Murasaki Shion will be graduating on the 26th of April 2025. She’s been a long-standing member of Hololive, debuting back in 2018 and will be the 2nd member of Gen 2 to graduate after Minato Aqua.

Shion has been a part of Hololive for almost 7 full years and she was one of the first members to be scouted by Cover Corp rather than audition a significant milestone for Hololive’s development back in 2018. She’s seen the company grow into what it is today, and she leaves behind a strong legacy. For non-JP fans this will be a short recap of her time in Hololive and what she achieved.

Shion’s journey

Shion debuted in August 2018, and by October she had already gained 10,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel. Just a month later, she infamously slept through a scheduled livestream at 2 PM, cementing her reputation as Hololive’s resident sleepyhead, a running joke that has stayed with her ever since.

Early in her career, Shion streamed with a much higher-pitched voice, but later chose to tone it down as it became unsustainable, a similar transition to Suisei, who also adjusted her voice over time. She made her 3D debut in May 2019, and by the end of that year had reached 100,000 subscribers.

In 2022, Shion surpassed 1 million YouTube subscribers, becoming the 27th Hololive member to hit that milestone. As of now, she stands as the 29th most subscribed Hololive talent overall.

On March 6th, 2025, Shion announced her upcoming graduation on April 26th. She cited mental health struggles and differences with Hololive’s current direction as the primary reasons behind her decision. The announcement was timed just before Hololive Fes, giving fans the chance to appreciate her final appearance as part of the event.

Achievements

Shion has achieved a great deal during her time in Hololive. In 2019, she was featured as a limited-time event character in the mobile game Azur Lane alongside Fubuki, Mio, Matsuri, Aqua, Ayame, and Sora. She’s also appeared in other collaborations, including with Rakugaki Kingdom and the Japanese retailer Don Quijote.

In 2023, Shion performed as part of the opening act for Riot Games’ ONE 2023 event, appearing alongside Kobo Kanaeru, Hakos Baelz, and La+ Darkness. Together, they performed “POP/STARS” and “THE BADDEST” by K/DA, an iconic and energetic performance that showed her versatility as a performer on a global stage.

Shion has also enjoyed many personal achievements, particularly in her music career. She has released five singles, beginning with “Mage of Violet” on August 18, 2021, and most recently “Forgive Me Medicine” on December 8, 2024. Mage of Violet currently stands as her most viewed YouTube video, with over 14 million views as of writing.

She’s also released a number of well-received song covers, with my personal favourite being her rendition of “Nee Nee Nee” (ねえねえね), performed with her fellow Gen 2 member, and now fellow Hololive alumna, Minato Aqua.

Closing Thoughts

Shion has been a loved and treasured member of Hololive since its early days, and she will undoubtedly be missed when she steps away later this month. Her presence, wit, and charm have left a lasting impression not only on her genmates and colleagues, but on the wider Hololive community as well.

That said, it’s important to recognise that mental health is a serious and deeply relevant issue, particularly for streamers and content creators. When your livelihood depends on being constantly online and publicly visible, the pressure can be immense. Not everyone is built to withstand that kind of constant scrutiny, even in spaces like VTubing, where a degree of anonymity exists. The emotional toll of always being “on”, of having your voice, personality, and presence so accessible to a global audience, can be overwhelming.

Whatever Shion’s reasons are for stepping away, be they related to health, creative direction, or something entirely personal, they are hers alone to know. It’s not our place to speculate, only to respect her decision and support her as she begins a new chapter.

From myself, and no doubt from the many fans who have followed her journey: thank you, Shion.
I wish you the very best in whatever you choose to pursue next.

Join the conversation

Please feel free to give me any feedback either in the comments below or you can find me on twitter @TimPMInsights where I post regular insights, statistics and just my general thoughts on video games and similar industries.

Enjoy my blogs? You can can always leave a like and subscribe (it’s free)so whenever I release something new you’ll get it straight to your email inbox. It’s much appreciated!