Just like a Dark Souls fan who cannot resist praising the sun, a Hololive supporter’s insatiable appetite for new virtual waifus is unquenchable indeed. However, some possess an infatuation that goes above and beyond the already wide assortment of anime VTuber personalities available, swooning over those whom we would consider — “backstage personnel.” We are, of course, talking about the English managers of Hololive EN, Enma, J-chad, and Jenma.
Those unfamiliar with Hololive EN can read a brief summary about each member here. Understandably, our rambunctious team of talented virtual idols will need someone to support them in their day-to-day profession. Yet, for viewers to be enamored by these managers as well is fascinating in itself. While the members will often refer to them as the vague “Manager-san” in streams, various live moments and rumors circulating the mystical existence of the managers have formed concrete lore from which we can examine these “off-stage virtual goddesses.” Dipping our toes into the deep end, let’s learn a bit more about the manager trio of Hololive EN:
Enma – Main Manager of Hololive EN
Enma is the “cultured handler” of Hololive EN, which primarily assists and oversees Ina (Ninomae Ina’nis), Gura (Gawr Gura), and Ame (Watson Amelia). Ina made Enma’s character design during one of her drawing streams back in November of 2020. The others in Hololive EN noted that Ina is the one member with whom Enma will often work most closely. Enma made her first appearance during a Left 4 Dead Collab stream with Gura, Ame, and Ina. Viewers watched in amazement as the Hololive EN manager unexpectedly carried the team. Going “hardcore gamer mode,” she battled zombies head-on with a katana while at only 1 HP and persevered through multiple rounds without healing.
Jenma – Second Manager for Hololive EN
Jenma is the English manager for Hololive EN, who works with Kiara (Takanashi Kiara), Ame, and Gura. However, she mainly dedicates herself to supporting Kiara. She was first mentioned as a manager during a collab with Kiara and Pekora, a prominent member from Hololive JP. Jenma’s character design is based on the following description from Twitter:
#jenmart Public info for Japanese holoEN manager art request:
Jenma has shoulder-length blonde hair with purple inner color. She has a halo but no glasses. She's not flat, but not busty, either. By her right ear, there is a blue hololive triangle accessory.
That's all for now.
— yagaru (@_yagaru) January 22, 2021
Using this information, an artist named Mamaloni designed some concept art of Jenma together with Enma. Although unofficial, Kiara endorsed Mamaloni’s manager fanart, confirming that it accurately shows Jenma’s (fictional) appearance.
J-chad – Mori Calliope’s “Personal” Manager
J-chad’s name originated from the nickname Calli (Mori Calliope) gave to viewers who send empty Super Chats, aka “chads.” J-chad has yet to make an official appearance on-stream. Interestingly, Calli herself drew up the character design for J-chad during a drawing stream back in March. While there aren’t any significant details about J-chad yet, one particular characteristic that Calli informed to viewers is the manager’s notably “well-proportioned legs.”
What do you think about the sensation surrounding these virtual idol managers? Are you curious about the “backstage characters” of your favorite streamer/entertainer groups as well? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!
