Crafting Dr. Tensai
After hearing my response, Reiko circled something else on the paper, and this time she wrote down two characters. A name. A name?
"A name... you don't mean... for the model...?"
"Rather than calling it that, wouldn't it be better to think of it as the stage name Ito-san will use going forward?"
"Uh... but do we really decide something like this just between us? Like, shouldn't the illustrator in charge...?"
"Every company has its own methods, but since we're constantly recruiting through open auditions, we tailor the designs to fit the image of those who've already been confirmed for debut. That way, there's less disconnect during offline collabs or casual chats if the model somewhat resembles the person."
Fair enough. If someone with my build ended up with a tall, curvaceous model around 170cm, and we were chatting about hanging out offline, the moment someone said, "Yui-chan's so tiny~," everyone would go, Eh? Sure, everyone knows the model and the person inside are separate, but VTubers don't usually point that out. Of course, you could argue that seamlessly brain-converting your words to match is a key VTuber skill, but if the sync rate is high from the start, you don't have to worry about it.
As I mulled that over, Reiko started writing something else. The first word I spotted was loli. I stared at her blankly, and when our eyes met, she cleared her throat awkwardly and looked away.
"D-don't get the wrong idea. I'm just jotting down character traits that suit Ito-san, not implying that Ito-san is..."
"No... um. Yeah. It's f-fine."
From a third-person view, she might've half-jokingly called me that anyway, and if the model matches my image, of course it'd be a loli character. But... hearing it straight to my face from someone I know feels kinda complicated. Reiko seemed a bit embarrassed too... Anyway, her pen didn't stop. After that came words like 'maturity,' 'intelligence,' 'loneliness,' and so on.
Do I really come off that way? But thinking about it, it kinda fits. Second-guessing aside, at 21, I'm pretty polite for a social newbie. Living alone checks the lonely box. And smart... well, it's a bit self-flattering, but I've proven my language skills, so yeah.
It all made sense. I nodded slightly, and Reiko asked me,
"Now, do any of these keywords spark something for you?"
"Uh, umm..."
"First off, your petite, youthful appearance is set in stone. Imagine a girl who's surprisingly mature and strait-laced despite her looks, brimming with advanced knowledge... but with a hint of loneliness. An endearing little girl like that."
Imagine, huh. I closed my eyes and turned inward, questioning myself slowly. Floating in the vast white void was none other than my body—tiny, fragile as if a breeze could carry it away. Cute, sure, but for a 2D character, let alone a VTuber, it lacked a lot of typical flair. You're more mature than you look. Why? Just because you didn't grow much for your age? Nah, that's boring.
Right—skipping grades. You're such a genius that school bored you, so you skipped every subject straight to college graduation. That's why you're mature and smart. But with no time to make friends, you act tough on the outside while craving playmates deep down. A lonely kid pretending to be strong—that's your truth.
I shared that with Reiko, and she nodded, looking genuinely surprised.
"That's good. A bit clichéd, but viewers aren't expecting wild originality anyway. It's solid as is, but let's layer on some traits."
"Uh... like what...?"
"The easiest way to show personality is first-person pronouns and speech style. Hmm... How about washi for 'I,' with an arrogant, haughty tone?"
Reiko nodded to herself as she jotted down my ideas, adding the pronoun and speech notes beside them. W-wait... I don't think I can pull off acting that convincingly... But hearing my half-hearted protest, she smiled gently.
"No need to worry. You've got plenty of time before debut to get used to it."
"Even so..."
"And if your speech slips, that's no issue either—it just becomes part of your charm. For instance, add a line at the end of your intro like, 'I use archaic speech to seem mature, but my real voice slips out when I'm cornered.'"
"Eeeek!"
I gaped in shock mid-listen. Pro! That's what a pro does! I'd been fretting about messing up as a newbie, getting hate for failing basic RP, but Reiko was already turning that flaw into a moe point. This is the producer's mindset. My consumer-only perspective felt worlds apart. A clean defeat—though it wasn't really a contest.
"Th-that's amazing... I never would've thought of that."
"Thanks, but it's not that hard. And... hm, ending with just grade-skipping feels a tad flat. Since we're at it, let's make you a doctor. A tiny kid in a baggy white coat, sleeves swallowing her hands as she waves—adorable, right?"
"H-hueee..."
Was she a goddess? Suddenly, Reiko seemed to glow with a halo. Watching my silly daydream morph into a gacha-game character was surreal. As I fangirled beside her, she kept adding settings: sloppy at tidying (claims everything's in optimal entropy), too weak to hold a hairdryer so hair's always messy, sleepy from late nights so half-lidded eyes...
Perfect. Even if some illustrator tweaks it later, I loved this version already. As I nodded, Reiko continued, "Now for the main event: the name. Something concise that captures all these traits at a glance—or ear."
"Th-that's too tough..."
"Lots of people pick randomly or with puns, so don't overthink it. Just go with what feels right."
"Hmm..."
A name... names are so hard. I've always sucked at them—recycling alts across games or tacking numbers on subs. And now, a name that could define my streaming career? Wait—
"Um... but didn't you say models are made for confirmed debuts? I didn't think I was..."
"It's fine. I'm determined to debut you no matter what."
"Y-yeah..."
Whoa, that's heavy trust. Am I really that promising? This voice has value, sure... but I won't use it raw. Otherwise, why learn strain-free voices from Tanaka-san? Whatever. Time to brainstorm.
VTuber names often pun, like Reiko said. Puns... I scanned the traits for ideas.
"First off, 'Doctor' fits, right?"
"Agreed."
She wrote Dr. Good—halfway there. Relaxed, I kept going. No need for real name. Something codename-y, childish, simple. Doctor... doctor...
"Genius?"
"Pardon?"
"Genius—like Tensai? Skipping grades to doctorate screams genius. Dr. Tensai... too childish?"
"Hmm..."
She crossed her arms, pondering. Strike out. Should've thought more? Genius doctor feels too gamey... Self-loathing sigh—then an unexpected reply.
"Not bad. But tweak the kanji. Not 天才..."
She scribbled two characters. I stared blankly. This is...
"Th-this is..."
"Read as Tensai (十歳)."
"J-ju—"
"Ten-sai."
"R-right..."
Overwhelmed by her beaming smile, I nodded unwittingly. But... is this okay? Ten (10) as TEN-sai. Kanji screams 10-year-old doctor. Kinda weird... Wait.
"R-Reiko-san. Don't tell me..."
"Yes. Notation with kanji and furigana nods to genius, while—"
"Y-you're not hiding the age in the profile...?"
"Exactly."
"Hieeek!"
A genius! Instant layers! I gazed at her in awe, but she didn't notice, adding more settings.
"Profile age: 'Erased by mystery drug' to tie in. Essential. And even as RP, claiming a normal human's 10 invites hassle, so origin: some star-named alien. Crashed on Earth, wanted friends so tried school—too boring, instant skips, woke up a doctor. Rough gimmick like that."
"Huee..."
"Height matches yours... Birthday ideas?"
"Uh, n-none really."
"I'll pick one that doesn't clash with members'."
"Y-yeah..."
Watching her steamroll ahead without my input, I realized her debut promise wasn't bluff. ...Maybe I can look forward to it a little. I clenched my tiny fist tight.