interviews
E-Girl 'Waifu Mia' On Being The 'Ohio Belle Delphine,' Anime, Getting Into OnlyFans, Her Passion For Nursing And More
Waifu Mia is one of the biggest e-girls online right now. Heavily inspired by Belle Delphine, she's garnered millions of followers across TikTok, Instagram and OnlyFans for both her spicy content and her meme content.
As she's grown in prominence over the last couple of years, she's even earned the nickname "Ohio Belle Delphine" for her content and resemblance to Belle and is often touted as a prime example of the Belle Delphine Effect.
We recently talked with Mia over Zoom to dive into her personal life and learn how she became one of the biggest e-girls today.
Q: It's great to talk to you, Mia. When did you start posting content online and why?
A: I first started posting content when I turned 16. I wanted to see what it's like to be a social media influencer, that's what I was kind of aspiring to be.
But the person who really jump-started my content creation was Belle Delphine. I remember watching her and seeing how she did really weird and quirky and funny videos and it kind of inspired me to start creating content and doing my own twist on things. It's been an incredible journey ever since then.
Q: When did you get into cosplay?
A: I've always been into anime. I'm like a huge anime geek, so I was always a cosplayer. I used to dress up and do dances and just like playing around with cool, different makeup looks and, yeah, I just would post whatever I felt was fun.
Q: What are your favorite animes?
A: Oh, my goodness, so many. Right now I just finished watching the new Attack on Titan season. It was so good. Chainsaw Man. What else? Tokyo Ghoul, Death Note. [laughter] I like those dark animes.
Q: What were you doing before you started making content on TikTok and OnlyFans?
A: So before I started posting content, I was actually studying to become a nurse at university. I was working at McDonald's and I would do like 40 hours a week there trying to pay my tuition. That kept me really busy most of the time. But I always loved content creation, so while I was doing that, I was also making videos. I guess people really liked my content, so it kind of popped off and I quit my job at McDonald's and continued social media full-time.
Q: What convinced you to start making content full-time?
A: I started on OnlyFans and my first month, I made like $3,000 and it was totally life-changing for me. I was like, "I couldn't believe this is something I can do and actually make money from." So after that, I was like, "This is life-changing." I quit my job and just continued doing social media content.
I already had a TikTok that was popping off pretty well. Then it was just like naturally I just, started an OnlyFans from that because I was getting such a big following from that, it just naturally felt right.
@waaifumia i’m 19
Q: What was your first big viral hit?
A: Back in 2019, there was a trend going around called Dance Monkey. So you would think it's like a normal video, but I was actually in high school and I wanted to recreate the trend, so I dressed in an e-girl outfit. I was wearing a skirt and knee-high socks and dressed all e-girl and cute. I was also using squids as pom-poms.
I guess people found it hilarious because it hit like 100 million views. So me and my friends were like freaking out. But get this, my TikTok account was deleted a couple days later and then I also got suspended from school for [filming] inappropriate content on school grounds. That was just life-changing and I was so shocked. Then a couple of days later, Belle Delphine actually reached out to me and she said she adored the videos. So it kind of made it all worth it for me. I was like so excited about that. It was just like a whirlwind of emotions for me.
Q: What do you think you would be doing professionally if you never got into content creation?
A: If I didn't go full-time, I'd probably become a nurse, that was something I was super passionate about ever since I was little. I was like so keen on becoming a nurse. So, yeah, if I wasn't doing social media, I'd probably be working a regular job and helping people.
This sort of career doesn't last forever, so I would definitely think about going back to school and becoming a regular nurse [if it doesn't work out], that'd be great.
@waifumia2 finally out of tiktok jail 🎉💖
Q: People tend to have extreme reactions to people becoming full-time content creators, especially OnlyFans creators. Have friends and family been supportive?
A: My friends have been super supportive about it. My family took some time, they weren't fully … they don't fully understand what you're doing at first, but they've kind of seen how successful I've been in it and ever since then, they've been a little more understanding and supportive of it.
They found out [about the OnlyFans] at first from another family member. After that, they were very upset, I got kicked out and everything — kind of disowned for a bit. But at the end of the day, we're family. So we made up and we just don't talk about it really. They don't fully support it, but they understand how successful it can become.
Q: You post a lot of dance content. Have you always had a passion for dancing?
A: Yes. I've been a competitive dancer since I was 7, so I've always been dancing. When TikTok came along, it was like the dancing trends and it was perfect because I always had a passion for dance. So, yeah, I've just been continuing that, I guess.
@waifumia this dance is so cute😂
Q: Lots of your cosplay content appeals to gamers. Are you a gamer and what do you play?
A: Yes. I haven't been playing as much anymore, because I've been super busy, but back then I was super into Fortnite and Call of Duty and games like that.
Q: What do you enjoy about doing cosplay videos, and what are some of your favorite cosplays?
A: I love expressing myself and it's just so much fun dressing up as your favorite anime person. I just find so much enjoyment and my fans seem to really love cosplay content. So I love making them happy and yeah, it's just something that's super fun. I love doing it.
I've been loving cosplaying. I love Mikasa from Attack on Titan, Asuna from Sword Art Online.
Q: Are you a fan of memes and meme culture?
A: Yes, I love meme culture, I find it so fun and entertaining and I just love being a part of it and playing along with it. It's really fun. It's been kind of tough finding good memes recently, but yeah, I do.
Q: You get compared to Belle Delphine a lot online. Do you like the comparisons or do you find they get annoying?
A: Well, I find it kind of like a compliment. 'Cause she kind of started the whole e-girl vibe and things like that. So, do I find it annoying? Sometimes, like sometimes I just try to be a cosplayer and do my own thing, and then always being compared to her, it's like I never get credit for my own original ideas.
But at the end of the day, I find it kind of funny, always being compared to her and being known as like the "Ohio Belle Delphine" and things like that. So, it kind of comes with it, I guess.
@ghostgirl177 #duet with @itsmiawaifu of course her username name has waifu in it 🥴 #foryou #belledelphineeffect #belledelphinelookalike #infantilizationofwomen #thisisweird #feministiktok #feminism ♬ オリジナル楽曲 – 景井 ひな
Q: What is it that you like about Belle Delphine so much and why does she inspire you and so many other e-girls?
A: I think she's just one of a kind. She started everything and she just has such a cute kawaii and weird [aesthetic]. She's just great and she just started everything, and I can see why a lot of people pulled inspiration from her.
Q: There's an ongoing meme in your community about how you're "eternally 19 years old" because you've been writing "I'm 19" on your videos for years. What's the story behind that meme?
A: So I started content creation about two years ago. I always captioned my TikToks "I'm 19." Because if you don't, I've had a lot of videos got taken down for minor safety. So I just started, captioning my videos "I'm 19."
The people who've been following me for a while started commenting that [I'm eternally 19] and catching on. I just gotta play along with it. I never actually shared my birthday, so I keep it a secret and just keep it fun.
Q: Do you get banned a lot on TikTok?
A: I've actually gotten banned like 30 times from TikTok, I am not on TikTok's good side.
Q: One of the more serious accusations leveled at you and people who followed the so-called "Belle Delphine Effect" is that you're "pedo-baiting" by what they perceive as dressing young. How would you respond to those claims?
A: I do receive a lot of comments where they think that my sort of content is kiddo-baiting and acting childish. But to be honest, I like to act more on the cuter side, that's how I am and people take that the wrong way and think that I am catering to an audience like that, which I don't find is the case at all. I just like to post very cute content.
@waifumia2 insta in my bio💕!! #fypシ #foryou #PCInsidersReport ♬ original sound – Paulina Cumes
Q: What's a common misconception people have about e-girls?
A: A lot of people think we're just doing it because it's the new hype. A lot of people seem to love the e-girl vibe. People think that we just like hop on it because we're just trying to get on the hype train or whatever. But I've just genuinely loved cosplay even before Belle Delphine, I just love the whole kawaii fashion and cosplay looks. So I think that's a big misconception where they think we're just trying to be like someone and just get on the hype of being an e-girl.
Q: One of your most viral videos has you spilling eight cups of McDonald's water on yourself. What's the story behind that one?
A: I was just scrolling through [TikTok] seeing what videos I can recreate. There was this one where it's like people grab massive cups of water and then they just spilled it all over themselves and I found it so funny. So I wanted to recreate it.
So I dressed up as a really cute e-girl, I had like a plaid skirt on and I grabbed all these ice-cold cups of water and I just recreated that and it was just so much fun, it was crazy. It did really well, people thought it was hilarious.
Q: What's your favorite video you've ever made?
A: Last year I had another viral video where I used to pour milk on myself. So I would dress up in a cute cosplay and then I would just grab the two cartons of milk and just drench myself in it. I just thought the reaction was hilarious.
People were freaking out saying it was just so wasteful and they were just so upset about it. But I found it really funny and it was just like a random video I thought of doing. It did really well, so that was a memorable one.
@itsmiawaifu well that was cold
Q: How has your life changed since gaining viral acclaim?
A: My life dramatically changed ever since I started doing social media. I find that I have a lot more opportunities. It's just been such a blessing and it's been so much fun and I wouldn't wanna be doing anything other than this.
Q: Are there any platforms you'd like to expand your brand to?
A: Usually I just live in the moment, but I eventually want to maybe start a Twitch account and tap into the whole gaming world. I'm not that good at video games, so I haven't explored that route, but it would be really fun. It would kind of suit my whole e-girl vibe and gaming.
Q: Do you have any advice for people who want to get into content creation?
A: I would say do what you love. If you're into gaming, cosplay or if you're into dancing, anything that you're super passionate about, if you do what you love, it automatically just attracts people and they can see that you love what you're doing.
You can follow Waifu Mia on TikTok @waaifumia and @miawaiifuxo or on Twitter @waifuumia and Instagram @waifuumia.
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