November 12th, 2010 
AstroNerdBoy I Swear, The Japanese Will Make Women Obsolete!
In the past, I’ve noted on the Japanese talking about androids and sex, 2D marriages, and the perfect female partner (also android). I’ve noted the multiple anime and manga titles on the subject from Chobits to Hand Maid May and beyond. Still, when blog reader Trenaway pinged me to ask my opinion of the video below, I have to admit that I was taken aback to see a sold out concert for an anime-styled, female, hologram singer (actually, a projection on a glass screen, but close enough).
So, this is Vocaloid and the infamous HATSUNE Miku (interesting that a fake Japanese girl has her name displayed Japanese style in Western articles such as the L.A. Times Blog). Having been an anime fan for well over eight years, I am generally aware of different things that come out of Japan. Even if I haven’t watched a certain anime or read a certain manga/novel, if the title is popular enough, I will have a passing awareness of those titles and characters. So before I was made aware of the above video and the articles about it (such as the one at Hot Air), I knew nothing about Vocaloid or Miku beyond seeing images like this.
To be honest, I just assumed it was some singing anime akin to K-On with Miku possibly being an android of some kind. *lol* Goes to show what I know when I’m not interested enough to do any research. ^_~ Interesting that she’s just an avatar for music software (and an elaborate software at that from what I’ve seen). But I digress…
Seeing that a pseudo-holographic Miku can pack a stadium for a concert and that said concert was recorded for Blu-ray and for sale in Japan shouldn’t amaze me, but it does. Now, I’m more convinced than ever that the Japanese will create faux-women, whether actual holograms or androids, and Japan will have to populate itself artificially.
Seriously, if Miku can pack a stadium and she’s only a software mascot of sorts, then couldn’t the girls from K-On (whom I’m assuming sing since they have promo images with instruments) do the same? Or any other anime band for that matter.
From there, it is only a matter of time until the holographic technology advances enough so that Miku (or whomever) can be yours (providing you don’t mind several thousand other otaku being with their own versions of her at the same time). Or, android technology will become such that you can skin an android to look like your favorite anime babe. Providing you don’t put her on-off switch “down there” (Chobits), the sky’s the limit as the population rapidly decreases. ^_^;;;
All kidding aside, I will say that the “World is Mine” song is pretty catchy and that Japanese technology continues to impress. ^_^
BTW, can someone explain the whole leek thing with Miku?
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Vocaloid has been around for some time now. I suggest that some youtube research can bring up a wide variety of videos for you. The whole Leek thing is way back to MMD (Miku Miku Dance)wich is a program to coordinate dance and music with the respective models. Miku is the most popular from MMD. there are tones of other models as well. personally i would suggest “love is war” “Nebula” “Luka Luka Night fever” and some people like kokoro. Im not a huge fan boy of vocaloid but i do enjoy some of the songs.
I don’t know…. I’ve seem Hatsune Miku music videos before, but something about the performance creeped me out with the ‘uncanny valley’ effect.
As for the leek, here’s a link:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071102034321AAej5Oy
and the two videos in question:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCO62VNm67k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5kDcIJ9i_A
I really hope I’m the first to explain this =D
Vocaloids are given characters items that are decided by, from what I understand, the fans and the creaters. The leek first showed up in an episode of Bleach:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k083UUbkG5s&feature=related Skip to 1:47
Shortly after that someone made this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faQSs6UBDok&feature=related the original had more views. Millions.
Then Miku fans picked it up and made things like these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbbA9BhCTko
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPYXZNA64m8
I think the most popular video is on Nico Video.
Eventually it became her official character item and is used as lyric fodder in some of her songs “gnawing on a leek, looking at the sky” XD
At least it’s not her animate disembodied head like Tako Luka:
http://chan.sankakustatic.com/data/b6/9c/b69caabc061dd5107e5b8c951b718aac.jpg
Also this because I love it:
http://chan.sankakustatic.com/data/b1/eb/b1ebec08088faaf7862d417c9cf68cdd.jpg
Commenter’s note:I have this whole concert on Blu Ray =D
I forgot! The K-on girls did have a concert but with the Seiyuu instead of the characters (I have on Blu Ray as well XD) But the girls don’t really play the intruments, They only sing and pretend to play on stage.
http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu207/Ultimaniac/konlivemembers-1.jpg?t=1289599958
The fans don’t care though, they filled up a stadium bigger than Miku’s 0_0
http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu207/Ultimaniac/konlivecrowd-1.jpg?t=1289599958
Negima did it as well =)
http://i648.photobucket.com/albums/uu207/Ultimaniac/Negimadaimahorasai.png?t=1289600424
So the world of Macross Plus and the AI hologram superstar Sharon Apple is now upon us. Didn’t the Japanese learn from how that turned out? 😀
Hatsune Miku and Vocaloid in general has been around for a couple years at least. Miku just happens to be the most popular and visible of the set. She’s not exactly a mascot, but the personification of a specific vocal synthesizer. All of the other Vocaloids also have a personification. You go to any anime convention lately, and you’re bound to see a couple of Vocaloid cosplayers, some of them actually pretty good.
At NY Comic Con/Anime Fest last month, the Vocaloid 2 panel, which featured the president of Crypton Media, the company that developed the Vocaloid 2 packs, filled the room to capacity. They also showed the DVD of the concert that you posted, but they did so in a small screening room, not anticipating the demand. The organizers of the con had to schedule another screening, this time in the largest panel room. The original songs have taken off, becoming very popular.
Wikipedia can give you some more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatsune_Miku
As for the leek, its a long story that alluded to on the Wikipedia page, but here’s the long and short of it: when Crypton first came out with the Vocaloid 2 pack, in order to promote it, they posted a video of a super deformed Hatsune Miku singing Ievan Polkka (aka the song that was made famous by Leekspin, which I see has already been posted) swinging a leek up and down on Nico Nico Douga (which is basically Japanese YouTube meets the Japanese inspiration for 4chan). Again, as has been stated, the leek is considered Miku’s character item. The video took off both on NicoNico and YouTube, and now Miku is forever associated with the leek. The relevant videos have already been posted
well it seem that many people have already explain (and i have bad english)
another video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag-mnPwOjeU
@Ultimaniac There was a Love Hina concert as well many eons ago as well. I have a fansubbed copy floating around somewhere… It was quite good.
@ANB I can see how you might have missed the Vocaloids with your focus, but they have been quite popular for years now… Some of the videos are very good. I think the juggling forklift is one of my favorites. I strongly suggest that you do NOT research Hatsune Miku any further as it will suck the time away on Youtube.
Sekai de ichi-ban OHIME-SAMA
Sou-yu atsukai KOKORO-ete
Yone
Sono-ichi
Itsumo to chigau kami-gata ni kiga-tsuku koto
Sono-ni
Chanto kutsu made mirukoto, ii ne?
Sono-san
Watashi no hito-koto niwa mittsu no kotoba de henji suru koto
Wakatta ra migite ga orusu nanowo nantoka-site!
Betsuni wagamama nante itte nain-dakara
Kimi ni KOKORO kara omotte hoshii no KAWAII tte
Sekai de ichi-ban OHIME-SAMA
Kiga-tsuite ne e ne e
Mataseru nante rongai yo
Watashi wo dare-dato omotte runo?
Mou! nan-daka amai-mono ga tabetai!
Ima suguni yo?
Oh, check one two… Ahhhhhh!
Ketten? KAWAII no machigai desho
Monku wa yurushi-masen no
Anone? watashi no hanashi chanto kiiteru? chottoo…
A, soreto ne? shiroi Ouma-san kimatte-ru desho?
Mukae ni kite
Wakatta-ra kashi-zuite tewo totte “OHIME-SAMA”tte
Betsu ni wagamama nante itte nain dakara
Demo ne sukoshi kurai shikatte kuretatte iino yo?
Sekai de watashi dakeno OUJI-SAMA
Kiga tsuite hora hora
Otete ga aite masu
Mukuchi de buaiso na OUJI-SAMA
Mou, dousite? kiga tsuite yo hayaku
Zettai kimi wa wakatte nai!… wakatte nai wa…
^Miku’s DERE TIME^(TUN-DERE)^
Ichigo no notta Shortcake
Kodawari tamago no torokeru pudding
Minna, minna gaman shimasu
Wagamama na ko dato omowa-nai de
Watashi datte yareba-dekiru mon
Atode koukai suru wayo
^DERE TIME END^
Touzen desu! datte watashi wa
Sekai de ichi-ban OHIME-SAMA
Chanto mitete yone dokoka ni icchau yo?
Fui-ni dakishime-rareta kyuuni sonna eh?
“HIKARERU(;1) abunai yo”sou-itte soppo muku kimi
… kocchi noga ABUNAI wayo
Oh, Hey Baby
With a singer like this, you don’t have to worry about diva issue, eh? 😉
Strictly speaking, if the Japanese create artificial women (and the women reciprocate by creating artificial men), doesn’t that ipso facto artificially populate Japan? (^_~)
Throw in some Abh artificial birth technology, and soon you have Vandread IRL.
Getting caught up a bit here and there and saw I’ve been quoted, y’all. ^_^
First, thanks everyone for the great video links and information. ^_^ All of you rock! ^_^
Anyway, there are tons of things that I’m aware of to some degree or other but unless I turn my eye to it, I only know it as something popular. I doubt I would have ever looked into Vocaloid had Trenaway not asked me about it. I would have gone on thinking it was just some popular anime that hadn’t gripped me instead of being music software with anime-style personifications.
To the Anon who provided lyrics — thanks. Looks like there’s more to the song than what was played at the concert (bummer).
@arimareiji — *lol* Excellent on the Vandread connection there. *lol* Here I’d only been thinking of artificial girls and forgot about the Vandread aspect.
Oh, before I forget — I was aware of seiyuu performing concerts. Many Japanese seiyuu are good singers. I own some of HAYASHIBARA Megumi’s stuff. However, there’s a difference in having the seiyuu doing a concert and the actual anime characters doing one. I can’t help but wonder if we’ll see anime characters doing a concert using this type of holographic technology.
It’s Highly probable, I guess. With the success of this concert, I’m sure there are already others in the works. I’m just hoping that Tenchi Muyo! would be one of them. It has some great songs and they could even include even a girls fight for the Tenchi’s heart (for instance, Ryoko vs. Ayeka).
Another possibility is making a duet with a real seiyuu. Imagine Sasami and her seiyuu singing together.
If? The question is when, not if. I expect one next year using this technology. Certainly within the next 3 years using an improved version.
Who need’s virtual idols when we already have a singing and dancing android: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcZJqiUrbnI
It’s too soon for that robot to be dancing. It (she?) can barely walk and turn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_j5sXaWn8k&feature=related
And in the video in the previous post it (she?) only stands in one place and moving arms and legs a little. It (she?) still needs a lot of improvements.
http://www.moetron.com/2010/11/17/hatsune-miku-eng-ver-facebook-campaign-reaches-39390/#more-12450
From Moetron, it looks like that the Facebook request for a possible English version of Hatsune Miku has come true with the 39,390 requests on its page. Fujita Saki, the original voice of Miku, is said to already be in the recording phases for the English versions.
Also two random tidbits for appearances by the Vocaloid in various anime (considering its relative newness):
Somewhere in Zetsubou-sensei (don’t know which episode, as I haven’t seen it), the “real” Miku appeared in a cameo trying out for a voice acting role. Fujita Saki reprised her voice there.
Also, about midway through Lucky Star’s OVA, Kagami was cosplaying (against her will) as Miku due to similarities in design. But their personalities are very different.
I’m actually a little surpised that Miku doesn’t show up that often in anime; you’d think this big of a virtual icon would be everywhere, but overexposure is a peril.
And I think the leek meme has been covered in thorough detail already (although I wasn’t sure of the origins myself before then).
>^_~
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[…] Thanksgiving, somehow conversation in the workplace turned to the recent piece I wrote about HATSUNE Miku, the personification from the Vocaloid music software in Japan. Now so […]