What Is Kizuna AI? The Original VTuber, Now Marking 10 Years, Explained by Marine

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Kizuna AI didn't just join VTuber culture — she created the term. A decade later, she's marking the anniversary as a returning music artist.

The Original VTuber

Kizuna AI uploaded her first video on December 1, 2016, combining real-time motion capture with an anime-style 3D avatar to coin the term "Virtual YouTuber." Her channel, "A.I.Channel," grew to 2 million subscribers within just 18 months, establishing the format that countless VTubers and agencies would later build on.

A Comeback for the 10th Anniversary

After an indefinite hiatus starting February 2022, Kizuna AI resumed activity on February 26, 2025 — now focused primarily on a music career — under the rebranded name "KizunaAI." Her comeback concert, "Homecoming," took place September 20-21, 2025. 2026 marks 10 years since her debut, with a new project update planned and a birthday gaming event, "Kizuna Ai Cup 2026," held June 30, 2026.

What To Know

As the person who coined the term "VTuber" and set off the entire industry, Kizuna AI's own three-year hiatus and 2025 comeback as a dedicated music artist (rather than returning to her original all-purpose content style) offers a rare inside look at how the medium's own founder has personally navigated its evolution.

Kizuna AI's hiatus and subsequent comeback, framed around a shift toward music rather than a return to her original format, reflects a broader pattern in Japanese entertainment where established figures often reposition themselves around a specific specialty (in her case, music) rather than simply resuming exactly what they did before.

What Fans Are Saying

• "The original VTuber coming back after a 3-year hiatus, now focused on music, is a great full-circle moment."
• "2 million subscribers in 18 months back in 2016-2018 was unheard of at the time."
• "Curious what the teased 2026 project update turns out to be."

Original Japanese

• 「元祖VTuberが3年の休止を経て音楽中心に復帰したのは、感慨深いですね」
• 「当時200万人を18ヶ月で達成したのは本当に前例のないことでした」
• 「予告されている2026年のアップデートが気になります」

Easy Japanese

「Kizuna AI」は、世界初のVTuberです。2016年に活動を始め、2025年に音楽アーティストとして復帰しました。