HoloX’s premiere live-venue concert, First Mission, was a resounding success, but the mood turned somber in the MC segment before the performance of 暁光クロニクル “Gyoukou Chronicle”. As each member stepped forward on the stage to verbalize her emotions about finally realizing their debut goal of a Generation live, they could not ignore the absence of holoX’s fifth member.

Takane Lui addresses the audience

Their order of speeches was Kazama Iroha, Hakui Koyori, Takane Lui, and then La+ Darknesss. Iroha and Koyori alluded to the struggles that the Gen had experienced since debut but avoided getting into too many details, instead trying to keep the mood positive. Sakamata Chloe’s graduation was a huge blow to one of hololive’s most prolific Generations, but after the initial shock and grief of Sakamata’s leaving the agency, holoX seemed to have adapted and moved on, at least from an outside perspective to fans. That façade was shattered as Takane Lui took to the stage, unfurling a letter of prepared remarks to deliver to the crowd:

私というよりは、ホロックスの女幹部として読ませていただきます。今日は私たちホロックスのために、ここに来てくれたり配信を見てくれて本当にありがとうございます。こうやってファーストライブができたこと応援してくれるみんなのおかげです。ホロックスがデビューしたとき、すごくすごく恵まれた形でホロライブメンバーに加わり、そこから私たちなりに早くホロライブの一員として活躍できるように全力で走ってきました。

しかしホロックスとしての順風満帆なことばかりではありませんでした。いろいろある中でやっぱり大きかったのは仲間の沙花叉の活動終了です。ホロックスというユニットでデビューしたからこそメンバーの活動終了は私たちもポッカり穴が開いてしまった気持ちでした。しかしホロックスはホロックスとして続けることになりまして、その時ここにいる4人はホロックスは5人その思い出を胸にホロックスを止めることのないように4人で新たなスタートを切り、思い出を紡いでいこうと、前を向くことにしました。

そこから4人でいろいろ話し合ったり、3Dライブ、コラボ、歌、いろんなコンテンツを作ってきましたが、やっぱりどんなに頑張っても、前を向いても、過去を惜しむ声があって、4人じゃダメなのかなって4人で不安になる時もありました。もちろん過去はすごく大事に私たちにも沙花叉という存在はすごく大事で、5人の思い出があるからこそ私たちは4人で前を向いていこうと決めました。

今日、このぴあアリーナMMに立ってる、そしてライブをしているのは、そしてやり遂げたのはこの4人です。もちろんここまで来れたのはもう1人の仲間のおかげでもあります。私たちが5人だった思い出を未来に紡ぎ、4人でもっともっと楽しい思い出を描けるように、どうかせめて今日だけでも、4人頑張ったね、いいライブだったよって言っていただけないでしょうか。

いつも応援してくれるみんな、家族、私たちの気持ちを第一に動いてくださったスタッフの方々、私たちを日頃から支えてくれるホロメンのみんな、そして大切なもう1人の仲間、すべての人に感謝を申し上げたいです。本当に本日はありがとうございました。そしていろは、こよ、ラプ、後でね、ちょっと1人1人に手紙を渡すので、ちょっとここでは何も言いませんけどお手紙書いてきたんで、よかったら読んでください。みんなが同期で幸せです。大好き。これからもよろしく。ありがとうございました。

In English:

More than just myself, I read this as the female executive of holoX. To everyone who came out today for us or is watching the stream, thank you. It’s your support that has made this first live possible for us. When holoX debuted, we joined the hololive members under extremely blessed circumstances, and from there, we’ve been running at full speed, each in our own way, to become able to contribute as members of hololive as quickly as possible.

However, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing for us as holoX. Among the things that happened, the biggest was definitely our friend [仲間 nakama] Sakamata ending her streaming activities. Because we debuted as a unit, having one of our members end her streaming activities left us feeling like a gaping hole had opened in our hearts. But it was decided that holoX would continue as holoX. At that time, the 4 of us here, holding in our hearts the memory that holoX is 5 members, decided to look forward: to make a fresh start as 4, to keep spinning memories, and to ensure that holoX never stops.

Since then, the 4 of us have discussed a lot together. We’ve been able to do 3D lives, collabs, songs, and other content. And yet… no matter how hard we worked, no matter how much we tried to look forward, there were always voices lamenting the past. There were times when the 4 of us felt anxious, wondering, “Maybe the 4 of us just isn’t good enough….” Of course, we cherish the past, and we treasure Sakamata’s presence. Precisely because we have those memories as 5, we decided to move forward as 4.

Today, the ones standing on the Pia Arena stage, the ones performing this concert, the ones who saw it through to the end, are us 4. Of course, the reason we were able to come this far is also thanks to our other friend [Sakamata]. We want to spin the memories of when we were 5 into the future, and we want to draw even more joyful memories as 4. So please, even if just for today, is it too much to ask if you could tell us, “The 4 of you did well!” or “That was a great live!”?

To everyone who has cheered us on, our families, the staff members who made our feelings the top priority, the other hololive members who have supported us every day, and our one other friend, I humbly thank you all. Really, thank you so much for today. And Iroha, Koyo, Lapu, later on if—I’m giving you each a letter [hands out letters to each holoX member on stage]. I won’t say anything here, but I’ve written you these letters. If you’d like, please read them. I’m happy we’re all genmates. I love you all. I look forward to continuing to work together in the future. Thank you very much.

Lui’s words were a revelation to many fans watching. There are still shiikuin-san among the holoXer fan group, including many in attendance at the concert waving Sakamata merchandise at the camera like towels and “hololive friends with u” plushies, which in fact are still for sale on the hololive official online store. Lui’s words weren’t meant as an admonition to those fans, but to offer a perspective that I think very few of us have ever realized.

Here’s where the hololive “affiliate”/活動終了 system becomes cruel. It seems like a nice way of keeping the door open to allow retired talents to participate in future events, but the lack of finality from a true graduation denies fans closure, and as we learned from Lui’s speech at First Mission, inhibits genmates from moving on, as well. Given how all the marketing for the concert focused solely on the 4 present members of holoX, it was idealistic to expect Sakamata’s appearance on the stage. And yet, hololive’s affiliate program affords a small sliver of hope that we might still see her in the future.

Sakamata has used her affiliate status to appear in a single hololive stream since her graduation, which was Murasaki Shion’s graduation live. While the possibility remains, it becomes increasingly unlikely as more time passes and she becomes more focused on her independent activities. But the reality is, if she doesn’t invoke her affiliate status to participate in her Generation’s first real-venue concert, then truly what hope is left?

Hakui Koyori’s post-concert remarks

Hakui Koyori reflected on her own hope during her wrap-party stream the day after the concert. When she started speaking about Lui’s speech and Sakamata, she put up a “No Clipping” sign because she was worried that unscrupulous clippers might twist her words or take them out of context. Unfortunately, that also prevents a proper English translation from propagating to overseas fans on Youtube. Below is a link to her original stream, from which I’ll do my best to summarize the points about Sakamata:

A live-venue concert had been a shared dream for holoX’s members since debut, but at their 3rd-year Gen anniversary when Sakamata announced her graduation, First Mission hadn’t been conceptualized yet according to Koyori. She consequently felt that Sakamata’s graduation might have been the end of that dream. Time passed, and eventually plans for First Mission came into motion.

Koyori acknowledges that at that time, she had hope of calling on Sakamata. Koyori and Sakamata were close genmates, and she had joked when Sakamata was graduating that she’d drag her back for the day a holoX live came to fruition. Certainly many holoXers and shiikuin-san remembered these remarks and shared in Koyori’s hope. However, in a rather quick development, it was decided that First Mission would feature only the 4 active members.

Koyori fretted over how much she should have said before the concert or during her MC segment about Sakamata’s absence. Would shiikuin-san be left in despair when Sakamata never appeared? Even more so than sadness, Koyori felt relief and gratitude toward Lui when Lui delivered her remarks at the venue. Koyori felt that Lui put into words so eloquently a sentiment that the holoX members shared but was very difficult to verbalize, about Sakamata and moving on. Indeed, First Mission was about resolve: about these 4 members standing on their own and carrying out a goal from holoX’s debut.

Koyori noticed that many fans who were anticipating Sakamata’s presence were apologetic after the concert, but she stressed that she didn’t want them to feel that way. Rather, Koyori felt that it was on her for creating those expectations.

A cherished past. A joyful future.

There’s irony that holoX’s foundational strength became a crumbling weakness. HoloX was the first hololive Gen to share an operational theme: the Secret Society plotting world domination, in which each member plays a critical role. Previous Gens had themes, but not operational ones. For instance, Gen 3 is themed around fantasy, but there’s no operational connection between any of the members. In contrast, every member of holoX has a job in the Society: the leader, the executive, the researcher, the bodyguard, and the cleaner (jokingly glossed as intern when written in Japanese in the official holoX debut announcement video). Whereas Gen 3 can do their Generation live “#OperationHeartfulCuties ~You’ve Got No Choice but to Love the Strongest Idols~” without Uruha Rushia, holoX’s First Mission feels understaffed without their beloved cleaner.

Surely the longer passage of time since Rushia’s departure also helps Gen 3 do events without her, but it’s only been barely over a year since Sakamata’s graduation. Gen 3 also has the luxury of having already performed as a 5-member Gen at their first live, “FAN FUN ISLAND” in 2021, but for holoX, they’ve never taken the stage with Sakamata except for their 4th fes. debut. You have to imagine that that fact also weighs heavily on them, pushing them to include Sakamata somehow in First Mission even if it’s only by reference in their MCs and 暁光クロニクル “Gyoukou Chronicle”.

HoloX’s first album, Secret ORDER, was released three weeks before the concert and includes group songs with Sakamata. Otherwise, these songs would have never gotten an album release. The album opens with holoX’s signature song 常夜リペイント “Jouya Repaint” and closes with the 4-member re-recording “常夜リペイント re:paint ver.”. This is a song that really should have been retired with Sakamata, but after I heard Lui’s speech, I can respect their decision to perform the version without Sakamata at First Mission, as the end-of-encore song.

HoloX’s First Mission was about moving forward, but in doing so, acknowledging that we—both the members and the fans—needed to take one last look at the past. HoloX’s identity has fundamentally changed without Sakamata, but its 4 members are deeply talented and capable of forging a new future while treasuring the past in their hearts. “爆鳴DIVER!!!!” holds a lot of promise to be in consideration for their new anthem as a 4-member group, and let’s hope that their new way forward leads to a Second Mission soon.

And without a shred of doubt, the 4 of them did well. That was a great live.

Thanks for reading! This article had a more melancholy tone than I’d typically like to use for my posts, but I found this particular aspect about First Mission so interesting that it inspired me to write it. Unfortunately, the consequence is that I didn’t get the opportunity to mention how amazing all the performances were. For me, this is easily my favorite Generation live, and one of hololive’s top lives ever. I’d encourage you to check it out, and I really hope holoX’s members get many more opportunities to perform live. They have an incredible amount of talent.

I’m still working on my 7th fes. follow-up article, and I’d also like to write about Hoshimatic Project’s latest installment with their release of Beep Beep. Please look forward to those posts! You can now get updates from my blog via RSS.