In December last year, news came out that the Dutch VTuber Roca Rourin had a serious medical emergency and needed to be hospitalized. She was announced to be on indefinite hiatus due to the severity of her situation. But earlier this week, we got word from her for the first time since 2024: She only recently came back from the hospital after a successful surgery, but it’s a long and difficult road to recovery ahead for her.

I’m very happy to know that the worst hasn’t happened, and Roca has said that she’ll slowly be returning to creating content. In celebration, I just wanted to write a bit about why I really enjoy Roca as a VTuber.

While there are many solid singers among Virtual Youtubers, sometimes a voice stands out so much that you can’t help but take notice. They dazzle and amaze, and make you wonder if the sky’s the limit for them.

That’s Roca covering “The Pretender” by the Foo Fighters. In a space where so much of the singing and music is pop-focused (be it Japanese, Korean, or English), Roca stands out as a performer with a passion for other genres of music—while also still showing love for the more familiar fare. It’s hard not to be mesmerized by her voice no matter what she’s singing.

Naturally, Roca’s karaoke sessions are a highlight of her channel, and she’ll even challenge herself to sing in languages she doesn’t know too well. But she’s not just about being an excellent vocalist—she’s also very entertaining just shooting the breeze with her chat.

Maybe that’s why I’m also a big fan of her ASMR. She’s only ever done two in total, but she’s one of my absolute favorites in this area, even when compared to the people who dedicate themselves to it fully. She makes them fun and comfortable, and while they can be a bit flirtatious, they also feel relatively platonic. Sometimes, they’re just what I need after a stressful day, or if I just want to stop thinking about the state of the world for a bit. For that alone, I’ll probably be a fan forever.

I’m so glad to have Roca back, and I hope she doesn’t feel pressured to rush her recovery. Regardless of how things pan out, or how long things might take, Roca has been and is a wonderful artist and creator. She’s accomplished so much in the few years she’s been around, and whatever the future looks like, she’s a real rock star in my eyes.