It makes sense that vloggers have become increasingly popular as a source of internet entertainment in recent years. Corporately and professionally, they have capitalized on the popularity of popular idol cultures. As a result, many different media have been created, including manga, animations, and music. La+ Darknesss, Takane Lui, Hakui Koyori, Kazama Iroha, and Sakamata Chloe are the sixth-generation idols from the well-known VTuber agency Hololive that are the focus of holoX MEETing!. This kind of material demonstrates the industry’s talent’s malleability.
While holoX MEETing! is replete with allusions and allusions to the particular skills highlighted in this comic, it also serves as a stand-alone origin tale detailing how La+ Darknesss brought this motley crew of misfits together and the wild shenanigans that followed. There is only a setup and a sequence of events that let the characters interact with one another rather than a convoluted overarching story.
Although the book is jam-packed with references, as I noted before, it doesn’t use them to extend its running length. Even though I didn’t know anything about the majority of the idols in this book, I was still able to grasp everything. I only made a note of a few references after reading this volume when I conducted more study. How a devoted holoX fan would feel reading this, I can only imagine, if I could appreciate the ridiculous antics and animated character interactions. The volume seems to aim for a halfway ground between being acceptable to wide audiences and die-hard VTuber fans, with certain references being more overt than others, with sequences directly referencing to on-stream happenings. But there’s a certain endearing quality about it that I don’t think will be overlooked.
It helps that the book’s humor, which arises from character interactions, is its primary attraction. During broadcasts and big events, several VTubers need to be able to amuse on their own, but it always feels amazing to gather a group of them together to interact. One of this volume’s best selling qualities is its humorous antics. Every character in holoX, from Kazama’s introversion to La+’s gremlin energy, possesses strong qualities. Sakamata has the most “every man” disposition, thus it was a wise decision to tell the story from her point of view since it will be simpler for readers to project onto her as she gets used to this new group. Even so, her objectives and personality fit in well with the group.
The comedy in the series isn’t overly naive or intrusive, but it does have that “don’t overthink it” gag manga aspect. In fact, it strikes a decent balance between being sensible and absurd. There are numerous instances in which the characters have hushed conversations about how to improve their mutual situation. It doesn’t take long for the characters to begin to bond deeply and to get attracted to La+, their leader. Although each of them has unique quirks, it’s clear to see how much the group can achieve when working together, and I felt fulfilled when I finished this volume.
The artwork helped to convey their shenanigans in a visually pleasing way. With excellent face expressions that helped sell the humor, each talent’s design was faithfully converted from 3D to print. Everybody experiences brief exaggerations that are effective without being startling. I also enjoy how Anmitsu Okada’s nearly wicked demeanor occasionally drew La+. Though sometimes a little disorganized, the paneling is likewise fast-paced. Squeezing a little less text onto the page would have improved the volume significantly. When Okada attempts to depict how disorganized their headquarters is, it works, but when the tale shifts outside, it becomes quite claustrophobic. In both situations, I believe we could have achieved much more if we had slowed down.
It didn’t feel that way, though, for a novel that may be reduced to a piece of advertising for virtual idols on the internet. If Hololive is credited with making VTuber entertainment a byword for idol culture, then holoX MEETing! has done a fantastic job of incorporating those skills into a humorous manga that moves quickly. For fans of holoX, this is probably a must-buy. But it also works flawlessly, in my opinion, on its own. You can’t go wrong with picking this up to kill time if you’re looking for a pleasant, fast-paced comedy.
