Houshou Marine

Houshou Marine

By WVR Editorial Team Inoue
October 20, 2026 4 Min Read
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Houshou Marine is one of the best-known Japanese VTubers on YouTube. She belongs to hololive production’s Japan branch, debuted on August 11, 2019, and is a pirate captain by character, a big-sister type who talks, draws, sings and plays games on stream. Since her debut she has grown into a solo recording artist as well, with a No. 3 album in Japan, a first solo arena live, and a September 2026 EP. This profile covers who she is, what her content looks like, her milestones, and where a new viewer can start.

At a glance

  • Agency: hololive production (COVER Corporation), hololive 3rd Generation, part of the “hololive Fantasy” group
  • Debut: August 11, 2019
  • Main platform and language: YouTube, in Japanese
  • Fan name: Houshou no Ichimi (the Houshou Pirate Crew)
  • Known for: talk streams, drawing, gaming, and a growing catalog of original songs

Character and style

hololive’s official profile presents her as a pirate captain who dreams of getting a ship and going treasure hunting. Her pirate outfit is described as cosplay, and she is called “Senchou” (Captain) by fans. According to Wikipedia, her talk streams often cover 90s and 2000s anime and manga, TV from her childhood and internet memes, which makes the nostalgic, retro-otaku flavor of her talk a notable part of her appeal. She is also known for drawing on stream and sharing her art on X.

For overseas viewers, that means her talk streams are the part that depends most on knowing Japanese pop culture, while her music and her game streams are easier to follow without it.

Growth: how big is she?

Marine’s channel growth is well documented:

  • January 10, 2024: she passed 3 million subscribers and became the most-subscribed Japanese VTuber on YouTube, ahead of Kizuna AI, according to Wikipedia.
  • May 5, 2025: she reached 4 million subscribers, the second VTuber to do so after Gawr Gura.
  • Late September 2026: Dexerto’s October 2026 ranking, last updated September 30, lists her at about 4.43 million subscribers, second only to Gawr Gura among VTubers.

Going from 3 million to 4 million took about 16 months, based on those dates. Subscriber counts change daily, so treat the 2026 number as a snapshot and check the channel for the current figure.

Music career

Music has become a major part of her activity. Wikipedia lists the following highlights:

  • 2020: her first original song, “Ahoy!! We are Houshou Pirates.”
  • 2022 to 2024: a run of solo singles that placed on Japan’s digital download charts, including “Marine Set Sail!!,” “I’m Your Treasure Box…,” “Bishoujyo Muzai Pirates” and “Dead Ma’am’s Chest,” which peaked at No. 12 on the download chart.
  • December 2023: the first VTuber invited to Fuji TV’s FNS Music Festival, and invited again the next year.
  • October 16, 2024: the album *Ahoy!! You’re All Pirates♡*, which peaked at No. 3 on Japan’s album chart and sold 21,633 copies in Japan, according to the same source.
  • December 7 and 8, 2024: her first solo live, “Ahoy!! You’re All Pirates,” at K-Arena Yokohama.

Two of her original anime music videos are on her channel, and both are good first listens:

“Yūrei Sen” (Dead Ma’am’s Chest): original anime MV, from Marine’s official channel
“How About Pai Pai Mask?”: original anime MV, from Marine’s official channel

“Dead Ma’am’s Chest” was released on July 30, 2024, her birthday, after her 3D birthday concert. Anitrendz credits Studio KAI with the animation, and the song was written and arranged by Camellia with composition by Toby Fox, the composer of *Undertale*. MoguraVR reported that the video passed 1 million views in less than a day. “How About Pai Pai Mask?” followed in September 2024 with animation by Sanzigen, released the same day her first solo live was announced.

Latest release: New World Carnival

Her newest release is the EP *New World Carnival ~Heading to the Enchanting Great Ocean♡~*, released on September 30, 2026. It has four songs and includes “BooooM!!!,” the ending theme for season 2 of the TV anime *Magilumiere Co., Ltd.*; Real Sound lists q*Left as lyricist and Giga as composer and arranger. There are three editions:

  • Limited Edition A (5,000 yen): CD and Blu-ray, with the “BooooM!!!” music video planned for the Blu-ray
  • Limited Edition B (6,500 yen): a box set with CD, an acrylic stand, a compass-style keychain and a treasure map poster
  • Regular Edition (2,750 yen): CD, with a random trading card in the first pressing

Prices include Japanese tax. The release page and streaming links are on the official site; for physical editions, see our guide to buying official VTuber merch from Japan.

Other activity

Beyond YouTube, Wikipedia records a collaboration with the PC and console rhythm game *Rift of the NecroDancer* (a hololive music pack in June 2025), a Japanese dub role in the film *Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire* (2024), and a Japanese dub in *Project Hail Mary* (2026). In January 2026 she took part in the hololive 3rd Generation live at K-Arena Yokohama and the group album *#OperationHeartfulCuties*, which peaked at No. 3 on Japan’s album chart. She also released the duet “Chatter Chatter” with Hoshimachi Suisei in 2026.

Where to start

  • If you want music first: watch the two MVs above, then explore the album *Ahoy!! You’re All Pirates♡* on the streaming services.
  • If you want to see her live: her first solo live is the “Ahoy!! You’re All Pirates” concert of December 2024. Check her official channel for archive availability.
  • If you want her daily personality: open her channel’s livestream archives and pick a recent talk, drawing or game stream. These are in Japanese, so check whether the video offers captions.

Notes

Information on this page is based on hololive’s official profile and the sources listed below. Subscriber numbers, chart positions and release schedules change, so we mark the date of each figure. Watch for updates after the next hololive event.

Profile

Original name
宝鐘マリン
Agency
hololive production
Branch / generation
hololive 3rd Generation (hololive Fantasy)
Debut
2019-08
Birthday
July 30
Type
Genre
, , ,
Streaming language
Platform
Status
(confirmed October 20, 2026)
Official links
Website · YouTube · X

Sources

Reviewed by WVR Inoue on October 20, 2026. See our editorial standards.

Thumbnail: 【original anime MV】幽霊船戦【hololive/宝鐘マリン】 by Marine Ch. 宝鐘マリン hololive3期生 on YouTube. Shown via YouTube; all rights belong to their owners.

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WVR Editorial Team Inoue

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