I’ve been “online” for more than half of my life. I came up in the days of Xanga, Live Journal, and the first iteration of MySpace. I’ve witnessed the birth of YouTubers, podcasters, and now Vtubers. As a person whose passion project lives on the internet, I’ve seen firsthand how online validation can make or break people.
In Let Me See the Real You, Senpai!, we get a BL story about two Vtubers crossing the line between online and real life. What seems to be a cute, light story turns into a meaningful look at online personas and the validation people seek from them.
About Let Me See the Real You, Senpai!
Let Me See the Real You, Senpai! is a BL manga created by Yuho Okita, the mangaka behind Punk’s Triangle, and published by Seven Seas Entertainment. In it, Haruki is a “reclusive loner” who lives a double life. Online, he is the wildly popular Vtuber Haruki Yara, who has been slowly building up his following for the past five years. Donning a fake persona and making up elaborate stories and hijinks, Vtuber Haruki has everything real-life Haruki could never have.
When a new VTuber comes on the scene, a “femboy” Yuu who claims to love Vtuber Haruki, real-life Haruki feels threatened. However, the two start collaborating to boost Haruki’s following and soon start working together in person. Yuu and Haruki start hooking up, of course, and the line between Haruki’s fake person and real self starts blurring.
My Thoughts
I was completely taken aback by Let Me See the Real You, Senpai!. I was expecting a story filled with a wacky plot to be the vehicle to get Haruki and Yuu to sleep together. And while that does happen, I didn’t realize there would be such a raw story at its core. Haruki struggles with who he is and what he gets out of his Vtuber persona.
Throughout the story, we see Haruki sacrifice parts of himself to achieve his goal of 1 million subscribers. He pushes himself out of his comfort zone with Yuu, even if it means putting on his persona in real life. It was jarring to see how much he holds on to Vtuber Haruki to validate who he is. When he’s at the point of losing it all, he feels worthless without Vtuber Haruki.
This story is a great depiction of how dangerous it can be to assign our worth to metrics like follower counts and online success. While Vtubing started as a hobby for Haruki, it transformed into something that was feeding his delusions and setting him back. But on the other hand, it led Haruki to develop a real and solid relationship. Let Me See the Real You, Senpai! is a deep and realistic exploration of the pros and cons of content creation.
Where to Buy Let Me See the Real You, Senpai!
Let Me See the Real You, Senpai! Vol 1
Mangaka: Yuho Okita
Translation: Amber Tamosaitis
Lettering: Toppy
Senior Editor: Jenn Grunigen
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
Let Me See the Real You, Senpai! Vol 1 is available now.
Thank you, Seven Seas Entertainment, for an advanced reviewer copy.
