Shigure Ui’s Collaboration With Children’s Clothing Brand Canceled After Controversy and Threats
The collaboration between Shigure Ui and mezzo piano, a Japanese brand specializing in children’s clothing and products, was canceled just two days after it was announced. The partnership was originally planned for October, but quickly became surrounded by criticism on social media and, according to Shigure Ui herself, even threats of violence against her and people involved in the project.
And what caused the collaboration to be canceled?
LOLIS!
Why Was the Shigure Ui and mezzo piano Collaboration Canceled?
The Shigure Ui × mezzo piano collaboration was announced by coly on September 15. The project was set to feature new illustrations of the VTuber along with pop-up stores in several locations across Japan.
The planned locations included:
- Nagoya PARCO, from October 3 to 12;
- SHIBUYA109, in Shibuya, from October 15 to 25;
- Shinsaibashi PARCO, from October 17 to 25.
In addition to the clothing, the collaboration was also set to feature various merchandise items.
The controversy appeared almost immediately on social media. Some users questioned the choice of Shigure Ui for a collaboration with a brand aimed at children, particularly because of her association with the song Loli God Requiem.
That association became one of the main points of the discussion.
The Controversy Surrounding “Loli God Requiem”
Released in 2023, “Loli God Requiem” became one of the biggest phenomena associated with Shigure Ui. Its music video went massively viral, turning the song into one of the most recognizable parts of her online presence.
The song itself plays with “loli” aesthetics and situations involving fans of this type of character. Because of this, some people began questioning whether an artist associated with “this type of content” should participate in a campaign for a children’s brand.
After the announcement, the discussion on social media grew considerably. And according to Shigure Ui, the situation went beyond ordinary criticism.
In a post on X, the VTuber explained that, in addition to receiving various opinions about the collaboration, she received threats suggesting violence against herself and others involved in the project.
She revealed this after coly announced that the Shigure Ui and mezzo piano collaboration for the merchandise had been canceled “due to various circumstances.”
At that point, the safety of everyone involved became a concern. Shigure Ui said she discussed the possibility of canceling the collaboration with the organizers, and the decision was ultimately made with safety in mind.
In other words, while the controversy surrounding the partnership was fueled by discussions about content associated with the artist, the officially stated reason for the cancellation is related to safety following threats, while coly and mezzo piano have not disclosed all of the internal details behind the decision.
Just to clarify, mezzo piano is a Japanese children’s clothing brand, while coly is the company that planned, produced, and operated the collaboration between mezzo piano and Shigure Ui.
Who Is Shigure Ui?
For anyone who follows VTubers, Shigure Ui is one of the most famous independent VTubers around.
She is a Japanese illustrator who has also built a huge career as a VTuber. In addition to creating her own content, Ui became known for designing VTuber characters, including Oozora Subaru from Hololive.
Her channel also grew enormously thanks to the success of Loli God Requiem☆, taking her from being known primarily within the illustration industry to becoming a major name in Japanese pop culture.
It is also worth remembering that when Loli God Requiem was released, several celebrities were criticized for dancing to the song on their own social media accounts.
I’m not going to include all of the complaints that came up here, but, uh… I honestly don’t know what you guys are going to make of all this.