Enigmatic Recollection is an “alternate universe” project by the VTuber agency hololive that is hard to describe, but one thing that became clear is that it can be a powerful focal point for creativity.
Official art and music is released, fans are inspired to make works of their own, and even the talents involved get to flex their imaginations. In fact, Part 1 of ENReco was a real success in terms of popularity and attention, and a major component of this is the improvisational role-playing involved. What started out as a way to play off a premise of amnesiacs in an isekai setting became a chance to showcase how each participating VTuber approached this open-ended “assignment.”
Within that setting, everyone seemingly took on new personalities, but there were a couple specific instances in Part 1 that turned out to be otherwise. Two of the girls—namely Nanashi Mumei and Shiori Novella—never actually lost their memories.
I actually think this was really clever on the part of both girls because the decision to make this part of their ENReco “characters” work with their respective lore in hololive.
It should be noted that “canon” is a very nebulous concept with a medium like VTubing, even putting aside the kayfabe aspect of it. Not only does base lore sometimes not match what the talents themselves come up with, but the “returned memories” of ENReco are a variation of their own (like how Kiara created a burger shop instead of specializing in chicken). That said, a look at the official profiles of the aforementioned two is a good place to start.
First, Mumei:
“The Guardian of Civilization, a traveling owl who has borne witness to numerous events.
Even though glimpses of past memories—seen and forgotten throughout her endless journey—occasionally surface, she is now a lovely girl who relishes each and every day.”
Basically, Mumei is supposed to be the most extreme example of someone who forgets more than you will ever remember because she carries all the memories of civilization. Experiencing amnesia is just a common occurrence for Mumei, and it wouldn’t be surprising that she has some way to recall her true identity, no matter what is causing the memory loss in the first place. She had a built-in defense against whatever afflicted most of the other girls.
Next, Shiori:
“Driven by her thirst for knowledge, Shiori Novella is “The Archiver.” She turns her favorite stories and treasured memories into bookmarks and saves them.”
Moreover, Shiori’s 3D showcase was all about how she travels to different worlds (fictional and otherwise) to collect stories, and her holo no graffiti debut shows her extracting other people’s thoughts as bookmarks. This implies that she’s accustomed to the isekai process, and that she also has some means to safeguard her mind when traversing planes. And given Shiori’s love of fiction and the way she encourages it among her fans, I have very little doubt that she didn’t consider all this when deciding on her ENReco persona.
I don’t know what will carry through to the later parts of Enigmatic Recollection. However, amidst all the attention placed on other storylines, I wanted to draw attention to something I especially enjoyed from Mumei and Shiori. You can even see them both acting a little suspiciously throughout, as if they were merely feigning memory loss. Mumei would constantly change her name, for instance, and Shiori gave the impression that she was just “playing along” in some way.
The end result for each was a “revelation” that made me simply enjoy ENReco all the more. I don’t know what Part 2 will look like, but I’m eager to see what energy the girls and the fans alike bring. And while we won’t be seeing Mumei join in going forward as a result of her graduation, I can at least look fondly back at the memories she helped create.
PS: Just last week, Koseki Bijou had a special birthday stream that involved her fighting her fellow hololive members to free them from being mind controlled. Among them was Shiori, who immediately recognized Bijou and then pretended she didn’t. (Mumei was an ally and unaffected.) So at the very least, this immunity to memory manipulation is not a one-off thing for the leader of Advent.
Gawr Gura of hololive, the most subscribed VTuber in the world, has announced her graduation, set for May 1 Japan Time. As one of the biggest gateways to VTubing, her influence is almost impossible to overestimate. And while Gura’s infrequent streams made people wonder for years whether her departure was impending, to see it actually happen hits like a shockwave nevertheless.
Debuting in September 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of Myth—hololive’s first English generation—Gura brought comfort and humor to many while shattering virtually every record under the sun. Whether it was her simple-yet-effective character design, her sense of humor, or her remarkably soulful singing, the shark girl from Atlantis helped propel hololive into an international success story.
Gura is often cited as a major inspiration for others to become VTubers themselves, but there really is no one like her. She has that undeniable “it” factor perhaps more than anyone else in this sphere, and while I don’t know if I can fully explain the magic, I do think there is at least one important factor that makes it all click: To this day, even as she’s improved in so many ways, Gura still feels like an amateur.
As creators and personalities gain fame and influence, they often change in ways that reflect their greater status. This is not necessarily a bad thing, nor is it inherently a sign of selling out or inauthenticity, and this transformation often shows up as a greater image of confidence and a more polished presentation. But whether deliberate or unintentional, Gura always comes across as the same goofy and nervous, yet charming and witty girl who’s still fumbling her way through. The way she banters with her chat, the rough edges and scuff that still show up on stream, and even her singing are as if she’s performing for a small audience in a humble little room. Gura somehow manages to work as both an effective source of background noise while you’re doing other things, and as a primary thing to focus on and get lost in her ramblings. It’s like she draws you into her world, but leaves it up to you how far you want to fall in.
I still remember the handful of times she’s actually responded to me in chat despite the sheer size of her audience and despite me often not being a paid member of her channel. I have to admit that it made me feel a little more special.
(I’m the Shrimp in that clip asking what’s the best thing she ate.)
During Gura’s graduation announcement, she mentioned how the thought of having so many eyes on her would often make her so nervous that she had trouble eating. And in one of her final streams with her friend and genmate Amelia Watson, Gura also revealed that she would ask Ame for advice, all while Gura was seen as the more successful of the two overall. I don’t know if that’s anxiety, humility, imposter syndrome, or simply an open mind and heart, but I can’t help but wonder if this is what gives Gura that “professional amateur” energy.
I’m going to end this by simply linking two of my favorite things she’s ever done. The first is her 2024 birthday concert, titled “Shark City.” She begins with a surprise cover of the first Legend of the Galactic Heroes opening, sings multiple City Pop and City Pop–inspired hits, and even collabs with the soon-to-be-graduating Murasaki Shion along with one of my favorites in La+ Darknesss.
The second is the final Myth song with all five members, “The Show Goes On.” I still think it’s their best full-gen number.
Thank you, Gura. You’ve literally changed lives, and I hope you find the peace and balance you need to thrive, no matter where you end up.
Spring Anime is here! Between Gundam GQuuuuuuX, Kowloon Generic Romance, and Anne Shirley, it feels like we’ve got lots of shows that touch on nostalgia but aren’t necessarily nostalgia-grab shows. I just wish these anime could appear on more than one platform, so fans can support the ones they prefer. Exclusivity is a pain in the ass.
Thank you to my Patreon supporters. With the season in full swing, I hope you’re doing well, and haven’t been too thoroughly bamboozled by April Fools.
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Sue Hopkins fans:
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Hato Kenjirou fans:
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I’ve also been thinking of enabling fan donations on WordPress, but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea. Any feedback is appreciated.
This past week, VTuber Nanashi Mumei of hololive English Promise announced that she will be graduating from hololive primarily due to throat-related health issues. I don’t know if I’m going to write anything about her in particular, but I do have a post partially about her that I had been saving up. Expect to see it in the coming days!
hololive 6th fes—the latest edition of the largest VTuber live concert in the world—happened earlier this month, from March 8th to the 9th. Watching it online, I came away feeling that this event was potentially a pivotal moment for hololive and its talents.
As an agency, hololive has come a very long way. What began as the off-shoot of a small tech start-up of around 10 employees named Cover corp has become a massive corporation of over 500, as well as the first name in VTubing. In other words, a lot has happened, and the performances seemed to reflect the various contrasts that come with this change: the simplicity and instability of the past versus the complexity and stability of the present, the advantages and disadvantages of playing it safe versus taking risks, and looking back to remember the good times but also to show how far they’ve come.
Performances with Extra Meaning
Related to this sense of history and where it might lead, the biggest story going into 6th fes happened only a few days earlier: Murasaki Shion of hololive Japan’s 2nd generation announced she would be graduating at the end of April, meaning this would be her last fes, and thus one last chance for the fans who gathered there live to show her their appreciation.
Thus, Shion’s performance became a major focal point for the whole event, where she performed her latest single: “Gomen ne Medicine.” The song’s lyrics talk about trying to create a medicine to heal, that she’s sorry if it ends up doing more harm in the process, and how she’s not able to properly convey her gratitude—a message that hits differently in hindsight. Moreover, she received one of the coveted spots in the concert venue’s new center stage contraption, putting her even more in the spotlight. The result was a highly emotional performance that was both a celebration of Shion’s 6.5 years at hololive and an acknowledgment that this was the beginning of the end.
Kazama Iroha’s participation was also a big deal. Afflicted with a psychological condition that prevented her from speaking, she managed to find her voice again sooner than her doctor had anticipated, and she’s been gradually streaming again. However, Iroha’s speech has become a bit halting and noticeably different from the boisterous and rapid-fire style she once had, so the question was how this might affect both her singing and potentially her MCing. But she managed to perform her original song “Mahou Shoujo Magical GOZARU” with little trouble, and while there was a few moments of hesitation in her talking, these were only minor hiccups
Iroha recently mentioned that her appearance at 6th fes almost didn’t happen. Now, she’s taking another hiatus in the hopes of fixing her speech and preventing her current way of speaking from becoming the standard.
The Center Stage
I need to talk about that center stage pod Shion (and others) used before proceeding further.
hololive fes has gotten increasingly huge over the years, and now the Makuhari Messe convention space appears to be at capacity for how many people can attend the concerts. There also weren’t differently priced tickets, so having a stage on just one end would be unfair to the people sitting all the way in the back. Last year, the solution they came up with was to have three different stages in different spots, so the “front” of the audience changed, depending on the performance.
This year, they went with two stages and a pod in the middle of the space. The two stages were similar to 5th fes’s, but the pod was so unusual that at first, I wasn’t sure what I was looking at. Essentially, it was a three-sided structure that rotated continuously, with a single performer displayed on the screens and additional walls blocking certain angles. I think the idea was that it gave a chance for everyone in the 360 degree space to get a decent view, but because the stream view could only ever see one screen, I couldn’t tell if the other two were showing the performer at different angles (for a kind of pseudo-3D hologram view), but I’ve seen others online say that was the case.
On the one hand, I was a little disappointed that this wasn’t a true 360-degree hologram like I thought it might be when hololive first shared the venue diagram. On the other hand, I appreciate that they tried to improve on 5th fes, even if their answer was a little ridiculous.
The ones who appeared on center stage in addition to Shion were Houshou Marine, Hoshimachi Suisei, Nekomata Okayu, Takane Lui, Sakura Miko, Tokino Sora, Ayunda Risu, Natsuiro Matsuri, and Moona Hoshinova (note that I may have missed some). There is no singular thing they all have in common, but many are pillars of the company, known for their excellent vocals, and/or have recent (or upcoming) solo concerts/album releases.
6th fes Debuts
This year, two generations made their first hololive fes appearances: English’s Advent and DEV_IS’s ReGLOSS. The two are kind of like sister groups, even covering each other’s music. And while neither group has a long history with hololive (around a year and a half for both), their group song choices already seem to reflect slightly different approaches.
Advent went with their debut number, “Rebellion.” However, compared to their initial recording and even their multiple previous performances for their 3D showcase and the live concert Breaking Dimensions, Advent has improved noticeably. Nerissa Ravencroft and (actual) twin sisters FuwaMoco were already strong singers, but Nerissa’s voice seemed more stable and FuwaMoco’s harmonies sound wonderful as ever. Shiori Novella continued to benefit from switching to a lower register where she has more control (as opposed to the higher notes of the original recording), and Koseki Bijou had more strength in her vocals. It’s the best “Rebellion” has ever sounded.
ReGLOSS, instead of picking their first song, went with their fourth: “Feelingradation.” To be fair, ReGLOSS just has more music they’ve done as a group compared to Advent (and even most generations in hololive, for that matter), but I still think it was a noticeable decision to not choose “Shunkan Heartbeat.” Much like Advent, however, their progress isn’t an illusion. Todoroki Hajime is still an impeccable dancer (easily top 2 or 3 in hololive) and Otonose Kanade is the heart of the group with her amazing singing, but Hiodoshi Ao, Ichijou Ririka, and Juufuutei Raden all took steps to improve their weaker areas for this performance. Listening to it, I’m reminded how much I love their music; it’s exactly up my alley.
Remember the Big Hits?
Compared to every previous year, I felt that 6th fes emphasized how long hololive has been around. It was like a combination of nostalgia trip, a desire to celebrate personal legacies, and an attempt to capitalize on major successes. For example, this year saw six medley performances—double what was at 5th fes.
In a concert event that is often about mixing things up, it’s also notable that three of the older and more beloved pairings were featured. Shirogane Noel and Shiranui Flare of JP’s 3rd gen (from 2019) once bought matching rings. Shishiro Botan and Yukihana Lamy of JP’s 5th gen were also a close duo when they first started in 2020. Nekomata Okayu and Inugami Korone have a friendship that actually predates hololive, and their song of choice was “If…” by Da Pump, calling back to one of their most viral karaoke moments from four years ago. As if to show off how much they’ve improved, the two performed the song straight instead of breaking into giggles, Okayu covering the singing parts with her buttery voice and Korone handling the rap portions while busting a move and literally doing cartwheels.
Additionally, this year’s fourth concert was called the Creators’ Stage, and it was promoted as a highlight of notable music makers who have worked with Hololive talents. But in light of previous years, which featured concerts promoting full collaborative albums with groups like deco*27 and Honeyworks, the Creators’ Stage felt more conservative. The most unusual thing was seeing what combination of girls sang together. Moreover, the Creators’ featured three songs from Houshou Marine, and while she is one of their most famous members, it felt like either 1) a case of last-minute substitutions or 2) the company really wanted to get the popular songs in. One song was even performed twice, namely Marine and Kobo Kanaeru’s “III” (which I’ve learned is pronounced “Ai-Ai-Ai” and not “Three”). While repeating songs had the advantage of allowing people to hear these songs without purchasing multiple tickets, I suspect this was not the main motivating factor.
I don’t think playing it safe or referencing the past is inherently bad. The medleys can exist because the individual talents have enough songs to make them possible at all. All of it was also still very entertaining, and some of these performances were among my favorites of the weekend. Nevertheless, it came across to me as at least partly an exercise in caution.
The Dancers Grow Ever Stronger
The number of skilled dancers increased and the established ones continued to improve, treating us to some astounding performances.
Hakos Baelz covered Ado’s “Show,” and displayed the intense energy and skill that her fans have come to know and love. While it didn’t have the striking movements of “GEKIRIN” at Breaking Dimensions or the daringness of the interpretive contemporary dance from 5th fes, something about the routine felt like it was specifically designed to accentuate her strongest attributes and to showcase improvements she made in the past year.
Later during an MC section, Bae revealed that she came up with her choreography for “Show” herself. In a post-event stream, she also mentioned that her zombie-like rise from the floor (a move she learned when she was five!) was something she tried to put into last year’s performance, but the technology they used couldn’t handle it. The girl literally pushed the limits of what was possible with Cover’s motion tracking and helped cause it to improve.
The rat wasn’t the only one to put on an amazing dance show. Todoroki Hajime’s smooth confidence showed why she and Bae are seen as the very best. I adore Takanashi Kiara’s “Mirage,” and the adaptations she made to dancing a solo version worked well. Vestia Zeta’s snappy hip and movements are etched into my memory. Aki Rosenthal was originally known as possibly the best dancer early on, looked the best she has in a long time.
Roads Less Traveled
Usually, La+ Darknesss is a part of that list of dancers, and she did make for a great idol dance trio with Matsuri and Momosuzu Nene. However, for her solo performance this year, the leader of holoX eschewed a complex choreography for a greater focus on singing. As a fan of hers, I find this noteworthy because La+’s voice has struggled some ever since illness forced her to change the way she speaks and even laughs. But here, singing “Tokyo Teddy Bear,” she sounded maybe the best she has outside of a studio recording in a while. And while she didn’t have a fully structured routine, she brought her characteristic energy and impeccable sense of poise when posing.
La+ wasn’t the only one to mess with expectations. Korone usually picks an older obscure song (like the opening to a 1990s horse-racing anime), but this time, she actually went with one of her originals (and threw in a one-handed cartwheel). Matsuri jokingly refers to herself as “the pure one (seiso tantou)” when she’s extremely upfront about her horniness, but her performance of her newest original, “Love Letter,” could easily convince listeners that she’s telling the truth about herself. Ouro Kronii—known for her mature, sardonic personality and her equally mature figure—was perhaps the last person anyone expected to sing “Loli Kami Requiem.”
Other performances saw talents go outside their comfort zones. Nanashi Mumei usually focuses mainly on singing but this time danced a fairly elaborate choreography. Kaela Kovalskia is one of the least “stage”-oriented members of hololive, but her cover of Digimon Adventure’s “Brave Heart” was a real crowd pleaser. In this way, there were definitely places where experimentation contrasted with the reliable approach of the concert as a whole.
“Familiar” Doesn’t Mean Bad
While not everyone was about taking on wild new challenges, that doesn’t mean the more expected ones were by any means bad or disappointing. In fact, a lot of these “expected” performances were among my favorites. IRyS sang “TwiLight,” which has become my favorite original song of hers, and gave me exactly what I was hoping for. Oozora Subaru hyped up the crowd through her contagious energy. Tokoyami’s deep voice is still a thrill to experience. Airani Iofifteen went for something cute and poppy, and while her two genmates are better known for their singing prowess, Iofi really played into her niche well. Gawr Gura is already known for having a soothing singing voice, but her cover of the sorrow-laden song “Dango Daikazoku” from Clannad left me with emotions welling up.
And then there’s Haachama, whose orthodoxy is being unorthodox. She came in with her new metal-influenced song titled “Who2” (a play on futsuu, or “normal”), and she expressed a chaotic fervor reminiscent of her duet with Kureiji Ollie from two years ago. If it weren’t for the impact of her surprise return at 5th fes, this would probably be my favorite showing by her yet.
The New Idol Uniforms
The last thing I want to talk about is the fact that almost all hololive members at 6th fes received a new outfi (the exception is ReGLOSS, who already have unique idol outfits). It was the first in two years, and unlike at 4th fes, there’s one general template across all regions instead of having specific designs for Japan, Indonesia, and English branches. I think the design both looks good and stands out as unique compared to all the previous idol outfits, and I particularly enjoy the little aspects that individual talents can customize. The only drawback is something that has applied to all the shared outfits: The bodies are often generalized and don’t necessarily capture the look and proportions of their original models. I hope hololive can make that accommodation someday.
Final Thoughts
hololive 6th fes felt like a victory lap that was also a cautious straddling between the old and the new. In last year’s review, I mentioned how the dramatic rise of hololive made the difference between the older fes events and the most recent ones very apparent. Six events in, we’re now firmly on the side of “grand and polished”—perhaps to such an extent that we can’t ignore its sheer weight as the biggest VTuber company in the world.
When it starts up the engine, hololive has more momentum than anyone else, but it can be hard to change course. At the same time, having a diverse talent pool each with their own strengths means that even if the company as a whole can’t be as nimble, they can still create in-roads to other possibilities. I am fairly optimistic that they can find a decent balance between the two while thinking about the long-term wellbeing of both the company and the people working in it.
Next year will be Justice and FLOW GLOW’s turns to take the big stage, and I’m excited to see how they shine. I get the sense that both groups are going to excel in 3D performances.
These days, I listen to a lot of VTuber music. They dominate my playlist, which might come across as an odd choice because while quite a few are wonderful singers, you’re not going to get professional-quality results all the time. Even so, there is something that makes VTuber music that feels special in current times: They remind me of anime character image songs.
In the 1990s and up through the 2000s, image songs were pretty common. Whether it was Ranma ½or Suzumiya Haruhi, shows with large casts would have voice actors sing songs based on their characters, and often as their characters. This feels less prevalent in anime over the past decade and change, but with VTubers, it’s like practically every original song (and even covers to some extent) are just inherently image songs because they work off of the VTubers’ personas.
The “issues” with VTuber music are also reminiscent of complaints about image songs. “Why listen to people who can’t actually sing all that well?” But it’s just as much about connecting to the characters being portrayed as it is about the inherent musicality of a song. You’ll get some performers who are excellent at what they do, but real skill is a bonus rather than a requirement. Better yet, if there is improvement, you get to really see them come into their own rather than just starting as amazing. One of the best things is hearing someone perform one of their songs live and realize that they actually sound better than the studio recording they did back when they were still a little shaky.
To end off, I’m curious about if any readers are fond of any character songs, be they anime, VTuber, or maybe some other category.
Earlier today, Sakamata Chloe left hololive for the foreseeable future. Secret Society holoX will no longer be five members strong, so I wanted to just write one last post appreciating their generation as a whole.
holoX was the first time I wanted to get invested in an entire gen from the very beginning. I love their motif as would-be world conquerors who are actually just silly people, and really think they strike a nice balance as a group—in terms of their character designs, personalities, and respective strengths as entertainers.
La+ is a remarkably good dancer with a sharp tongue who somehow manages to be both mature and a brat. Lui can be both a wise older sister and a bit of a bumbler, and she has brought out some of the most creative songs in VTubing. Koyori is an absolute workhorse who loves to experiment and bring a classic idol vibe. Chloe has great control of her voice, whether for singing or bantering. Iroha possesses great athleticism and an adorable personality, which allow her to tackle every project with a charismatic energy.
In the three years they’ve been going, holoX has accomplished so much. They have multiple original songs both individually and as a group, and they’ve only grown as performers despite setbacks in their physical and mental health. Seeing them in their most recent 3d concerts just drives home how much effort they’ve all put into their craft, like when noticing the subtle changes La+ makes to her choreography or realizing the quality of Chloe’s full repertoire of music.
Granted, it’s also a little bittersweet to know that Chloe, at least in this form, will be frozen in time. The other four will keep going, changing and learning along the way, and while Chloe might very well be doing the same, I don’t know how easily we can follow her on that journey. Despite that, I think holoX will still thrive, and Chloe has what it takes to find success and happiness in whatever she does. I hope we get to hear from her again, no matter what form she takes.
PS: I finally assembled all of holoX in Nendoroid form. I’m glad I got it just in time for Chloe’s final concert.
It’s been a couple months since FLOW GLOW arrived on the VTuber scene. hololive’s rap-focused generation is fairly different from what has come before them, and I want to record my thoughts and feelings now that I’ve had more time to see what they’re about.
(Disclaimer: I don’t know music genres very well, so this might just be word salad).
On a micro level, all of FLOW GLOW feel ready as entertainers. Rindo Chihaya is my favorite of the bunch, between her gorgeous character design, her love of cars, trombone skills, and deeper singing voice. I also find Isaki Riona to be especially silly and entertaining. In one “mindfulness” stream (i.e. assisted meditation), she asked her viewers to emulate throwing a Kamehameha.
On a macro level, FLOW GLOW does something important for me: It helps clarify the direction of their newest branch, hololive DEV_IS.
Back when DEV_IS was first announced, it wasn’t obvious what exactly made it different. Don’t holo talents already make music? Weren’t INNK and Project Hope different attempts to focus on music that both ended up closing? Don’t the members of ReGLOSS (DEV_IS’s first generation) stream games and talk with chat all the same? But FLOW GLOW makes it much more obvious where the difference lies. One, the generations are seen even more as cohesive groups of performers. Two, they lean even more into the types of antics one might expect of “talents”—the minor celebrities who appear on variety shows in Japan. That first aspect is what piques my interest.
The fact that FLOW GLOW has a completely different sound compared to ReGLOSS says it all. Instead of trying to follow a reliable formula to the point of tedium, Cover Corp seems to be exploring different avenues with the notion that an increasingly diverse roster can reach different corners, and FLOW GLOW’s K-Pop + J-Eap approach contrasts with the smooth synth J-pop of ReGLOSS. While I’ll admit that I’m not a big fan of their debut song, “FG Roadster,” I’m glad they’re not just ReGLOSS 2.0. Also, their first cover song (of KICK THE CAN CREW’s “Marche”) reminds me a bit of A Tribe Called Quest, and gives me hope that they’re going to try different genres of rap.
It’s funny to think about that combo of K-Pop and J-Rap. Sure, rap is a staple part of K-Pop, but within the specific context of Hololive, each of those halves is represented by the members of TakaMori. Takanashi Kiara’s music is increasingly in the direction of K-pop—an intentional decision according to her. Calliope Mori is the first name in VTuber rapping, and while she’s moved on to different sounds that incorporate pop and rock as well, the influence she had on the business can still be felt. Would FLOW GLOW have gone in this direction if Myth hadn’t ascended back in 2020?
I do wonder if hololive will be able to reach a new audience through FLOW GLOW, and if that audience might even include people who are neither into anime or Japanese pop culture. I’m curious to find out where they’ll take us.
On Nov 29, 2024, hololive Japan VTuber Sakamata Chloe announced on her third anniversary that she would be ceasing her streaming activities with hololive at the end of January. As a Day 1 fan of her generation, holoX, I wanted to give her a proper send-off with a nice farewell post on this blog.
Then the next day came, and with it a second major bombshell: Ceres Fauna of hololive English’s Promise announced that she will be graduating from hololive at the beginning of January.
So as much as I would have preferred to write two separate pieces that shine the spotlight on each of them separately, these two departures feel so closely linked together that talking about one inevitably brings thoughts about the other. Consequently, I write this in the hopes that it can be both a celebration and a thinkpiece.
Looking at the Orca and Kirin
Sakamata Chloe and Ceres Fauna lore and approaches to VTubing are different.
Chloe is an orca, and has been the “cleaner and intern” of Secret Society holoX, an organization ostensibly aiming for world domination. Based on her initial design, she seemed the most serious and mysterious of holoX, only for her to debut in the silliest way possible.
She’s known for her amazing and versatile singing voice that can switch from cute to sultry, her cheeky banter, her aversion to bathing, and her lack of prudence when it comes to things like fanservice (which her fans obviously love).
Fauna is a kirin and the “Keeper of Nature” for a Council of primordial forces, before engaging more directly with humanity as part of hololive Promise. At first, she seemed like a nurturing “mother nature” type, but almost immediately revealed a mild, yet noticeable yandere undertone to her personality that eventually gave way to a cursed sense of humor.
She’s synonymous with ASMR aided by her incredibly soothing speaking voice, serious gamer attitude that pops up at unexpected moments, and an Extremely Online Millennial sensibility that makes her ramblings endlessly entertaining.
But despite their differences, the two have some things in common that make their decisions to leave almost parallel each other. Their respective generations both debuted in 2021, a little over three months apart. Although Chloe was the fastest in holoX to hit one million subscribers on Youtube and Fauna still hasn’t hit that milestone, both are known for having an impressively large and consistent viewership, with very few peaks and valleys. Both have a knack for “piloting” their virtual selves in ways that make them feel more natural too. Also, in my opinion, their character designs are among the most beautiful in hololive, and were the ones I initially gravitated towards prior to their debuts.
I bring up their similarities and differences not simply to compare the two, but to emphasize that both of them feel like consummate ideals of VTubers in their own ways, to the extent that their decisions to leave have been real shocks. Granted, one of hololive’s strengths is the way that each and every one of their talents feels like a pillar of the company in their own unique ways (be it through content, longevity, reach, support behind the scenes, etc.), which makes every exit feel like a big loss. In addition to having two back-to-back announcements, there’s also the issue that three years is both an eternity and a drop in the bucket in internet years. They’ve been around long enough to become part of viewer’s lives in significant ways, but then it feels like their careers were only just beginning.
Circumstances
Chloe mentioned having to deal with ongoing health issues, the workload, and wanting to go a different direction than the one hololive is taking. Fauna cited disagreement with management as her reason, and specifically stated that she liked singing and dancing for the crowd as if to kill the idea that she hated doing idol stuff. Almost inevitably, there’s been a lot of catastrophizing and speculation as to what exactly this all means, and in response, a number of other talents (like Bae, La+, and Shiori) have given their own thoughts, reassuring fans that they are relatively happy and comfortable with being in hololive currently.
My feeling is simply that there’s one priority above all else: making sure these people behind the VTubers can live in ways they don’t regret. They are the core and backbone of hololive, and to neglect them would damage everything, including but not limited to their bottom line. Whether that means allowing talents to leave on good terms or changing things within the company to keep them from burning out or damaging their health, everything in their power should be done to make sure hololive is not the end of their careers for the wrong reasons.
In this regard, I can’t help but also express concern over Kazama Iroha, who has had to go on hiatus because she’s completely lost her voice due to stress. A part of me worries that the increasing expectations for hololive members— regardless of whether those expectations might be from the company or externally from viewers—risk encouraging a form of ableism in VTubing, a field that has been great for people with disabilities and other health problems. The concerts are among my favorite parts of hololive, but I don’t want them to happen at the expense of the talents’ wellbeing. If safeguards are in place already, then great. If not, I hope they get some.
Cheering ’til the End
I come away from all this largely with fond memories of all the great times I’ve had watching both Chloe and Fauna. For Chloe, the first things that come to mind are all her 3D specials. There’s her getting pelted with fish during her 3D debut, her duet with May’n, and her performance of “Jouya Repaint” with all of holoX at 4th fes, among others. Chloe’s voice is one in a million, and I hope she keeps it safe for her own sake.
For Fauna, the personal highlights are a bit more varied. Of course there’s all the excellent ASMR, but her April Fools 2009-era Minecraft stream (complete with crunchy audio/video quality, awkward mannerisms, and up-angled webcam) is an all-time great. I also can’t say enough about her performance with Shiori and Nerissa at Breaking Dimensions, as well as how Fauna’s “Stay with Me” showed just how much training she’s put into singing.
Something else Chloe and Fauna have in common is that their respective lore each allows for goodbyes that create interesting stories. Chloe could move on from her holoX internship to a bigger “job” elsewhere. Fauna has implied that she’s actually an usurper of the true Keeper of Nature (her mascot character Nemu), and maybe Nemu could take back her rightful place.
I hope that wherever they land, it’s someplace they can thrive and do what they want at a pace comfortable for them.
To say I’m disappointed in the direction the world is going is an understatement. But this is the position we find ourselves in, and I hope that we can fight for and support marginalized communities who risk having their human dignity (if not their lives) taken away. I vacillate between hope and despair, but I want to believe that I and others can both endure what’s to come and take action to make things better where we can.
I sometimes wonder if I should be more out front, if only to counter the caustic image of anime fans that has entrenched itself on social media. There are a lot of willfully ignorant people out there who want to present anime and manga (and by extension Japan) as this purely conservative (if not outright fascistic) wonderland, and I just hate the fact that “anime profile image” has become synonymous with “rank asshole.” Maybe it’s too little, too late, but still.
As a reminder, if you’re supporting me on Patreon, you’ll save by not subscribing on iOS. The fees are not small, and I hope you don’t get cheated out of your money.
The one-two lunch of Sakamata Chloe and Ceres Fauna leaving hololive brings a lot of thoughts to mind. I want to write about them both, but I’m not sure exactly what I want to say, or how to say it.
With the 3D debut of hololive’s ReGLOSS, we have the arrival of another fantastic VTuber dancer. Todoroki Hajime might very well be the best yet, her experience as a professional backup dancer coming through loud and clear. She’s mentioned her love of dance since day one, and other talents have praised her abilities along the way, so there was a good deal of anticipation for Hajime in 3D.
It was well worth the wait, but I have to think about the fact that the wait happens in the first place. Being a VTuber known for dancing comes at an inherent disadvantage.
Almost all VTubers these days begin with 2D models; it’s the faster and more economical option compared to 3D. The drawback to this approach is that movement is much more limited. Certain skills are not really affected by this—singing, chatting, and gaming all work similarly to what non-virtual streamers do.
However, dancers cannot show their strength at the start. They require a 3D model plus more advanced motion tracking, as well as literal space they can move comfortably in. For indie VTubers, this can be a very tall order, with the technology being very expensive. Even in a more established company, talents rarely get them any time soon. hololive, arguably the best place for virtual dancing, still has a typical lead time of around 7–12 months, with Hakos Baelz especially delayed (18 months!) due to restricted travel to Japan resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Brave Corporation—owners of VSPO, V4Mirai, and more recently IDOL Corp—often have the shortest lag time, but even that is measured in months. The early period starting from debut is a vital time to make an impact and establish one’s image, and a reputation for dance is harder to include when the audience can’t see it.
After these dancers (or any other very physical performers) show the world what they’re capable of, they still face hurdles. Namely, they often simply cannot dance as frequently as others engage in other methods of performances. For hololive, proximity to their studio in Japan is a major factor—those living overseas have to invest a lot to even be there, and if anyone wants to dance more often, they basically have to stay in Japan. I have to suspect that this has been a factor in both Bae’s, hololive English’s Koseki Bijou, and hololive Indonesia’s Vestia Zeta’s decisions to move to Japan. And even after that, they have to deal with well-known scheduling issues when it comes to booking studio time. Other companies have to rent out dedicated spaces that specialize in 3D motion capture.
Even in a stream to stream comparison, dancers have it tough. A karaoke session can go for hours, bringing attention and even money through viewer donations. Dancing, in contrast, is much more physically demanding while also having to deal with cumbersome and costly equipment.
The upside of being a dancer is that one does finally get the chance, it makes a hell of an impact. There is probably nothing that shows off better the concept of a VTuber as a bridge between the real and the virtual. Hajime’s debut performance of “Bandage” has done incredibly well, with her clipped VOD (see above) already close to 2 million views. I have zero doubt that she’ll get some of the loudest cheers when she appears at the annual holo fes concerts.
There’s definitely value to building up hype over many months for a 3D debut, and wowing viewers with an incredible choreography and sheer ability. At the same time, though, it does give those who shine brightest through their footwork and movement something of a slow start. While I know it isn’t realistic, I do wonder how things would be if VTubers could stream dancing on a whim, or at least as easily as they could do anything else.
OGIUE MANIAX 