Hanabatake Chaika

Hanabatake Chaika (Japanese: 花畑チャイカ) is a male Japanese VTuber affiliated with Nijisanji, the VTuber group run by ANYCOLOR Inc. He is known for his character, a muscular "onee" elf who runs a café, and for his blunt, crude humor in talk and gaming streams.

Profile

Item	Detail
Debut	June 6, 2018 (YouTube)
Birthday	June 27
Agency	Nijisanji (ANYCOLOR Inc.)
Generation or unit	Nijisanji SEEDs 1st generation (former); NIJISANJI Resistance
Species	Elf
Fan name	Jikan no Muda (時間の無駄, "waste of time")
Nicknames	Chai-chan, Chai-Chai
Character designer	ikuyoan

Career

Hanabatake Chaika's YouTube channel was created on May 25, 2018, and his Twitter account was opened the same month. His first tweet went out on June 3, 2018. He made his YouTube debut on June 6, 2018, and posted his self-introduction video on Twitter that day. He debuted in the first wave of Nijisanji SEEDs, a sub-branch then run by Ichikara Inc. Other members of that wave included Dola, Umiyashano Kami, Nakao Azuma, Izumo Kasumi, Todoroki Kyoko, Sister Claire, Yashiro Kizuku, Azuchi Momo, Suzuki Masaru, Ryushen, Uzuki Kou, and Hassaku Yuzu.

His channel reached its first subscriber milestone on June 23, 2018, less than a month after debut. On December 13, 2018, Ichikara announced that Nijisanji Gamers and Nijisanji SEEDs would merge into the main Nijisanji group by the end of the month. Chaika has been an official member of Nijisanji since that merger. On June 22, 2020, he announced a 3D debut, and he unveiled his official 3D model on YouTube on July 3, 2020. He has remained active with the group after Ichikara was renamed ANYCOLOR Inc.

Activities

Streaming style

Chaika streams in Japanese and focuses on free talk and games. He has been associated with shooters such as Apex Legends and Valorant. His recent streams have included Splatoon private matches, Pokémon titles, multiplayer games with other Nijisanji members, and watch-alongs of game announcements. His stream titles usually start with "Hanabatake Chaika to…" ("Hanabatake Chaika and…"). He often appears in collaborations with other Nijisanji members. As of 2022, the name "NIJISANJI Resistance" was used mostly for his duo with Shiina Yuika. The related name "NIJISANJI Resistance Co." refers to a trio of Chaika, Shiina Yuika, and Yorumi Rena. A long-running fan in-joke often portrays Lize Helesta as his younger sister.

Music and works

"Barabara Karisome Rainbow Rose" (single, 2022)
"Indulgence" (single, 2024)
Voice credits for cards in the digital card game Duel Masters Play's, including "Sanmadd, S-Rank Tribe" and "Scale of Life and Death"
Voice and merchandise releases through the official Nijisanji store, such as birthday, seasonal, and "Tipsy Voice" sets

Characteristics

In his official profile, Chaika's former name is "Chaika Brine," and he is described as a strongly flamboyant "onee." He once ran a bar as its "mama" in a town in another world. After being transported to the present day, he became the owner of a coffee shop. The profile also describes him as sharp-witted and strong. His design is a muscular male elf in a maid-style outfit with bold makeup. Several official details are deliberately absurd. For example, his height is listed as one centimeter taller than the tallest person in the room, and his age is variable. He is known for a direct personality and for crude, edgy jokes aimed at almost anyone he talks to. His fan mark is a cactus emoji (🌵).