Introduction
April was an emotional month for Hololive fans, as we said goodbye to Nanashi Mumei, Murasaki Shion, and Gawr Gura. Three graduation streams took place within the span of a single week, marking the end of an era for some of Hololive’s most beloved talents.
Despite the farewells, there were still bright moments to celebrate. Kanata announced an upcoming 3D live, and Kiara delivered a beautifully produced Spring concert, giving fans something to look forward to.
In terms of performance, Houshou Marine narrowly surpassed Suisei to become the most viewed channel for the month. She closed out April with a brand-new music video titled “Horny Money World”, which quickly gained attention.
On the Super Chat side, Mumei led the charts in her final month, receiving an impressive 14,276,673 JPY (approximately 100,000 US dollars) in support from fans, just edging out Shion.
Overall, Hololive saw a net increase in views across all members by over 70,000 but also experienced a drop in total Super Chat revenue, down approximately 12,000,000 JPY (around 83,000 US dollars) compared to March.
Looking at this month’s scatter graph, the majority of members are clustered in the bottom left. This is largely due to Mumei and Shion dominating Super Chat revenue, with the two of them accounting for nearly one third of all Super Chats received across Hololive in April.
Meanwhile, Marine and Suisei stretch the graph along the x axis by continuing to dominate in total views. Neither streamed heavily this month, but as Hololive’s two most popular music-focused talents, they consistently bring in between forty to sixty million views each month. These view numbers come largely from music video content, which continues to generate consistent interest long after release.
As I mentioned in the February Holostats, these high-performing videos act almost like view dividends, demonstrating the long term value of high quality music production within the Hololive ecosystem.
That said, this recurring pattern raises an important point. Should I reconsider how views are measured in this analysis? With Suisei or Marine almost always leading due to their music catalogues, it may be worth exploring ways to separate or adjust for this kind of viewership to provide a more balanced picture of streaming performance month to month.
Graduations
This month saw the departure of three members from Hololive. While Gawr Gura’s graduation technically took place on May 1st (JST), her final day falls outside the scope of this month’s report, so her data will be included in Holostats May.
I have written detailed posts about each of the graduating members, which you can find on my site. Those pieces go deeper into their histories and impact within Hololive. Mumei and Shion both announced their graduations back in March, and April served as one final hurrah for both of them. They streamed consistently in the lead up to their departures, giving fans one last chance to connect.
Both graduation streams were heartfelt and memorable. Shion’s graduation featured multiple guests, including a surprise appearance from Chloe Sakamata, and brought in 6,388,085 JPY in Super Chats. Mumei’s graduation stream brought in 4,156,923 JPY, but it was actually her earlier stream titled “Good Laughs and Goodbyes” that became her most supported farewell, earning 5,995,340 JPY. Since graduation streams are typically prerecorded, this stream served as her true final appearance and direct farewell to her fellow members and fans.
Graduation events consistently rank among the most viewed and most Super Chatted streams, though as a community, I think we can all agree we’d be happy to see fewer of them in the future.
I’ve already shared my thoughts and analysis on graduations in previous posts, and I will revisit the topic again next month when we cover Gura’s graduation. But for now, let’s turn to something more uplifting.
Affiliate status
This month finally gave us a clearer look at what the affiliate status in Hololive truly entails, as both Amelia Watson and Chloe Sakamata made surprise 3D appearances. When Amelia first announced in September that she would be ceasing her streaming activities and becoming an affiliate, there was quite a bit of confusion among fans. Some even speculated that she was transitioning into a staff role behind the scenes.
While Amelia did appear in Mori Calliope’s music video “Odyssey” last December, it was confirmed that her vocals were recorded prior to her break. Likewise, Smol Ame made a brief appearance at Holo Fes, patrolling the stage as a mascot. These moments led many to believe that affiliate members could only participate in small, limited ways.
However, during Kiara’s Spring concert, fans were treated to a surprise 3D appearance by Amelia alongside Kiara and Bijou. Kiara later explained that Bae was unavailable due to scheduling, and with Mumei and Gura’s graduations looming, it was unclear whether they would still be part of Hololive when the concert released. Kiara asked management if Amelia could take part instead, and thanks to her affiliate status, it was approved.
Meanwhile, Chloe Sakamata made a return to perform one final song with Shion during her graduation stream. While we were not given any official details about how Chloe’s return was arranged, this appearance also seems to fall under the possibilities granted by affiliate status.
These moments have helped clarify what affiliation actually allows. While Amelia and Chloe may not appear regularly going forward, it is reassuring to know that their connection to Hololive remains open, and they may return for special occasions.
Currently, they are the only two members listed as affiliates. It remains unclear whether this status will be offered to all graduating members or only to those with a particularly strong relationship with the company. It is also likely that many departing members choose to fully move on, preferring a clean break to pursue new directions without ongoing ties.
Super Chats
The top ten most super chatted members this month:
Nanashi Mumei
Murasaki Shion
Gawr Gura
Amane Kanata
Takanashi Kiara
Inugami Korone
Hakui Koyori
Koseki Bijou
Shiranui Flare
Otonose Kanade
As mentioned earlier, Mumei and Shion dominated this month’s Super Chat rankings, with Gura coming in third, not including the Super Chats from her graduation stream which will be counted in next month’s data.
Kanata and Kiara also had strong showings. Kanata’s 3D live announcement helped boost her revenue, while Kiara’s Spring concert and follow up 3D after party kept her momentum high.
It was a significant month for Myth, as they bid farewell to Gura, leaving just Mori Calliope, Ninomae Ina, and Takanashi Kiara. The remaining members took part in a fan-led project written by WunderRiku, who has previously composed music for Hololive talents and was put together by other 120 fans, including artists, musicians, translators and project management support. It was a touching reminder of how strong the connection remains between fans and performers.
Korone celebrated her sixth anniversary with a creative twist on the traditional 3D live, using a puppet as the star of the performance. While Hololive talents have used puppets and plushes before, this was a particularly unique execution. Previously, the Hololive Friends with U plushes were used to help represent talents in real-world settings, but Korone’s performance may inspire more creative approaches to future concerts.
Rounding out the top performers were Bijou and Koyori, two members who continue to appear consistently in the monthly top ten thanks to their regular streaming schedules. Both talents are known for their variety and dedication. Bijou, now approaching her second anniversary, has arguably become the go to gamer for Hololive English, while Koyori plays a similar role in the Japan branch, maintaining a packed schedule and an engaging presence on stream.
Closing remarks
This analysis could not be done without the help of Hololyzer.net they record data for every stream done by a Hololive talent and has been a crucial resource for collecting Hololive data along with Social Blade.
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.
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Tim Browne - Consultant and Researcher for Creatives 