The production of talent premium merchandise is handled by a two-person team: one in charge of “front-office roles” and the other in charge of “middle-office roles.” The former mainly serves as the liaison with the talent and coordinates within the company, while the latter primarily oversees product development—the process of creating products based on details coordinated by the front-office staff with various parties.

Some talents even prepare a detailed proposal document, while others bring in a broad concept and ask the team to hammer out details together. Even when it seems difficult to bring their ideas to life exactly as they wish due to schedule or cost constraints, we explore workable alternatives by adjusting the number of components or decorations, production methods, or materials, or by proposing different specifications similar to their vision or alternative items that still align with their desired concept. In this way, we work together to figure out how to turn their vision into reality as best as possible.

Once the designs are finalized, we move on to sample production. We share the designs with the manufacturer and have them produce product samples. In most cases, we go through two to three rounds of revisions during this phase.

In particular, three-dimensional items like plushies tend to look quite different from what we see in the 2D design data. How we bridge that gap and bring the final products as close as possible to the talents’ visions is where we get to show our skills.

Once the sample revisions are complete and the talent announces the merchandise launch, pre-orders finally begin. When the pre-order period ends and the production quantity is finalized, the project is handed over to another division handling production management. The Premium Talent Merchandise Team’s involvement in the project officially concludes here, but team members still keep an eye on fans’ reactions.

Seeing fans delighted by our merchandise is the greatest reward we can receive doing this job. Not only when seeing fans’ reactions on social media, but also when observing them bring our merchandise to “hololive SUPER EXPO” or other events, I feel all my hard work was worth it.(YZ)

Houshou Marine once approached us through her manager, saying she wanted to produce merchandise tied to a specific stream project. It was a refreshing experience for us since it was our first project tied to a stream, and it required a lot of coordination with divisions we didn’t usually work with.(IB)

I believe the Premium Talent Merchandise Team at COVER handles a much wider range of items compared to typical merchandise planning roles. Gaining diverse experiences helps me grow, which in turn allows me to bring joy to the talents and fans. I feel we are creating a “triangle of happiness” among the talents, their fans, and ourselves.(YG)

At the end of the first half of the interview, ST mentioned “balancing quality with production schedules” as a key area of focus for the team moving forward.

Thanks to the challenging requests from our talents, we are now able to produce a wider variety of items that are increasingly complex. On the other hand, we face the challenge of long wait times before items reach customers. We will continue to pursue the right balance: staying committed to quality while not compromising our schedule, so we can deliver products as quickly as possible.

For both her 2024 and 2025 birthday merchandise plushies, she prepared the initial drafts herself, including the face designs. These items were released as part of a series made in “SUKONBU FACTORY”, the kingdom’s workshop. For the“FBKINGDOM Medallion Pin Badge,” we didn’t just focus on the quality of the pin badge itself; since it was designed as a medal awarded to the kingdom’s knights, we proposed premium packaging, which she readily approved.

We came up with the idea because sticker trading was all the rage at that time. To make it appealing even to fans who weren’t interested in stickers, we proposed a design that allowed them to replace the inner sheets so that they could also use it as a personal planner.(YG)

Outfit production moves forward day by day with constant minor adjustments, such as subtle color changes to a single part. Because of this, we work closely with the outfit production team to make sure we never confuse an older version with the latest one.(IB)

When we put the initial sample on a plush, we realized the plush could roll upside down or slip out of the pouch due to the weight of its head. In the worst-case scenario, the plush could even get lost. So we made repeated fine adjustments to ensure fans could carry it around with peace of mind.(WD)

Initially, the merchandise lineup didn’t include illustrations of her. However, because we wanted to include an item featuring her key visual, we proposed an acrylic postcard stand. It is designed to let fans display and appreciate postcards they purchase at museums.(YZ)

Raden specifically asked for a design in the style of abstract paintings. Before commissioning the artwork, I studied abstract paintings myself to fully understand what exactly makes a painting abstract.(WD)

It’s about truly listening to each talent’s vision and requests, and carefully translating them into merchandise. I believe products cherished by fans are those made with care right from the planning and development stages. When our talents introduce their merchandise, they often highlight specific details they paid attention to or features they like. I think whether we can incorporate those aspects depends on how thoughtfully we create each product.

I prioritize creating merchandise that reflects the talents’ wishes as much as possible while also delighting the fans. Since so much merchandise is constantly released, standard items tend to have similar specifications. But I always strive to incorporate as many unique touches as possible into each item.(IK)

In addition to following feedback on social media, I pay attention to how fans actually wear or use our merchandise. When seeing someone carrying hololive merchandise at the station or on the train during my commute, I can’t help but watch them, thinking, “They must really like it if they’re carrying it around,” which makes me very happy.(YG)

It might sound clichéd, but it comes down to creating things that bring joy to the fans. Seeing them arrange our merchandise items in one spot to make a beautiful display or use them in their daily lives is absolutely rewarding. I’d like to continue making merchandise that maintains a level of quality that won’t let the fans down, while clearly conveying the talents’ visions.(YZ)

As a liaison with the talents and various partners involved, I’m mindful of how I coordinate and communicate with them to ensure they can all work without stress. If there are better ideas to fulfill the talents’ desires, I also suggest them instead of simply executing their requests as they are.(IB)

Overseeing manufacturing, I focus on preventing product defects. To achieve that, I make sure to communicate feedback from the talents to the manufacturers accurately without any discrepancies.(IT)

I always try to come up with ways to make the talents and fans more excited about our merchandise. For example, when presenting samples to the talents, I include reference materials that clearly explain the product’s features. For fans, I always put extra care into the promotional photos and videos we share on social media.(WD)