Eguchi Aimi is awesome.
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… 
Good god no!
There would be only one response - kill it with fire before it breeds!!! 
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.
[QUOTE=GeneChing;1109636]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… ;)[/QUOTE]
I thought we did that…didn’t we have it name LKFMDC, or somthing like that?
japanese? creepy? noooooooooooooooo.
Now that’s terribly creepy, Lucas, terribly creepy
Want some candy, little girl?
AKB48 Aisu no Mi CM (with Eguchi Aimi )
[QUOTE=Lucas;1109702]I thought we did that…didn’t we have it name LKFMDC, or somthing like that?[/QUOTE]
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.
It gets weirder
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)
CV01 Hatsune Miku - Innocence Live in HD (1080p 1920 x 1080)
Hatsune doesn’t sling candy. She slings Toyotas.
Dream Harmonic - Corolla + Miku: Big Dream
Yo, LA members! You so gotta go to this!
I hear it’s already sold out. :eek:
Hatsune Miku
MIKUNOPOLIS
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.
My god! It’s full of autotune!
Seriously I think somewhere along the line Singularitarianism replaced Shinto as the official state religion of Japan.
they’ll be making an English-speaking Miku in the near future
There’s vid. Follow the link.
Japan’s 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.
Terribly creepy X10
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!
Rachel Tackett
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!”
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.
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.
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?
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!
[QUOTE=Syn7;1251758]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![/QUOTE]
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. 
[QUOTE=David Jamieson;1251782]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. :)[/QUOTE]
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.
Remember when Darth told Luke he was his father?
Hatsumi Miku is ODB’s mother. Seriously.
September 27, 2013 13:20
[URL=“http://www.nme.com/news/odb/72909”]US hip-hop festival featuring ODB hologram axes dates due to ‘lack of ticket sales’
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
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)”.
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.
Arena covered with green light sticks.
Performed various songs: “Shinkai Shoujo”, “Tell Your World”, “ODDS&ENDS”.
Hatsune Miku changed her costumes depending to her songs.
Hatsune Miku performing “Cat Food” (doriko).
Special exhibition of Hatsune Miku.
Then again, who wants an app where you could sleep next to ODB?
[QUOTE=Syn7;1251758]How empty does one need to be to wanna sleep beside a cartoon? [/QUOTE] She’s not a cartoon. She’s a vocaloid.
[QUOTE=SimonM;1109920]My god! It’s full of autotune![/QUOTE] Of course! She’s a vocaloid.
I found Hatsumi’s facebook page. 1.3 million likes. Even with our recent ‘like’ push, that puts our fb to shame. :o
[QUOTE=David Jamieson;1251782]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. :)[/QUOTE]
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!
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.
[QUOTE=GeneChing;1251845]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?
[/QUOTE]
The rock the bells thing is a whole other topic. Don’t get me started on the state of hiphop.
[QUOTE=GeneChing;1251845]
She’s not a cartoon. She’s a vocaloid.
[/QUOTE]
Whatever
[QUOTE=Jimbo;1251832]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.[/QUOTE]
No doubt.
In soft countries is where you find soft men.