Is Sameko Saba really Gawr Gura? Here’s what we know about the new VTuber
The virtual entertainment world is abuzz with speculation following the apparent return of one of the most prominent hololive VTubers, Gawr Gura.
A new independent VTuber has held her debut stream and a discussion has started raging among fans: Is Sameko Saba the new identity of their beloved shark-girl?
Here’s a look at the evidence that has got the VTuber community debating whether the two VTubers are the same person.
Hololive Graduation
On April 16, 2025, Gawr Gura, a superstar VTuber with over 4.5 million YouTube subscribers, made a major announcement.
In a stream, she revealed her decision to “graduate” from hololive, the VTuber agency she had been a part of since her debut in September 2020.
“Graduation” is a term used to signify a talent’s retirement or decision to no longer work with an agency.
Gawr Gura’s graduation was set for May 1st, 2025.
She stated that the reason for her departure was “disagreements with management and company direction”.
She mentioned that this decision had been a long time coming and that the intense stress from the immense expectations of her audience had at times made it difficult for her to eat.
This candid admission was appreciated by many of her fans and provided a clear reason for her choice to leave the agency.
Gura’s departure was part of a noticeable trend, with several other high-profile talents from both Hololive’s English and Japanese branches also graduating around the same time, with some citing creative disagreements and the company’s increasing focus on idol-style performances over traditional streaming.
A New VTuber Appears
The departure of a talent as big as Gawr Gura left a massive void in the VTuber landscape, however, it wasn’t long before a new entity began to appear on the horizon.
Hints and clues started to emerge, leading fans to a new independent VTuber account: Sameko Saba.
On June 22nd, 2025, Sameko Saba announced her official debut stream would take place on June 28th, 2025.
Her YouTube channel and X (formerly Twitter) account rapidly gained followers even before her first stream.
A community was already building around this new persona, driven by a strong belief that she was Gawr Gura.
The Evidence
So, what is it that has everyone convinced that Sameko Saba is Gawr Gura?
There has not been a direct admission from Sameko Saba herself, but there is a range of compelling evidence that links the two VTubers.
1. The Voice
The most significant piece of evidence for many fans is the vocal similarity.
Fans who have followed Gawr Gura for years immediately recognized her familiar voice in the theme song uploaded to Sameko Saba’s YouTube channel.
The tone and vocal patterns are incredibly similar, if not identical, to the voice of Gawr Gura.
2. The Clues
A VTuber account widely believed to be a previous persona of the talent behind Gawr Gura, “Senzawa”, updated its bio to show support for both Gura and Sameko Saba.
Senzawa has been on hiatus since 2020, which coincides with when Gawr Gura first appeared.
This update served as a strong signal to the community that the three VTubers may share the same talent.
3. The Name and Theme
The name “Sameko Saba” itself is a clever play on words.
“Same” (pronounced “sah-meh”) is the Japanese word for shark, directly referencing Gura’s shark-girl character.
“Ko” when written as “子” is the Japanese word for child.
The word “Sameko” can therefore be taken to mean the “child of a shark”, which can quite easily be interpreted as a direct inference that the new “Sameko Saba” VTuber is related to a certain shark inspired VTuber and has been “born” anew as a child from their old persona.
“Saba” is the Japanese word for mackerel, a type of fish, which aligns with the new persona’s fish-themed aesthetic.
It seems highly unlikely that the hints in the name are simply coincidence, or that a different VTuber is trying to ride Gawr Gura’s popularity by pretending to be them.
4. Professionalism and Brand Strategy
The launch of Sameko Saba has been a highly professional and well-managed endeavor.
Trademark applications for “Sameko Saba” and her logo were filed in early May 2025 under a company called Incoming Next LLC, based in Wilmington, Delaware.
These filings cover a wide range of services, including virtual entertainment and merchandise.
The attorney involved in these filings has a history of working with other notable VTubers and agencies, suggesting a structured and robust business strategy for Sameko Saba’s new career as an independent creator.
This level of professionalism is unusual for a brand-new, unknown VTuber, particularly due to the associated costs, which further reinforces that the talent involved has access to funds and connections beyond that of your average indie VTuber.
5. Community and Peer Support
The connection has been further solidified by support from other well-known VTubers and figures who have publicly acknowledged Sameko Saba’s debut and shown their support, lending credibility to the speculation.
A New Era for the Content Creator
The widely accepted connection between Gawr Gura and Sameko Saba represents a new era for the talent behind the character.
The massive and immediate following she gained, with over 554,000 subscribers before her first stream even started, is a testament to the fact that her dedicated fanbase, the “Chumbuds”, have followed her to this new persona.
Her debut stream itself surged past 200,000 live viewers within the first ten minutes, making it one of the most watched VTuber debuts of the year.
As an independent creator, she is now able to stream on her own terms, without the constraints of an agency.
This allows for a more relaxed and self-directed approach to content, which fans are excited to see.
The move from a corporate-managed environment to an independent one allows her to pursue her creative vision without being tied to a specific company direction.
It’s very likely that as the rights to the Gawr Gura model are still under COVER Corp, who manage hololive production, that Sameko Saba will never directly comment on their connection to Gawr Gura due to potential legal complications that could arise if they are seen to directly attempt to gain followers or profit off their association with their old persona.
However, given the sheer amount of clues that hint at Sameko Saba having a strong connection to Gawr Gura, it seems undeniable that they are indeed the same talent.
The lack of an outright denial, especially in the face of heavy fan speculation, only serves to confirm the rumors are true that the talent behind Gawr Gura is back and ready to stream once again, even if fans will have to get used to the new Sameko Saba persona going forward.
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