Koga-Ryu Ninja! Ponpoko

Koga-Ryu Ninja! Ponpoko (Japanese: 甲賀流忍者!ぽんぽこ) is an independent Japanese virtual YouTuber who began her activities in 2018. Her character is a ninja of the Koga school and a shape-shifting tanuki (bake-danuki). She is best known for "PokoPea", her long-running duo with her partner Oshare ni Naritai! Peanuts-kun.

Profile

Item	Detail
Debut	2018
Birthday (setting)	February 2
Hometown (setting)	Koka, Shiga Prefecture
Species (setting)	Tanuki (bake-danuki) ninja
Agency	Independent
Unit	PokoPea (with Oshare ni Naritai! Peanuts-kun)
Main channel	Ponpoko Channel (YouTube)
Language	Japanese

Career

Ponpoko's official X account was created at the start of February 2018, and she began posting videos that year. This put her among the early wave of Japanese virtual YouTubers. Her character is a tanuki ninja from the Koga school, a ninja tradition linked to Koka in Shiga Prefecture, and Koka is also her hometown in the setting. From early on she worked with Oshare ni Naritai! Peanuts-kun, a peanut character, and the pair became known as "PokoPea".

Both members work independently rather than through a large agency. They run their content mainly through the shared YouTube channel "Ponpoko Channel". Over the years their work has grown well beyond regular videos. Highlights include:

a 24-hour streaming project with many well-known VTubers as guests
a win in the Yuru-chara Grand Prix, a Japanese contest for mascot characters
an appearance at TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL
several collaboration cafes

In January 2021, Hobby Japan published the duo's first official fan book as part of its Hobby Japan MOOK series. The book looks back at selected videos and includes a timeline of the duo's activities and interviews with other VTubers who have worked with them.

Activities

Streaming style

Ponpoko works mainly through edited videos and variety-style content, and she also streams live. Most of her work is done together with Peanuts-kun. As a duo, they have built a reputation for unusual, home-made comedy and large collaboration projects with other virtual talents. They also host a weekly podcast, "PokoPee no Yume Utsutsu" (ぽこピーのゆめうつつ), which comes out every Monday at midnight Japan time and is also available through YouTube.

Music and works

Koga-Ryu Ninja Ponpoko and Oshare ni Naritai! Peanuts-kun Official Fan Book "Pokopea no Hon" (Hobby Japan MOOK, 2021)
PokoPee no Yume Utsutsu (weekly podcast)

Characteristics

In the setting, Ponpoko is a tanuki who is more than two hundred years old and lives as a Koga-school ninja. Her character is presented as cheerful and very driven, and her habit of making blunders is a regular part of her comedy. With her partner Peanuts-kun, she is often described as one of the leading independent VTuber acts, with a career of seven to eight years. Her appeal is usually linked to the duo's hard work and their friendly, approachable style. She has also been featured on merchandise such as trading cards, posters and apparel tied to the PokoPea brand.