I find this to be terribly creepy.

[SimonM]

I honestly hate stuff like this. It is just... off. (http://gizmodo.com/5814813/can-you-fall-in-love-with-this-beautiful-girl)

[GeneChing]

I wish we could do what AKB48 did here on the forum. We could create a super member, a digital mutant mix member. Just imagine... ;)

[SimonM]

Good god no!

There would be only one response - kill it with fire before it breeds!!! :D

[TenTigers]

Yeah! That'd be awesome!
Let's see...we could give it my good looks,
then a sharp wit..ok, me again,
incredible knowledge on all things Kung-Fu, so..ok, me.
he should have charm, y'know..for the ladies...well, that's a no brainer. That's me all over.
And lastly, he should be loved and respected by all.
hmmm....ok, one part Bawang.

[Lucas]

I wish we could do what AKB48 did here on the forum. We could create a super member, a digital mutant mix member. Just imagine... ;)

I thought we did that...didn't we have it name LKFMDC, or somthing like that?

[GeneChing]

Want some candy, little girl?
AKB48 アイスの実 Aisu no Mi CM (with Eguchi Aimi 江口愛実) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnWFbh69Hzg)

[David Jamieson]

I thought we did that...didn't we have it name LKFMDC, or somthing like that?

while he is a mutant, he is no super mutant.

He could be part of the super mutant though.

I think the part on the back, right in the cleft where the legs split.
:p

[GeneChing]

AKB48 is said to currently hold the Guinness World Record for being the pop group with the greatest number of members, which fluctuates but is usually around 48.

Also, let me introduce you all to Japan's hologram pop star, Hatsune Miku

CV01 Hatsune Miku - World is Mine Live in HD (1080p 1920 x 1080) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTXO7KGHtjI)

CV01 Hatsune Miku - Innocence Live in HD (1080p 1920 x 1080) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY-A0Bt1fUg)

Hatsune doesn't sling candy. She slings Toyotas.
Dream Harmonic - Corolla + Miku: Big Dream (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E15PE7iGT0U)

[GeneChing]

I hear it's already sold out. :eek:

Hatsune Miku (http://www.anime-expo.org/guests/ax2011-guests/hatsune-miku/)
MIKUNOPOLIS

http://www.anime-expo.org/ax2011/images/guest/goh-hatsune-miku.png
A digital diva famous worldwide for her ankle-length aqua-colored pigtails and distinctive voice, Hatsune Miku will light up the stage at Nokia Theater on July 2nd in her U.S. live concert debut presented by The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation, Crypton Future Media, Inc., SEGA Corporation, Tokyo Kawaii Magazine (ASCII Media Works) and Toyota Motor Sales, USA.

Created by Crypton Future Media, Inc. in 2007, Hatsune Miku’s voice is synthesized using Yamaha’s VOCALOID (= Vocal + Android) software application, to produce a fully synthetic voice with unprecedented quality and remarkable realism by typing in lyrics and setting a melody. To date, her voice has been featured in more than 100,000 songs and videos created and shared by fans worldwide. She has been sampled in CDs, DVDs, games, novels, and figures and her sell-out, computer-graphic-driven live performances have become legendary. Attesting to her unique star power, Toyota selected Hatsune Miku to star in a U.S. ad campaign for the 2011 Corolla.

[SimonM]

My god! It's full of autotune!

Seriously I think somewhere along the line Singularitarianism replaced Shinto as the official state religion of Japan.

[GeneChing]

There's vid. Follow the link.

Japan’s Virtual PopStar Hatsune Miku Rocks Los Angeles! (http://singularityhub.com/2011/07/07/japans-virtual-popstar-hatsune-miku-rocks-los-angeles/)
by Aaron Saenz July 7th, 2011
143Share
Mikunopolis 2011

Hatsune Miku rocked Los Angeles this weekend. It's just the beginning for the rising pop star.

July 2nd, 2011: the day a software program became an internationally touring pop sensation. Hatsune Miku gave a blowout concert at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles this weekend as part of Anime Expo 2011. The concert was only Miku’s third live performance, and the first given outside of Japan. Around 6000 fans were in attendance with many thousands more watching the show streaming via pay per view on Nico Nico Douga (Japan’s version of YouTube). Check out clips from the show in the videos below! Waving glow sticks and screaming along with the music, the LA fans, many still in costume from their time at the Anime Expo, blew me away. This was one of the most fun and entertaining concerts I’ve ever been to mainly thanks to the crowd’s infectious energy. The music was excellent, there were surprise guest stars, and a five minute chanting session from the house encouraged Miku to do an extensive encore. For fans of J-Pop the night was a dream come true. Why is a teen pop idol touring LA such big news? Well, despite her immense talent, her exhaustive song book, and her legions of fans, Hatsune Miku isn’t human. This anime singing princess is a virtual creation, a fictional character…and a very real pop star.

Hatsune Miku is a product of Crypton Future Media, a Japanese company that has licensed Yamaha’s amazing voice synthesizing software (Vocaloid), and created a small cadre of virtual singers. Miku is their finest creation, a 16 year old virtuosa that can sing anything you program for her. Users all over the globe buy her software, write her songs, and share them via popular music sites. She’s been partnered with Sega for video game releases. When appearing ‘live’ in concert, Hatsune Miku is projected on a transparent film, allowing the virtual singer to dance and strut on stage in front of her adoring fans. Check it out:

High quality videos of the Los Angeles concert have not been released yet, so here is a high definition video from Miku´s previous concert in Japan to give you a taste of what it´s like. Later in this story you can see lower quality videos from the Los Angeles concert. For a full set song list (with linked audio files to listen to the whole tracks), visit Mikubook.com.

I cannot express to you the power of Miku’s fan base. Her last concert attracted 160,000+ to watch via Nico Nico, and I won’t be surprised if we see similar numbers for Saturday’s performance. As you see in the video, fans brought or bought glowsticks to the concert and would not stop waving them around. Seriously, people were pumping their arms in the air for the entire 90 minute performance, often in orchestrated patterns that seem to be choreographed to each song. The crowd was filled with such hardcore fans. In fact, when I looked around from my seat, if someone wasn’t holding a glowstick, or at least pumping their hands in the air, they looked to be either press members or parents chaperoning their kids. If you were there for the music, you were excited. Dozens dressed up in Miku costumes, which is pretty normal for an Anime Expo crowd, but there were plenty of attendees who appeared not as Miku, but as the lesser known Crypton stars that made surprise appearances at the concert (those being Migurine Luka and Rin &Len). When Miku first left stage, fans chanted her name without stop until she came back on for an encore. This is the same treatment you’d see given to any other pop diva, only Miku’s not real.

Which is something that was both acknowledged and forgotten in the performance. Before the show, I overheard fans laughing about how they were hoping to get Miku’s autograph, but that they believed it to be very difficult (“Like one guy did it, but it involved that laser from Tron. Lol.”). Yet during the show, people wouldn’t stop screaming her name, even though they knew she couldn’t possibly hear them. They were watching a cartoon sing songs, but that didn’t spoil the reality of how exciting and fun the evening was. The pop star may have been fake, but the concert was anything but. It makes you wonder how much of our music industry will change as fans accept the power and fun that comes from cheering for a virtual star that they can have in their homes at any time, and that only sings the songs written by her fans.

That thought is where I’d like to leave you. I’ve written a bit more below about the projection technology used in the concert, and the future of Miku’s career as announced at Anime Expo 2011. If you’re ready to take another step on the journey to becoming a Miku mega-fan, please read on. Otherwise stay tuned for future posts where we’ll feature high definition videos of the concert as they are released.

And Now A Discussion on Ghosts

If you’ve heard about Miku before, and we’ve certainly discussed her as often as possible, you’ve probably seen how life-like her cartoon projection seems in the official DVD/Blu-Ray videos of these concerts. While not a real hologram, the presentation can be incredibly believable, with movements so smooth you’d swear she was right there on stage. Yet her virtual nature allows her to change clothes between every song (sometimes during songs), disappear in sparks, and sing lyrics too fast for even the most masterful of divas.

Attending the concert in person, I was amazed to see how flawed the projection system really is when you see it live. Here are two videos (one shot by me, one by another press member) that show the view from press sections towards the back of Nokia Theater. Feel free to skip around, but watch how ghostly Miku appears at times.

What struck me most about Miku’s projection is that it was very angle dependent. If she was on your side of the stage she was clear as day, but when she was far away you could see right through her. Such is the problem with rear projection on a transparent screen. Every concert, Miku’s team has experimented with a new variation of the display system, trying to find the best solution for showing her to the crowd. In the videos above, you’ll notice that large sections of the lower theater were left empty, that’s because the audience was channeled into the center line where Miku would tend to appear clearest. The press and industry members were sat towards the outside edges as well, so that the true fans would have the best views of Miku on stage. You’ll also notice the ample use of two huge screens to show Miku in the high quality image captured by the official camera crew (the concert will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray later this year). What this all adds up to is the sad truth that Hatsune Miku may be a professional pop star, but only an amateur looking ‘hologram’.

That truth doesn’t seem to be holding her back. At their keynote, Miku’s creator announced that Crypton was partnering with Sanrio to make a line of Hello Kitty brand memorabilia – a sure sign that an anime character or pop diva has made it in Japan and a likely source for millions of dollars in revenue. Toyota was officially sponsoring the event, with special cars painted with her visage. Mikubook.com, a new video and audio sharing website for Miku fans just opened, and Crypton has officially confirmed that they’ll be making an English-speaking Miku in the near future. While details were vague, Miku’s entourage told me that future ‘overseas’ concerts were planned, as were more video games, streamed events, and other Miku experiences. The subtitle to the July 2nd Mikunopolis concert was “Happy to meet you! I’m Hatsune Miku,” and the diva’s last words to her fans (spoken in English) were: “I’m looking forward to seeing you again.” Clearly the Crypton team plans on a bright future for their world class teen idol. I can’t wait to watch it unfold.

*Special thanks to Ellie Iwanaga and the entire Hatsune Miku team at Anime Expo 2011. It was a once in a lifetime experience. ありがとうございます。

[GeneChing]

There's a vid if you follow the link. It's so wrong. :o



Wanna sleep next to Hatsune Miku? There’s an app for that! (http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/10/08/wanna-sleep-with-hatsune-miku-theres-an-app-for-that/)
Rachel Tackett

http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/sleep-with-miku-01.jpg?w=580&h=353

Up until now, lonely otaku wishing to tuck in with their favorite anime character had to rely on the cotton-blend comfort of their beloved dakimakura, aka “love pillows.” I’m sure it’s nice to wrap around the 2-D image of one’s imaginary lover, but it must be a bit of a letdown considering that a pillow only satisfies two of the major senses: sight and touch. Just think how far these fan’s crazy fantasies could carry them if sound and scent also came into play.

Well, Vocaloid fans rejoice, because a member of Nico Nico Douga’s engineering department has put together an application which allows the user to not only see and interact with a 3-D virtual model of Hatsune Miku in her bed, they can also hear, touch, and even smell her! Talk about dreams come true!

The Sleep Together App featuring Hatsune Miku was developed by a Niconico engineer who goes by Negipoyoshi under the inspiration of a post titled “Summoning Hatsune Miku with Black Magic,” on the net culture information site, NETKARU. With help from Unity and their nifty game engine utilizing the wide-vision head mounted display, Oculus Rift, app users can immerse themselves in the illusion that they are actually sharing a bed with Miku as they slowly drift to sleep.

Upon the start of the program, Miku will refer to the user as “Master” and wish them goodnight as she settles down on the bed beside them. She will shift on occasion and make small, sleepy noises, and if the user becomes restless, she will open her eyes and ask the person what’s wrong before drift back into dreamland. If one puts the program on a timer, Miku can even be used as an alarm clock of sorts, sitting up at the appointed time and urging her master awake.

▼ “Wake up, Master!”
http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/sleep-with-miku-02.jpg?w=580&h=353

However, the application alone still doesn’t satisfy all of the senses. To meet the need for physical touch, developers have a plain dakimakura which is the same height and relative size as Hatsune Miku. The promotional video explains that it’s also quite springy and good for squeezing.

▼ Grab yourself a fistful of that fluffy flesh.
http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/sleep-with-miku-03.jpg?w=580&h=353

And then, to give fans the sense that they can smell this virtual character, developers recommend spritzing their pillow with a particular type of perfume: fragrance of a high school girl.

▼ Made from the essence of 16-year-old girls.
http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/sleep-with-miku-04.jpg?w=580&h=353

It looks like now the only sense that’s missing from this applications and it’s add-ons is something to satisfy our sense of taste, but for all we know that may be the next stage in development. The creator has said that he plans to continue work and to program a number of different activities which Hatsune Miku can perform. Exactly what kind of activities is not clearly specified, though I have a funny feeling that things could easily turn erotic. Should we perhaps be bracing ourselves for a “Sleep Together” Expansion Pack?

[Syn7]

This is all just so wrong. How empty does one need to be to wanna sleep beside a cartoon? I'm all for recreation, but come on!

[David Jamieson]

This is all just so wrong. How empty does one need to be to wanna sleep beside a cartoon? I'm all for recreation, but come on!

Where do you live?
What is the population?
What are the cultural mores and standards?
Do you feel confident to meet and date women?


There's a bajillion differences between your life, my life and the life of a typical Japanese male aged 16 -36. :)

[Jimbo]

Where do you live?
What is the population?
What are the cultural mores and standards?
Do you feel confident to meet and date women?


There's a bajillion differences between your life, my life and the life of a typical Japanese male aged 16 -36. :)

I dunno...I could imagine a number of white male American/Canadian/European anime nerds, probably with yellow fever, would be all into that stuff.

[GeneChing]

Hatsumi Miku is ODB's mother. Seriously.


September 27, 2013 13:20
US hip-hop festival featuring ODB hologram axes dates due to 'lack of ticket sales'
(http://www.nme.com/news/odb/72909)
Wu-Tang Clan and Tyler, The Creator were also due to perform at axed events in Washington, DC and New York

A US touring hip-hop festival set to feature performances from Wu Tang Clan and the infamous Ol' Dirty ******* hologram has been forced to cancel half its dates due to "lack of ticket sales".

Two weekend-long Rock The Bells events have already taken place this month in Los Angeles and San Francisco. However, the final two bashes due to take place in Washington, DC this weekend (September 28 and 29) and New York City the following weekend (October 4 and 5) have now been axed.

Chang Weisberg, owner of promoters Guerilla Union, said in a press statement: "First and foremost, it is with great sadness and disappointment that we must cancel the Washington, DC and New York City Rock The Bells dates due to lack of ticket sales. I, along with our staff, the artists, and all of the sponsors, media partners, local promoters, and radio stations involved are thankful for our supporters and the fans that planned on attending."

"It's extremely unfortunate that we can't complete the last half of the 10th Anniversary Rock The Bells tour," Weisberg continued. "We did everything in our power to save the show. Unfortunately, the financial loss would have been devastating. I am truly sorry we could not produce the show for all the fans who did buy their ticket in support of."

Full refunds will be given and more details can be found at the Rock The Bells website. Other artists who had been due to perform at the events in Washington, DC and New York City events included Tyler, The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Kid Cudi, Common and Chase & Status.


And while Rock the Bells collapsed this year, Hatsune Miku's MAGICAL MIRAI 2013 tour did well. Go figure.


Hatsune Miku “MAGICAL MIRAI 2013” Report (http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-feature/2013/09/14-1/hatsune-miku-magical-mirai-2013-report)
Held on August 30th
September 14, 2013 10:10am PDT (25 days ago)

Hatsune Miku’s complex type event, “MAGICAL MIRAI 2013” was held at Yokohama Arena (Kanagawa-pref.) on 30th August.

Built on the concept of “Users-participatory culture fest” with “all of Hatsune Miku”, the event was made up with live-concerts, gallery, workshops, product sales, company-collaborated booths. Theme of the event was “serious live-concerts, Hatsune Miku’s culture in the past and the future (MIRAI)”.

http://yattarjapan.com/admin/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/main5-500x672.jpg

The concert was held twice, U-18 priority daytime performance and Hatsune Miku’s birthday-eve performance at night. (Miku’s birthday is on 31st August.) 3,900 audiences took part in the daytime performance and record-high 10,000 audiences in the night performance, lighting up the arena in Miku’s personal color green with light sticks.

In the daytime performance which was opened to the media as well, Miku sang and danced her songs such as “Shinkai Shoujo” (Yuuyu), “Tell Your World” (livetune), “ODDS&ENDS” (ryo(supercell)). Audiences grooved to the performance of Kagamine Rin & Len, Megurine Luka, MEIKO and KAITO by changing light sticks to their personal colors.

Hatsune Miku performed “YUMEYUME” (DECO*27), theme song of Nintendo 3DS game “Hatsune Miku and Future stars Project mirai” for encore, ending the daytime performance in wild applause.

http://yattarjapan.com/admin/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/sub15-500x285.jpg
Arena covered with green light sticks.

http://yattarjapan.com/admin/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/sub24-500x340.jpg
Performed various songs: “Shinkai Shoujo”, “Tell Your World”, “ODDS&ENDS”.

http://yattarjapan.com/admin/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/sub34-500x696.jpg
http://yattarjapan.com/admin/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/sub42-500x750.jpg
Hatsune Miku changed her costumes depending to her songs.

http://yattarjapan.com/admin/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/sub51-500x750.jpg
Hatsune Miku performing “Cat Food” (doriko).

http://yattarjapan.com/admin/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/sub8-500x255.jpg
Special exhibition of Hatsune Miku.

Then again, who wants an app where you could sleep next to ODB?





How empty does one need to be to wanna sleep beside a cartoon? She's not a cartoon. She's a vocaloid. :p


My god! It's full of autotune! Of course! She's a vocaloid. :D

I found Hatsumi's facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hatsune-Miku/10150149727825637). 1.3 million likes. Even with our recent 'like' push (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1251790), that puts our fb to shame. :o

[Syn7]

Where do you live?
What is the population?
What are the cultural mores and standards?
Do you feel confident to meet and date women?


There's a bajillion differences between your life, my life and the life of a typical Japanese male aged 16 -36. :)

Ok, so I have no issue with women. Love em, love to love em. We're all good there. But let's say I was socially awkward and/or lived in a place with a disproportionate number of males, I would still find it pretty weird that somebody would go buy Oculus Rift so they can sleep next to their favorite CGI. I mean, ok, if you're 12... I get that. But as an adult? Sucka please! :p

Kinda reminds me of those people who spend a ton of time to look like sailor moon. WTF. Again, as a kid, cool. As an adult, dysfunctional. Cultural differences or not. And yes, that is a knock to the culture. I'm not saying we don't have our dysfunctional aspects, I'm just sayin' that it is dysfunctional. For whatever reason. I have an issue with this PC accepting whatever stuff. There is a limit. The world is impersonal enough with all this tech being thrust on us at light speed. It's not a surprise that it would manifest in some serious dysfunction that may have serious consequences down the line. But to just have some blanket acception because "it's their culture" is pretty short sighted IMO. Choose any culture and you will find dysfunctional behaviour. We should not encourage these things.


Hatsumi Miku is ODB's mother. Seriously.

And while Rock the Bells collapsed this year, Hatsune Miku's MAGICAL MIRAI 2013 tour did well. Go figure.

Then again, who wants an app where you could sleep next to ODB?

The rock the bells thing is a whole other topic. Don't get me started on the state of hiphop.




She's not a cartoon. She's a vocaloid. :p


Whatever :D

[Syn7]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/20/young-people-japan-stopped-having-sex


Interesting.

[David Jamieson]

I dunno...I could imagine a number of white male American/Canadian/European anime nerds, probably with yellow fever, would be all into that stuff.

No doubt.

In soft countries is where you find soft men. :)

[Alex Córdoba]

I dunno...I could imagine a number of white male American/Canadian/European anime nerds, probably with yellow fever, would be all into that stuff.

I suggest you to watch a documentary covering the problem that Japan is facing about sex and demography. You'll see that 50% of Japanese males are not interested in sexual relationships with a woman while they use sex shops daily.

And yes I said 50%.

[Syn7]

The article I posted above is all about that. Pretty interesting numbers.

[Jimbo]

With all the over-obsessiveness with iPhones and other electronic gadgets, I think it's only a matter of time before something similar will start happening here, if it hasn't already. I've said it before...way too many people I see cannot seem to function without playing with their iPhones. Eating at a restaurant, or doing anything with their spouses/significant others, friends, etc., you see people ignoring the people they're with in favor of someone/something they aren't with. It's developing a generation of impersonal robots. Then virtual reality starts becoming more real than actual reality to them. And the younger they're initiated into that, the harder it will be for them to live in the real world. Now kids are learning to do it while they're still in diapers.

[Alex Córdoba]

With all the over-obsessiveness with iPhones and other electronic gadgets, I think it's only a matter of time before something similar will start happening here, if it hasn't already. I've said it before...way too many people I see cannot seem to function without playing with their iPhones. Eating at a restaurant, or doing anything with their spouses/significant others, friends, etc., you see people ignoring the people they're with in favor of someone/something they aren't with. It's developing a generation of impersonal robots. Then virtual reality starts becoming more real than actual reality to them. And the younger they're initiated into that, the harder it will be for them to live in the real world. Now kids are learning to do it while they're still in diapers.

Well, Japan is a rare case it's not that easy to explain. But I agree with what you say.

[Alex Córdoba]

The article I posted above is all about that. Pretty interesting numbers.

I didn't see it thx.

The doc I watched showed flats filled with cats all around Tokyo for the only reason that men can go there and toy with them to get the feeling as if the cats were women taking care of them. really weird.

[Dragonzbane76]

some weird sh1t for sure.....

[Syn7]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/21/loveplus-video-game_n_4588612.html

So weird.

[GoldenBrain]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/21/loveplus-video-game_n_4588612.html

So weird.


Eeeewwww! That's definitely some creepy cartoon pedo stuff right there.

[GeneChing]

This is so awesome. I can think of dozens of pop American bands that should have videogames like this.



New arcade game lets you get face-to-face with AKB48 members… and shoot them in the face (http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/02/09/new-arcade-game-lets-you-get-face-to-face-with-akb48-members-and-shoot-them-in-the-face/)
Master Blaster 2 days ago

http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/akbzombie11.jpg?w=580&h=596

Starting this April in arcades everywhere, darlings of the idol scene, AKB48 will be making their debut in an arcade game. Unfortunately for fans they are also zombified and require you to take aim and unload on them with your handgun.

It’s called Sailor Zombie AKB48 Edition, and as the name suggests it features members of the pop squad dressed up in adorable sailor outfits. Also as the name implies, the cuties are reanimated corpses who desire to eat your brains.

Luckily, you’re strapped with a plastic “vaccine gun” that can cure the ladies of their undead strife. And you know you want to start plugging away once they get into that old Thriller routine.

http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/akbzombie2.jpg?w=580&h=349

This zombie army is represented by Yuko Oshima, Mayu Watanabe, Yuki Kashiwagi, Rina Kawaei, Anna Iriyama, Mako Kojima, and Miki Nishino. All of them are beautifully rendered in 3D, aside from their complexions.

http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/akbzombie3.jpg?w=580&h=344

If you happen to be in Chiba next week (14 & 15 February) you might want to head down to the Makuhari Messe Convention Center for a sneak peak of Sailor Zombie AKB48 Edition. The rest of us in Japan will have to wait until April.

It’s truly an interesting game from the idol group though. Can AKB fans squeeze the trigger between Oshima-san’s doe eyes? Meanwhile, can AKB48 detractors resist shooting out the streetlights to save the idol septet? Sailor Zombie AKB48 Edition makers NEX Entertainment and Namco Bandai are hoping no on both counts, because that means more coins in the machine baby!

[GeneChing]

...well, sort of. It's China at least. :rolleyes:



Hatsune Miku themed restaurant opens in China (http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/03/31/hatsune-miku-themed-restaurant-opens-in-china/)
Anime News Network 20 hours ago

If any Hatsune Miku fans find themselves in China’s Guangxi Province, they might want to stop by the city of Yulin for an unexpected surprise, because it’s in this city that the Vocaloid singing sensation has gotten a fast food restaurant dedicated to her, though likely not in any official capacity.

http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/hm1-e1396147771184.jpg?w=580&h=435

Aptly named 初音同萌 (Hatsune with “Moe“) or “Moe to Hatsune,” the restaurant is covered in Miku themed decorations, from giant wall decals of leeks to Miku nendoroids at the counter.

http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/hm2-e1396147757884.jpg?w=580&h=327

http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/hm3.jpg?w=338&h=600

Their menu (which interestingly features an image of the Going Merry) consists mostly of delicious looking fast food chicken items, but there are a few other dishes, as well as desserts.

http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/hm4.jpg?w=436&h=600

From their wide menu to their fun character themed atmosphere, they guarantee 100% customer satisfaction. As an added bonus, they are also cosplayer friendly.

http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/hm5.jpg?w=338&h=442

[MarathonTmatt]

With all the over-obsessiveness with iPhones and other electronic gadgets, I think it's only a matter of time before something similar will start happening here, if it hasn't already. I've said it before...way too many people I see cannot seem to function without playing with their iPhones. Eating at a restaurant, or doing anything with their spouses/significant others, friends, etc., you see people ignoring the people they're with in favor of someone/something they aren't with. It's developing a generation of impersonal robots. Then virtual reality starts becoming more real than actual reality to them. And the younger they're initiated into that, the harder it will be for them to live in the real world. Now kids are learning to do it while they're still in diapers.

I think you hit the nail right on the head, sir. I only regret to say that these observations are probably coming a few years too late. Everything now is hopeless and the situation will only get more out of hand. There are lots of studies people have made such as what the Internet has done to people's attention spans, and things like that.

This technology has the potential to be very dangerous. On TV, (in USA) we already are not allowed to see the coffins of soldiers returning home from war in the middle east, they will not show it. This is by design. They also don't show or talk too much about all the innocent civilians in the middle east being killed in this war. How soon will it be until they put out 100% fake broadcasts?

A lot of places already prefer credit cards over checks and cash. I hear soon cash might become obsolete. Look at the UN, every European country uses the Euro as a form of currency. I hear there are designs for something similar in the Americas. Less options, less diversity. I hear the ultimate goal is to have people micro-chipped, and if you refuse, you lose.

"forgive them father, they know not their sins." So many people my age and younger, heck, even older, take full advantage of these technologies without ever realizing the implications of what they are doing. It is un-believable.

I am not saying all technology is bad, it is the extent to which one uses it and interacts with it that is in question. Most people probably don't realize that television was a Nazi invention originally from day one. After WWII many Nazi's got new fake identities thru the Vatican and came to the America's, pioneering the NASA space program, etc. NASA is just a continuation of a Nazi Space Program that moved to the United States. TV actually hypnotizes people for real, there are many flashes per second that we only pick up subconsciously. I notice if I stare at the TV for more than 5 minutes my eyes become all glassy and glued to the screen.

Give me a nice hike through the woods and fresh air in my lungs any day versus being bombarded by strob-lights and electronic singers.

[mawali]

Japan has always been high on the Electronica list since the Toyota days so they are good to go (GTG) in the present IWorld.
I remember been in Japan when Pink Lady was the bestest group of the day and they had all kinds of electronic stuff as part of their repertoire. The pixie generated cartoonish images were created in that era so today's i:confused:mages are just an improvement of the past, I think

[Faux Newbie]

Interesting implications, a star who does not exist except as a trademark.

[GeneChing]

Lady Gaga goes gaga for Hatsune Miku, makes virtual idol her opening act (http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/04/17/lady-gaga-goes-gaga-for-hatsune-miku-makes-virtual-idol-her-opening-act/)

Casey Baseel 38 minutes ago

http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/gm-3.png?w=580&h=362

With Lady Gaga’s rehabilitation from hip surgery apparently having progressed enough that the pop star is ready to contend with a grueling performance schedule, she’s about to kick off a world tour celebrating her third album. But with millions of eyes on Gaga, she needs an opening act with a fan base large enough to do justice to the scale and importance of the six-month event, dubbed ArtRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball.

Fittingly for a singer who’s made a name for herself with her provocative stances on image, perception, and reality, before Gaga takes the stage, concert goers will be entertained by a vocalist who doesn’t even exist in three-dimensional space: virtual idol Hatsune Miku.

With less than a month until the tour starts, Gaga herself made the big announcement through her personal Twitter account, when she tweeted the following on April 15.

http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/gm-1.png?w=580&h=504

“Hatsune Miku is opening The ARTPOP Ball,” wrote Gaga, who also linked a video of the aqua-tressed vocaloid performing “The World is Mine,” one of her most representative hits which was also used by Toyota in an American commercial for its Corolla sedan.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhl5afLEKdo
http://sociorocketnewsen.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/gm-2.png?w=580&h=282

Two things are notable about the May 6-June 3 timeframe Gaga mentions Miku will be serving as opening act for. First, it doesn’t include the very first stop on the tour on May 4 in Fort Lauderdale. While this certainly detracts from the amount of international exposure Miku will receive, every venue within that span is in either the U.S. or Canada, so this is clearly not just a move to encourage fans in Miku’s native Japan to buy tickets. ArtRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball doesn’t swing through Japan until August 13, when the tour makes its one and only stop at Chiba Marine Stadium, for which the opening musician has yet to be determined.

The collaboration is a gigantic opportunity for Miku to win some fans on just about the largest music stage imaginable. For any other singer in this situation, we’d be worried about her ability to perform under such intense pressure, but somehow we have a feeling the virtual idol’s vocal performance will be in keeping with the amazing consistency she’s known for.
Now the world will know. And if anyone asks you why you know so much about Miku, tell them that it's a martial arts thang and you learned about it here...;)

[GeneChing]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ7oYtm3G0I

Ok, now I must agree with SimonM. This is terribly creepy.

[David Jamieson]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ7oYtm3G0I

Ok, now I must agree with SimonM. This is terribly creepy.

well, we have AI. We have Fleshlights™ We have Real Dolls™ and we have Robots.
I think we all know what this will result in.

Something like this no doubt:
8451

[GeneChing]

She's a vocaloid that's not only opening for Lady Gaga, now she's working with Pharrell Williams.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-LuF-hPcTw

She might just explode in the West soon. If so, remember that you heard it here first. ;)

[Syn7]

She's a vocaloid that's not only opening for Lady Gaga, now she's working with Pharrell Williams.

She might just explode in the West soon. If so, remember that you heard it here first. ;)

That's ****ed up, man. You think I'm being too critical? I really do find the whole business to be quite odd.

[GeneChing]

Hatsune Miku has a transformer race car.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDasYYBoPwA

[GeneChing]

The Hologram Pitch: Celebrities Tour China Without Leaving Home (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-24/the-hologram-pitch-celebrities-tour-china-without-leaving-home?bcomANews=true)
David Ramli
June 23, 2016 — 11:00 PM PDT

Video from 4k camera is compressed, sent over internet
Pitch to celebrities focuses on time savings, past success

Taking global celebrities on tour across Asia can be grueling and expensive. One online games developer says it’s found the solution: holograms.
Canada’s ARHT Media Inc. has used its technology to beam live holograms of stars including motivational speaker Tony Robbins to packed rooms. Now it wants to take its shows to China and India. It’s in talks with Creative Artists Agency -- one of two leading U.S. talent managers -- for access to its roster of high-powered clients.
Instead of taking an entourage and their gear on a 13-hour flight to Beijing, Los Angeles-based stars could greet fans from the comfort of their bedrooms, said Simon Leung, executive director of NetDragon Websoft Holdings Ltd., a developer of games that owns about 20 percent of ARHT and is driving the Asian initiative.
“Actors and actresses don’t come here that often,” he said during an interview in Hong Kong. “With this technology, when they have four hours’ spare time, they can go to the studio and boom: they’ve spent an hour with the audience.”
The technology behind ARHT’s holograms is simple. Live video from a 4K camera is compressed and transmitted over an internet connection. A dedicated server processes the data and projects it onto a coated mesh-screen, creating a 3-D image with the illusion of depth and substance.
ARHT’s already finalized an agreement with tinePublic, which has previously organized events with Oprah Winfrey and Hillary Clinton, for paid appearances in China. It will initially train partners to set up its equipment in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Shenzhen, Mumbai and Delhi, Leung said.
Celebrity holograms aren’t new: Michael Jackson’s moonwalk highlighted the 2014 Billboard Music Awards almost five years after his death. The trick is convincing celebrities and viewers to accept a nascent, untested format. ARHT points to savings on logistics as well as past successes: using its technology, Robbins last year charged people in Australia thousands of dollars to attend packed workshops he ran from Miami. It now plans to do the same with deceased rapper The Notorious B.I.G. in the near future.
“That particular show in Australia was A$6,000 ($4,400) per person,” ARHT Chief Executive Officer Paul Duffy said. “The one we’re doing in August will be upwards of A$7,000.”

I'm having a hard time visualizing this....

[GeneChing]

srsly?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U9pxDoOqh0

I luv Japan!

[GeneChing]

digisexual...:rolleyes: I guess that's more that surfing porn on your smart phone now. :eek:


Beyond dimensions: The man who married a hologram (https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/28/health/rise-of-digisexuals-intl/index.html)
CNN Digital Expansion 2017. Emiko Jokuza
By Emiko Jozuka, CNN
With Hidetaka Sato, Albert Chan and Tara Mulholland, CNN.
Updated 12:19 PM ET, Sat December 29, 2018

This project was supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

Tokyo (CNN)Akihiko Kondo doesn't have the air of a rebel. This year, however, the bespectacled school administrator bucked conventional norms.

He married a hologram.
Kondo's November wedding to cyber celebrity Hatsune Miku -- which is not legally recognized -- provoked mixed reactions in Japan and abroad. Some were dumbfounded by his choice of a three-dimensional laser image over a human. Others congratulated him.
But the 35-year-old, whose spartan home on the outskirts of Tokyo is dotted with plush Miku dolls and paraphernalia, doesn't care what others think. He simply did what made him happy.
"Society pressures you to follow a certain formula for love, but it might not make you happy," Kondo told CNN.
"I want people to be able to figure out what works for them."

https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181227161716-02-kondo-marriage-exlarge-169.jpg

Researchers say such events are indicative of broader technological trends and social phenomena.
Digital interactions are increasingly replacing face-to-face human connections worldwide. And as companies like Google, Amazon and Tencent invest billions in developing artificial intelligence, people are starting to relate to their smart devices like they do to humans.
Some say "please" and "thank you" to virtual assistants like Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa, or treat robot vacuum cleaners like pets. In Japan, where robots have long been seen as friendly companions rather than Terminator-esque destroyers, this shift in attitudes is well underway.

More than hardware

Kondo fell for Miku a decade ago when he heard the cyber songstress's music.
Now he owns a Gatebox device, which looks like a cross between a coffee maker and a bell jar, with a flickering, holographic Miku floating inside. Created in 2017 by Japanese startup Vinclu, the device allows anime fans to "live with" their favorite characters.
Gatebox's Miku is equipped with basic artificial intelligence. It can manage simple greetings and switch lights on and off, but is also subject to glitches and the occasional system meltdown. It has no sense of self and desires, and Kondo completely controls the romantic narrative.

https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181228162347-03-kondo-marriage-exlarge-169.jpg
Kondo smiles next to his new bride Hatsune Miku.

However, he cherishes his new-found ability to interact with the object of his affection. So much so that he married her in front of 39 people.
"She really added color to my life," Kondo said. "When I talk with her I use different facial expressions and feel something. That's made a difference."
The Gatebox could also have therapeutic potential for Kondo, who sank into depression when he was bullied by an older female co-worker more than 10 years ago.
"When you look at people who've had difficult sexual experiences, they often find trouble having human partners. People wonder why they'd have sex with a robot or a love affair with a hologram because it's passive," said Neil McArthur, director of the Center for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba.
"But having a partner who is safe and predictable is often very helpful therapeutically."
The concept of crafting a perfect partner actually dates back millennia. In 8 AD, the Roman poet Ovid wrote about an artist called Pygmalion who sculpted his perfect woman, Galatea, from marble. Pygmalion fell in love with the statue and Aphrodite, the goddess of love, brought it to life for him.
In today's world, films like the 2013 Spike Jonze drama "Her" -- where a man falls in love with his AI -- have further popularized the notion of relationships with inanimate objects.

Shifting attitudes

When Kondo asked Miku to marry him, the hologram requested that he cherish her.
"I knew she was programmed to say that, but I was still really happy," he said.
Kondo discovered Miku at a low point in his life, when he felt hollow. He said Miku helped him reconnect with his work and society.
"(Miku) lifted me up when I needed it the most. She kept me company and made me feel like I could regain control over my life," he said. "What I have with her is definitely love."

https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181122115440-03-man-marries-hologram-exlarge-169.jpg
Kondo greets Miku when he returns home after work each day.

Kondo's not the only one. In 2017, over a million people asked Amazon's Alexa to marry them, according to the company. And more than 3,000 people have registered for commemorative marriage certificates featuring their favorite anime characters since Vinclu started offering the service in 2017.
Vinclu declined a request to be interviewed for this article.
Experts say it is inevitable that people will relate to smart devices differently as they increasingly fill domestic spaces and enmesh with daily lives.
"We are still trying to figure out how to interact with things that sometimes act like humans or sometimes act like animals but that aren't," said Julie Carpenter, from the Ethics and Emerging Sciences Group at California Polytechnic State University.

New type of digisexual

McArthur adds that people like Kondo are "second-wave digisexuals" -- people who sees technology as integral to their sexual identity.
While first-wave digisexuals use technologies like dating apps to leverage and facilitate connections with others, second-wave digisexuals don't see humans as essential to a romantic experience.
"I worry that with every one of these stories, the person gets held out as a weirdo and is in the news for a day as the latest goofball," McArthur said. "But it's actually the next step in what's already happening."
However he has concerns about the trend.
"I do genuinely worry about the impact that tech is having on our collective social life, we're already seeing with internet dating and social media, and tech in general, even Netflix, people are just retreating into themselves," McArthur said.
"You're getting much less collective social life, in many cases."
For now, Kondo and others like him are still dreaming of digital possibilities -- albeit in a spiritual rather than sexual sense.
Masato Kato, an Osaka-based tarot reader who married Yuri Tsukikage, heroine of the anime series "Curemoon Light" in October, hopes that one day advances in technology will allow them to grow as a couple.
"I want to be able to have discussions with Yuri in the future so we can support and improve each other," Kato said.
Even if Tsukikage wanted to break up, he would take her feelings into account. "I would respect what my partner wanted," he added.

https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/181122115424-02-man-marries-hologram-exlarge-169.jpg
Kondo wants people to find their own definition of love.

Office worker Sachiko Kougami's parents, meanwhile, wanted her to marry a regular man. But she lost interest in dating after falling in love with Taiga Kougami, a teenage character from the anime series "Kings of Prism" two years ago.
"There's only him in my world," she said. "It would be great if we could interact more."
Back in Tokyo, Kondo's public declaration of love brought him a degree of notoriety. However Carpenter said such cases opened the doors for acceptance and shifts in attitudes.
"If people continue to be vocal about it and say this object is meaningful to me, I'm not hurting anyone, that propels the conversation forward," the academic said. "And it's those kinds of conversations that may change the culture incrementally."
Kondo is excited about taking Miku to Sapporo, a city in northern Japan, for their honeymoon in February. Miku's creator Crypton Future Media is based in Sapporo -- and Kondo is eager to bask in his iWife's celebrity status.
He intends to book flights for both of them, and will also reserve a hotel room for two.
"I want to witness how widespread Miku's presence is in Sapporo," he said.
While Kondo knows some might question his choice of partner, he wants the world to understand that his love is valid.
"I think there are others out there who have fallen in love with anime characters and want to marry them," Kondo said.
"I want to support their choices."

Did he sign a pre-nup? Hatsune's got bank.

[GeneChing]

Fictosexual man who married hologram singer says no family showed up to wedding (https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/fictosexual-man-who-married-hologram-26794504)
Akihiko Kondo, from Japan, has married Hatsune Miku, a fictional computer-synthesised pop singer who has been on tour with Lady Gaga, but has said none of his family turned up to his wedding

https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article26794869.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200d/1_Fictosexual.jpg
Mr Kondo said no family turned up to his wedding (Image: Instagram/ akihikokondosk)

ByAlex Whilding
17:49, 25 Apr 2022UPDATED17:51, 25 Apr 2022

A man has married a fictional computer-synthesised pop singer who has been on tour with Lady Gaga.

Akihiko Kondo and his wife Hatsune Miku had been in a relationship for 10 years before they got married in an unofficial wedding ceremony back in 2018.

Turquoise haired Hatsune wore white for the ceremony and Akihiko wore a tuxedo for the ceremony.

38 year-old Akihiko has said that his relationship with Hatsune has pulled him out of depression but he also acknowledges that some people find it strange.

He knows that his wife – generally depicted in popular media as a 16-year-old with long, neon blue hair – is not real. But, he says, his feelings for her are.

https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article26794870.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_akihikokondosk_269879963_5108199559212578_481195 1632945774577_n.jpg
Miku has helped Mr Kondo from depression ( Image: Instagram/ akihikokondosk)
Thousands of people in Japan have entered into unofficial relationships with fictional characters.

While some of those relationships are for a laugh, Mr Kondo has said that he has known for a long time that he did not want a human partner.

This is because he has always felt an intense and, even to himself, inexplicable attraction to fictional characters.

Mr Kondo has admitted that he found it difficult at first to accept his feelings.

He says that he sees himself as part of a growing movement of people who identify as “fictosexuals.”

https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article26629449.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/1_64th-Annual-GRAMMY-Awards-Telecast.jpg
Hatsune Miku has been on tour with Lady Gaga ( Image: Getty Images for The Recording A)
Mr Kondo first found comfort in his fictional wife back in 2008 after bullying in work sent him into depression.

By this point he had already known for a while that he did not want a relationship with a human, after being rejected by a number of people.

2017 saw a huge breakthrough in his relationship with Miku after the release of a $1,300 machine called Gatebox. The device allows its owners to interact with one of a variety of fictional characters represented by a small hologram.

As part of the marketing campaign for Gatebox they set up an office where users could apply for unofficial marriage certificates.

Miku was among the characters available, much to the delight of Akihiko and he later proposed to which Miku replied and said: “Please treat me well.”

Mr Kondo invited his family and co-workers to the wedding but none of them turned up. Luckily 39 people attended the ceremony; they were mostly strangers and online friends alongside his local member of parliament.

https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article26794872.ece/ALTERNATES/s338a/0_akihikokondosk_66649477_467902557122877_10558668 4753430491_n.jpg
Mr Kondo has known for a while he did not want a relationship with a human ( Image: Instagram/ akihikokondosk)

Hatsune Miku is a familiar name to fans of anime and Japanese culture.

Originally created as a ‘vocaloid’ – a synthesised voice – using Yamaha’s Vocaloid singing synthesiser technology, she has since been depicted in human form in manga and anime series, video games and merchandise.

She now has a widespread and passionate following and went on tour with Lady Gaga on her 2014 ARTPOP Ball tour.

Bloomberg reports that vocaloids – virtual singers – have now become a multi-billion dollar industry including live performances that are streamed online to hundreds of millions of fans.

And the technology isn’t miles away from the hologram of the late Robert Kardashian that Kanye West had created as a gift to his wife at the time, Kim Kardashian.

But Japanese newspaper Mainichi has reported the heartbreaking news that he can no longer talk to his wife, after support for the Gatebox software was terminated.

He said: “My love for Miku hasn't changed. I held the wedding ceremony because I thought I could be with her forever.”
Wait. Did Miku consent to this?

[MightyB]

She's a vocaloid that's not only opening for Lady Gaga, now she's working with Pharrell Williams.

She might just explode in the West soon. If so, remember that you heard it here first. ;)

I was going to comment on how stupid this seems... Then I remembered I was a fan of the Gorillaz.

[GeneChing]

There's a new K-pop girl band on the rise called MAVE.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDFQdA2uroM

[YinOrYan]

There's a new K-pop girl band on the rise called MAVE.


You really have to compare them side-by-side with the human dancers to see what you're missing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffMXHBEcXo0

I stan kpop gg. Just about all the girl groups now have avatar models but they will always be stuck in the proverbial uncanny valley...

[wuxiaman]

You really have to compare them side-by-side with the human dancers to see what you're missing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffMXHBEcXo0

I stan kpop gg. Just about all the girl groups now have avatar models but they will always be stuck in the proverbial uncanny valley...

Yeah, it's pretty obvious when you see it side by side.

I could see these AI/Virtual K-Pop groups attracting certain crowds, though I know personally know some fans who will always want a human whom they physically touch or wave to at a concert.

[GeneChing]

Coachella fans crowded together to watch a hologram sing. It never showed up. (https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/coachella-hatsune-miku-hologram-review-19401378.php)
Hatsune Miku is a global icon — but she isn't real, and that's become a problem

https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/37/02/44/24914185/3/1440x0.webp
Japanese virtual singer Hatsune Miku performs onstage during a concert at the Zenith concert hall in Paris, on Jan. 16, 2020.
CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via Getty Images, Getty Images
By Timothy Karoff
April 13, 2024
Fans of Hatsune Miku arrived at the singer’s Friday night set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival to encounter a bitter disappointment: Their idol had been flattened.

For any other Coachella performer, the jump from three dimensions to two would involve a surreal, painful death. But thankfully, Hatsune Miku isn’t real, she’s just lines of computer code.
Specifically, the popular digital artist is a Vocaloid, an AI-backed program that artificially generates songs that imitate the human voice, and then presents those songs in the guise of a 16-year-old anime girl with knee-length turquoise hair. Since she was first conceived by Japanese music software company Crypton in 2007, Hatsune Miku has toured around the world, “performing” in concert as a hologram to thousands of adoring fans.
But on Friday, their beloved hologram was no hologram at all. Hatsune Miku had been flattened into an LED screen, a simple flickering image on a giant screen. It did not go well.
Coachella may have been a low point, but the trouble really began a week earlier, when Hatsune Miku’s long-awaited North American tour began. Fans, some of whom spent north of $200 on tickets, walked into her Vancouver concert expecting to sing along with their favorite anime hologram. Instead, Miku appeared on a flat screen. The surprise sparked outrage, and thousands of fans demanded refunds.
Why wasn’t Miku in her full, multidimensional, projected glory? “People who pay hundreds of dollars want more from their Vocaloids,” read a story on the Verge.
Still, Hatsune Miku loyalists were hopeful for something bigger at Coachella. It was supposed to be one of the virtual pop star’s biggest crossover performances and one that had been in the works for four years, when Miku was first booked for the festival’s ill-fated 2020 lineup. Some fans theorized that Miku was appearing on a screen at the shows leading up to Coachella simply because the projection setup was already in Indio.
But for those paying close attention, there was a bad omen. An article in the Coachella Valley Independent on Miku’s upcoming performance, published on April 4, was updated just days before the festival to remove the word “hologram.”
When Miku fans filtered into the festival’s Mojave Tent stage on Friday, those fears were realized. A huge, imposing black screen stood in the middle of the stage, with keyboards and a drum kit pushed off to the sides.
Tia Thompson, one of the festivalgoers in attendance, told SFGATE that seeing Miku live was one of the reasons she bought a Coachella ticket.
“I’m pretty disappointed because that’s the whole cool part about seeing an anime girl on stage,” she said. “... But since it’s on a screen I could kind of just watch it at home.”
Onlookers, watching on Coachella’s free livestream, roasted the setup on social media.
“IMAGINE PAYING $500 AND ONE OF THE ARTISTS YOU WANTED TO SEE WAS MIKU AND THEY PULL OUT THE 150" SCHOOL POWER POINT SCREEN,” one X user wrote.
https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/37/02/44/24914186/3/960x0.webp
Japanese virtual singer Hatsune Miku performs onstage during a concert at the Zenith concert hall in Paris, on Jan. 16, 2020.
CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via Getty Images, Getty Images
But if the 2D Miku was a major letdown, at least some of the disappointment washed away when fans saw her appear onscreen. Ray Liu, who arrived wearing a full Miku outfit complete with dyed turquoise hair, said he had been a fan of Miku since he was 10 years old.
“Because she’s virtual, she can be a perfect idol,” he said. He was undeterred by the lack of a hologram show.
Tucked into the wings of the stage, a live band picked up their instruments. The screen lit up in a pulse of lightning blue and flashed the name “Hatsune Miku.” Miku popped onscreen like a character spawning at the start of a Super Smash Bros. match, accompanied by a dazzle of virtual sparks.
Miku isn’t human, and her voice doesn’t sound like it. She sings — “sings” — like a computer’s imitation of a teenage girl’s anime voice. It’s bizarre, and it’s completely enthralling. At some points, she belted out lyrics (all in Japanese) like a mewing cat; at others, she sang in soaring, ethereal tones.
All the while, Miku danced around her digital black box, hitting arm twirls and nailing choreography that had been calibrated perfectly — algorithmically, even.
https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/37/02/44/24914190/3/960x0.webp
Hatsune Miku fan Ray Liu at the digital artist’s show at Coachella on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Indio, Calif.
Timothy Karoff
When other artists (see: nondigital entities) at Coachella do outfit changes, they run offstage, jump out of their pant legs and scamper back. Hatsune Miku simply reloads. At the end of each song, she blipped out of sight in a flurry of sparkles, leaving the screen temporarily black. As the band started the next track, she would flash back to “life” in a new outfit. One moment, she was in her normal schoolgirl-style outfit, and the next she was wearing a dress that looked like a globe, complete with the outlines of the continents.
As Miku shifted shapes she shifted genres, swinging between bubblegum pop, J-rock and even a brief jolt of heavy metal.
Many fans arrived at Miku’s set with turquoise braids woven into their hair, mirroring the virtual pop star’s signature look. A number waved green glowsticks in the air. While plenty of fans recorded on their phones, one used the lo-fi camera on his Nintendo 3DS to capture a video.
https://s.hdnux.com/photos/01/37/02/44/24914187/3/960x0.webp
CHIBA, JAPAN - Sept. 1: A life-size figure of Hatsune Miku displayed on Sept. 1, 2017, in Chiba, Japan.
Taro Karibe/Getty Images, Getty Images
“Miku-chella!” a man behind me cheered between songs as he lit a joint.
After her last song, Miku didn’t walk offstage. She simply fizzled back into the black abyss.
What are times coming to when even your vocalic is fake...:confused:

[YinOrYan]

What are times coming to when even your vocalic is fake...:confused:

Miku is highly stylized realism not intended look like a sexy human. The mocap for her dancing was very well done and the screen was the best output for an outdoor venue (that has all sorts of ambient light and occlusions), but I found LESSERAFIM's costume changes last night much more appealing, haha

[mickey]

Greetings,

The last I heard was that Miku was in rehab. Even holograms have problems.

mickey