- Introduction
- Touhou Project
- The History of Fumos
- Obtaining a Fumo
- Hololive Friends with u
- How do I buy a ‘Friends with u’
- How successful are ‘Friends with U’
- Conclusion
- Join the Conversation!
Introduction
Merchandise has been a major driving force behind Hololive’s revenue, spanning everything from voice packs to acrylic stands and even an official trading card game, which is set to release in English later this year.
Among Hololive’s many successful merchandise ventures, perhaps none have resonated more with fans than the “Hololive Friends With U” plush line, which debuted in late 2022. One key factor behind its success is its striking similarity to one of the internet’s most beloved and highly sought-after plush collections—Gift’s Touhou Fumo Fumos. These plush dolls, often seen as sacred collectibles with almost a mythic like aura surrounding them and have been part of internet subculture since 2008.
Touhou Project
Touhou Project, more commonly known as just Touhou is a bullet hell indie video game, developed my Jun’ya Ota who more commonly goes by “ZUN” with the first Touhou title releasing back in 1997. The series quickly developed a devoted fanbase with it even developing a biannual convention called Hakurei Shrine Reitaisai (博麗神社例大祭) which started In 2004. The Reitaisai features many dedicate Touhou fans who sell their own Touhou derivative works which include Doujins, charms, music, and even spinoff indie games!
In 2023 I was lucky enough to attend the Auttum Reitaisai in Tokyo Big Site, I was able to try out some of the aforementioned indie games, purchase merchandise and meet plenty of cosplayers. In the middle of the convention hall however a massive queue had formed, all lining up to get the chance to purchase Touhou plushes, commonly referred to as ‘Fumos’.
The History of Fumos
Fumos, or FumoFumo (フモフモ), which translates to “Fluffy” in Japanese, are a line of Touhou plush dolls designed by Japanese illustrator Neji and manufactured by Gift, a well-known Japanese merchandise company. While Gift produces plush dolls for many other franchises, including Re:Zero, Attack on Titan, and Bocchi the Rock, the Touhou Project Fumos have had a particularly lasting impact on internet meme culture.
Originally released in 2008, Fumos were only available at Reitaisai conventions, making them extremely rare and exclusive to Japan. Overseas Touhou fans who couldn’t attend relied on proxy buying services or second-hand sellers on sites like eBay—where prices were highly inflated, often selling for hundreds of dollars.
The sheer rarity of Fumos gave them an almost mythical status on the internet, turning them into a meme in their own right. Their emotionless faces and large, scornful eyes gave them a uniquely memorable and expressive appearance. YouTube channels like Yumemey further boosted their popularity, and chances are, you’ve come across a clip or GIF from Yumemey’s videos without even realizing it.
Obtaining a Fumo
Obtaining a Fumo has become much easier in recent years. The plush doll series has gained widespread popularity, and while they are now available outside of Japan, patience is still required.
The only official retailer that sells Gift-manufactured Fumos internationally is AmiAmi. Fumos are available for 5,500 JPY (~$37 / ~£28) plus shipping, but orders are not open year-round. Instead, AmiAmi announces pre-order windows for select characters, and once you secure a pre-order, you’ll need to wait around four months before payment is due. After that, shipping can take another few months, depending on your location. https://www.amiami.com
If you’re looking for a specific character, be cautious when browsing the second-hand market, especially on eBay. Many listings falsely advertise fake Fumos as authentic, and prices are often highly inflated. A quick search on eBay UK shows Fumos ranging from £47 to £75 ($61 to $97)—a markup of 68% to 168%! Unless you’re desperate to complete your collection, it’s best to avoid eBay and counterfeit sellers. Always check for the official pin badge, which confirms authenticity.
If you’re in Japan, you might get lucky and find Fumos at retail price at AmiAmi stores, such as Radio Kaikan in Akihabara or AmiAmi’s Ikebukuro store. AmiAmi sometimes hosts release events where you can reserve a ticket to buy newly released Fumos.
From personal experience, it’s extremely rare to find Fumos outside of Reitaisai or AmiAmi events, but I managed to get my hands on a Cirno Fumo at AmiAmi’s Ikebukuro store for 5,500 JPY!
If you’re considering K-BOOKS, be prepared to pay a premium. While their Radio Kaikan store is usually well-stocked with Fumos, prices range from 10,000 JPY (~$67 / £51) to a staggering 50,000 JPY ($336 / ~£260)! Unless you’re truly desperate, it’s best to look elsewhere such as Akiba Hobby, a small store in Akihabara which sells a lot of Touhou Merchandise and may occasionally have Fumos in stock.
Hololive Friends with u
In 2022, Hololive introduced their own line of plush dolls, “Friends With U.” While these aren’t the first plushies released by Hololive (the “beegsmol” plush dolls for Hololive Promise came before them), Friends With U is the first consistent, ongoing plush series that will eventually feature all Hololive talents across every branch. Hololive also collaborated with Don Quijote in realising ‘Mochi dolls’ which served as the official plush line for Hololive but are now in themselves a rarity, transitioning to ‘Friends with u’ gave Hololive much more creative and commercial control over their plush merchandise.
This strategy mirrors the approach taken by companies like The Pokémon Company, which launched its highly successful Pokémon Fit (Sitting Cuties) line in 2018. The first wave featured all 151 Generation 1 Pokémon, and as of 2025, the sixth generation of Pokémon Fit plushies has been released. Pokémon Fit became a massive hit by offering fans a consistent format for collecting their favourite Pokémon—or, for those with deep enough pockets, the entire roster.
One of the key appeals of Pokémon Fit is that it avoids the inconsistency of different manufacturers producing plush dolls in varying styles. Collectors no longer have to deal with one Pokémon plush looking completely different from another due to differing production sources. This uniformity in design is part of what made Pokémon Fit so successful. Interestingly, its small, desk-friendly design may have also drawn inspiration from the Touhou Fumo’s iconic sitting pose.
One of the main factors behind the Fumo craze was their photogenic nature. There are hundreds of dedicated pages and communities focused on Fumo photography, sometimes even referred to as “Fumography.” Hololive has embraced this same concept with Friends With U.
If you look at the official Friends With U website, you’ll see a collage of scenic and meme-style photographs featuring the plushies, reinforcing their role as travel companions and collectibles meant for creative photography. Hololive has actively encouraged fans to take and share pictures of their plushies, just like the Fumo community has done for years. https://hololive-friends.hololivepro.com
Beyond just photography, Hololive has used the Friends With U plushies as physical representations of their talents in the real world. This allows them to insert themselves into real-life situations, making for some fun, immersive content—like this holiday video featuring Inugami Korone and Shishiro Botan.
How do I buy a ‘Friends with u’
If you’re looking to collect Hololive Friends With U plushies, you’re in luck—they are much easier to obtain than Touhou Fumos.
Online Stores & Regional Pricing
Your first stop should be the Hololive Official Store, but prices vary depending on your region:
• Japan: 3,740 JPY – 3,960 JPY
• UK: £25 (~4,820 JPY)
• USA: $25 – $30 (~3,716 JPY – 4,459 JPY) (as of 16/03/2025)
Check the [Hololive Official Store] for updated prices in your region.
For those in Europe & the UK, another great option is GeekJack, which stocks Friends With U plushies at slightly lower prices than the Hololive store:
• £24.70 – £26.15
• More affordable shipping options than the official store
Physical Stores & Pop-Ups
Currently, there are no official stores selling Friends With U plushies in-person in Europe or the UK. However, USA fans had access to a Hololive pop-up store at The Beverly Center in LA (February 5th – 27th, 2025). As of now, there are no confirmed future pop-up stores, but this could change.
| Store | Price Range | Region | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hololive Official Store | 3,740 – 4,820 JPY (Region dependant) + Shipping | Japan/UK/EU/USA | https://hololive.hololivepro.com/en/goods/ |
| GeekJacks | 4500 – 5000 JPY +Shipping | UK/EU | https://shop.geekjack.net/pages/hololive? |
| Animate | 3700 – 4000 JPY | Japan | https://www.animate.co.jp/en/ |
| K-Books | ~5000 JPY (Varies, second hand) | Japan | https://www.k-books.co.jp |
| Lashinbang | ~5000 JPY (Varies, second hand) | Japan | https://www.lashinbang.com |
Know a store selling Friends With U plushies? Reach out to me via email or Twitter (X), and I’ll update the table with new locations!
Buying in Japan
For those shopping in Japan, you can find Hololive Friends With U plushies at:
Animate Stores – Available at standard retail price (3,700 – 4,000 JPY)
Akihabara & Ikebukuro – K-BOOKS & Lashinbang (らしんばん) stock Hololive merchandise, but expect higher resale prices.
How successful are ‘Friends with U’
Not only has Friends With U provided fans with plush versions of nearly every Hololive member (Justice is yet to release but has been confirmed), including outfit variations, but it has also become a powerful marketing tool for Hololive as a whole.
What makes Friends With U unique is that it is Hololive’s first fully in-house branded merchandise line. This means Cover Corp retains a much larger share of the profits, unlike previous collaborations with external manufacturers. The financial impact of this decision is clear:
Cover Corp’s Revenue Breakdown (Q1 2025) (Reported on February 12, 2025)
• Merchandise Sales: 5,448 million JPY (~$36.65 million) (By far the largest revenue source!)
• Streaming & Content: 2,504 million JPY (~$16.85 million)
• Concerts & Events: 2,328 million JPY (~$15.66 million)
In-house merchandise alone accounted for 41.4% of Cover’s total revenue this quarter.
Cover directly credited the success of both Friends With U and the Hololive Trading Card Game as key drivers of this growth.
Conclusion
To conclude, Hololive Friends With U has been a success—not just commercially, but also as a milestone in Hololive’s transformation into a fully-fledged IP business. By establishing its own in-house merchandise, Cover has gained more control over its branding and marketing, allowing it to further solidify Hololive’s unique identity in the entertainment industry.
But beyond the numbers, it’s fascinating to look back down the internet rabbit hole and recognize the subtle but lasting influence of Gift’s Touhou Fumo Fumos—the fluffy Touhou icons that, in their own way, have shaped the direction of even larger franchises.
Join the Conversation!
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As always, thanks for reading!
Tim Browne - Consultant and Researcher for Creatives 