Keekihime (ケーキ姫, Kēkihime, born 20 July 1995[1]), formerly known as Keekihime Yuumi (ケーキ姫☆優海, Kēkihime Yūmi), is an Austrian online streamer, YouTuber, singer, and cosplayer. In 2010, Keekihime began posting dance covers and live streaming on the Japanese video website Niconico (known as Nico Nico Douga at the time). She was also a member of the Japanese girl group Tone Jewel from 2012 to 2013.
Early life
Keekihime became interested in Japanese culture after playing the video game Tales of Symphonia, which she received as a Christmas gift.[3][4] At the time, she was also a fan of Japanese anime and manga, with her first manga series being Minami-ke, as well as Japanese idol singers, particularly Hello! Project.[3][4] Keekihime also became interested in Nico Nico Douga after watching dance cover videos on the website.[3] Besides her native German, Keekihime is also fluent in English and Japanese,[5] the latter of which she credits her fluency from doing live streams on Nico Nico Douga.[3][4] Keekihime also attended a language school to study Latin.[3]
Career
When Keekihime was 14 years old, she posted her first video on Nico Nico Douga on 1 January 2010.[3] Her username, meaning "cake princess" in Japanese, originated from her love of cakes and her wish to become a princess.[4] She later posted dance covers on the website, as well as live streaming almost daily in Japanese.[3] She stated that had an audience of approximately 1,000 to 3,000 people per live stream and was, at the time, the only non-Japanese live streamer on Nico Nico Douga.[4][6] Keekihime stated that she was able to become fluent in Japanese in one year from live streaming daily.[4]
At age 15, Keekihime applied to become a singer through an online audition held by Victor Entertainment and spent 3 months in Japan training.[7] She was later offered to debut with two other girls as the girl groupTone Jewel,[7] which was promoted as a trio of "hardcore otaku" high school girls.[8] Before the group's official debut on 22 August 2012,[8] they released an independent pre-debut extended play, titled Sistars Trip, at Comiket 82 on August 11, 2012, with the cover artwork drawn by Keekihime.[9] Keekihime remained a member until the end of 2013, when she left due to issues with her visa that limited her performances.[7] Keekihime stated to Arama! Japan in 2014 that one of her Japanese anti-fans had convinced her management to end her contract and that she was unable to find other work in entertainment.[7]
After returning to Austria, Keekihime worked as a hotel receptionist.[5] During this time, she continued live streaming and also began releasing music independently through TuneCore as a net idol.[6] Her debut solo album, Sweet Tooth, was released in 2018.[6] In addition, she began cosplaying in events such as Tokyo Game Show 2017,[10]Comiket 94,[11] and Tokyo Game Show 2018.[12][13][14]
In 2020, Keekihime stated she was working as a translator for the Japanese data consulting firm Classmethod.[4] She later became the official voice actress and cosplayer for the company's mascot, Mesoko.[4]
Personal life
While attending Comiket 104 as a cosplayer in August 2024, a Japanese man Keekihime described as a "stalker for over 5 years" forcefully held her in an embrace for an extended period. The perpetrator managed to slip away from convention staff, and the Japanese police advised her to contact the Austrian embassy.[15]
^ ab"【コスプレ ビフォーアフター】音楽教師の卵と海外ホテルの受付嬢…美人レイヤー達の知られざる"素顔"とは?" [(Cosplay before and after) A budding music teacher and a hotel receptionist from overseas... what is there to know about the "true face" of these beautiful cosplayers?]. Oricon (in Japanese). 27 August 2018. Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
^ abc"ケーキ姫" [Keekihime]. TuneCore (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
^Yamashita, Tomoya (10 August 2018). "【コミケ94】猛暑の初日、美女コスプレイヤー襲来 僕のカメラもヒートアイランド" [(Comiket 94) On the first day of the heat wave, beautiful cosplayers attack! My camera also becomes a heat island]. Kai-You (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
^"【TGS2018】オーストリア出身レイヤー・ケーキ姫が登場 "透き通る白肌"と"圧倒的オーラ"で魅了" [(TGS 2018) Austrian cosplayer Keekihime appears, charms with "clear, pale skin" and "overwhelming aura"]. Oricon (in Japanese). 22 September 2018. Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
^"東京ゲームショウ2018：オーストリア美女が「アズレン」金剛のコスプレ披露" [Tokyo Game Show 2018: Austrian stunner shows off her cosplay of Kongo from Azur Lane]. Mantan Web (in Japanese). 22 September 2018. Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
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