View source for Akidearest

{{Short description|Filipino-American YouTuber based in Japan}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Notability|date=December 2024}}
{{Promotional|date=December 2024}}
{{Undisclosed paid|date=December 2024}}
}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox YouTube personality
| name                 = Akidearest
| logo                 = 
| logo_caption         = 
| image                = Akidearest 2018.png
| image_caption        = Diego in 2018
| birth_date           = {{Birth date and age|1993|02|16}}<ref>{{cite tweet |user=akidearest |number=1359104843311325189 |title=My birthday the 16th, but I was given an early surprise birthday party! Thank you so much @heyitssharla (she lives too far to make it down to visit us on my bday) @TheAn1meMan @PeachMilky_ @lukecraigphoto 🎉 |date=February 9, 2021 |access-date=January 21, 2022}}</ref>
| birth_name           = Agnes Yulo Diego
| birth_place          = [[Bakersfield, California]], U.S.
| location             = [[Tokyo, Japan]]
| partner              = [[The Anime Man|Joseph Bizinger]]
| occupation           = [[YouTuber]]
| pseudonym            = Aki
| channel_direct_url   = c/akidearest
| channel_display_name = akidearest
| years_active         = 2014–present
| genre                = {{hlist|[[Otaku]]|[[Vlog]]}}
| subscribers          = 2.87 million
| views                = 494 million
| associated_acts      = 
| silver_button        = yes
| silver_year          = 
| gold_button          = yes
| gold_year            = 2017
| diamond_year         = 
| stats_update         = November 1, 2023
| alma_mater           = 
}}
'''Agnes Yulo Diego''' (born February 16, 1993), known online as '''Akidearest''', is an American [[YouTuber]]. She started her YouTube channel by discussing [[anime]], [[manga]], [[otaku]] culture and [[Culture of Japan|Japanese]]-related content on her YouTube channel.<ref name=iol-misconceptions>{{Cite web|title=Anime YouTuber Akidearest slams misconceptions and answers burning questions|url=https://www.iol.co.za/technology/gaming/anime-youtuber-akidearest-slams-misconceptions-and-answers-burning-questions--58c0a004-0de1-4545-91ea-5ad28920b0d6|access-date=2020-10-09|website=www.iol.co.za|language=en|archive-date=October 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029131414/https://www.iol.co.za/technology/gaming/anime-youtuber-akidearest-slams-misconceptions-and-answers-burning-questions--58c0a004-0de1-4545-91ea-5ad28920b0d6|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last1=Rowl|first1=Taye|last2=-Dixon|date=October 22, 2018|title=Verge Meets: Akidearest|url=https://vergemagazine.co.uk/verge-meets-akidearest/|access-date=July 17, 2020|website=Verge Magazine|language=en-GB|archive-date=July 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717093433/https://vergemagazine.co.uk/verge-meets-akidearest/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=metropolis>{{cite magazine |last=Chandra |first=Camilla |date=Winter 2021 |title=Beyond the View Counter |url=https://metropolisjapan.com/dec-2021/ |pages=12{{ndash}}14 |magazine=[[Metropolis (free magazine)|Metropolis Japan]] |location=Tokyo, Japan |publisher=Japan Partnership Inc. |access-date=18 December 2021 |archive-date=December 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220064727/https://metropolisjapan.com/dec-2021/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Early life ==
Diego was born in [[Bakersfield, California]], on February 16, 1993, to parents of [[Filipinos|Filipino]] descent, and was raised in [[Virginia]] and eventually moved to [[Las Vegas, Nevada]]. Growing up, Diego got into creating [[Anime music video]]s (AMV) and had a prior YouTube channel that hosted some of her work. She completed a degree in psychology at university, and later went to college again for graphic design. However, after her channel grew, Diego decided to pursue YouTube as her career instead.<ref name=iol-misconceptions/><ref name=metropolis/>

== Career ==
Diego created her second and current YouTube channel "Akidearest" on December 18, 2014, with a focus on discussing anime, manga, and otaku culture; her first video, "REACTION: DMMD Love Scene," in which Diego reacts to a scene in ''[[Dramatical Murder]]'', was released on December 26, 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kadokawa at Anime Expo 2019|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2019-06-22/kadokawa-at-anime-expo-2019/.148162|access-date=July 20, 2020|website=Anime News Network|language=en|archive-date=June 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190624144334/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/press-release/2019-06-22/kadokawa-at-anime-expo-2019/.148162|url-status=live}}</ref> Considered as her break-out video, "5 Songs That Will Change The Way You See Vocaloid," was released on January 12, 2016; the video delves into serious topics that fans or casual listeners of [[Vocaloid]] might not expect.<ref name=iol-misconceptions/><ref name=metropolis/> On August 21, 2017, Akidearest hit one million subscribers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.noxinfluencer.com/youtube/realtime-subs-count/UC_1HVMnw-610qx54iEiWk7A/milestone?mileStoneDate=2017-08-21&mileStone=1000000 |title=akidearest Live Sub Count (Real Time YouTube Subscriber Count) |publisher=NoxInfluencer |access-date=January 18, 2022 |archive-date=January 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119185333/https://www.noxinfluencer.com/youtube/realtime-subs-count/UC_1HVMnw-610qx54iEiWk7A/milestone?mileStoneDate=2017-08-21&mileStone=1000000 |url-status=live }}</ref> From 2017 to 2018, Diego co-hosted a weekly [[Special Broadcasting Service|SBS]] [[podcast]] titled, '''''The Anime Show''''', with [[The Anime Man|Joseph Bizinger]] (The Anime Man), which ran for 68 episodes that discussed anime, manga, and [[otaku]] culture.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Anime Show with Joey & AkiDearest |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/popasia/podcastcollection/anime-show-joey-akidearest |access-date=17 July 2020 |website=[[Special Broadcasting Service|SBS PopAsia]] |date=November 2017 |language=en |archive-date=17 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717110029/https://www.sbs.com.au/popasia/podcastcollection/anime-show-joey-akidearest|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-anime-show-with-joey-akidearest-sbs-rqQwAp6gJmP/ |title=The Anime Show with Joey & AkiDearest (podcast) - SBS PopAsia |date=June 18, 2018 |publisher=Listen Notes |access-date=17 January 2022}}</ref>

In January 2019, Diego moved to Japan, at which time her channel expanded to include her experiences while living in Japan.<ref name=metropolis/><ref>{{Cite web|title=【予約数が約2倍に】海外向けインフルエンサーコミュニティTokyo Creativeが、訪日客向けローカルツアーサプライヤーMagical Tripと協業、YouTuber監修の秋葉原ツアーを...|trans-title="About the doubling of reservations" Overseas influencer community Tokyo Creative collaborates with local tour supplier Magical Trip for visitors to Japan, Akihabara tour supervised by YouTuber ...|url=https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000009.000036173.html|access-date=July 20, 2020|language=ja|website=プレスリリース・ニュースリリース配信シェアNo.1|date=August 5, 2019 |archive-date=January 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112072610/https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000009.000036173.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |author=Akidearest |date=January 19, 2019 |title=we finally did it |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=h9zYbQo1i1Y |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200317114943/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vui0La79_aw&feature=youtu.be |archive-date=March 17, 2020 |access-date=September 10, 2020 |publisher=YouTube}}</ref> In the same year, Diego also made an in-game cameo appearance in ''[[The World Next Door (video game)|The World Next Door]]'', by Rose City Games.<ref>{{cite web |last=Deogracias |first=Elisha |date=April 2, 2019 |title=Half of a memorable experience --- The World Next Door review|url=https://gamingtrend.com/feature/reviews/half-of-a-memorable-experience-the-world-next-door-review/ |access-date=November 10, 2020 |website=GAMING TREND|language=en-US |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124175435/https://gamingtrend.com/feature/reviews/half-of-a-memorable-experience-the-world-next-door-review/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In her most recent videos she is seen talking more about crime, controversies, and horror topics relating to Japan but still posts some of her old content and short vlogs every now and then on her channel. One of the first times that she dived into crime was by making a playlist titled "ON THE CASE - Detective Aki" where she talks about controversial murders and crimes committed in Japan, she has also traveled to "haunted" and/or "banned" places around Japan and talking about her experience.

== Personal life ==
On November 4, 2016, both she and fellow YouTuber [[The Anime Man|Joey Bizinger]] announced that they were in a relationship.<ref>{{cite AV media |author=The Anime Man |date=November 4, 2016 |title=We Have A Confession... |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUcDMXwtZdQ |access-date=January 16, 2022 |publisher=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |author=Akidearest |date=November 4, 2016 |title=WE FINALLY CONFESS! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vui0La79_aw |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229015911/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9zYbQo1i1Y |archive-date=February 29, 2020 |access-date=September 10, 2020 |publisher=YouTube}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|8516122|Akidearest}}

[[Category:1993 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American expatriates in Japan]]
[[Category:American people of Filipino descent]]
[[Category:People from Bakersfield, California]]
[[Category:People from Las Vegas]]
[[Category:American YouTube vloggers]]
[[Category:YouTube channels launched in 2014]]
[[Category:YouTubers from California]]
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