For the past four years, I had been lucky enough to attend the first three hololive English concerts in person. This year, things did not pan out so favorably. Between the relatively late announcement and my having already gone out to California in February for Drawn to Dawn, it was inevitable that Serendipity would end up being an online experience for me. 

hololive English 4th Concert Serendipity took place on July 3 and 4 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. It was the second full EN Concert held in LA, after the inaugural Connect the World back in 2022. This year’s special focus was on duos, with some being established fan favorites, others relatively new, and one inevitable trio (FUWAMOCO + Raora Panthera). To say that this was shipper fuel would be an understatement, but even setting that aside, it was still an opportunity to see some fun combinations mix things up a little. I for one was excited to finally see BaeRyS on stage together.

A part of me regrets not being able to witness those moments in person, but I’m also well aware that there are a lot of benefits to watching the stream, not least of which is the immersiveness. hololive has done a lot to improve the theater experience, but the flat screen can still compromise some viewing angles, and it can be hard to concentrate on the performances with everyone around cheering. Watching online is less a consolation and more an alternative, and I appreciate that. 

Performances

I am not trying to sound like a cheerleader when I say that Serendipity was just packed with fantastic and memorable performances, whether it was the solos, the duets, or the bigger group numbers. Some went all out with recent originals, others paid beautiful homage to other members of hololive, and there was just a general sense that everyone had some real experience under their belts at this point and were ready to show how much they’ve improved.

Because there are so many talents involved, I try to think of the best way to discuss the concert within a reasonable length of space. To that end, I think focusing on the signature pairs makes sense.

BaeRyS

Hakos Baelz and IRyS were each in the free sections on separate days, and individually showed why they’re among the premier performers of hololive. “Snake Eyes” can truly be described as Bae’s biggest hit ever, and I found myself desperate to try to not miss a single moment of her exciting and challenging choreography while also admiring the increasing comfort with which she sings. IRyS’s “Be My Flame” saw her continue her Eurobeat journey, and it conveyed to me both her complete embrace of the genre and the way her deceptively powerful voice suits it so well.

Individually, the two are great. Together, they were one of the top acts across both days. I know they’re historically one of the most popular ships, but for me it goes beyond simply pretending that they’re in love or whatever. They have such a wonderful dynamic, and their strengths as performers have always complemented each other beautifully. Even their MC section came across as the unvarnished bantering of two close friends, the kind who finish the other’s sentences half the time, and then get it wildly wrong the other half.

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Since their very first interactions, Cecilia Immergreen and Gigi Murin have been one of the best combos in hololive. Their chemistry comes from how they build on each other’s improvisational energy while also shoring up the other’s weak points, and this applies even to their abilities as idols. “CCGG Madness” is their first original song together, and its lyrics describe the way their joint efforts can quickly veer off whatever bare tracks they might have laid down. Cece also has a very controlled voice and a ladylike elegance to her movements, while the energetic and nimble Gigi has a voice that always feels like it’s on the edge of breaking but somehow never falls apart.

Gigi’s choice for her solo song, an original called “Enough,” spoke to the remarkable depth in her heart and mind that she often tries to hide by playing the buffoon. It was one of the few performances that utilized a projection of background dancers, and was the most creative among them by displaying the “outward” facade that masks her doubts. Cece meanwhile covered a song from hololive’s Nakiri Ayame, incorporating both a folding fan and her signature violin for a classy and elegant experience.

Bloodraven

Of all the pairings in hololive, none have been as embraced on most fronts as that of Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame and Nerissa Ravencroft. It’s baked into their starcrossed VTuber lore as starcrossed rivals and songstresses, there’s always a steady stream of Bloodraven fanart, and the ladies themselves two love to play into it, whether it’s in audio dramas, streams, or other media. That was the case here too, as they did a shared MC with a Liz on bended knee at the start, a couple near kisses, and even a flustered exclamation of “I LOVE YOU!!” from Nerissa that felt like it came right from the depths of her soul. While their song of choice together wasn’t quite romantic, the classic “Cruel Angel’s Thesis” was fantastic coming from them. They just worked very well together while sporting similarly theatrical yet tonally different singing styles. It’s also fitting that their first cover together was also from a trippy anime of the 90s, Utena.

In terms of solos, Nerissa went with the English version of her original “Oyome Holic,” as opposed to the Japanese one she performed at 7th fes. The song was intentionally designed to have official lyrics in both languages, and I’m impressed that it manages to convey such a similar feel across both. Liz came in with a direct strike on my heartstrings by actually covering “ChikuTaku.” Amelia Watson is my favorite from Myth, and I was overjoyed to see members still celebrating her legacy. It was also cool to see a vocal powerhouse like Liz tackle a song that was made for a more limited range like Ame’s, and give it her own spin.

Rocku Wawa

Aside from a mutual love of the 6-7 meme, I see Koseki Bijou and Takanashi Kiara as being quite different from each other. Biboo first made a splash in hololive thanks to her gaming skills, but has really dedicated herself to grinding her singing and dancing. Her voice has become noticeably fuller and richer, whether she’s singing Hoshimachi Suisei’s “Ghost” or her parts in the Advent song “Rebellion.” Wawa, on the other hand, made her idol qualities known well before she ever got a 3D model to show them in full, and has grown only more comfortable and confident over time with her streaming and yapping while also pushing her singing and dancing to the next level. You could see the fruits of those efforts in her performance of “Martyr.”

I get the impression that both Biboo and Wawa have strove to become complete packages in VTubing, or at least develop skills they didn’t have before. Their performance of “Tententengokujigokugoku” is where they met in the middle, and their efforts resulted in something where both stand out while not necessarily outshining the other.

BFF

As the only designated Serendipity trio, BFF (Beeg, Fluffy, & Fuzzy) inherently brought a different experience. Their choice of song, “Inu Neko Seishun Massakari” by Wasuta, was clearly picked because of the matching dog and cat motif, but Raora Panthera, Fuwawa, and Mococo are all powerful otaku, albeit with different influences and nerd origins. The conventional poppy idol feel of the song was a nice way to sync up the bouncy energy they all possess.

FuwaMoco always perform at least twice together at every event, which gives them a bit more freedom. Here, between their tried-and-true introductory song “Born to be ‘BAU’dol” and their more recent and harder-sounding “Demon’s Residence,” they got to show off their range and versatility. Raora went with her second original, “Draw,” and gave a far different impression from her first (“Gacha Gacha Adventure”). The lyrics reference the way that making art has enriched her life, making for an emotional song that was even more touching on stage than in the official release.

Last Writes

Cool ladies and dorks are in no short supply in hololive, but two of the simultaneously coolest and dorkiest are Calli and Shiori. Both individually and collectively, they brought some of the most spirited performances of the concert, notably their unit cover of Man on a Mission’s “When My Devil Rises” from Jujutsu Kaisen. The song fit their respective images, and they maintained the intensity needed to make it work. Their closing transition, where they both ran past each other while disappearing, was a first for 3D live performances in the company. 

Similar to Liz, Shiori also sang something from one of my favorite hololive talents: “Red Heart.” Haachama has had a difficult year, and while I don’t know if Shiori was sending a message specifically to the Worldwide Traveling (née Strongest) Idol, I still feel blessed to have witnessed two faves get their songs. Calli, who probably has the largest discography in all of EN, performed a medley that gave a taste of how extensive her ourney has been and how much she’s come into her own as a musician and songwriter.

I also think it’s important to mention Shiori’s MC sections, which were filled with ribald shenanigans. She seems to be collecting more and more kisses from her peers, and while she claims she’s going to stop, I feel like we might get something even more eye-popping in the future.

Octo Clock

Ninomae Ina’nis and Ouro Kronii are both members who did not specialize in singing but have put in the work to create a surprising amount of music during their time in hololive. Their choices thus reflected their respective journeys. Ina, coming hot off “Drawn to Dawn” challenged herself with a song from one of the company’s best former vocalists in Amane Kanata. Kronii performed “Way 2 U,” the main single from her EP, a pop song showing gratitude for her fans with a notable amount of unguarded sincerity.

Despite not being a “singer” duo like some others, their performance was one of the most memorable of the weekend: a cover of “Bad Apple.” The callback to a certain period of weeb culture, as well as the Touhou fandom that feels in many ways like a progenitor of VTubers. Truly they know ball.

Guests and Group Songs

The solos and units were not the only performances at Serendipity. 

Four guests from outside of EN made appearances: Ookami Mio and Tsunomaki Watame from hololive Japan, as well as Vestia Zeta and Kobo Kanaeru from hololive Indonesia. All of them are well known for being excellent performers, and it was great seeing them included in group numbers for both their own songs as well as others. Zeta is the standout to me because I feel like she’s criminally underrated, and seeing her in both “Make It Break it” and “Break It Down” (naming coincidence?) really brought home how skilled she is on stage.

We also saw all four EN generations do current full-gen performances. Myth did a medley of some group songs (included a favorite of mine, “The Show Goes On!”), Promise had their own medley featuring original individual songs they sang as one, and both Advent and Serendipity sang group originals. The latter two also made a deep impression at the start of Day 2 by having an Advent performance of “Rebellion” immediately followed by Justice on “Above Below.” It was functionally just two songs done back to back, but the transition was so smooth and surprising that just watching that part alone is weirdly satisfying. 

It’s also where, thanks to having so many prior performances of both songs, you can really hear the work all the girls have put into their singing: Biboo and CC especially brought new fire to their voices, while Shiori’s voice sounded more comfortable (and situation generally in the middle) compared to previous performances.

A few other interesting combos and some full-EN performances to close things rounded things out. All three ENigmatic Recollection songs were great, whether it was a new and mellower rendition of “Start Again,” an opportunity to bask in the classiness of “MOSNTER,” or a chance to see some really nice choreography thanks to “Freaky Deaky Love.” The concert’s namesake song is also impressive for the way it makes singing the word “serendipity” sound a lot less awkward than expected.

Miscellaneous Notes

Watching online and watching in person are significantly different experiences, and a big part of that is what you do (and don’t) get to see. At a live performance, the eyes are allowed to wander and observe things that aren’t necessarily the thing meant to be focused on. It’s a double-edged sword, as it then creates more missed opportunities that a dedicated camera can focus on. However, there are plenty of instances, including at Serendipity, where the camera actually missed something vital. 

One change I saw to the online experience was the greater use of wide-angle POVs that can capture the entirety of a group performance without pulling the camera all the way back, though at the expense of some visual distortion. There are many examples I could find where having the camera on one person misses the cool moments of another, and this solves the issue in a fairly satisfying manner. It’s one of my favorite developments for hololive concerts.

Another thing I have to give kudos about is the graphics. Unlike all past concerts (including JP and ID), the girls popped on stage with their name logos appearing first, as opposed to a generic symbol or flash of light. This meant that you could easily identify who was coming next and figure out what you wanted to do in response to that information. Similarly, the special videos showing off the next guest performer or Serendipity duo were all really great for building hype and anticipation. I really hope they keep this idea going forward.

Final Thoughts

I said this last year too, but I really wouldn’t mind the concert being somewhere besides LA and NYC, if only to give more fans the opportunity to experience these without costing them an arm and a leg. 

Despite the odd timing of the concert and my inability to attend in person (as well as my struggle to stay awake during an eventful July 4 weekend), I consider Serendipity to be a real success in terms of performance and presentation. The pairings that made up this year’s “gimmick” worked in terms of both celebration and experimentation, and whenever the blu-ray for this comes out, I predict I will be watching certain performances over and over again. Also, a part of me felt that if I actually went this year, it would make me feel compelled to attend every concert in person from this point forward. My wallet thanks me, even if my FOMO does not.

The free sections are available for everyone to watch, and the paid VODs are still available for about another week. I, for one, think it’s worthwhile.