｢ナイスパ｣ (naisupa) is a contraction of ｢ナイス・
This term may also be written as ｢なすぱ｣ or ｢なすぱー｣ either in hiragana or katakana and is similar to saying "nice one" in English, acknowledging, celebrating and appreciating of a viewer's monetary contribution to the YouTuber.
Super Chat and Super Stickers are ways to connect fans with creators during live streams and Premieres. Viewers can buy Super Chats to highlight their message within live chat or Super Stickers to get an animated image that surfaces in live chat.
There are a few reasons why people might use ｢ナイスパ｣. Firstly, it is a quick and easy way to show appreciation for a YouTuber. Secondly, it can help to create a sense of community in chat. Thirdly, it can encourage other viewers to donate to the YouTuber as well.
By sending ｢ナイスパ｣, viewers can express their collective support and interest for the financial support given to the YouTuber. It not only shows appreciation for the YouTuber but also to viewers who contribute to the YouTuber financially.
However, some people find the use of ｢ナイスパ｣ annoying or don’t understand its importance. The term can cause disagreement or hostility as if being something controversial, with some appreciating its concept while others disliking the spam like appearance it adds to the chat.
Of course, it is perfectly fine to use ｢ナイスパ｣ even if you don't donate money. It's simply a way of show your support for the YouTuber and their content. Not everyone is able to donate money for whatever reasons they have, after all.
Super Chats provide direct financial support to YouTubers, helping them to continue creating content and using this term acknowledges this support, boosting the morale of both the creator and the viewer contributing. This support is very important since making high quality content often requires a significant amount of time and financial investment.
｢ナイスパ｣ represents more than just a basic cheer; it’s an important part of the experience on YouTube livestreams. It reflects an understanding and appreciation of the effort behind the content creation process and the importance of supporting content creators.
Cultural Significance
In Japanese culture, giving and receiving plays a big role in social interactions. It is a way to show respect, gratitude and kindness. Exchanging gifts in Japan isn't just about the gift itself but also the meaning behind the act of giving and to show care and appreciation for one another.
By saying ｢ナイスパ｣, viewers acknowledge the significant effort, time and financial costs that goes into creating content. This appreciation extends way beyond the immediate entertainment value to recognise the YouTuber's broader dedication and investment.
You might think of it similar to ｢いただきます｣ (itadakimasu) in the context of food said before or after a meal to mean "I humbly receive". It comes from the Buddhist teaching which tells us to respect all living things. Before or after eating, it expresses gratitude towards the plants, animals, farmers and everyone involved in the process and everything that went into providing and making the food.
A YouTuber needs a good computer to be able to record, edit and produce videos, a camera if they are showing their face, a microphone for audio quality and so on.
Not only that but think about the electric and internet bills for all of this and the amount of time they are spending just to create this content for your enjoyment but they do not get paid for it even though it's going to really cost them a lot just so you can have entertainment for FREE. Should they get a full-time job instead? Now, you won't have any entertainment to watch.
A lot of effort really goes into creating free content. Think about that the next time you are watching your favourite YouTuber before considering AD Blockers and not wanting to donate to support them.
It is sad when creators don't get the support they need and suddenly disappear. Imagine a channel you really enjoyed and loved watching, then one day, they stopped uploading videos and you are constantly checking back but there's nothing.
Unfortunately, nothing is truly free and when a creator is not supported for their work, they are no longer able to maintain the time, work and costs of providing more.
Eventually they give up and quit. Whether that is because of money issues or because the amount of abuse and harassment from toxic people such as those who complain there isn't enough content or they are waiting too long or that the videos are not good enough quality yet refuse to or don't give any support to help the creator to provide more content.
Therefore, next time you get something for free from someone, please consider supporting them. Even if you can't support them directly because of money issues of your own, try to support them in other ways like saying thanks, subscribing to them, sharing their content with other people and encourage others to consider supporting too.
Even if you cannot directly give support, ｢ナイスパ｣ is just another way to indirectly show your support for YouTubers and encourage others who can give support.
Criticism and Mixed Feelings
It is important to note that some people do find the repetitive use of ｢ナイスパ｣ to be rather annoying. When a Super Chat is sent, the chat can become filled with multiple ｢ナイスパ｣ comments which can be distracting and may overwhelm other conversations or questions being asked in the chat.
Because it is a quick and standard response, it may even come off as lacking genuine appreciation or thoughtfulness. While some viewers do appreciate the sense of community and support that ｢ナイスパ｣ creates, others might not see its value and feel that it detracts from their viewing experience.
It is therefore that content creators navigate through these mixed reactions carefully to acknowledge and appreciate their supporters without alienating other viewers who might find the frequent use of ｢ナイスパ｣ in the comments disruptive.
On a more controversial matter, some people find donating to a YouTuber rude or offensive with the belief that YouTubers are just unemployed people wanting to get paid to play around, not understanding that many YouTubers create content as a part-time job, if not a full-time career. As well as not understanding the amount of hard work, time and money spent to create high quality and entertaining content.
This is similar to those in the USA and EU who use AD Blockers and complain about the ads playing before, during and after videos. Just remember, you are watching these videos for FREE at the benifit of the one who is paying the price, the content creator themselves.
※ Next time you get something for free from someone that benefits you in some way, whether that is entertainment or something else, please consider supporting them!