 40 - Guest (26 March 2024)
- B-Grade Variety of NIJISANJI (Tentative) Episode 72 - Guest (24 April 2024)
Competitions[]
- KZHCUP in PUBG - 16 September to 17 September 2022
- Team: Sakura Ritsuki, Ratna Petit, Watarai Hibari (Day 1) - Top 3
- Team: Shibuya Hajime, Shiina Yuika, Watarai Hibari (Day 2)
- NIJISANJI Splatoon Festival - 16 October 2022
- Team: Ibrahim (leader), Matsukai Mao, Watarai Hibari, Amagase Muyu
- 5th NIJISANJI Mario Kart Tournament - 11 December and 18 December 2022
- Shibuya HAL Custom #90 - 22 December 2022
- Team: Ha Yun, Fura Kanato, Watarai Hibari
- NIJISANJI NEW YEAR CUP OF POKER 2023 - 2 January 2023
- New Year! NIJISANJI Mahjong Tournament 2023 - 7 January to 8 January 2023
- Overwatch 2 NIJISANJI Custom Wanpan Cup - 12 March 2023
- Team: Naraka (leader), Kuzuha, Mashiro Meme, Watarai Hibari, Shiina Yuika
- Shibuya HAL Custom #100 - 23 March 2023
- Team: Tachibana Hinano, Watarai Hibari, Uzuki Kou, Mondo (coach)
- Enjoy! NIJISANJI Super Smash Bros. Cup - 9 April 2023
- VTuber Most Cooperatitive Tournament #5 (VSaikyo Season 5) - 15 April 2023
- Team: Tachibana Hinano (leader), Watarai Hibari, Uzuki Kou, Mondo (coach)
- NIJISANJI Pokémon Gym Battle - 30 April 2023
- 2nd NIJISANJI VALORANT Custom - 2 May to 3 May 2023
- Team: Ex Albio (leader), Watarai Hibari, Makaino Ririmu, Min Suha, Morinaka Kazaki
- NIJISANJI Koshien 2023 - 1 July to 13 August 2023
- Game-Ru? Game-Lu! Autumn Pokémon Festival - 29 October 2023
- Team: Amamiya Kokoro (leader), Shiina Yuika, Seffyna, Watarai Hibari - Top 3
- VTuber Most Cooperatitive Tournament Act 1 (VSaikyo VALORANT Act 1) - 19 November 2023
- Team: Lauren Iroas (leader), Ceo Kazari, Ichinose Uruha, Ex Albio, Watarai Hibari, mittiii (coach) - Top 3
- 1st Suika Game Cup - 22 November 2023
- KZHCUP in STREET FIGHTER 6 - 26 November 2023
- Team: Hyakumantenbara Salome, Watarai Hibari, Umehara Daigo, Inami Rai - Top 3
- New Year! NIJISANJI Mahjong Tournament 2024 - 6 January to 7 January 2024
- NIJISANJI APEX Festival - 12 January 2024
- Organizers/Commentators: Elu, Shiina Yuika, Watarai Hibari
- NIJISANJI 6th Anniversary! Game & Variety 2 Days All-Star Daikessen - 3 February to 4 February 2024
- NIJISANJI 6th Anniversary × SF6! Team Taikō Kaku-ge Matsuri - 4 February 2024
- Team: Inami Rai (leader), So Nagi, Lee Roha, Igarashi Rika, Akagi Wen, Sonny Brisko, Kanae, Naraka, Hyakumantenbara Salome, Watarai Hibari
- NIJISANJI 6th Anniversary × SF6! Team Taikō Kaku-ge Matsuri - 4 February 2024
- Crazy Raccoon Cup Street Fighter 6 #3 - 11 February 2024
- Team: Bonchan, Fuwa Minato, DONPISHA, Watarai Hibari, Kanae - Runners-Up
- 6th NIJISANJI Mario Kart Tournament - 5 May to 6 May 2024
- Enjoy! NIJISANJI Super Smash Bros. Cup 2024 - 2 June 2024
- VTuber Most Cooperatitive Tournament #6 (VSaikyo Season 6) - 24 August 2024
- Team: Fura Kanato (leader), Watarai Hibari, Saegusa Akina
Mascot and Fans[]
- Hibari's fans and channel members are officially called "Hibarista" (ひばりすた),[78] a portmanteau of Hibari's name and "barista".
- His fanmarks are ♦️ (playing card suit diamond) and ☕️ (hot beverage).
- His mascot is named "Hibari-san" (ヒバリさん), whose name is differentiated from that of human Hibari by being written in katakana. Like its name suggests, it is a hibari (雲雀, skylark).
- The concept for Hibari-san originated from a drawing of a skylark that accompanied Hibari's streams and social media posts when he was a VIRTUAL TALENT ACADEMY (VTA) student.[79] This concept was later fleshed out into being an actual companion for Hibari by his artist Ninahachi upon his NIJISANJI debut, as seen in his reference sheet.
- Its current design, a skylark with purple wing feathers and tufts of purple and pink plumage resembling Hibari's hair, and diamonds in its eyes resembling Hibari's pupils, was finalized for his 3D debut, where it received its own 3D model.[80]
- It shares a naming pattern with Seraph Dazzlegarden's mascot Mimizuku-san, who is also simply named after the name of its species in Japanese.
- A large Hibari-san plushie was released on 13 July 2023 as part of the lineup of VOLTACTION's first anniversary goods.
Relationships[]
- "VOLTACTION" (ヴォルタクション) or "VOLTA" (ヴォルタ) - Hibari, Fura Kanato, Shikinagi Akira, and Seraph Dazzlegarden.
- They are debut-mates and fellow graduates from the first generation of VIRTUAL TALENT ACADEMY (VTA), and are the first debut wave from NIJISANJI to have received their own dedicated social media and YouTube channel on launch.
- The unit's name is a portmanteau of the English words "voltage" and "bolt-action"; the four of them came up with the name together.[81]
- Media: YouTube | Twitter | Instagram
- Hashtags:
#VOLTACTION - General tag
#ヴォルタ - General tag (Japanese)
#ヴォルタノアジト - Stream tag
#VOLTA展 - Fanart tag - Emoji: ⚡🔫 (tentative)[82]
- "Zeffiro", or colloquially the "Café-gumi" (カフェ組) - Hibari and Fura Kanato.
- "Hibanagi" (ひばナギ), or colloquially "Niichi" (にいち, twenty-one-year-olds) - Hibari and Shikinagi Akira.
- "Hibasera" (ひばセラ), or colloquially the "Torigumi" (鳥組, birds) - Hibari and Seraph Dazzlegarden.
- "Ano 8-Nin" (あの8人, Those 8) - Hibari, Amagase Muyu, Umise Yotsuha, Ponto Nei, Fura Kanato, Shikinagi Akira, Seraph Dazzlegarden, and Kaburaki Roco. They are the 8 former first generation VTA students who ended up debuting with NIJISANJI.
- "Kamupotage" (かむぽたーじゅ) - Hibari, Amagase Muyu, Ponto Nei, and Fura Kanato. They were classmates in VTA's first generation's class 1 before debuting with NIJISANJI.
- Their name predates their NIJISANJI debut, and was made by combining the first syllable of each of their names or a nickname (Kanato, Muyu, Pon-chan, and Tarai) with "potage".[83]
- "Kamupotage" (かむぽたーじゅ) - Hibari, Amagase Muyu, Ponto Nei, and Fura Kanato. They were classmates in VTA's first generation's class 1 before debuting with NIJISANJI.
- "2-ji Datoka" (2時だとか) - Hibari, Fuwa Minato, Ibrahim, and Lauren Iroas.
- Originally referred to by the provisional name "NIJISANJI Band" (にじさんじバンド), it is a band featuring Hibari on vocals, Fuwa and Ibrahim on guitar, and Lauren on bass; the group is currently looking for a drummer.
- Their name was decided during a stream on 6 October 2023, as a combination of 2-ji (2時), which is phonetically identical to "NIJI", and "Datoka" (だとか), taking inspiration from the band sumika.[84]
- Hashtags:
#にじさんじバンド - Band project tag - "Fuwahiba" (ふわひば) - Hibari and Fuwa Minato.
- "GALS Datoka" (GALSだとか) - Hibari, Fuwa Minato, Ibrahim, Lauren Iroas, Higuchi Kaede, Sasaki Saku, Shiina Yuika, and Takamiya Rion. They are the collaboration unit formed by the combination of the units NIJISANJI GALS and 2-ji Datoka.
- "Skyscrape" (スカイスクレープ) or "Sukakure" (スカクレ) - Hibari, Matsukai Mao, Ibrahim, and Amagase Muyu. They were teammates in the NIJISANJI Splatoon Festival, which took place on 16 October 2022.
- "Nikuseikatsu" (にくせいかつ) - Hibari, Fura Kanato, and Ha Yun. They were teammates in the 90th Shibuya HAL Custom, which took place on 12 December 2022.
- "ONE PEN MAN" - Hibari, Naraka, Kuzuha, Mashiro Meme, and Shiina Yuika. They were teammates in the Overwatch 2 NIJISANJI Custom Wanpan Cup, which took place on 12 March 2023.
- "Kachōshigetsu" (花鳥牛月) or "KTG" - Hibari, Uzuki Kou, Tachibana Hinano, and their coach, Mondo. They were teammates in VSaikyo Season 5, which took place on 15 April 2023. They also participated in the 100th Shibuya HAL Custom on 23 March 2023, under the provisional name "Gyūdon" (牛丼).
- "Judgement" (ジャッジメント) or "JMT" - Hibari, Morinaka Kazaki, Makaino Ririmu, Ex Albio, and Min Suha. They were teammates in the 2nd NIJISANJI VALORANT Custom, which took place on 2 May to 3 May 2023.
- "Amamiya-dan" (アマミヤ団) - Hibari, Shiina Yuika, Amamiya Kokoro, and Seffyna. They were teammates in the Game-Ru? Game-Lu! Autumn Pokémon Festival, which took place on 29 October 2023.
- "Tank Top Sauna" (タンクトップサウナ) or "TTS" - Hibari, Lauren Iroas, Ex Albio, Ichinose Uruha, Ceo Kazari, and their coach, mittiii. They were teammates in the inaugural VSaikyo VALORANT Act 1, which took place on 19 November 2023.
- "Ue Kara Don★" (上からドン★) or "UKD" - Hibari, Hyakumantenbara Salome, Inami Rai, and Umehara Daigo. They were teammates in the KZHCUP in STREET FIGHTER 6, which took place on 26 November 2023.
- "OJISANJI" (おじさんじ) - Hibari, Bonchan, Fuwa Minato, DONPISHA, and Kanae. They were teammates in Crazy Raccoon Cup Street Fighter 6 #3, which took place on 11 February 2024.
- "CLUB.3" - Hibari, Fuwa Minato, Honma Himawari, Ars Almal, Ratna Petit, Fura Kanato, Igarashi Rika, Hoshirube Sho, Murakumo Kagetsu, and Milan Kestrel. They were a gang in the first NIJISANJI GTA RP server, which ran from 15 June to 24 June 2024.
- "Chiguhiba" (ちぐひば) - Hibari and Nishizono Chigusa.
- "Bariberus" (バリベロス) - Hibari and Inui Toko.
- "Syāgenryūto" (西弦緑渡) - Hibari, Nishizono Chigusa, Genzuki Tojiro, and Ryushen.
- "Hibari to Yukai na Nakamatachi" (雲雀と愉快な仲間たち) - Hibari, Fuwa Minato, Saegusa Akina, and Inui Toko.
- "NIJISANJI KagePro" (にじさんじカゲプロ) - Hibari, Higuchi Kaede, Ryushen, Machita Chima, Inui Toko, Lize Helesta, Saegusa Akina, Hakase Fuyuki, Hoshikawa Sara, Mashiro Meme, Genzuki Tojiro, Nishizono Chigusa, and Lain Paterson.
- Hashtags:
#にじさんじカゲプロ - General tag
- Hashtags:
Quotes[]
- "Wa! Bikkurishita?" (わっ! びっくりした?, Boo! Did I scare you?)
- "Nanka iketa." (なんかいけた, Somehow, it worked out.)
- "Daijōbuso?" (大丈夫そ?, It seems fine?)
- "Wakannakunachatta~!" (わかんなくなっちゃった~!, I don't know what's going on anymore~!)
- "TY", "BIG TY" (ビックTY) - Hibari's expressions of gratitude.
- "Tama ni mushō ni toaster ga tabetakunaru toki mo arundakedo..." (たまに無性にトースターが食べたくなる時もあるんだけど…, Sometimes I have this irresistible desire to eat a toaster, but...)[85]
- "Madamada mijukumono dashi wakannai koto bakka dakedo, kono te ni shita chance wo zettai mono ni shite miseru kara!" (まだまだ未熟者だし分かんないことばっかだけど、この手にしたチャンスを絶対ものにしてみせるから!, I might still be inexperienced and there's a lot of things that I don't understand, but I'll make the most of this chance I've been given!)[86]
- "Omoshirosō na emono jan." (面白そうな獲物じゃん。What an interesting game you've given me.)[87]
Trivia[]
Identity[]
- Color: #192332 (main)[88] #CD3764 (sub)[74]
- Background: Heir of a phantom thief family.[4]
- Occupation: Part-time worker at a café (publicly), phantom thief (behind-the-scenes).[4]
- His MBTI is ESFP.[89]
- Hibari shares his character designer, Ninahachi, with Re:AcT and Sugar Stella members: Yuiga Kohaku and Kogami Yukari, the members of upd8's Cherry-Ko Kitaku-Bu (Nanyo Yuki, Hanagasa Ilya, Mogami Ren, and Nishikiyama Mutaka), and Onigaya Ten of Neo-Porte.
Character and Lore[]
- The members of VOLTACTION were originally a group of close friends - all coming from criminal or otherwise morally ambiguous backgrounds - who first met each other while attending the same boarding school, Erfolg College (エルフォルクカレッジ).[2][90]
- Instead of enrolling through legitimate means, he stole and forged identification papers to gain acceptance to the school. He initially did this to have a base from which he could experience the big city, as he ran away from his family's estate in the countryside in order to do so.[91]
- Although Hibari believes that they first befriended each other at boarding school, it is heavily implied that he was the one same-age friend Fura Kanato had before VOLTACTION but lost contact with, with Hibari having forgotten that they were childhood playmates.[91][92] Their childhood friendship is also depicted in VOLTACTION's cover of Vaundy's "Kaiju no Hanauta" (怪獣の花唄).
- After honing their respective skills in the criminal underworld, Kanato gathered them together due to a shared desire to use these skills to instead bring happiness to people. To do so, they meet at a hidden base called the Laundry (ランドリー), and carry out missions in secret. After learning about NIJISANJI, the members decided to start streaming in addition to their activities as VOLTACTION.[2][93]
- He is the heir to a phantom thief family that is rather famous in a certain region of virtual Japan. His normal part-time job is a cover for his activities as a phantom thief. However, because he aspires to be a "good thief", he steals peoples' "hearts" rather than stealing money or goods.[86]
- Despite his reluctance to steal for material gain, he still uses the more unsavory skills he developed through his upbringing as a phantom thief as a member of VOLTACTION. These include casing mission sites for optimal entry and exit points, stealing blueprints and access keys for their mission sites ahead of time, preparing disguises, infiltration, lockpicking, safecracking, and forgery. As such, his primary contributions to the group are reconnaissance and intelligence gathering.[87][94][95]
- He is capable of seeing in infrared when wearing his mask, which allows him to detect beam security systems that operate in that spectrum.[87]
- Like the other members of VOLTACTION, he no longer ages.[96]
CAFE Zeffiro[]
- CAFE Zeffiro is a café owned and managed by Kanato and the Venti Group, and acts as a front for VOLTACTION's activities in conjunction with Shikinagi Akira's Room 4S. Hibari works part-time at the café, meaning that Kanato is technically his boss; thus, Hibari occasionally refers to Kanato as "Owner". Because Hibari does not steal for money, this part-time job is his primary means of supporting himself; as such, he describes himself as a freeter.[86][97]
- Owing to their close friendship, whenever he encounters a problem at work, he prefers to mention it directly to Kanato instead of bringing it up with the café manager.[98]
- In order to protect clients' privacy, the primary way clients can contact Room 4S is by first ordering a small espresso with four sugar cubes at CAFE Zeffiro.[99] As orders and requests are relayed through Kanato and Hibari, it can then be determined if the request warrants involving VOLTACTION as a whole.[95]
- Some of his duties at the café include taking orders at the front counter, preparing coffee, and developing new food and drink items for the café's menu.[8][94][99]
- He very much enjoys his work, referring to it as a part-time job he can do freely and leisurely - especially in comparison to Seraph Dazzlegarden's near-constant state of being overworked.[98] The job has no overtime, and as the café manager is quite kind, they're very lenient when Hibari asks for time off due to his other commitments.[100]
- When shown in 3D, CAFE Zeffiro is shown to have a yellow exterior facade with a large covered outdoor terrace, while its interior appears much like a classic modern café, with ivory walls, indoor seating, and a baked goods case at the front counter.[99]
Name[]
- As "Watarai Hibari" is the name he went by at Erfolg College, it is unclear as to whether it is his "real" name or that of the person whose identity he stole in order to enroll.[91]
- His surname Watarai is written as 渡会, with 渡 (wata) meaning to give and 会 (rai) meaning to meet or gather.
- His given name Hibari is written as 雲雀, which means skylark, usually in reference to the Eurasian skylark; the male of this species is known for its long, clear, warbling song.
- Likely in reference to this, his mascot Hibari-san is a skylark, and his first solo single is titled "skylark".
- An alternative kanji reading for "hibari" is 告天子, which also means "skylark", but directly translates to "messenger from heaven".
Preferences[]
- Likes:
- Anime and manga: Hunter × Hunter, Sword Art Online, Major, Grand Blue Dreaming, Spy Classroom, Mushoku Tensei, Blue Lock, Code Geass, Bocchi the Rock![86][101]
- Games: Apex Legends, VALORANT, Final Fantasy X, Escape from Tarkov[86]
- Music: VOCALOID, anime songs[86]
- Food: Ramen (Ramen Jiro, tonkotsu ramen, tantan ramen), sushi, karashi mentaiko and sujiko onigiri, Basque cheesecake, roasted sweet potato, sweet potatoes in general[102][85]
- Snacks: Kettle-cooked chips, Country Ma'am cookies, Black Thunder, Jagarico[102][103]
- Perfume: Chanel Platinum Égoïste, Bulgari Omnia Amethyste, Samouraï by Alain Delon[104]
- Animals: Dogs[105]
- Dislikes:
Miscellaneous[]
- Hibari's Liver Secret File from Amamiya Kokoro, Yorumi Rena, and Matsukai Mao's Game-Lu? Game-Ru! Episode 53:
- If you weren't a Liver, what would you be?: "An engineer."
- Something you really don't like to be told: "You stink."
- What would put you in in a good mood all day?: "Energy drinks."
- What recent video would you recommend?: "The one with the good-looking gorilla eating a banana."
- What would you do if you won 1,000,000 yen?: "Buy audio engineering equipment!!!!!"
- When did you most make someone angry?: "That time when I scattered Seirogan around the classroom and made the whole place stink of it."
- Someone you want to collab with?: "Hollywood Zakoshisyoh."
- What's the game you have spent the most time on?: "Final Fantasy X."
- What game character are you like?: "A Cactuar."
- A memo from your manager: "His memory is terrible!?"
- Prior to their debut, VOLTACTION once rented a cottage together. This cottage trip gave rise to what is now known as the Yōsei-san Jiken (妖精さん事件, Mr. Fairy Incident), which both the group and their viewers have since referred to as one of their most memorable moments and is oft referenced as a running gag.[109][110]
- At the cottage, their sleeping arrangements were Kanato and Hibari sharing one bedroom and Akira and Seraph sharing another bedroom, with a clear view into each others' rooms.[111]
- Akira walked around stark naked in his and Seraph's bedroom on his way to the shower room, apparently drawn there by Seraph playing the violin. Because the bedroom doors were wide open, he was in full view of all three of the others, causing an uproar. The name of the incident derives from Kanato's shocked exclamation of "yōsei-san da!" (妖精さんだ!, It's a fairy!) upon noticing Akira's state of dress. Rather than being embarrassed, however, out of spite Akira walked out naked in front of them once again after finishing his shower.[111][112]
- He is quite knowledgeable when it comes to audio mixing and audio engineering, and has mixed the majority of his own song covers as well as for other Livers. He was also the one who originally taught audio mixing to Seraph.[9] All of his audio engineering skills are self-taught.[103] Covers he has mixed include:
- His own covers of "StaRt", "God-ish" (神っぽいな), "CHAINSAW BLOOD", "Lie" (嘘), "Yobanashi Deceive" (夜咄ディセイブ), and "Hide and Seek" (ハイド・アンド・シーク)
- His and Kanato's duet of "Identity" (アイデンティティ)
- Kanato's cover of "Traffic Jam" (トラフィック・ジャム)
- Akira's cover of "Overdose"
- Umise Yotsuha's cover of "Friday's Good Mornings" (金曜日のおはよう)
- NIJISANJI Second Generation's cover of "Blessing"
- Furen E Lustario's short covers of "God-ish" (神っぽいな), "CH4NGE", and "Henceforth"
- He can play the acoustic guitar and electric guitar.[113]
- He played baseball throughout elementary and middle school, and is still quite good at it; his primary position was first baseman, however he also occasionally played as the third baseman. He was usually his teams' cleanup hitter, and was the team captain at one point.[114][115]
- Other sports he enjoys and is proficient at include ten-pin bowling (with his highest score being higher than 200, a 200+ average being professional range), golf, and swimming, the last of which he is good at despite having never had any formal lessons.[116][117]
- He has an older brother, who he refers to as aniki (兄貴) and nii-chan (兄ちゃん).[118]
- He has a driver's license.[119]
- He was the one who drove when VOLTACTION went on a road trip as one of the things they did to celebrate their first debut anniversary; this trip was recorded for a vlog posted on the group's channel.
- He is known to be an excellent cook, and makes meals for the other members of VOLTACTION from time to time.[120] He was able to show off his culinary skills during a VOLTACTION cooking duel off-collab, with the other members complimenting his dexterity.
- One of his weaknesses is cleaning; he once Tweeted several days in a row that he was going to clean his room only to keep putting it off. He even went an entire year without cleaning his room at one point, with him suspecting that his air purifier instead started polluting his room because he hadn't changed the filter in that time.[121]
- His alcohol tolerance is next to zero, with Kanato remarking that it takes very little alcohol for him to get drunk, and that he inevitably ends up with his face flushed and fast asleep within half an hour of starting to drink.[122] In fact, he can apparently even get drunk just by eating whisky bonbon candies.[123]
- He is an ex-smoker; he initially started smoking as he thought the people smoking in clubs and bars seemed cool, but he eventually quit as he found it ultimately didn't suit him and because smoking was bad for his throat.[103]
- He has experienced testicular torsion, which fortunately resolved without surgery but was something Hibari described as being the worst pain that he has ever felt.[125] In fact, he was the one who told Seraph to seek medical attention when he started showing the same symptoms.[126]
Kanato has referred to them as the "Nenten-gumi" (捻転組, Team Torsion) as a result, much to their displeasure.[127] - He did not do well academically in school, but still managed to have a good relationship with his teachers.[103]
- His favorite subject in school was physical education, while his least favorite subjects were English, math, Japanese, science, and social studies.[128]
In other words, almost everything else. - He once got 1% on a test despite answering all the questions, and even then he suspects the one partially correct mark to have been given by his teacher out of pity.[103]
- He especially struggles with kanji, having failed the level 4 Japan Kanji Aptitude Test (which is designed to be passed by elementary school students).[123]
- His favorite subject in school was physical education, while his least favorite subjects were English, math, Japanese, science, and social studies.[128]
- While he shows a decent grasp of English pronunciation in his covers, Hibari has little to no actual understanding of the English language itself - somehow even managing to typo "VOLTA" as "VLUTA" once - though he does want to work on this.[129][130] As such, he is completely unable to communicate with CAFE Zeffiro's foreign customers, but tries his best using passion English.[131]
- If he were to reincarnate as something, it would be as a slime from the Dragon Quest franchise.[128]
- A NIJISANJI senpai he looks up to is Kagami Hayato.[82]
Live Chat Etiquette[]
- Common VTuber chat etiquette is summarised here: "VTuber Chat Etiquette"
- From stream descriptions:
- Please refrain from making comments that contain spoilers.
- Please do not mention Hibari in other Livers' streams unless they mention him first.
- Please refrain from making comments unrelated to the content of the stream.
- Additionally:
- Please use inside jokes in moderation so that they'll still be fun![132]
External Links[]
Media[]
- Watarai Hibari's corporate profile on NIJISANJI website
- 渡会雲雀 / Watarai Hibari - YouTube Channel
- @watarai_hibari - Twitter Account
Twitter Hashtags[]
- #渡会部 - Stream tag
- #わたらいらすと - Fan art tag
- #渡会盗聴会 - Comments about voice release
- #ひばりーど - Egosurfing
- #サクット雲雀 - Clips
Further Reading[]
- 渡会雲雀 - Unofficial NIJISANJI Wiki
- 渡会雲雀 - Pixiv Encyclopedia
- 渡会云雀 - Moegirl Encyclopedia
- 와타라이 히바리 - Namu Wiki
References[]
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