Valentine's Day Revival of 'Yashishii Shopping' Ignites 'Yashifure' Frenzy!

The popular virtual liver shopping program "Yashishii Shopping" suddenly announced its revival on Valentine's Day, February 14th, at 9 PM JST, causing a significant stir on social media. However, what truly captured the attention of many fans wasn't "Yashishii" as stated in the title, but rather "Yashifure," which trended as a related keyword.

The program, announced via a post by Shiina Yuika, revealed that "Yashishii Shopping" would air on Valentine's night. Yet, words like "Yashifure" circulated from the waiting room URL and among some fans, quickly making it trend. "Yashifure" is an affectionate nickname referring to the pairing of Nijisanji livers Yashiro Kizuku and Furen E Lustario. In contrast, "Yashishii" refers to the combination of Yashiro Kizuku and Shiina Yuika. Fans reacted with a mix of anticipation and confusion, wondering which duo would be the main stars of this Valentine's special, or if a "battle for the seat next to the president" would unfold.

On Twitter (X), numerous joyous and speculative posts appeared, such as "Yashifure is here!", "It's amazing to see these three stream on Valentine's Day!", "Yashifure, so precious...🙏✨", and "Can we really expect a dramatic scene (?) on Valentine's Day?". Voices also commented, "Yashifure has a longer history, you know," and "Yashifure is super strong for this kind of project," indicating that this pairing is long-awaited by veteran fans.

The program is believed to be a PR project for Mouse Computer. In the past, the combination of Yashiro Kizuku's specialized knowledge and Furen E Lustario's unique banter has been highly praised as having "high quality as a shopping program." With this popular project reviving on Valentine's Day, significant attention is focused on what kind of PCs will be introduced, and which chemical reaction – "Yashishii" or "Yashifure" – will captivate viewers during the 9 PM broadcast.

The context

To understand this article, it's helpful to know about the world of Japanese virtual YouTubers (VTubers) and their agency, Nijisanji.

Nijisanji: A major Japanese VTuber agency, home to hundreds of virtual entertainers who use digital avatars to stream, create content, and interact with fans. They are known for their diverse cast and various content formats.

VTubers: Short for Virtual YouTubers, these are online entertainers who use computer-generated avatars. They perform activities similar to traditional YouTubers, such as live streaming, gaming, singing, and hosting talk shows, all while maintaining their virtual persona.

Key Talents:

• Yashiro Kizuku (社築): A popular male VTuber from Nijisanji, often referred to as 'Shacho' (President/CEO) by fans due to his sharp business-like demeanor and expertise, especially with computers and technology.
• Shiina Yuika (椎名唯華): A popular female VTuber from Nijisanji, known for her quirky personality and often mischievous, playful interactions.
• Furen E Lustario (フレン・E・ルスタリオ): A popular female VTuber from Nijisanji, known for her energetic personality, often creating humorous and lively banter.

Pairings and 'Shipping': In the VTuber community, it's common for fans to create nicknames for specific collaborations or 'pairings' of VTubers. These can be based on friendships, comedic dynamics, or even romantic 'shipping' (though often in a lighthearted, platonic sense).

• 'Yashishii' (やししぃ): Refers to the pairing of Yashiro Kizuku and Shiina Yuika.
• 'Yashifure' (やしフレ): Refers to the pairing of Yashiro Kizuku and Furen E Lustario.

Shopping Program Format: 'Yashishii Shopping' is a recurring program, likely a promotional collaboration with a company (in this case, Mouse Computer, a Japanese PC manufacturer). VTubers use their personas to present and review products in an entertaining way. The humor often comes from the VTubers' unique chemistry and the playful scenarios they create, such as the "battle for the seat next to the president" which playfully suggests a rivalry between Shiina and Furen for Yashiro's attention or prominence in the broadcast.

The article highlights the fans' excitement and playful confusion over which pairing would take center stage for this special Valentine's Day revival, especially since 'Yashifure' has a well-established history and reputation for these types of shopping programs.