Tokyo International News Agency

The draft meeting for Nijisanji Koshien 2026, the massive annual summer event of the virtual YouTuber (VTuber) group Nijisanji, is set to kick off tonight, July 4th (Saturday) at 18:00 JST. Ahead of the drama-filled summer tournament, fan expectations and predictions are reaching a fever pitch across social media. What are the managers' strategies? Speculation runs wild for first-round picks As tonight's draft approaches, fans are enthusiastically analyzing each manager's potential picks. This year's lineup features highly unique managers, including Furen E Lustario of the Imperial State Royal Knights Academy, Sara Hoshikawa of Ryusei Milky Way Academy, and Ness Sakaki, who is highly anticipated as a skilled newcomer capable of bringing a fresh breeze to the competition. Discussions on social media are buzzing with whether managers will focus on 'team concept' or 'member relationships.' For instance, many are hoping to see Sara Hoshikawa draft Kanae (a p...

The draft meeting for "Nijisanji Koshien 2026" (hereafter Nijikou 2026)—the massive annual summer event of the virtual YouTuber group Nijisanji—will be livestreamed tonight, July 4th (Saturday), starting at 18:00 JST. As managers prepare to make the crucial selections that will decide the fate of their high school teams, social media is already buzzing with passionate debates and high expectations from fans. 10 Managers Take on a Summer of "Fresh Winds" A total of 10 managers will lead their teams on the grand stage this year. Among them, only two are returning managers, making for a remarkably fresh lineup filled with newcomers and returning faces who haven't managed in a while. Fans are eagerly watching to see what kind of teams will be built by this unique roster of VTubers, which includes Ness Sakaki—who demonstrated masterful gameplay in the "Eikan Nine" mode during the 2024 tournament—alongside Lito Usami, Rou Koyanagi, Lauren Iroas, Minato Fuwa,...