One of the biggest names in streaming and VTubing is Ironmouse. She has a large and loyal fanbase while also having humble beginnings as a creator, and she released a new song a few months ago called “Music Box of Fate.” While she’s put out other music before, this one feels particularly special, not just because it sounds incredible, but because it feels like a real high point of her journey as an artist and entertainer.

Ironmouse has Chronic Variable Immune Deficiency, an autoimmune condition that severely limits her ability to leave her home. Her success as a streamer has greatly increased her quality of life, including improving her ability to speak and even sing. That last part is especially noteworthy because Ironmouse was at one point training to become an opera singer before that career goal was derailed by her illness.

Over the years, Ironmouse has occasionally sung for her audience and showcased her abilities, but it is taxing on her body. Perhaps because of this, she has generally gone a more pop route when doing original music. However, this all changed with “Music Box of Fate”: a song created by WUNDER RiKU and StarlightDaryl to put Ironmouse’s operatic skills on full display. 

“Music Box of Fate” and Ironmouse’s performance have garnered praise from professionals, and its music video has surpassed one million views. I myself believe it’s her best yet, and I feel that it will be seen as her most defining song, not unlike Gawr Gura with “Ash Again.” It’s simply beautiful, and I’ve found myself listening to it on repeat.

But what really amazes me about “Music Box of Fate” are the circumstances that got us to this song. If Ironmouse never had CVID, there’s a good chance she would’ve gone on to become a successful coloratura soprano like she had originally intended. However, opera is generally considered an elite pursuit, with minimal overlap with more standard or mainstream tastes. In other words, no matter how big Ironmouse would have gotten in opera, it’s very likely that most of her current fans would have never heard her sing.

Now, I want to make it clear that this is not presenting Ironmouse or her health issues as inspiration or tragedy porn. Instead, what I want to highlight is how Ironmouse’s specific circumstances and her decision to try to reach out to the world through a virtual guise (in a time when such a thing is even possible) resulted in something wonderful. Her efforts earned her a wider audience that is now exposing itself to a form of music they might not have engaged with otherwise. Ironmouse has created an avenue for many more people to enjoy and appreciate opera, as opposed to perceiving it as too strange or high-brow for them. In traveling along this path, Ironmouse has helped make the unfamiliar less daunting, brightening the world in the process.