Hololive's Juufuutei Raden Gets Special Puppet for Thunderbolt Fantasy Collaboration
The collaboration marks the first time a Hololive VTuber has been physically rendered as a Pili-style puppet, bridging digital VTuber culture with Taiwan's traditional special-effects puppetry for a physical exhibition.
Key Facts
- The collaboration was announced during Juufuutei Raden's livestream on July 12, 2026.
- The special puppet "Juufuutei Raden Version・Chōfū" will debut at the "Taiwan Origin! Special Effects Puppet Theater World Exhibition" in Tokyo from July 25 to August 9, 2026.
- The exhibition is held at Yurakucho Marui 8F and displays over 50 puppets, props, and weapons.
- Collaboration merchandise including pre-order items and Raden puppets will be sold at the venue.
- The exhibition commemorates the 10th anniversary of Thunderbolt Fantasy: Eastern Excalibur Sword Chronicles.
Reporting from 2 sources: Inside, PANORA.
Hololive VTuber Juufuutei Raden has collaborated with the Taiwanese puppet series Thunderbolt Fantasy: Eastern Excalibur Sword Chronicles, resulting in a custom puppet modeled after her. The collaboration was announced during Raden's July 12 livestream, which also documented her visit to the Pili Puppetry studio in Taiwan. At the studio, Raden observed puppeteers' techniques, explosion effects, and filming on realistic sets. She also met the special puppet, named "Juufuutei Raden Version・Chōfū," which adapts the costume of the series character Chōfū with Raden's design. The puppet will debut at the "Taiwan Origin! Special Effects Puppet Theater World Exhibition" in Tokyo, running from July 25 to August 9, 2026, at Yurakucho Marui 8F. The exhibition celebrates the 10th anniversary of Thunderbolt Fantasy and features over 50 puppets, props, and weapons. Collaboration merchandise, including pre-order items and Raden puppets, will be sold at the venue. The exhibition also displays suit versions of characters Rin Setsuya and Shō Fuken. Raden, known for art and culture streams, expressed amazement at the puppet's quality, calling it "unbelievable and mysterious."
Juufuutei Raden, a member of Hololive's DEV_IS unit, regularly streams about art, crafts, and museums, and recently collaborated with the National Gallery in London. Her visit to Pili's studio included handling a puppet and trying manipulation, during which she noted the high skill and physical strength required of puppeteers. The special puppet "Juufuutei Raden Version・Chōfū" reinterprets the character Chōfū, voiced by Rie Kugimiya in the Thunderbolt Fantasy film series. The exhibition also features artist Takanori Nishikawa as an ambassador. Organizer JACQUES GLORIOUS co-organized the event with Pili International Multimedia. The exhibition runs from July 25 to August 9, 2026, at Yurakucho Marui in Tokyo, with last entry at 18:30 each day.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.