The Suimochi Effect: Interviewing Umiboshi on Hoshimachi Suisei and Bringing Plushies to Life
Content creation in passionate fandoms is often where the tangible world and the creative mind collide. Through videos, creators have the unique ability to blur the line between reality and fiction, turning simple ideas into experiences that feel alive, dynamic, and shared among fans.
Within the hololive community, some creators take that a step further by transforming usually inanimate objects into something far more life like. By combining cinematography, editing, and a sometimes dark sense of humor, they create content that not only entertains, but also redefines how fans engage with their oshis and the moments they love.
For our seventh guest in the Interview series, we’d like to welcome Umiboshi, a dedicated Hoshiyomi and content creator well known for bringing his Mochidoru Suisei plushie, popularly known as Suimochi, to life through a series of creative, meme-driven, and sometimes terrifying cinematic videos.
From humble beginnings inspired by a certain knife-wielding horror icon, Umiboshi’s videos have grown into a beloved staple of hololive fan content, drawing laughs, admiration, and even the attention of Hoshimachi Suisei herself. In this interview, we explore his creative journey, his experiences as a fan in the hololive community, and the story behind Suimochi’s rise to notoriety.
hololive TODAY / hT:
Welcome, Umiboshi! Thank you so much for taking the time to interview with us at hololive TODAY. You’re our seventh guest in this interview series, and we’re really happy to have you here!
Umiboshi:
No problem, and thank you for having me! One of my nicknames is Umbo, just in case Umiboshi is too much of a mouthful to say repeatedly.
hT:
To start things off, could you tell us a bit about yourself? When did you first become involved with hololive and the hololive community, and what initially drew you in?
Umbo:
How I got into hololive was kinda weird. During the pandemic I got hit with the virus. Even the slightest bit of movement gave me immense chills, body aches, and EGREGIOUS cortisol spikes. So one night I just sat in my chair immobilized watching random Youtube videos, and then it somehow autoplayed to a Gawr Gura Minecraft stream. I wasn't initially onboard with vtubers at the time, but that stream made me realize "wait...these anime girls are actually kinda fun to watch. It was game over from there.
I was particularly charmed by Ninomae Ina'nis' streams. Her chill, low cortisol vibe, her puns and sense of humor, her incredible drawing skills. Then it led to the various Among Us streams, which got me to know more of holoJP and hololive as a whole.
Then it led to more memberships, more 2AM birthday live watchalongs, 3AM Fes group watches, and numerous flights to Japan for hololive related events. And now this is literally my life. So yup!
hT:
Was it possibly this stream that brought you into the rabbit hole?
I remember that stream like it was yesterday, and it's kinda crazy to think about now. Other than that little chase scene between Ina and Gura, I think there were several other big memes that came from that Minecraft stream alone.
I'm in a similar boat as well, where it was the Among Us collab between hololive EN Myth and hololive 5th Gen that really got me know more about Botan, Polka, Lamy, and Nene.
Things really snowballed for me from there.
Umbo:
Oh! Yeah it was exactly that one! That little chase scene was actually what got me so hooked! I was immediately charmed by Gura's voice and whimsical attitude, and the sandbox nature of Minecraft allowing for these adorable and quirky moments with friends (I never played much Minecraft before then either). My immediate reaction was "Yo these anime girls kinda funny." Then further along the trail was Ame's various Apex crash outs, Ina's comfy drawing streams, and like you said that Among Us collab!
The community I was in prior to this was the Love Live fandom, but after this exposure to hololive and vtubers, I had pretty much already just been stolen away. I locked into hololive immediately.
hT:
Who in hololive is your oshi, and why? What's one stream, video, song, or any piece of content of theirs that you absolutely love?
Umbo:
Without a doubt—my shooting star, my virtual idol, the one and only Hoshimachi Suisei.
I was drawn to her for so many reasons. Of course, her singing is the first thing that pulled me in—but it goes far beyond that. Her design, her on-stream personality, her sense of humor… the way she can be effortlessly cool one moment and then completely cute and silly the next. I really admire how hardworking and outgoing she is, and more than anything, how much of a trailblazer she’s been as a virtual idol.
She has an incredible library of songs, but to this day, my favorite is still Ghost. That song was what truly turned me into a Hoshiyomi. For one thing, I was amazed that she wrote those lyrics herself. It's incredibly impactful to me because it captures the struggle of existing in a space where you’re seen, but not always fully accepted. It’s emotional, defiant, and honest—it feels like Suisei putting her frustrations and determination into a single song.
I'm lucky she hasn't sang it live in awhile or else I might just cry on the spot.
hT:
For viewers who might not be familiar with you yet, could you tell us about the kind of content you create in the hololive community?
Umbo:
I film myself getting murdered by a Suisei plushie.
Well that's oversimplifying it, but that's how it started at least. I leverage my cinematography and video editing skills to bring these plushies to life in my videos, and create videos that (I hope) put smiles on peoples faces.
Back in like 2022, Psychopath Suisei memes, or "Suicopath" memes were at their peak popularity. I think at the time, the Chucky series was airing on Sci-Fi, so I would watch that for a bit of a silly watch. But then that series gave me the idea to make my first SuiPlush video. It was low budget, smartphone quality, cheap and easy editing, and came with a "perfectly cut scream" ending. I just thought to upload it and didn't think much of doing more, until I saw how much people seemed to like it; chief among them being Hoshimachi Suisei herself.
At the time I valued getting my oshi's attention. Like, I held it to massively high regard. She was such an amazing presence in my life as well as many, many others', and the fact that I could just make a tiny little drop, a tiny little splash in her life, that will always be something I hold dear to my heart.
So I kept going. I grinded videos, silly videos, and received so much support and positive reception for them. It's gotten to the point where that particular Suisei plushie has adopted that same "Suicopath" identity, essentially a horror symbol where she's usually seen with a comically large knife. Some people even blame me for it's skyrocketing resale prices of up to 50,000 yen. (I still don't think that's entirely my fault.)
I eventually shifted focus to proper video skits, and whereas I'm usually starring in my old Suiplush videos as myself getting murdered, these videos were skits that ONLY starred the holoplushies, and I would not appear in many of them. So naturally, I leverage several camera and editing tricks to make the plushies move, as if they came to life.
So that's basically how I became known as "the plushie dude," "the suimochi guy," "that mochi guy," etc. I'm often asked how I create my videos. Questions such as "how are the plushies moving?" or "how do you make them move like that?" and who knows...I might reveal it here...might not...
hT:
It was when you received your merch for Suisei's 4th Anniversary & Birthday that we, the audience, were first introduced to your Mochidoru Suisei (Suimochi), right?
I don't quite remember if I had watched that one when it first came out, but I do remember seeing one of the next videos you uploaded, the one where you played Rock, Paper, Scissors with Suimochi! I remember that one got really popular, and Suisei also happened to see that one too.
Umbo:
Exactly! It was a pure lightning in a bottle moment. It was just the right time, I had the right idea, and the right items on me. I posted it thinking it was just a silly stupid video, but Suisei liking it boosted it into the algorithm for hoshiyomi everywhere. And so began the legend of Suimochi.
Oh yeah I remember the Rock, Paper, Scissors one. That one was born from a similar idea I saw on Tik Tok, but the obvious twist being: How can I make this about Suimochi?
hT:
Other than that first video, I think it was around the time Suisei was first featured on THE FIRST TAKE that I came across another one of your uploads, where Suimochi was also singing the acoustic version of "Stellar Stellar"?! And in another video where she teleports behind you before you try to capture her!
From what I know, these were some of your earliest Suimochi videos, but they already featured some really creative camera work and editing tricks.
Can you recall what was going through your mind when you were making these first few videos?
Umbo:
Oh goodness, yeah I was practically a different person back then. Much younger, but also much more eager, much more willing, but also much more low budget.
Before that FIRST TAKE video, Suimochi has already garnered the killer reputation she has now, so I just thought "hmmm how can I make a video that 1) helped promote Suisei's appearance on THE FIRST TAKE, 2) expands on the ways Suimochi can continue her murder spree, 3) is reasonably easy to edit? The resulting video satisfied points 1 and 2. But 3? ABSOLUTELY NOT. That took hours to plan, shoot, and edit. I don't think the me of today could go through all that without injecting Red Bull directly into my veins. But...it all paid off. Not only did Suisei like that one, but Sakura Miko even took a couple of minutes to mention the video on one of her streams! Not to mention, I think to this day it's still my most liked tweet ever.
The teleporting video was much easier, with a much more simple inspiration: I had a brief phase where I was into SCP lore. One of the SCP entities is one weird ass peanut looking statue that is motionless when you look at it, but the mere second you blink, it's either just gone or it has zoomed behind you and done away with you.
So thanks to videos like these, Suimochi's power level has grown exponentially...
hT:
You mentioned earlier that one of the most common questions you get is how the plushies actually move in your videos...and you did leave off on a cliffhanger there!
Well, if you're willing to part with any of your trade secrets without giving away too much, could you share a bit about the techniques or tricks you use to bring Suimochi and the others to life?
Unless...they really are alive...
Then I hope she's not reading this...
Umbo:
Oh yeah...better keep our voices low for this one, but yes, they are alive...
But doesn't mean I can skimp on my film production. After all, stuntmen are living people too and Hollywood still straps them up and tosses them into crates and walls anyway!
I've incorporated various silly tricks in my videos. One trick I'm comfortable sharing (mainly because I don't use it anymore) is incorporating the use of tape. Long, long, rows of tape.
Suimochi didn't like being propped up by flimsy tape so she demanded that I stop.
hT:
Aside from that, you also mentioned that you eventually shifted from appearing in your videos yourself to creating skits focused entirely on the plushies.
What motivated that change, and what did that shift allow you to do creatively that you couldn't before?
Umbo:
So it got to a point where I was sort of running out of ideas of how Suimochi could kill me. One concern I had was that people would get tired of the "perfectly cut scream" punchlines or just find my POV Suimochi videos too predictable. The switch to focused skits with proper cinematography was both a breath of fresh air, a way to keep the content cute, and also a proper way to add personality to all of my plushies apart from just Suimochi or Mikomochi.
Some of these skits are line-for-line redo's of actual stream clips, but I also love any chance I can get to mash various clips together into a single themed video. To this day, my favorite video that I've made is this wholesome Christmas video I made involving the "friends with u" Suisei and Miko plushies, where Suisei orchestrated a plan to get Miko to believe in Santa Claus again.
hT:
You've undeniably become known as "the Suimochi guy" in the community, and I think your videos have clearly resonated with a lot of fans and have even helped shape how people see Suimochi.
In fact, when it comes to posts from other fans featuring you and/or Suimochi, she’s often seen toppling her victim with her weapon of choice!
How do you personally feel about that "plushie dude" identity? And what has it been like watching the community respond to your videos and build on those ideas?
Umbo:
This is absolutely still so crazy to me. The first few times I've gone to a convention or holo-event where people would ask me "Are you Umiboshi?! すみません、もしかしてUmiboshiさんですか?!", I genuinely wasn't sure how to respond, apart from nervous stuttering and an awkward smile.
Being called the "plushie guy" or the "suimochi guy" sounds silly at first, but it's an indication that I'm making a splash in a community that I hold in high regard, and for that reason I treat these like titles of honor.
And to what you said, the amount of people that have asked for a picture where they too were lying on the floor killed by Suimochi, it's all so hilarious and so wholesome. I'm extremely thankful to anyone that shows up and says hi to me, and if anyone reading this does see me at the next event (EN4 anyone?), feel free to say hi!
hT:
I'd like to introduce a special segment in the hololive TODAY Interview series, where we invite a previous interviewee to ask you, our current guest, a question of their own! Gordon wants to know the following:
"As fellow creators, I have some questions I’d like to ask you.
I’m really curious about how you first found your niche, and what motivated you to take that first step into creating 🤟🏻
Also, I’d love to know what was going through your mind the moment Sui-chan followed you"
Umbo:
Ahh yes, shoutout to Gordon. One of the coolest creators I know, truly the GOAT. When we first met, I had a long DM conversation with him about content creation, and the amount of passion bro puts into his videos is ABSOLUTELY next-level. I respect his grind immensely. He gave me my current phone case as well! I feel bad because I couldn't trade anything. Hopefully next time I see him I also have a goodie to provide.
Honestly what fueled a lot of these videos for me was pure aspiration. In my early years as a fan, I've always looked at artists such as Harutimu (@harutimu_415) or DuDul (@DuDuLtv) or Tsukino (@tsuki_nonono), seeing that everyone had some sort of creative, artistic or talented way to reach out to their oshi. Whether it be a small acknowledgement such as a like or comment, or by getting actually commissioned by them, I've always wanted to do that for Sui-chan. Sui-chan is such an amazing and powerful person, one who has touched the hearts of millions. So just to make a tiny splash in her life would have been good enough for me.
But I wasn't an artist. I couldn't sing well. And my attempted music content proved to be an uphill battle. So this sudden pivot into becoming "the Suimochi guy" wasn't just a silly little detour. It wasn't just me playing into a stupid shitpost or silly meme...
It was my spark. It was my pathway. It was my shot—and I took it.
I can say with immense gratitude that this grind I've been on has actually strengthened my creative side. I've filmed angles I've never filmed before, edited in ways I've never edited before, and kept my mind sharp and creative. Sometimes to even get the willpower to make these videos, I think of how hard Suisei works both on-stream and behind the scenes as well. I can say with one hundred percent conviction that my oshi, Hoshimachi Suisei, has made me a more creative and talented person.
And then the follow notification came.
My mind was a freaking MESS when I saw the follow notification. I thought "Nah this is a fake person trying to bait me," "Oh wait...it says 'followed back' though," "No wait this isn't really her?" "OH MY GOD IT IS?!" "Was it a mistake? Surely it was a mistake right?" I was freaking out...I DM'd one of my super close hoshiyomi friends about it before reaching out to anyone else, just to confirm she was seeing the same thing I was. I felt like everything I've worked for had been for that moment, for that highest form of acknowledgement.
hT:
Through all your experiences creating content, attending events, and engaging with the community, what are some things you've learned about yourself, not just as a creator, but as a hololive fan?
Umbo:
So a couple of things. One thing is that I learned I'm really at my happiest when I'm surrounded by hololive fans. It's the one time I feel like I don't have to suppress my tastes or my passions, and that I can just let loose. I'm in such a festive state that in between hololive events, all I'm thinking about is how to prepare or save up or bulk up for the next one.
Another thing I learned as a hololive fan is that I'm....not very otaku-ish at all. Everyone that's ever seen me in real life has jokingly called me a normie or riajuu. Someone even went so far as to say I had drip and aura, which I mean hey....I'll take it! The only times I'm the most decked out in hologear I can be is either during a major Suisei event or during holoExpo.
Not sure how to feel about that? I don't usually delve into extremes either so I guess that's either a good thing or just simply par for the course. I don't know...is it a good or bad thing? Guess we'll find out if I ever get accusations of larping or grifting.
hT:
I feel the same way about not feeling very otaku-ish. I sometimes think I’m a bit of a “normie” like with my hobbies outside of hololive or the clothing I wear, though lately I’ve been trying to integrate some of the oversized hololive shirts that I have into my apparel.
But honestly I don’t think it’s a bad thing, especially when it comes to living here in the US where I don’t usually need to go all out in public. I’m just happy to just bring at least one hololive plushie on the chance I'd want to do some oshikatsu.
When it come to huge events, concerts, or conventions however, I’d also definitely go all out with wearing something like a happi coat and merch clothing. In any case, support your oshis publicly the way you’d like!
But anyway—
Having been here for a while now, what's it like being a part of the hololive community? What do you think makes the hololive community unique compared to other fandoms you may have been part of?
Umbo:
From my own point of view, the hololive fandom is probably the most creatively passionate community I’ve ever been part of. Much like how Suisei inspired me to become a more enthusiastic creator, hololive fans follow talents who are so hopelessly and terminally online (pretend I mean this affectionately) that we have direct access to their reactions and feedback. This feedback encourages aspiring creators to contribute in their own way.
In that sense, fans aren’t just contributing to a fandom—they’re contributing to the content itself.
The other unique thing about being here is that it feels like we're participating in an evolving story. There’s something to be said about how much VTubing as a whole is evolving. While it’s been around for damn near a decade, one could say it's ironically still in its infancy. Various barriers are STILL being broken to this day.
I can just look to Suisei for the trails she’s been blazing over the past few years—from her appearance on THE FIRST TAKE, to performing as the sole virtual entity on real-life stages, to becoming one of the next VTubers after Kizuna AI to be featured in Fortnite.
This is why I say it feels like an evolving story. We don’t know what’s going to happen next year—we don’t even know what’s going to happen a month from now. And that uncertainty is incredibly exciting to me.
hT:
Shifting gears here as we close out the interview, beyond your meme videos and Suimochi content, I've also seen your older acoustic guitar covers, many of which feature Suisei's songs, with some even leaning into meme territory.
I think my favorite was when you did an acoustic cover of Michizure, playing several other instruments alongside it.
You touched on your music background briefly earlier, but looking back, could you tell us more about it and those cover videos, and what role music has played in your journey as a creator?
Umbo:
Oh god haha. Yeah I briefly touched up on it earlier but before I was Suimochi guy, I was someone who dabbled in acoustic covers. It was my one talent at the time, and the one way I thought I could shine my light in this new and interesting world that I'd just become a part of.
I used to do acoustic covers, many of them being bossa nova-inspired remakes because I was really into the sound of bossa nova. Fun fact, my first interaction with a hololive member was Takanashi Kiara, when she found my bossa nova cover of Hinotori. She actually reached out and asked if she could use it for her end screen! So for a brief period in like 2021-2022ish, I provided the music for her ending screen!
Doing longer form acoustic medleys was also a great way for me to interact with several other artists. I recall doing a lot of outreach and commissions for various artists in the community, and it was a great way to network.
Sadly, now that I've found a more productive and fruitful niche, I've benched music content for a bit. Who knows, maybe it'll be making a come back...
hT:
Oh wow I didn't know that was your bossa nova cover of Hinotori! I absolutely remember hearing it so often back then at the end of Kiara's streams. That's really awesome to learn about now.
But yeah it'd be really cool to hear more of your covers! I'll look forward to it if you ever plan on going back into it.
Umbo:
We'll see. I've been feeling that itch to pick the guitar back up...
hT:
Beyond that, I'm curious what your current interests are outside the hololive community!
Umbo:
I've lately had a brief phase where I got back into the Bang Dream franchise, primarily for MyGO!!!!! and Ave Mujica. I just had to check them out when I heard they were dealing with more trauma and serious topics. I love me some dark and psychological drama after all! Not to mention their music slaps.
Also many of my followers know this but I also took a HUGE turn into One Piece. I started from episode one about a year and a half ago and glad to say I'm all caught up on the anime! (I'm not a manga reader so no spoilers please). My favorite Straw Hat throughout the journey has consistently remained the same: NAMI-SUWAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Beyond that I game almost every day. The usual popular FPS stuff like Overwatch and Apex Legends, any new friendslop like REPO or Peak.
I'm also a semi-closeted comic book nerd. Even longer than hololive, I've kept up with stories from Marvel, DC, Star Wars, some horror media, and much more. I still, to this day, think the Flash can solo most of fiction.
Damn, I really need cooler hobbies. Maybe I should get into woodwork or something.
hT:
And for our final question, do you have a message you'd like to share with your followers, fans, or the broader hololive community?
Umbo:
Truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all so much for the support you've given me, for following my journey from an unknowing hopeful to someone who has created the splash he's always wanted to make. I would not be who I am today if it wasn't for your support. Let's keep supporting our oshi's together!
On a more serious note if your oshi is in your profile picture or if you have an oshimark in your name/bio, please act in a manner that would make your oshi happy to have you in their community. Don't engage in fan wars, don't fall for ragebait, and definitely respect other talents the way you think your oshi should be respected.
Also don't generalize communities and fan groups.
Also don't scalp tickets.
Also don't get too parasocial.
Also don't do drugs.
Also don't drink and drive.
Also don't break the law.
Also don't go to events without proper hygiene.
hT:
That's all we have for you today, Umbo. Thank you again for taking the time to have this conversation with me and for sharing more about yourself and your experiences in the hololive community!
Umbo:
The pleasure was all mine! Thanks so much for having me! Let's continue supporting our oshis together!
And thank you, the reader, for checking out our seventh interview here at hololive TODAY! We’d like to sincerely thank Umiboshi for taking the time to share his experiences, creative process, and thoughts over the years as a hololive fan.
We hope readers learned a thing or two about Umiboshi’s creativity and approach to content. From his early meme videos to bringing Suimochi to life through clever cinematography and editing, his work offers a unique take on oshikatsu, one that is both expressive and imaginative, transforming simple ideas and memorable stream moments into skits starring the very plushies that fans like you and I might have sitting on our own shelves.
Be sure to check out and support him on social media below.
X/Twitter page: https://x.com/Umiboshi_
It’s always a privilege to feature passionate individuals who help shape how hololive and its talents are celebrated around the world. Stay tuned as we continue to share more stories from across the hololive fandom in future interviews!
