Opening up to coworkers about what we’re passionate about in our free time can be a great icebreaker, but it can also become extremely awkward if you’re surrounded by the wrong people. This is what happened to a 36-year-old Japanese worker who made the mistake of admitting his love for VTubers during a company social gathering.

The man recounted that during a typical drinks party with colleagues—a common event in Japanese workplace culture—his coworkers started pressuring him to talk about his hobbies. Although he initially tried to give vague answers to avoid the topic, the persistence of those present was so strong that he ended up openly admitting he’s a loyal fan of Hololive content.

Instead of receiving a compassionate or simply curious reaction, his colleagues’ response was quick and quite harsh. Amid laughter, they started making dismissive comments, asking what it was, making tasteless jokes about whether he engaged in inappropriate activities watching his favorite virtual girl or if he perhaps kept a life-sized figure in his room. The worker admitted the situation made him feel deeply upset, highlighting his colleagues’ lack of tact and completely killing his motivation to go to work the next day.

The affected man, who described himself as a single man who barely knew about this type of entertainment a few years ago, reflected on how his own family had changed their stance over time. Although at first his family also looked at his hobby with some skepticism, over the years they learned to tolerate it and even support it after seeing how much he enjoyed attending the creators’ live concerts. Unfortunately, his office environment proved to be far from that same understanding.

Hololive is a well-known Japanese agency for virtual YouTubers operated by Cover Corporation. Through 2D and 3D animated avatars, its talents stream video games, live talk shows, music releases, and massive concert events, becoming one of the most important pillars of digital entertainment in contemporary pop culture.

Have you ever had a bad experience sharing your otaku hobbies at work?