Mint Fantôme

Origins and Path to VTubing

Mint Fantôme's journey into virtual content creation was built on a foundation of formal education and personal passion. She studied filmography in school, which provided a technical background for her later production work. Her long-standing affinity for Japanese culture and anime was a driving force, leading her to previously perform as an idol in small live music venues in Tokyo's Akihabara district. She was an early observer of the VTuber scene, watching many talents affiliated with the major agency Hololive Production.

For a time, she believed becoming a VTuber was not possible for her because she was living in the United States. This perspective changed in 2020 when Hololive Production opened auditions specifically for English speaking creators. Fantôme auditioned but was not accepted into the agency. However, the audition process proved important, as it connected her with multiple independent VTubers. Through these interactions, she concluded that she could pursue a career as a VTuber without the support of a large corporation. She was drawn to the medium because it allowed her to cultivate a public persona while rigorously maintaining her personal anonymity, and she has since described VTubing as her full time job.

Debut, Persona, and Initial Retirement

Mint Fantôme made her independent debut as a VTuber on July 24, 2020. She established a detailed fictional lore for her character, presenting herself as a ghost maid who is forever 19 years old. The visual design of her avatar was a collaborative process. Her first model was designed by the artist Kgr and rigged for animation by Artemiz. A later, updated model was designed by Ayamy and rigged by Cillia, reflecting the evolution of her brand.

Her early content primarily consisted of livestreams where she played video games, engaged in chat conversations with viewers, and performed song covers, such as her rendition of Redo, the opening theme for the first season of Re:Zero. Despite building an audience, Fantôme announced her retirement from active streaming in April 2021, bringing her initial chapter to a close after approximately nine months.

The 2024 Comeback and Collaborative Ventures

Fantôme ended her hiatus on April 1, 2024, with a coordinated return. She announced she would be co-hosting a podcast with fellow VTuber Matara Kan, identified as a former coworker. She separately announced a return to regular streaming, which commenced on April 4, 2024. This return was supported in part by the VTuber agency VShojo, which Kan was affiliated with at the time. VShojo provided assistance to Fantôme and Kan for their ventures, though Fantôme herself did not become an affiliated member of the agency. The duo also promoted a live Q&A session at the OffKai Expo convention.

Her return was marked by a wide array of collaborations that demonstrated her connections across the VTuber ecosystem. These included an in person collaboration with Hololive affiliated star Takanashi Kiara, casual gaming sessions with VTubers Nimi Nightmare and Dooby3D, and a role as a commentator and participant in a WWE 2K24 event hosted by VTuber Dokibird. In January 2025, she formalized a collaboration with the mobile game Touhou LostWord. This involved playing the game on her livestream and having her cover of the song Phantom Pain officially added to the game's soundtrack.

The VShojo Controversy and Forming Densetsu.EXE

In July 2025, a significant controversy shook the VTuber industry when Ironmouse, a top talent affiliated with VShojo, publicly stated the company had not paid her and had failed to donate money she fundraised for the Immune Deficiency Foundation charity. This led all VShojo affiliated VTubers to sever ties with the company. Mint Fantôme publicly supported Ironmouse by donating $10,000.01 to a new fundraiser Ironmouse launched for the charity.

Fantôme also revealed deeper personal ties to the dispute. She disclosed that she had previously signed a contract with VShojo after its CEO was receptive to a proposal she made about joining the company as part of a new idol group. The group consisted of Fantôme and two other members who had passed an audition process, but the project never officially debuted. Fantôme further alleged that while VShojo had properly paid out money from the Patreon supporting her and Kan's podcast, it had not paid her money she was owed from merchandise sales and other fees.

Moving forward independently, Fantôme reunited with the other two members of the shelved VShojo idol group, VTubers Phoebe Chan and Victoria Roman. On November 22, 2025, they debuted their own independent idol group, Densetsu.EXE. The group was formed as a partnership with Andrew Steiner Hodgson and Setsuna Production. Their first release was an original song titled Densetsu MVPs, composed by Umaya Aneta. The group performed live at conventions including Anime Weekend Atlanta and Holiday Matsuri. Fantôme also maintained a solo convention presence, appearing as a guest at the 2026 edition of FanimeCon.

Content Style and Viral Public Image

Fantôme's streaming persona is characterized by a high energy, unfiltered, and often comically intense style. Ana Valens of Vice described her as freaky, a label that evolved into the nickname Freak Fantôme. This image has been confirmed by several clips that achieved viral status multiple times across social platforms.

In December 2024, while playing Bloons Tower Defense 6, a viewer in her chat asked for permission to impregnate another viewer. Fantôme's immediate, emphatic response was to shout at her audience, Stop getting pregnant. Stop. Stop pregnancy. Stop getting pregnant. Stop getting pregnant right now. The clip spread widely for its absurd context and her dramatic delivery. Another major viral moment occurred in March 2025 during a stream of the horror fishing game Dredge. Fantôme became increasingly excited as the game described a character's large and wide barefoot footprints, only to audibly deflate when the game text suggested the footprints were likely from a man, sighing, Aww.

Other clips that gained traction include her becoming excited about a belly button while playing the game MiSide and her humorous reaction to learning about the concept of crushing. Her interactive and boundary pushing fan engagement was exemplified at OffKai Expo, where she hosted a Spit and Greet event.

Career Expansion and Milestones

Beyond streaming and music, Fantôme has expanded into voice acting, a natural extension of her performance background. She was cast to voice the character Kumi Mori in the English dub of the remastered version of the classic visual novel School Days. Her channel on YouTube, under the name Maid Mint Ch. ミント・ファントーム, has seen substantial growth, surpassing 453,000 subscribers and hosting over 668 videos. She celebrated a milestone of hitting 200,000 subscribers, an event she marked on social media.

She continues to plan ambitious content for her community. She has announced a 3D birthday live stream scheduled for October 1, 2026, which will feature a new 3D outfit. In her content, she has displayed personal interests like her Ace Combat video game collection, expressing plans to stream all the games in the series. Her streams are regularly scheduled, with past streams garnering tens of thousands of views, indicating a dedicated and growing viewer base.