Former Hololive EN megastar Gawr Gura has made her highly anticipated return to VTubing as independent creator Sameko Saba, drawing an extraordinary 200,000 concurrent viewers to her debut stream. Without any formal marketing campaign, Saba’s first appearance managed numbers that would make even established streaming platforms jealous.
The debut featured Saba’s new model–a chibi fish-themed avatar that maintains the aquatic aesthetic fans have come to love, while establishing a fresh identity separate from her previous shark persona. Despite the new look, viewers instantly recognized the familiar voice and humor that catapulted her to fame.
What makes this return particularly impressive is the immediate financial impact. Limited-edition merchandise released during the stream sold out within minutes, with signed items disappearing fastest. Some industry analysts estimated earnings of roughly $1,000 per minute during peak viewership, showcasing the monetary potential of independence.
For context, Gawr Gura debuted with Hololive English in September 2020 and quickly became the most-subscribed VTuber on YouTube, surpassing four million subscribers. Her “graduation” (the industry term for leaving an agency) earlier this spring meant abandoning her character rights, as Hololive’s parent company Cover Corporation retains ownership of the character IP.
This transition highlights a growing trend in the VTubing world where talent can successfully depart major agencies while retaining most of their audience. The 200,000 viewer debut for an independent creator sets a new benchmark for the industry and challenges traditional notions about the necessity of corporate backing.
Saba’s model features technical improvements over her previous incarnation, with more expressive facial animations and dynamic movement capabilities. During her stream, she interacted with her audience in her signature style, carefully avoiding references to her previous persona in keeping with VTuber reincarnation etiquette.
