"A dragon who loves the internet and hates leaving her cave!”

For our sixth edition of Spotlight on IRIAM: Meet The Streamer, we’re joined by Zuzu Mizuchi! She’s a dragon who wants so desperately to make friends with humans, but always scares them away. Zuzu loves playing retro games, researching old and lost media, and hiding in her basement cave.

Some of her favorite games are Mother 3 and Kirby 64! Zuzu especially loves it when she gets a chance to play old random Flash games or DOS games. When she’s not playing those, she spends her time talking to herself for hours on end, so if that sounds like fun for you, Zuzu would love for you to stop by!

What inspired you to become a VTuber?

I had a friend who talked to me about becoming an indie VTuber! Up until that point, I didn't actually know you COULD be an indie VTuber. She mentioned she was using a program called VRoid Studio and suggested I create a model too. About two weeks later, I had my own (very poorly) made VTuber model!

“There is something to be said about taking a fresh start and a fresh approach to things”

What made you join IRIAM under a new identity rather than sticking with your previous persona?

It was really a personal decision. For me, it felt wrong to change my old account into something it wasn't. I had a connection to that character for several years, and it felt too sad to throw her away and replace her with a shiny new toy.

But I think there is something to be said about taking a fresh start and a fresh approach to things. When I initially started as a VTuber, admittedly, my accounts were not very professional. So I wanted to apply the things I had learned over the years to my new account.

You mentioned wanting to apply the things you learned to this new iteration. What are some things you did differently from your first time around?

I wanted a very clear brand identity and direction! It helps both you and the audience to set a clear precedent for common games, colors, themes, sense of humor, etc. On my old account, I also didn't have a defined VTuber model or design, and I think that hurts your reach a lot. So I wanted to put myself out there, be unabashedly me, and see who vibed with me.

“Inevitably, not everyone can like you or connect with you. But I hope people like me as Zuzu”

Your design is featured in many of the IRIAM promotional materials and was one of the first to be revealed. Did that add any pressure to your experience streaming on IRIAM?

It was so exciting to be offered the cute dragon I had seen on a lot of promotional materials! It was also admittedly very scary. I worried a lot, and still do, if I was the sort of person that people expected coming from her. I spent a lot of time wondering to myself: "Is my voice okay? Is my sense of humor okay? Are the types of streams I want to do okay?" Inevitably, not everyone can like you or connect with you. But I hope people like me as Zuzu.

You’re known for creating unique and creative content. Where do you usually find your inspiration, and what advice would you give to other VTubers who want to make their content stand out?

I have so many VTubers I look up to that make amazing content. But one of my biggest inspirations for content creation is Jenny Nicholson, who doesn't do VTuber content at all! Her primary focus is on amusement parks and other niche topics. However, it's also exactly why I go to her; she does interesting videos and deep dives about something I never would have heard about otherwise (and is really funny).

If you're looking for inspiration, it's a good idea to look beyond the VTuber sphere when it comes to content. Talk about what you want to talk about and think is interesting, not just what you think is popular. I promise you someone else wants to see.

You’ve steadily grown your following on IRIAM and across other platforms. What do you think contributed to that growth, and what tips or advice would you give to others hoping to achieve the same?

Make friends! I've tried really hard to make friends and talk to all sorts of people. I'm naturally a really shy person, so I have had to force myself to talk to others to make friends. In any world related to streaming, you can't really do it alone. I have probably sent more messages to people in the past year than I have in my entire life previously.

The other piece of advice I have is to post yourself often to a bunch of different places. X/Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, anywhere you can think of. You never know what could happen.

“It can be interesting to see, though, how the same content gets different reactions on different platforms!”

When posting, do you approach each platform differently, or do you repurpose content?

I try to approach each platform differently, but I also sometimes get lazy. Most TikToks can be used for YouTube Shorts, but different platforms need a different approach. Similarly, if you use both X/Twitter and BlueSky, those two sites produce pretty similar content. I've admittedly also used Reddit to promote myself, and you need to use a bit of a different tone to post there - memes tend to work best. It can be interesting to see, though, how the same content gets different reactions on different platforms!

What are some memorable moments or streams you've had on IRIAM?

I'm incredibly thankful for the community I have somehow managed to grow. I cried when I managed to get second place in the Live2D outfit competition because I had never had something like that happen to me before. Even now, I tear up a little bit when I think about it. Not only did I get a new outfit, but my community helped me gain enough money that I could afford my own computer.

What kind of streams can viewers expect from you on the platform?

Lots of back-and-forth discussion! I like talking a lot about current events, things I've seen on X/Twitter, gaming news, my bad opinions on anime, and more. When streaming, talking to just yourself can get lonely, so I really like to have a conversation with my viewers.

Do you have any upcoming projects or events we can look forward to?

I'm so excited for my upcoming ice cream flavor! I have several other projects I'm working on coming down the pipeline, but they're a bit secret for now, hehe.

Editor: Meira

Make sure you never miss what Zuzu has in store! Visit her on:

• IRIAM

• X

• Twitch

• YouTube