The Answer Lies in Shonen Manga
A good chunk of Merhen's current viewers came from the funeral booze mukbang and the unique game Raider. But "a good chunk" doesn't mean "everyone." There are definitely viewers who've been around since her days as a Night Rise specialist streamer.
So how did those viewers even find her? Curiosity about Night Rise? As if. That game was nothing but a hindrance to attracting viewers—it sure as hell never had a positive impact. The one exception might've been when Night Rise's devs got caught rigging gacha rates, sparking those truck protest spectacles. That brief spotlight indirectly drew people to Merhen's streams, since she was tangled up in the protests. That was probably the only time Night Rise ever helped her viewership.
So what hooked people into Merhen's streams? Looks. And singing. Those two were the ultimate viewer magnets. Of course, most of those newcomers bailed hard once they realized it was nonstop Night Rise grinding.
That's why her OG fans were die-hard song stream loyalists—song stream demons, really. Merhen does a singing stream? That's enough to tide them over for a whole month. So when she dropped a singing stream during the booze mukbang and announced another one just three days later, they were ready for anything. Even if it was just a "slightly" different kind of singing stream. Not everyone had that level of patience, though.
The reactions to the singing stream were hot in all sorts of ways. It all kicked off right after streamer Merhen—real name Hari Lee—wrapped up her penalty food negotiation with viewers the night before and ended the broadcast.
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"Gonna do the penalty mukbang the day after my next scheduled break... jot that down on the calendar."
Viewers were itching to see me suffer through freak food right away, but my slick talking and my genuine plea to beat the boss in top form bought me a delay. Execution date postponed... for now.
...Whatever, future me can deal with the mukbang. Current me's got other priorities. What to do for tomorrow's stream?
"Part 1 tomorrow: anime watching, same as today. Part 2 game... skip Raider for now."
I've got the talent to crush bosses, but my body can't keep up. Push too hard, and I'll crash like today.
...Damn, that sounded kinda cool just now. Gotta remember it for stream.
Anyway, I have to down the boss within the time limit my overflowing talent can sustain. Best way? Max out character specs. But...
"Nah, still feels off."
No matter how I spin it, the picture doesn't pop. Viewers would cheer a win, sure, but it'd feel lukewarm for a boss kill. My first real roadblock after steamrolling everything. An unfair weight class gap. Options: close the gap with overwhelming power, or bridge it with skill. Which gives bigger catharsis? Obviously the latter.
So I need a way. A way to overcome without leveling up.
Didn't take long to figure it out. The answer was in shonen manga, after all.
"Alright! Training arc time!!"
"—Which is why today's game isn't Raider!"
I changed the stream title.
[Stream Title: Yoshi! Training Time!!!]
"...Singing?"
"No, like, it's singing, but a special kind of singing... You'll get it when you see! Alright, Part 2 starting now!"
I fired up the prepped game. A cute girl's bright voice announced the title to the world.
Yep. My pick: a rhythm game. The holy trinity of physical skill games—dynamic vision, judgment, reflexes, and memory.
The other two? Bullet hells and fighters.
"Yes! Today's game is the rhythm game Project Singing!"
Why this one? It's packed with anime cover songs, laser-targeted at otakus like me. Better to play songs I love and know inside out, right?
"Nah, no need. I've got an old account I ditched midway."
Fun game back in the day—whaled a bit even—until Night Rise took over and I forgot about it. Worried the account vanished with my gender swap, but it was still there. Lucky.
"How'd you hold out this long? Anyway, today we're doing Project Singing for boss prep training!"
Viewers questioned it. Soulslike and rhythm? No obvious link.
"What's my biggest weakness right now?"
"Yep, as you say—my body's too weak to sustain my overflowing talent for long."
"So, to get my body used to the talent! Short, intense focus games!"
A rhythm song averages 2-3 minutes. Adjustable difficulty for tempo control. Plus otaku tunes I love? No-brainer.
My genius idea scared even me. "Let's try one!"
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Thus began Merhen's rhythm game stream. Everyone figured it'd be no-chat focus mode.
...It was. But her mouth didn't stop. Pitch, rhythm, lyrics—all poured from her lips. Singing.
She was belting anime OPs while playing.
Viewers freaked at the unprecedented sight. Humming's one thing—this was full-throated singing. While rhythm gaming.
Mistakes? Zero. Fingers nailed every falling note. No lyrics on screen either—she had them memorized cold.
Impressive. ...But way off normal singing streams, so viewers struggled to vibe.
Merhen got it. Finished a song, soothed her throat with lukewarm water, grinned, and said:
"Yay! Minna!! Moriaatte ru?!!!"
—Yeah.
"Sa, tsugi no kyoku wa... kore ni shiyo ka!"
[Stop It, Moochinryeon]
Remaining Time: 0 hours 1 min | Prize: 10,000 won
"Yes! Mission cleared!"
And so Merhen raked in donations while belting tunes for the rest of the stream.
Did the training work? ...Only heaven and Merhen herself know.