What is Hololive? The VTuber group breaking YouTube and the internet

VTubers have become internet sensations across 2021. There’s one group that reigns supreme: Hololive. With over 60 creators under their banner, here’s how the Japanese company broke YouTube, and the internet, with their idols.

Everyone knows the household names in online entertainment, from Felix ‘PewDiePie’ Kjellberg to Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson. However, a number of these online stars are becoming increasingly ‘virtual’.

The VTuber craze has taken YouTube by storm, and one company is at the forefront of it all: Hololive. The Japanese talent agency is home to over 50 creators, and all of them are taking the internet by storm and breaking records. And, the VTuber takeover doesn’t look like slowing down soon.

Hololive

VTubers are taking over YouTube, and Hololive is leading the charge.

What are VTubers?

VTubers are a relatively new phenomenon when it comes to the internet. Short for “Virtual YouTubers,” they are online entertainers and idols. However, unlike your usual streamers, they use a virtual avatar as their ‘camera’.

The trend spawned out of Japan with Kizuna AI’s creation in late 2016. Considered the first VTuber in history, Kizuna broke the expectations of who streamers are, and brought virtual reality into entertainment in a big way.

After that, VTubers exploded globally. At the time of writing, there are more than 10,000 known VTubers. There are also talent agencies housing these VTubers, the biggest of which is Hololive. They are very much aligned with traditional entertainment agencies, especially idol ones who have people audition for specific roles in groups.

Some of the world’s biggest streamers, including Pokimane and PewDiePie, even cashed in on the craze in the peak of its mainstream popularity in 2020. However, even since then, the industry has only continued to boom, becoming one of the most popular trends on YouTube with billions of views per month.

YouTube: PewDiePie

Even traditional content creators like PewDiePie (pictured in avatar form) are becoming VTubers.

The rise of Hololive in 2020

Hololive is an arm of COVER CORP, a Japanese start-up created by Motoaki ‘YAGOO’ Tanigo. Often referred to as the father of VTubers, YAGOO started exploring the concept of these virtual entertainers in 2017, inspired by vocaloid idol Hatsune Miku.

After debuting Tokino Sora in September 2017, Hololive slowly expanded from there. One VTuber turned into two, and then all of a sudden, there were dozens of creators under their banner by the end of 2019.

Expanding into China, Indonesia, and English-speaking nations across 2019 and 2020 turned Hololive from a niche Japanese group into a truly global experience. While all of Hololive’s Chinese VTubers have since “graduated” (codeword for retired) due to controversy, it did its job of bringing virtual entertainment into the foreground.

2020’s expansion into the Western market saw the rise to the trend as we know it today. Hololive English’s first five VTubers ⁠— Mori Calliope, Takanashi Kiara, Ninomae Ina’nis, Gawr Gura, and Amelia Watson ⁠— took over YouTube, leading to a complete craze.

The Council expansion in 2021 with five new English idols only cemented Hololive’s place at the forefront of internet fandom.

YouTube: Gawr Gura

Gawr Gura is Hololive’s biggest VTuber with over three million subscribers.

There’s no exact answer as to why VTubers exploded in popularity. The use of a virtual avatar may be one side of the story, giving previously-camera shy personalities a way to express themselves. It’s also just different from your regular online entertainer business.

The VTubers themselves are immensely successful. Eight out of the 10 highest-earning YouTube stars (based on Superchats, the platform’s donation system) are VTubers — seven of them are signed by Hololive.

Collectively, 50 million subscribers follow Hololive VTubers, and that number only grows when you consider other talent agencies.

The future of Hololive and VTubers

With a wider Western audience getting involved with VTubers ⁠— whether it be new talents like those under Hololive, or already established streamers making the switch ⁠— the future for VTubers looks even brighter in 2023.

What this year will bring for Hololive remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: VTubers are here to stay.

List of Hololive VTubers

Subscriber numbers correct as of December 19, 2022. Italicized = graduated.