AXGRIT, a new brand of figurines brought to life in collaboration between Design Coco and SHIBUYA TSUTAYA IP Bookstore, launched their first project, the pop-up shop “hololive English – Advent -,” which is now open as of April 25.
This pop-up shop features merchandise with talents wearing original “Anti×Gravity Unit” outfits, a display of the outfit’s design materials, along with life-size models of Fuwawa Abyssgard and Mococo Abyssgard, members of Advent. The COVERedge editorial team visited the pop-up shop on its opening day to give our loyal readers an inside look into the event, including photos of the venue and comments from staff and fans.
What is the AXGRIT Project?
“A desolate world. Fighting for freedom using the wings of anti-gravity units.”
AXGRIT is a bold new figurine brand based on this daring concept, launched as a joint project by SHIBUYA TSUTAYA IP Bookstore and Design Coco. The project was created to celebrate the first anniversary of the renewal of SHIBUYA TSUTAYA and the opening of the IP Bookstore.
We are very proud to have the members of hololive English – Advent – be a part of AXGRIT’s very first project in outfits designed especially for this launch that are a blend cyberpunk-inspired style with a touch of elegance, bringing out a whole new side of each talent.
hololive English – Advent – is a five-member unit that debuted in 2023, including a pair of twin VTubers who share the same YouTube channel. They are mainly active in English-speaking regions, with their total number of channel subscribers surpassing 3.4 million as of April 1, 2025. In March, they made their first appearance in Japan at the hololive fes. live music concert held at Makuhari Messe, where they had the opportunity to meet their Japanese fans in person. The members have also been featured in promotional campaigns for titles widely loved in Japan such as Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel and SWORD ART ONLINE: Fractured Daydream, as their influence continues to grow both in Japan and overseas.
Pre-Opening Tension – Behind the Scenes with the Life-Size Models
Now let’s take a look inside the pop-up shop on opening day. Our team arrived at the venue about an hour before the doors opened and with setup mostly complete, staff members were busy making final adjustments as the countdown to opening time began.
As you follow the recommended route around the shop, the first thing to catch your eye is the giant key visual. Located near the register, many patrons have been drawn to it after making purchases since the opening of the shop, who can’t help but take pictures with it to commemorate the occasion. Standing beside it also gives fans an idea of the actual height of the characters – a fun touch designed to enhance the experience.
Keep following the route and you will find a panel introducing the world of AXGRIT, along with a giant tapestry featuring the Advent members in their familiar default outfits. This tapestry was previously on display at hololive SUPER EXPO 2025, hololive production’s biggest event of the year, and still has the autographs from when the talents signed it for EXPO.
Design visuals for the AXGRIT outfits are also on display: a must-see for fans of Advent, showcasing the outfits of all of the members from all sides.
These design visuals served as the blueprint for one of the highlights of the event: the life-size models of Fuwawa Abyssgard and Mococo Abyssgard, also known as “FUWAMOCO.” The models stand on LED bases that illuminate the models and give them a real sci-fi feel, exemplifying the world of AXGRIT.
According to staff, the figures were delivered in separate parts and assembled on-site over the course of about 40 minutes. With their signature pink and blue color scheme and perfectly symmetrical poses, the two standing side-by-side make for an impressive sight. Conveniently located just across from the design visuals, fans can enjoy comparing the original 2D designs with their full 3D forms.
We had the opportunity to speak with Yutaro Tagawa of Design Coco, who created the FUWAMOCO model for this project.
“This is the first model to scale of FUWAMOCO, so I imagine some fans were hoping to see them in their usual outfits,” Tagawa explained. “To make sure those fans could enjoy it too, we incorporated elements of their default costumes while designing them to fit naturally within the world of AXGRIT.”
On display next to the life-size models are 1/7 scale versions, which are available to custom order, meaning fans can have one of their very own. Interestingly, the large dog paw shapes are movable on both the life-size and scale versions.
“If the decorations are too intricate or the figurine itself is too large, the price naturally goes up,” Tagawa continued. “So we worked to find the right balance – something that would still look impressive when displayed at home, while keeping the cost as reasonable as possible.”
Life-size panels of Advent dressed in their AXGRIT outfits are also set up throughout the venue.
You can also find handwritten messages from FUWAMOCO near their respective panels: Fuwawa’s message reads “No matter what happens, I’ll fight to protect your smile!!” while Mococo writes “It’s the life-size FUWAMOCO of my dreams!” We hope that these personal touches bring fans even closer to the talents and make their presence even more felt.
At the end of the route is the merchandise area, where a full lineup of AXGRIT merchandise awaits. From acrylic stands and badges to stickers, B2 tapestries, and desk mats, a total of 13 items are available for each of the five members, filling the space from wall to wall. Even the checkout area has been completely taken over by the AXGRIT project.
A Community Connected Through hololive
Inside the shop, an original track by Advent welcomed visitors, stirring up a rising sense of anticipation and nervous excitement before the pop-up shop officially opened its doors at 1:00 PM. Entry was managed through timed tickets, which had completely sold out ahead of time. As guests began to stream in, some could be seen proudly wearing merch of their favorite hololive members.
Visitors could be seen to be fully immersed in the experience – closely examining the displays and snapping photos on their phones. We spoke with two attendees who told us they became friends through their shared love of hololive. One had traveled from Kanagawa, the other from Hyogo.
“I came here looking forward to seeing the figure of my oshi, Mococo-chan (Mococo Abyssgard). It’s her very first figurine/model, and I’m honestly blown away by how high quality it is.”
“My girlfriend introduced me to hololive: that’s how I got into it. My oshi is Bijou-chan (Koseki Bijou) and I really love her AXGRIT outfit – especially the puffed sleeves.”
The two also shared what makes supporting hololive so special for them.
“I’ve been to pretty much every in-person event related to hololive, and actually it was hololive that got me into coming to events like this. Of course, I love watching the members’ streams and listening to their music – but what makes it even more special is getting to meet up with friends in person.”
“hololive feels like a form of emotional support for me. Most of the English-language streams are easy to follow if your listening ability is at about high school level, and things like clip compilations and help from overseas listeners have really made it easier to enjoy.”
As we were talking, two more friends joined the group – each with a different oshi of their own.
Many attendees also came sporting ita-bags decorated with badges of their oshi, making for a vibrant and lively scene throughout the interview.
IP Bookstore: One Year On – An Overwhelming Response
There have also been many people who appear to have come from overseas visiting the shop. Located at the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing, one of the most iconic destinations for international tourists, SHIBUYA TSUTAYA offers an unbeatable location for showcasing Japanese IP contents to the world, envisioning the IP Bookstore as a central hub where all forms of content can come together with the goal of becoming a global epicenter of cutting-edge anime and gaming culture. The store’s concept is “Everyday is Comiket,” with a strong focus on creating spaces that evolve along with each title and publisher.
As the IP Bookstore marks its one-year anniversary, Rikiya Kurimata – editor-in-chief and head of planning for SHIBUYA TSUTAYA IP Bookstore – shared his thoughts on how far the store has come. “On average, about 40% of our customers are overseas visitors, and during certain times of the day, the number can reach up to 60%,” Kurimata says. “But it’s not just that inbound tourism is booming – what we’re really seeing is an overall increase in the number of visitors, which naturally includes more people from overseas. What is especially striking is the rapid growth of visitors in their teens and twenties since the store opened a year ago, so we’ve had the opportunity to share the appeal of IP content with far more people than we initially anticipated.”
The AXGRIT project is still just getting started. According to the team, there are second and third waves featuring different titles already in the works.
“I think one of the great things unique to AXGRIT is that by lining up the figurines, you can enjoy a kind of crossover – imagining talents and characters who wouldn’t normally appear together existing and fighting within the same world,” says Tagawa.
What Makes VTubers Truly Unique?
After the above interviews, we followed up with SHIBUYA TSUTAYA’s IP Bookstore team and Design Coco for some additional comments.
From the SHIBUYA TSUTAYA IP Bookstore
● On the expected impact of the collaboration and reactions following the pop-up event
“There are actually a lot of fans of hololive among our staff – including myself. We really hope collaborations like this help even more people to discover hololive, both within Japan and overseas. Shibuya sees such a wide variety of people every day and while many may have heard the name hololive, they might not be familiar with its talents or content. That’s why we hope this in-person experience of visuals and music can serve as a gateway for people to become more interested in this kind of content. In fact, we’ve already had people asking about FUWAMOCO after seeing the life-size figure, so I’d say the response so far has been extremely positive.”
● On the Unique Appeal of VTubers
“I think what makes VTubers so compelling is how they strike a balance between being safely rooted in a 2D world while stories unfold in real time – completely linked to our reality. And in today’s online space, they might be the only presence that can truly create a sense of belonging – something that feels as safe and comforting as home. That’s a truly unique value that only VTubers are able to create.”
From the Licensing Team at Design Coco
●On the expected impact of the collaboration and reactions following the POP UP
“AXGRIT was launched as a new brand centered around original outfits and weapon designs. As we were preparing for the project’s debut, we felt that the members of Advent, each with their own unique lore and backstories, share a strong affinity with the core concept of AXGRIT, which made us genuinely eager to collaborate with them for the very first phase of the brand.
We were admittedly a bit nervous at first about how an original brand like AXGRIT would be received, but the reactions on X (formerly Twitter) and in store have been overwhelmingly positive, which has been incredibly encouraging. And not just general customers; we’ve already seen several illustrators share fan art inspired by the brand. All in all, we truly feel that AXGRIT is off to a strong and promising start.
With this project, we aim to create a space that not only excites longtime fans, but also puts smiles on the faces of those discovering hololive for the first time. We’ll continue striving to bring more experiences that everyone can enjoy, and we sincerely appreciate your ongoing support.”
●On the Unique Appeal of VTubers
“There are countless characters in traditional anime and games that are incredibly appealing – ones that you naturally want to support, but with those characters, real-time interaction simply isn’t possible. VTubers, on the other hand, offer something truly unique. In addition to their strong visual appeal as talents and characters, they’re able to connect with fans in real time through live streaming, creating an ever-evolving story together: a dynamic, ongoing connection that sets them apart from other forms of IP.
At the heart of it all is a “living presence” – a quality that’s unique to the world of VTubers, and one that we believe is both deeply compelling and irreplaceable.
The AXGRIT pop-up shop will be open through to Thursday, May 29, so don’t miss your chance to stop by and experience it for yourself!
