What Happened To NIJISANJI EN VTuber Selen Tatsuki? The Dokibird Controversy Explained

VTuber Selen Tatsuki parted ways from Japanese VTuber agency NIJISANJI EN on a dramatic note on February 5th, 2024, with the agency taking to their X account to post a public termination notice. But Tatsuki and her fans have denied the allegations of unprofessional behavior levied by NIJISANJI, accusing them of professional misconduct in turn.

But this isn't the first time NIJISANJI has slighted Selen; a cover produced and performed by the VTuber was removed by the agency just days after they also revoked her privilege to hold international contests.

Here's a recap of Selen Tatsuki's career with the agency, the events that led to her termination, and how her fans are choosing to rally behind her "Past Life" VTuber persona, Dokibird.

When Did Selen Tatsuki First Join NIJISANJI EN?

Selen Tasuki first debuted with NIJISANJI EN in July 2021 as part of the OBSYDIA, making jokes about her schedule being filled with Apex Legends. The VTuber proved to be pretty popular with her audience, gathering over 600,000 subscribers by December 2022. However, her channel was wiped from YouTube in February 2024 following her termination.

Who Is The VTuber Dokibird?

Dokibird is the VTuber persona Selen Tatsuki used to stream under before joining NIJISANJI EN. She originally debuted in May 2020, retired in 2021, and will be debuting in February 2024. She describes herself as a thief, conman, cat burglar, and artist, with her "lore reason" for disappearing after 2021 being a botched bank heist. Dokibird gathered over 9,000 YouTube followers before 2024, with her subscriber number rising to 20,000 on both YouTube and Twitch in February 2024.

Why Did Selen Tatsuki Leave NIJISANJI EN?

Selen Tatsuki's exit from NIJISANJI En did not come completely out of the blue; in December 2023, her host agency barred her from hosting international events and also set a cover song released by Tatsuki to "private." The lack of corporate transparency in both these events led many VTubers to encourage Selen Tatsuki to leave NIJISANJI EN.

NIJISANJI issued their termination of Selen Tatsuki on February 5th, 2024, saying that the move comes after "repeated breaches of contract and misleading statements on social platforms."

How Did Selen Tatsuki Respond To The News Of Her Firing?

The VTuber responded to NIJISANJI using her independent VTuber persona "Dokibird," saying that she was actuakky hospitalized as a result of bullying in December 2024, and that she plans to continue streaming independently.

How Did Selen Tatsuki's Fans React To The News Of Her Firing?

The VTuber's fans rallied around her independent VTuber persona Dokibird, with some fans going so far as to criticize NIJISANJI for promoting new merch in the midst of the controversy. In a heartening move, Tatsuki's Twitch moderators realized that they still have mod privileges and promoted her independent VTuber persona to all fans who may not have received the news that she still plans to stream.

For the full history of Selen Tatsuki a.k.a. *Dokibird, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.