VTuber Mikeneko Publishes First Novel
The novel marks a VTuber's expansion into print publishing through a platform that explicitly aims to turn every serialized work into a manga, creating a new pipeline from web fiction to physical media.
Key Facts
- Mikeneko's first novel, "The Girl Who Connects Souls Hears the Dead's Voices: Until I, Betrayed, Regain My Trust," was published on July 21, 2026.
- The novel costs 1,540 yen including tax and is available in B6 paperback and e-book formats.
- The book is the first publication from the Teller Novels label, which launched in January 2026 and aims to adapt all works into manga.
- Teller Novel, the platform hosting the original serialization, has exceeded 7.6 million domestic downloads as of March 2025.
- Mikeneko has over 1 million YouTube subscribers as of the publication date.
Reporting from 3 sources: KAI-YOU, MoguLive, PANORA.
VTuber and streamer Mikeneko released her first novel, "The Girl Who Connects Souls Hears the Dead's Voices: Until I, Betrayed, Regain My Trust," on July 21, 2026. The book is a print version of a series originally serialized on the smartphone novel submission service Teller Novel. The story follows a girl named Litia who can hear the dead's voices and touch souls, exploring themes of lost trust and human connection. The novel is published in B6 size at 1,540 yen including tax, with an e-book version also available. The cover illustration was done by Haikigasu. This is the first book publication from the Teller Novels label, which launched in January 2026 and aims to adapt all its works into manga. Teller Novel is a platform that started in July 2017 and has exceeded 7.6 million domestic downloads as of March 2025. Mikeneko, who began streaming on Niconico Live around 2011 and opened a YouTube channel in February 2022, has over 1 million subscribers. She also works as a voice actress under the name Ria Koito and engages in music activities.
- The novel is published under the Teller Novels label, which launched in January 2026 and aims to adapt all its works into manga.
- This is the first collaborative project between Teller Novels and Freedia, a distribution platform operated by Tohan Corporation.
- The distributor is Media Pal. The e-book version is distributed to e-bookstores via Freedia.
- The novel's protagonist is Litia, an orphan who can hear the dead's voices and touch souls. She becomes engaged to Aurelia, the son of the kingdom's prime minister.
- The story follows Litia as mysterious incidents in the royal capital, whispers from the dead, and an "anomaly" behind her fiancé drag her into the abyss.
- The cover illustration is by Haikigasu, credited as @sousaku_jake on social media.
- Teller Novel Inc. is headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo, and is led by president Nobuto Hachiya.
- The company operates the Teller Novel platform, a manga publishing business, and a short drama platform called Teller Drama.
- Teller Novel's stated purpose is "Turning Japan's creative culture into an industry."
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.