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hololive's Houshou Marine's RPG Maker Game From High School Inspires Professional Trailer
posted on by Kim Morrissy
The popular hololive Virtual YouTuber Houshou Marine has a self-described "cringe" history to share: When she was in high school, she made an RPG Maker game by herself. The Second World, as it was called, was a mashup of early '00s anime and video game tropes, with inspirations ranging from Higurashi: When They Cry to Rozen Maiden and the Tales of series. After she streamed herself playing the game last August, her fans and fellow hololive members clamored for more.
So now the game has a professionally made trailer.
The nine-and-a-half-minute trailer features the voices of Marina Inoue, Naomi Ōzora, Ayane Sakura, Ryoko Shiraishi, Mie Sonozaki, Misato Fukuen, Haruki Ishiya, Daisuke Kishio, Shōgo Sakata, Hiroki Touchi, and Seiichirō Yamashita. Usagi Yukai edited the video and designed the logo. Maru Takase drew the illustrations shown throughout the trailer, although not the in-game sprites—those are Houshou Marine originals.
How did so many A-list voice actors end up working on a joke trailer for a game no one can actually buy? Marine and her fellow hololive members held an audition after Marina Inoue said on Twitter that she would love to participate. The resulting game truly brings the story of The Second World to life, so much so that it actually comes across as a fun game to experience.
The trailer jokingly teases a July 30, 2099 release date, which obviously isn't happening. The long wait time would make sense, though, since the game itself was never actually completed. After a certain point, the story cuts off abruptly with the unceremonious message: "Sorry, production stopped here." Marine will have to resume work on her game in earnest if she wants her fans to experience the true end of the story.
Houshou Marine is a 3rd generation hololive talent who debuted on August 11, 2019.
Source: Houshou Marine's Twitter account
