With a name like My Favorite Vtuber is Scary IRL, you’d think the ensuing manga might be a comedy of sorts that focuses on how appearances can be deceiving, but that’s far from the truth. Rather, the new Square Enix series from Riyo Yorima is more along the lines of Komi Can’t Communicate. Instead of laughing at misconceptions, we see a person who is doing her best and a person with his own struggles attempting to support her.
Editor’s Note: There will be some minor spoilers for volume 1 of the My Favorite Vtuber is Scary IRL manga below.
My Favorite Vtuber is Scary IRL is the very definition of appearances can be deceiving on so many fronts. The cover itself makes it seem like the lead heroine is a terrifying type of punk presence, but she’s not! The title makes it seem like a comedy, but it isn’t! I’d even say it acts as a means of investigating what the private lives are like for people who are otherwise very public and noticeable as Vtuber and food delivery person, while also keeping them very anonymous. It feels like a purposeful choice by Yorima to already encourage readers to look closer.
The unnamed heroine here is the person behind Vtuber Fuwari Hanae. She’s pretty popular, but describes herself as a shut-in who isn’t good at talking to people. She wants to work on herself and overcome her anxiety. The other lead is a man about the same age who is working as an Eatza delivery person for extra money. Due to the area being a bit rural, he’s always delivering to her. And because of her fears and low self esteem, she’s ordering everything.
As things begin, the misconceptions are being addressed head-on. The deliveryman is a bit afraid of her because she’s incredibly tall, she has a resting bitch face, her behavior is quiet awkward, and she’s also exceptionally pretty. So much so that when she tries to talk to him, he panics and runs. He then watches his oshi, the Vtuber Fuwari Hanae, and realizes that his customer’s disposition and outreach seems to mirror the performer’s. Especially since she “sounds similar.” (He sort of realized the resemblance, but isn’t clocking that it truly is the same person.) This is all presented in a very sympathetic fashion, and one in which we’re clearly seeing the woman behind the Vtuber as a person to root for.
While everyone is kept anonymous, Riko Yorima uses the early My Favorite Vtuber is Scary IRL manga chapters to explain why the woman developed this complex and these fears, while also establishing the Eatza worker’s own insecurities. She’d always been gossiped about and bullied due to her height, figure, and general appearance. So much so that she’s lost jobs and is even afraid to go to a nearby store because it might be busy and she’s stand taller than even men in crowds. Meanwhile, we see that the man offering to help her is familiar with that in a different way, as he’s always been much shorter than everyone and was picked on for that in school. We get to see the connection form and understand why we should want to see her succeed.
I also appreciate the delicate approach Riyo Yorima uses when it comes to the Eatza delivery guy actually helping the person behind the Vtuber make progress with her goals. One of the early ones in the chapter involves the two going to a convenience store together. Even just walking out of the apartment complex and to the street is daunting to her, due to her anxiety going into overdrive and envisioning all the negative attention she might draw. The way the man responds to her fear and the direction that rest of that trip takes feels really compassionate and understanding.
My Favorite Vtuber is Scary IRL feels like it could end up being a very sweet manga showcasing personal growth of its leads. The person behind the Vtuber is really hoping to grow as a person and overcome her fears. The delivery driver comes to a point where he wants to help her for her, and not because she “reminds” him of his favorite Vtuber. While there is fanservice, it also feels like it could be a very considerate series.
Volume 1 of My Favorite Vtuber is Scary IRL, and Square Enix will release the second volume of the manga on June 9, 2025.