While My Favorite Vtuber is Scary IRL is a manga with a lot of fanservice, it touches on serious issues like trauma and anxiety, as well as how connecting with others can help. A part of that involves opening up and explaining, even when it’s difficult. Though this is also a slice of life story that gradually opens up, it feels like the whole second volume has a theme to it. That is, communication is critical.
Editor’s Note: There are no spoilers for the second volume of the My Favorite Vtuber is Scary IRL manga below.
Basically, it feels like the message of the chapters collected in this volume are all “talk it out.” Many of the situations here present the Vtuber, the Eatza delivery dude who started out as a courier and is fast entering a sort of relationship with her, and another Eatza delivery woman named Akari in positions that are awkward or perhaps difficult for them, but can be resolved if people open up. For example, one of the first situations involves all three at once. The delivery guy is coming to drop something off for the woman (who is secretly his favorite Vtuber Fuwari), and the rival Eatza person is there. Akari is hostile at first. However, when the topic of Fuwari comes up, the two bond over that! We actually see Akari become less hostile and open up about her own insecurities about being an otaku. Then we see the Vtuber, who’s normally so shy, assert herself and, in an awkward way, make it known that the regular delivery guy is important to her.
Is it awkward for everyone initially? Absolutely. Does it strike a balance between being both touching and funny? Definitely.
We see misconceptions handled well (eventually) too. After the events of the first volume, the Vtuber and delivery guy are a bit awkward about their relationship and each worried the other person is mad or disappointed in the other. But essentially an emotional dam breaks and know what happens? They talk it out. They work it out.
This comes up in another important encounter. The delivery guy, as part of his more-than-just-a-courier growing role, continues helping the Vtuber get outside of her comfort zone by going to new places. As a result of asking him to take her to one of his favorite spots, it means going into the crowded city and a place where they’ll deal with people again. It’s overwhelming for her, given her trauma and anxiety. However, he then explains to her why he chose the place for that outing and, because of opening up like that, it gives her the courage to go on.
Even the end of the second volume of the My Favorite Vtuber is Scary IRL comes back to this point. There’s a major cliffhanger here. It happens because the Vtuber that the delivery guy befriended takes a chance and opens up about something. Even though we know how difficult that must be for her both because of the backstory from the first volume of the series and what happened leading up to this one.
There are so many stories that get frustrating because characters aren’t communicating, but the second volume of the My Favorite Vtuber Is Scary IRL manga succeeds because these folks do. They talk to each other! They share when they have issues! Even when it’s very difficult for them. There are still some stumbles and miscommunications. But we see them power through and talk it out.
The first two volumes of My Favorite Vtuber is Scary IRL are available now, and Square Enix hasn’t shared a release date for the third yet.
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