Tag Archives: kou mariya

Crossing Dimensions: Skyline Serenade (and Seigetsu Stars)

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Skyline Serenade was an independent VTuber concert held on August 21, 2026 at the Beacon Theater during Anime NYC weekend but independent of the big convention. With its fairly even mix of both VTuber and IRL performers, it was emphatically a 2.5D (or perhaps 3.5D) show.

On the virtual side was the tapir nurse Nimi Nightmare, as well as the ghost maid Mint Fantôme of Densetsu.exe. There on stage in the flesh were Phoebe Chan—also of Densetsu.exe in both her VTuber and IRL forms—and the Austrian cosplayer/music artist Keekihime, who actually was part of an idol group Japan in the past. Rounding out the roster was a powerful guest list that included the recently returning vampire Kou Mariya, the cockroach starlet Matara Kan, and the elusive Shachi (who might not have counted as a VTuber but is willing to be on stage as a pink orca). Another very pleasant surprise was that Mint and Phoebe performed one song with the last Densetsu member, Victoria Roman, whom I absolutely adore.

I had previously seen Nimi, Mint, and Phoebe live at other concert events (Virtual Vacation 2025, Fantôme Thief’s Revenge, Otakon 2026), but Keeki would be a new experience for me. She actually made a US appearance last year during Otakon weekend, but that was actually the one year I couldn’t go to DC. Given that none of them have the explicit backing of a big industry player (and the Densetsu girls were set back by the unceremonious downfall of VShojo), I decided that this would be the biggest priority of my Anime NYC weekend, even if it meant having to miss out on a hololive karaoke event literally being held at the same time at the con proper.

There were a few issues at the venue off the bat. The line for bonus merch for the VIP and SVIP ticket holders was slow-moving to the point of pushing back the start time. The SVIP package also lacked the promised hand-signed postcards from Keeki, but that was because of a series of unfortunate incidents that had her travel visa come in late and freak storms preventing her from flying out until the day of. Fortunately, not only was the delay fairly minimal (about 30 minutes), but the organizers made it clear that Keeki’s autographs would be sent out via mail.

Once the concert itself kicked off, I had a wonderful time. Something I keenly felt was how much they wanted to emphasize that bridging between the virtual and real, doing every combination of girls possible and then some. 

  • Phoebe sang with a gigantic 2D Kou Mariya, as if to push the idea that nothing is set in stone. 
  • Keeki donned a Nimi cosplay to perform “Renai Circulation” with Nimi herself, creating a fun visual.
  • When Densetsu.exe performed together, the 2DLive model used by Vicky, the mocapped 3D model of Mint, and the physical presence of Phoebe made for a delightful contrast that accompanied their unique respective singing styles.

There were also a lot of nods to their shared history in various fandoms and with each other.

  • Nimi performed the emo pop-punk anthem “Still Into You” with Shachi (who sounded amazing), during which Nimi held the relatively small orca in her hands and moved her around as if Shachi was moving through the water. 
  • Mint and Matara, friends and veterans of the same disastrous situations, debuted a new song together titled “Set Me Free.” It was fun seeing Matara dance with her insectoid claw feet.
  • Keeki (wearing a look inspired by the Austrian National Football Team) and Phoebe (in a gorgeously detailed idol outfit) pointed to their long-time love of Japanese idols by covering a song from the group W, “Koi no Vacance.” 
  • Phoebe’s “Start Again” had her sing about continuous reinvention, accompanied by footage of her various VTuber designs (including Ami Amami from the defunct Prism Project), while her performance of “Seikan Hikou” called back to Ranka Lee, the Macross Frontier character who sparked her love of singing in the first place. (I was surprised she wasn’t part of the “Lion” performance.)

Overall, attending Skyline Serenade really made me aware of the strengths and limitations of VTuber vs. IRL performance. The anime-esque designs of the former can give performers impossibly perfect features and proportions, but the current technological limitations mean you can’t fully capture the rich subtlety of movement of actual people. Either way, everyone was beautiful in their own right both visually and aurally, and I don’t have any regrets except one: I didn’t know photos were okay! It would have helped make this review and report better, but alas.

PS: After the concert, I briefly attended a VTuber after party called Seigetsu Stars, foolishly forgetting that I don’t really have it in me to stay up all night anymore, especially in a club environment and especially when I planned to be up early the next day. I watched Hyuni and Amano Nene, and then had to tap out. I wish I could have stayed longer, but my body thanked me for not sticking around.

Independence Concert Hall: Found Futures and Doki Doki Rewind Time

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The dream of the 3D concert is a unique aspect of VTuber culture, and I’m glad that there exist organizations that help make the goal feasible for creators who aren’t part of big companies. One such group is Fantastic Reality, and this past July 4 weekend, they helped produce two in-person concerts: Found Futures and Doki Doki Rewind Time. 

Found Futures

Taking place on July 2, Found Futures was an eclectic mix of indies who ranged from decently well known to top names in the scene, with a welcome diversity of music genres. There was even a bit of opera!

Among the participants were former members of the now-defunct Vshojo: kson, Henya, Matara Kan, and Zentreya. All of them might be better known for their charming banter than their singing ability but clearly strived to put on a good show (with the notable exception of Zentreya, who uses text-to-speech and doesn’t really sing, per se). Matara was also joined for one song by Densetsu.exe (albeit not using their main 3D models).

LilyPichu (whose fame predates VTubing by a number of years), performed three original songs with her signature gentle voice and a quiet confidence that elevated both her and the other talents. I recall first learning about her as an amateur voice actor gaining notoriety, and now she’s a veteran of her space! What a world we live in.

But personally speaking, the most notable acts of the night were Emiliya Fell (along with her half-IRL, half-VTuber band Virtual Signal) and Kou Mariya. Emiliya is one of the organizers of Fantastic Reality, and I admire the initiative she has taken to create this platform. I also have to shout out her song choice of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” from Tears for Fears, because there’s a tendency in VTubing for covers and karaoke choices to be post-2000s fare or stuff that has gotten popular online in recent years.

As for Mariya, she is literally another identity of Emiliya Fell—a fact she herself revealed last year, and I am inclined to believe was referenced when Emiliya sang a refrain of “Maaariya” in one of her songs. She had previously talked about having issues with retaining the rights to Mariya after V4Mirai, but things have since been resolved, and now she is simultaneously both personas. In other words, in another parallel with the world of pro wrestling, VTubing now has its own version of the time Mankind, Cactus Jack, and Dude Love all fought in the same Royal Rumble.

Doki Doki Rewind Time

In contrast to Found Futures, Doki Doki Rewind Time had a much clearer identity upfront: a “retro music” concert helmed by the two Dokis, Dokibird and Chibidoki, the former of whom was also celebrating her birthday. The two marquee names are not exactly renowned for their singing skills, so the concert was mostly about good vibes with cool people and just enjoying these “older” sounds. 

The fact that songs I perceive as relatively new were part of a nostalgic throwback did make me feel quite old: “Sk8r Boy,” “Pen Pineapple Apple Pen,” “A Thousand Miles,” “Caramell Dansen,” etc. Despite my now acute awareness of the passage of time, I can forgive it for being a great experience overall.

Among the guests were some of the biggest Indie names, many of whom had legacies that went well past their current identities. If I were to look at things objectively, the most significant appearance was that of Shachi: an artist and singer who had never been featured in a live concert as we currently know her. 

While technically not a VTuber, she was at least given a visual presence in the form of a punk-rock orca with a spiked collar. Shachi sang two duets with Dokibird, with her vocals on “Thnks fr th Mmrs” being especially moving to listen to. She and Dokibird have both talked about being long-time friends, and I think it’s wonderful that they finally got to perform together.

If we’re going by my personal biases, however, I was most excited to see Doki and Dooby perform together! While they had already been on stage together at Fantome Thief’s Revenge, this felt extra special as a duet. Their cover of “99 Red Balloons” was a nice choice, and fit their voices well. 

When the concert reached its encore, Doki appeared on stage with Dooby, Shachi, and the rest of the Sloppy Sisters (Mint Fantôme, Snuffy, Limealicious). Seeing all of them in one place felt special in a way that’s hard to fully describe, but it felt like both a reunion and the sign of a newer age. I only wish that Nimi Nightmare, who was part of the pre-show, could have joined them here as well.   

Miscellaneous

What follows are some other thoughts and observations:

Apparently, there was a pre-show for Found Futures that wasn’t streamed. As a fan of Michi Mochievee, I wish I could have seen it.

I don’t know if something happened, but the models seemed to be missing some of the typical shading/rendering one usually sees from these models, and that’s something I’ve only ever seen happen at hololive Gen 5’s Twinkle 4 You concert a few years back. The one who seemed to end up looking best under these circumstances was Dooby, and I have to wonder if she just took a different approach compared to everyone else when designing her 3D model.

The mix of live and virtual for the band accompaniment was cool to behold, and it gave a lot of positive energy to both concerts. I already knew about Starlight Daryl from her work composing songs, but to hear her shred on the guitar was really awesome too. I heard she had some serious health scares not long after, so I wish her well in healing as well as continuing to bridge this gap between 2D and 3D.

See You Again

Both concerts are still up until this Friday, so anyone interested has a couple more days to check them out.

Also, a lot of the talents in the Fantastic Reality concerts are set to be part of a number of upcoming concerts, including Skyline Serenade in August in New York City. I look forward to what they have in store.