Ever since hololive English, virtual idol agency hololive production's VTuber group catering to the English-speaking market, wrapped up their second round of auditions on March 26th, 2021, fans have been eagerly awaiting the announcement of the new branch.

The wait is now over. The new branch is called "Project: HOPE".

Today, on the auspicious occasion of the Star Festival, July 7th, 2021, Cover Corp. announced the name of hololive English's new branch, as well as the debut of its first member, VSinger IRyS.

A special teaser video, which already has over 230,000 views at the time of writing, offers a tantalizing preview of what fans can look forward to when she makes her livestream debut at 10 AM on July 11th (JST). The description in the video says: "Hope is not lost. Stand tall with Project: HOPE."

Introducing IRyS

So, who is this mysterious new virtual talent? This is what we have learned from her profile posted in the Japanese press release, which we have translated below. (Our translation varies slightly from the one provided in the English press release posted on hololive's official Reddit community):

IRyS, also known as "Nephilim", is a half-demon half-angel, who brought hope to "paradise" in ancient times. Her full name is □□ IRyS. This modern world, riddled with despair, brought about her second awakening. Now, she wants to bring hope to the world, so she puts her thoughts into song once again. Basically, she is still in her half state, but she is still young as a species. Her emotions and "other elements" can cause her to lean one way or the other, and her appearance also seems to change a little accordingly. She doesn't like to talk much about what happened before her second awakening. Perhaps it's because she keeps a positive attitude as the "incarnation of hope," or perhaps...

"It's not the future that helps people, it's what they make with their own hands.
Who needs salvation? If people know they'll be saved, they won't make an effort.
A glimmer of light seen from the depths of despair, warmth that helps you get back on your feet.
As long as they have hope, people will try to live out their lives and do their best."

The anticipation for IRyS' debut stream is already palpable. Only a few hours have elapsed since the announcement, and she already has over 80,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel and over 90,000 followers on her Twitter account.


By - Ben K.