I’ve written two blog entries already. I’ve dabbled in the history and debate surrounding vocal synths, but I forgot the one key part of any self-respecting vocal synth blog – an entry about a vocal synth! So for this week’s blog, I shall be singing the praises of the most well-known vocal synth: Hatsune Miku.
I’ve already mentioned her in my previous entries, but for those not caught up to speed, Hatsune Miku is a Vocaloid, a vocal synth belong to Crypton Future Media. But it’s more apt to say that she is the Vocaloid. She’s a worldwide sensation, bringing sweet tunes to us lowly, undeserving peasants. Her design consists of her iconic cyan-bluish hair put up in twintails. While her designs and clothing may vary, those two elements will often make any of her iterations instantly recognizable to her fanbase.
Another part of Miku’s eternal appeal is her malleability. Her standard character is a 16 year old Japanese girl, but she isn’t restricted to that age or culture. Case in point, a recent trend online of people depicting Miku from different cultures around the world. As a character, her vocal cords help wire her across continents. This map by u/H_A_M_E_D on Reddit helps illustrate this by matching countries to fanart of Miku from their culture.
Her character has spawned innumerable merchandise – figurines, plushies, clothing. She’s been the titular character of several games, and has been featured in just as many. She even has her own violently blue ramen!
…
Perhaps not all merchandise are created equally. Moving on!
It would be a crime not to discuss her purpose for existence: to bring music to the masses!
Since she is a software at heart, there are numerous “producers” who create the bulk of her media, whether it be audio or visual. Even if her voice is computer-generated, the lyrics and composition for her music and her music videos are not. So she gracefully glides across genres, ranging from her traditional J-pop tunes like Viva Happy by Mitchie M, to heavier genres like metal, with 骸Attack!! by Utsu-P. Crypton reports that there are over 100,000 songs featuring Miku.
My favorite Hatsune Miku song as of right now would have to be Mesmerizer by 32ki.
It’s a fast-paced, almost overwhelming, song about being hypnotized and distracting oneself from modern society. The song also features Kasane Teto, another popular vocal synth. Part of the reason I enjoy it is because the song is formatted in a fashion similar to short-form video content a la TikTok or YouTube Shorts, which helps advance the themes. It also features numerous easter eggs, such as SOS signals given by Teto throughout the video. Overall, this isn’t the most conventional Vocaloid song, but it plays to Miku’s strengths well.
Miku isn’t the most human-sounding vocal synth. But she still maintains a strong fanbase regardless through her own distinct charm.
This is pretty cool – not something I had any prior knowledge of but it definitely sparks my interest. You did a great job explaining everything, especially for someone like me who isn’t well versed in any of these topics.
The extra elements of your blog such as the map and hyperlinks really increase my engagement, so great job on those parts! Another really compelling aspect of this blog is your personal voice: it really shines through in moments like when you talk about the “violently blue ramen.” This blog was compelling, and I enjoyed reading it.
The interactivity of your passion blog, along with the topic itself, is very interesting! A person could really gauge how impactful Hatsune Miku is throughout the world. Very captivating, overall!