Hatsune Miku | Explaining The Impact of a Virtual Idol

[@myleswithay1362]

Oh boy, it's been a while since I popped my head out of the sand... Well, I can't believe it. 5K views is nutty to say the least. I wondered where the hell all these subscribers were coming from, and apparently this video found its way out of the depths of Unlisted hell and back into people's attention. I'm not sure how it happened but I'm grateful. I've wrestled with the idea of coming back to YT for a while now, but I wasn't sure it was worth it. Most of my videos were very analytical, detached, maybe a bit impersonal. But I think you've inspired me and reminded me that smarts, heart, and art are something everyone can appreciate. This was a video born from the depths of my love for a fictional singer and the fact that it's not just reached 5K views, but touched a lot of people is just something I couldn't have imagined when I made this video three years ago. Thank you sincerely for giving me the drive to create again. I hope you'll all stick around for whatever I do next, whenever I do it next!

[@myleswithay1362]

@Brigade Leader Haruhi Suzumiya Thank you so much! Miku is something I think a lot of people don't "get" so I wanted to make this video, and I'm very glad it still speaks to people. Don't worry, I also have a crush on Miku

[@jemlibrary1985]

Thanks for this informative video about Vocaloid. :) I guess most of the world still doesn't widely know about it, but when I was in Japan from 2012-2017, its merchandise was simply EVERYWHERE.

[@myleswithay1362]

@@jemlibrary1985 No problem!

[@chickensandwich9977]

DUDE WHY'D YOU STOP POST!! The editing and script is fantastic Is there anywhere else you're posting your work

[@mikewazowskiii]

34k views..

[@alalcoolj216]

Is it really so hard to understand? Thousands of incredibly diverse songs that millions of people love. No other singer in history, human or otherwise, comes anywhere close to that.

[@alalcoolj216]

Sure. The beauty of Miku is she doesn't operate like a conventional pop star. You don't hear her on the radio then buy her latest CD. Most of her music is non-commercial and is shared virally on video sites. Most of her commercial music sales is actually in the form of video games! She flies under the radar of the music industry because she operates so differently. If her US video game sales were converted to equivalent albums, she'd actually be top-40 in the US! People don't understand her popularity because she doesn't fit the usual models.

[@alalcoolj216]

Do they see the fiscal success? In the US, Miku does not chart, does not get airplay, and only has a few niche video games. Nor does she have a highly subscribed youtube channel. Compared to other singers, her level of fan support seems to come from nowhere. And it's not like Crypton or SEGA are media giants plastering Miku ads everywhere. Even in Japan her appearances on the charts are few, and mostly happened years ago. Many Japanese acts have far better music sales, yet Miku obliterates them all in international appeal and recognition. I think writers and music critics would be baffled by her even if she were human. Perhaps even more so. :-)

[@elainad6728]

Yeah hastune miku is great because it gives so many people a chance to make music!!

[@queerstioninglife]

It’s been 5 years are u still a fan?

[@alalcoolj216]

@@queerstioninglife Absolutely. I set aside time every day to seeking out new Miku songs that I love, and all my playlists are All Miku All the Time.

[@idleeidolon]

miku is a modern day godess. she is the embodiment of creative collaboration of multiple media, art, music, etc. she is the product of millions of creative souls singing in harmony.

[@idleeidolon]

AmericanHikikomori if you think as to how mythologies and pantheons are created through the constant retelling of stories and morality tales of made up characters like zeus/thor/etc across human history. miku is exactly like them, only she birthed and grew at the speed of the internet. a song comes out, someone makes a fanart of it, someone else writes a fanfic, and a couple of years later, we have an anime. it's that fast. she is effectively a modern day deity.

[@idleeidolon]

AmericanHikikomori she can be bitchy if we want her to be. hence the popularity of "world is mine". she doesn't have one strict set of properties or traits. hence the existence of black rock shooter or other versions of her. she is as the crowd wills her to be. just like any deity. only at the speed of the internet. look at the difference of perception we have for the old testament fire and brimstone yaweh and the new testament benevolent jesus. that took thousands of years. miku shifts and changes at the speed of the next fanart and song that we get behind.

[@idleeidolon]

The personality traits of each major deity throughout history often has relation to what they were representative of or had domain over. Those traits change as the understanding of their domains change. Miku is far more flexible than that. She has the advantage of the internet. Her traits are what we assign to her, and which assignments stick. Our interpretation of the the monotheistic yaweh have changed over history. from just simply yaweh a head of a pantheon, to yaweh a monotheistic god, to yaweh part of a trinity with jesus christ. In the same vein Miku's characteristics change as well, depending on the song made for her, the fanart that was assigned to it, the meme that stuck at the time etc. Again, for reference just look at the differences in character traits in the Miku in "the world is mine" to miku in "hatchune miku" to miku in "black rock shooter". Yes they have some commonalities, but the traits shift much as the same way as religious reinterpretations do, only much much faster. She isn't set in stone. It's just a matter of whether or not a specific interpretation of her becomes memetic or not.

[@lexis2573]

It's been 3 years, you still a fan of her?

[@Dreamer-Ellie]

I agree

[@gabrielmonge418]

"World is Mine is a song about being a huge b**ch." I exploded in laughter xD Anyway, this video's message is so beautiful. I think you actually got why people who love Vocaloid in general actually love it.

[@yugikitten]

I think an important aspect that wasn't touched on, the vocaloids are treated as actors willing to act whatever role the musicians want to give them. They're not just seen as characters/personas that have a straight line personality, they can be a spoiled bitch in one video and a depressed self sacrificing girl in another and a cold hearted monster in another. And this is widely accepted. Their songs thus have a face of a singer for people to get attached to, but at the same time dont have a rigid persona for people to attribute to them unlike characters from music video series like the Gorilaz or Mekakucity actors. People can, in this way, enjoy a wide variety of portrayal of their favourite character, and still keep an image they prefer about their favourite chartacters, even when said characters play an unseemly role. Thus people get offended less, and enjoy more variety of media, which in turn, encourages artists to create more variety in their media. Its a nice cycle

[@myleswithay1362]

That's a great point. Vocaloid is especially fun because you can follow them the same way you do a great actor. There's both a theatricality element to Vocaloid which is explicit in some works, like Oster Project and Mitchie M's library - in which the characters recur in similar roles to each other - the Vocaloids are visibly themselves playing a part (Miku is always the star, Len is always a punchline in some way), or more immersive projects in which the Vocaloids disappear into their respective role and become a new character entirely.

[@billberil3399]

@@myleswithay1362 There is a phenomena called "MELT SHOCK". After Ryo released Melt, the Vocaloid scene become bigger and more active than before. Everyone began to buy Hatsune Miku and making many new kind of songs from all kind of genre. From that, what they called MELT SHOCK began. It's where a Hatsune Miku from one creator became a part of another new Hatsune Miku, birthed from a new creator. And that new Hatsune Miku from that new creator become a part of another new Hatsune Miku from another new creator. That cycle creating millions of unique Hatsune Mikus from each of these creators. And that cycle is still going on up until now. That's exactly what the Fathers of original Hatsune Miku (Wataru Sasaki and Hiroyuki Itoh) want. They want everyone to have their own unique Hatsune Miku, and create something amazing with her. That's why they call vocaloid as a blank canvas... Vocaloid can play any role their master want, they can can sing whatever song their master want, they can be anything their master want. Because they are all basically different Mikus from different creators~ That's the exact reason why every creator(producer/musician/illustrator/photographer/cosplayer) can have unique Hatsune Mikus only for themselves to accompany them through their creative journey! Melt Shock will never end. Even when a creator passed away (like Wowaka) and his Miku went to accompany him, his Miku already became a part of many many other new creators, birthing many many other news Mikus that will have a part of Wowaka's Miku, but with some new originality from the new creators~ That's why creators could fall in love easily in vocaloid world~ Because It is full of freedom and inspiration~ Sadly, the newcomers in vocaloid world, who said they understand everything about vocaloid, don't understand this culture at all... They usually said, "MIKU IS NOT LIKE THIS!!", "THIS IS NOT MIKU!!", "MIKU SHOULD BE LIKE THIS!!" and so on and so on, then began a cancel culture to the creator they don't like...

[@RossCuth]

7:09 "Have some fun with Miku~" UUUGH THE CRINGE

[@RossCuth]

AmericanHikikomori OMG tell me about it, it was just soo bad and creepy. Please Dominos, never again

[@faithfulmitsu2916]

That sounded so wrong-

[@skyblade7438]

I love that ad. There's something so *wrong* with it. It's like the dude's being held at gunpoint the entire time.

[@cats4meu625]

@@skyblade7438 HIDFHF IKR

[@vanessaahaha]

LMFAO

[@lena3973]

for me personally i got bullied when i was younger and i still feel disconnected to people, i used to collect dolls and they were my comfort and i felt like they were my only friends so miku is like a friend that i never had as a child, miku is like a real person because i don't feel pressured when i'm listening to her song and miku looks like a friendly person, not like a fake friendly but and genuine smile

[@joe5143]

Love youself , youre amazing and no one can take that from you 💜🤙🏾

[@DarioVolaric]

Thank you! That was beautiful! Gave me a tear!..... I also don't understand people who say "why would you go to a concert and watch a projection?" or "but she is not real!"...Well, we all pay money to go to cinemas and watch a screen of cgi stuff that is 'not real'? And it's not like the whole thing is pre-recorded. There is a live band. In fact, Miku is more real than many other 'flesh-n-blood' singers out there. Her songs are made by average people like you and me with a real (and sometimes painful) story behind it. 'Artists' like Bieber have a whole team of writers that write his songs for him. And his real life personality is not really something to idolize either. Miku is giving voice to the voiceless. Power to the powerless. And visibility to the invisible. She is the symbol of inspiration, joy, love but also pain and sadness. Well, to me at least.

[@misfit4577]

But we all realize that a movie is just that. A movie. Y'all act like the character itself it's real. Bieber writes most of his songs. I don't like him but I'm pretty sure he writes his own stuff. He's still a real person.

[@Gelert_AT]

@@misfit4577 And? I mean, I don't really care if the person singing is real or not, I care about the effort and dedication that made possible the experience i'm receiving. Think about it, Miku is not a real human, but that doesn't mean the songs that she sings where made by magic. Miku (as well as all the other vocaloids) is an instrument for artists to comunicate and express themselves, just as a 'flesh-n-blood' musician. Who cares if I idolize a real person or a 2D character? At the end of the day they are the exact same in a practical aspect.

[@tadicahya6439]

@@misfit4577 dude do you really think these people think she's real? We all know she's a software,we just want to listen to the song

[@misfit4577]

@@tadicahya6439 the original comment above states the opposite

[@misfit4577]

@@tadicahya6439 it literally defends thinking of it as if it's real

[@Pokaroquai]

*THERE IS NO ONE CAN BEAT THE VOICE OF MIKU*

[@myleswithay1362]

AMEN AMEN

[@Bitchmadeboy]

Len

[@Bitchmadeboy]

@@myleswithay1362 l e n

[@yanfeimain9135]

@@purpl-p6745 that doesnt mean she can beat her lmao

[@beanbean9364]

Freddy Mercury :P

[@RingoLav_03]

(9:59) You realize that Myles is going to get inspirational when Tell your World starts playing in the background

[@myleswithay1362]

Everybody's gangsta till Myles plays Tell Your World

[@vocavox9275]

Pretty good. :) Just felt I should mention though that Miku was the third in the line of Crypton Vocaloids behind Meiko and Kaito, which actually makes her immediate success somewhat more impressive. I think that in some ways, Miku's success was the result of a "Perfect Storm" of Appearance, Sound and Timing, because even though the whole "Character Vocal" wasn't anything new when she was released, she caught people's attention because of the way she looked and the way she sounded. Add to that Crypton's "Collective Commons" licensing which more or less made publishing works featuring her voice and likeness free to creators *and* Crypton's own collaborative website, Piapro, which encouraged and facilitated said collaboration, and things kind of all came together seamlessly at precisely the right time and provided a ways and means for hundreds of very talented people to both create and publish their works. I also think Miku's appearance and sound may have helped "open the door" for the consumers as well, who, intrigued by the cute, singing "anime girl" were quick to recognize the quality of what she, as the face of those myriad creators, had to offer. The rest of course is, as you say, simply a case of smart business people recognizing a great opportunity when they saw it. Success builds even more success, and Miku's early adoption by so many talented individuals laid the groundwork for even more creators seeing her as a viable means of getting their music heard, and so on, and so on. And here we are nine years later with Miku showing no signs of slowing down. And I for one couldn't be happier because imho, there's more innovation and pure creative energy flowing through the channels provided by Miku and Vocaloid, then in pretty much any other medium out there. And anyone willing to accept and explore the possibilities it offers stands to reap the benefit. :)

[@vocavox9275]

Ah! I stand corrected then. Thanks! :)

[@rachelm1772]

This was absolutely beautiful it’s what I’ve been trying to explain to so many people but can’t and I can’t believe I’ve barely seen it ❤️

[@myleswithay1362]

Well, feel free to share it around! I hope that I can make as many people understand what I love about Miku as possible

[@vocavox9275]

Great job, and you really covered a lot of the bases with regards to Miku's lasting popularity, but just to add my personal feelings about her, I think a lot of her appeal, and why it manages to last so long with people is that each of us can find, and/or create our own Hatsune Miku. Everybody has their own things that resonate with them on a personal level, and because there are *so* many people creating *so* many vehicles for her in the form of art and music, it's not difficult for a person to find an almost inexhaustible supply of the Miku they relate to. And unlike human performers, who will often create a stage persona that has absolutely nothing to do with who they are in real life, only to be "outed" in the tabloids, Miku's fans never have to worry about her getting caught on cellphone camera acting boorishly, or, as so many Stars seem to do, killing herself in a hotel room after a concert. We can all create our own Hatsune Miku, and with very little effort, have her always be want we want her to be. Hatsune Miku will never disappoint. And that's a pretty powerful thing.

[@vocavox9275]

Well I'm a bit of a Miku-nut myself, so I've given her nature a fair bit of thought. ;) "My" Miku is probably a lot like yours, as I see her as being relentlessly good and full of life. She's kind-hearted and excitable, but vulnerable as well, and all of those personality traits add to the impact of her performances. Because I've created such a clearly defined persona for her over the years, when she's happy, I'm happy, and when she's sad, I'm sad too. That "emotional bond" with a performer can really elevate a song to being more than it might have been otherwise. It also helps that I speak next to no Japanese because an awful lot of her songs have a meaning that's completely at odds with how they sound. I *love* Pinocchio P's work, but dang... when you actually read his lyrics, they can be "unsettling". And don't get me started on songs like "Hello Planet", or "Time Machine", which were a couple of my absolute favourite, upbeat songs until I actually saw the Project Diva videos for them. 0_0 For me, no Japanese means I can just listen to the sound of the music and singing and interpret as I see fit, so it's another way in which every person interacting with Vocaloid, (well, every non-Japanese speaking person ;) ) can create their own unique experience. Personally, I feel kinda sad for people who can't get past the sound of Vocaloid voices, cuz yeah... they do take a fair bit of getting used to, but the reward for putting the effort into it is incredible because there's an mind-blowing amount of amazing music being made with and for these characters, and for those of us who *don't* like the "attitude" of Western Popular Music these days, it also offers an almost endless source of positive messaging. Even if much of the time, we listeners are making that message up ourselves. ;)

[@newbie4789]

The most "human" electric piece ever existed isn't the Sofia robot, Google assistant or Siri... It's Miku... Hatsune miku. And that's why I say, Otaku's are the future or human

[@lillydachicOfficial]

TBH, now there is the quarantine, Miku and her popularity has gone up.

[@katsu_illustrate]

Probably the most representative video of what Vocaloid and Hatsune Miku is

[@evocircuit]

i was 9 years old when i discovered vocaloid through flipnote hatena and i ended up discovering the miku toyota ads through some website my mom used and for years and years and years i genuinely wanted it to be my car because.......... goddamn its the fucking miku car!!!!!!!

[@saniyya2493]

This video is criminally underrated!! This was amazing! Great job with this!

[@myleswithay1362]

Thank you so much for the kind words!

[@loadingresourcesdotdot]

She’s actually 16 years old this year

[@ThatWolfWizard]

As someone who isn't really into Miku you really made it so I could understand the appeal. Good video!

[@Charmed1444]

Luka is hot tho

[@Nescium]

She has a great voice as well

[@Nescium]

She has done a lot these 9 years. Being in the Late Show with David Letterman left me saying "wut." Was curious on how that went down

[@fagitocumaeda]

Charmed1444 Len is hot tho

[@pixelpudding3914]

Gachapoid tho 😳

[@astrosyche]

@@pixelpudding3914 NO

[@gachah3ll768]

We launched her to the Moon got me lmao

[@kuragari3120]

Me: not listening to him also Me: Vibing to Viva happy in the background

[@myleswithay1362]

Bro I can't even blame you Viva Happy is a fucking bop

[@Duskdevatabyss]

Wait! Kaito and Meiko are known as Yamahaloids! They were created by Yamaha, and Crypton got the rights from Yamaha. Edit: surprisingly, in the end you summed up exactly how I feel about the Vocaloid fandom in of itself. A gateway to countless tales, countless worlds, countless songs.. and countless lives. Given of the depictions of the Vocaloids- Famous 8 or not- they can speak to everyone in their own way, and become their voice. In ODDS&ENDS, Miku even states in the lyrics "I'll sing your very words". In of itself, both Tell Your World and ODDS&ENDS perfectly sum what Vocaloid is truly about at heart. A medium for the powerless, voiceless, small minority of people with creative minds to set their tales free. In ABCDEnding, there is a video called The Last Story, followed by Plastic Flower. In a way, the two videos sum up VOCALOID's purpose with symbolism. The fairy who didn't have a voice represented a VOCALOID user, while the boy (who was specifically Kaito in the story, but they can be any 'loid) was the virtual singer. In a way, the blank-slate nature of the Vocaloids was represented by the price the boy paid to learn of love- the ability to change form to match a heart, but the inability to recognize the self. There is no "true", "right" or "wrong" way to see a character. They can be seen as an annoying brat, or a rebellious child who wants their thoughts to be heard. A noble samurai, or a perverted man who's into samurai flicks. An airhead, Kermit, or serious yet gentle soul. To a person's heart, a Vocaloid may not look the same to the heart of another. If a vision is shared, they appear the same to two people, save for some minor differences. Vocaloids, ironically enough, can also draw out certian emotions in some hearts. For some, it is hate- others become overcome with a bolt of love. Sometimes, new characters are born in the Vocaloids' endless realm, due to a heart's longing to be with the singer they admire. (Er... I went on a tangent... also, I'm totally one of the hearts who fell in love with a singer.. tehe)

[@joemmaranan]

i am searching for a good documentary of Miku and this is one of the best. Too many documentaries out there are seeing it from outside Miku's world, but this, it was done with the most understanding of what Miku is all about. Your chapter 4 brings tear to my eyes especially realizing how far Miku would have become. I remember someone sent me a link back in 2008 and is the song Melt and Package and I never forget the feeling of absorbing this is a song sung by a computer that was created so meticulous by song writers, and as a supporter of the community for more than a decade, I can really tell your work here really translates the Miku community and its showing in your work. Good job!!! please do a revisit in her actual 16th birthday!!!!

[@gaen4ik]

"Tell your world" YES. This is Hatsune Miku and all of the vocaloids. You really found the right words to describe this phenomena!🤍Thank you! (actually, this part made me tear up a lil bit 😂)

[@Droub_]

I actually thought hatsune miku was a video game before this video...

[@rocker_starss]

The end of this video felt like a end of a movie, woah good job

[@davidtollefson8411]

I agree completely with your points validating the legitimacy of the Hatsune Miku phenomena. As an older but open minded music fan/musician I think she’s almost the ultimate embodiment of HUMAN creativity, and using vocaloid in my band is proving to be a very creative experience that I enjoy contributing to AND listening to. And, let’s face it, there are a lot of incredible songs! Thank you.

[@imonlyheretocomment]

Congratulations this is the first KZbin video to genuinely make me cry out of happiness-

[@WishMakers]

This both interested me greatly and made me laugh out loud. This video's editing was absolutely brilliant, and made the video both fun and informative at the same time. At 7:11 I had to stop the video and just take a laughing break, dude. I didn't want to miss out on the information while still retaining the humor factor, and I think you've struck the perfect balance with this video. And yet, by the end, it really speaks to creative voices the world over. What you've said about such a creative medium is entirely true and can ring true to so many people. I think before media swarms about looking for a rationalization of Miku, they should come here first, because this video truly explains the question in full depth. IN UNDER 15 MINUTES. This is your best work yet, Myles. I can't wait to see what you do next.

[@WishMakers]

AmericanHikikomori I think you did an even better job of using both humor and information combined than in your God Hand video. I still think that video was great, but this video did so much more with the concept and cranked it up to 11. Nothing is perfect, of course, however I think you did the best job possible in making this video great. You clearly put a lot of effort into it, and it shows.

[@kirk064]

"...Which is relatable to so many people because its a song about being a huge bitch." FUCKING DIED

[@WishMakers]

As soon as I heard that line I yelled "You did not just say that!"

[@theguyfromhell2]

just died so hard from the laughter at that xD

[@cupofjo_art]

Miku had meant so much to me over the years and all of the songs made with her voice have impacted me so much. These music artists have created songs that screamed for me when I couldn’t scream for myself

[@Richman4066]

My favorites are "Life" and "Is There A Life In It?" They are both extremely heartfelt songs that speak out (to me at least).

[@hypnotizefilms8428]

It's 2020 and it's still relevant

[@myleswithay1362]

Miku will always be relevant, and forever timeless

[@mbcchoudhari885]

@@myleswithay1362 why no more videos ?

[@retokazene5085]

2024!

[@squak___]

you have no idea how long i have been looking for a video exactly like this one. thank you so much for existing i love you and this vid is PEAK

[@HanadaP]

me trying to show this video to my friends they : don't talk about the robot that's taking over human singers Me : but... When did she....

[@Shinku_no_sanbun]

Some that don't like her mistakenly think she's just someone's attempt to make money without paying a diva, but they are actually paying the diva since fans make her songs and get royalties when she performs their song. Granted, with 100,000+ songs, she only performs a fraction, but it's still a concept I love.

[@myleswithay1362]

Well said! I never considered that actually. I'm friends with someone whose song was featured at MikuExpo and it's changed their lives, so, really, the opportunity to make a song for Miku is an opportunity no other performer or fandom could ever have. It's yet another wonderful example of why people love Miku so dearly: you can enter her world just by making a song

[@myleswithay1362]

Yeah, I mean every year though some new artist gets a huge chance to make a thousand new fans when Miku finally performs their song. It's nice to even HAVE that opportunity

[@David-gn3ms]

I think the song that represents Miku the best is “Miku”by a band called Anamanaguchi

[@Loonaurtheworld]

Holy shit, this video is so underrated istg-

[@myleswithay1362]

Thank you very much! If anything I think 20K views is beyond my imagination and I really never anticipated that. I couldn't be more grateful

[@Pettan_Supremacy]

Damm you're hell of a underrated youtuber at first i thought after watching your video that i was watching a famous youtuber , your quality and skills are amazing

[@perdly420]

"We launched miku into spake for fuck's sake!" Well, no wonder robeats loves this character then , E P I C

[@myleswithay1362]

TFW Miku has probably made it further into space than any human at this point...

[@Justinya0]

But Miku wasn't the first Vocaloid with a character looking like she was took straight out from an anime. Meiko and Kaito came out before Miku.

[@fragdiemilch]

It's always so heart breaking to find a great video that has a good structure, good editing and is equally funny and interesting... only to see the channel hasn't had any uploads in 3 years ;--;

[@myleswithay1362]

I'm still alive and working on a new project though!

[@fragdiemilch]

@@myleswithay1362 Glad to hear it! Your well being has top priority so don't overwork yourself. In any way I've hit the bell so I won't miss that next project of yours 😊

[@neptune147]

that one Ievan Polkka video brought me into this wonderful world, I am now honestly happier than I could ever be because of vocaloid, and it wil always hold a special place in my heart.

[@lilibryant2032]

This is an amazing vid. I’ve tried watching several that try to explain everything but you did the best

[@walenty2255]

7:05 despite never buying miku collab pizza, i only ever get dominos just because they had a collab with her in the past lmao

[@DomoFudge]

Good content. You've clearly done your research and put a lot of work into this. You also picked the best possible song for the closer. My personal opinion is that her popularity comes down to 2 variables. 1 -- while she wasn't the first Vocaloid, she was the first with an iconic visual design, something that could be marketed to other people. Daisy was never given a face. Even Vocaloid models that came out after her didn't particularly have looks or silhouettes nearly as memorable. 2 -- the general appeal of a virtual singer being used by so many different creatives is that you can always find a song you'll like whilst also avoiding stupid drama because she isn't real. She can never be rude or racist or terrible because she's not an actual person, so there's nothing that can really spoil her appeal. Any and all oweness of behavior goes unto the individual creator using her at the time. If a specific person using her is an asshole, there's still thousands of others using her that aren't.

[@DelphinusAirways]

Really, really well put together, by the quality of the video I would've thought this channel would have more subs, you certainly deserve them! :D Great stuff!

[@myleswithay1362]

I would like to make more videos, which might help boost my channel a bit more! But for now? I'm just happy to have this video out. It's my favorite one!

[@Velocifaptor92]

Is this really the video that taught me that this is the reason HAL 9000 sings daisy bell

[@myleswithay1362]

Yup. You have to live with that fact now. Good luck

[@ssseltzer]

Hello, as an avid vocaloid fan of many years I'm just stopping by to tell you how wonderfully informed and interesting this video is, and maybe share a little story. I found out about Miku probably the stupidest way possible, in the internet era of cat memes. Being a child I was infatuated with Nyan cat, and came to find out that she was the voice behind the... delightfully annoying song. Looking into it more, I listened to some songs, found her adorable, and didn't look much more into it. But now as I've matured and my music taste has with it, I'm much more involved with the insightful meaning that is usually behind the lyric and looking up all the translations, and I even bought a voicebank to try it out for myself (really even before that utau is what taught me the ins and outs of files, recording, and just computers). Vocaloid really is the perfectly niche outlet that some people need to get their voice across, and it's become a beautiful art form. Your video was beautifully researched, really. I especially love how you mentioned the fact that yes, actually, most fans do not think Miku is the end all be all of vocaloid, that seems like something you'd have to spend a little while scrolling through comments or forums to find out. Sadly actually, Mikus popularity seems to be dying out, as seen with the recent commission on a song called "sand planet" which is a homage to popular producers growing out of vocaloid, crypoton put out and used as magical mirais (basically the official crypton vocaloid concert of the year) theme this year. So in the end, I want to compliment you again on how well made this video is, and just add that really Miku's technology and fan base may be something to goggle at, but really the art form is just like any other celebrity. Bright and flashy at first, bringing people together, but eventually just dying down.

[@myleswithay1362]

Thank you for the comment! That said, personally I don't think Miku slowing down is anything to be sad about. She will never truly "die" as long as people like me exist to keep her alive. She just won't be releasing hits like The World Is Mine anymore, but Sand Planet achieved a large amount of views, and it only really reflects Hachi/Kenshi Yonzeu's feelings toward the stagnation of Vocaloid as a medium. He's not wrong, either. Vocaloid is slowing down, especially Miku Mania. But he's also acknowledged that Miku and her fans, as well as other Vocaloids, aren't going away. In fact, they're reaching the point in which only the truest and most dedicated of fans are carrying the torch, and a new breed of creators will continue to make things, even if they just aren't the same. Also, Nyan Cat is kind of a banger, in it's own weird right, so don't feel bad.

[@AKIBATAKU39]

This is beauty at its finest, as a retroseptive guy I give you a thumbs up:)

[@myleswithay1362]

Aww thanks! I really appreciate it (3 months later, whoops)

[@jayhope3357]

LETS GIVE CREDIT TO THE ARTIST THAT MADE MIKU BC HER CHARACTER DESIGN ALSO HELPED HER REACH THIS LEVELS 😂

[@myleswithay1362]

Yes! Their name is Kei Garou and the design is absolutely integral to Miku's success

[@Gelert_AT]

Hey man, just wanted to say thank you for this amazing video. Your style is very entertaining, as well as your editing and writing, and your narration is extremely crisp. Before checking your channel I even thought you were an already established youtuber, because this video definitely has the quality of someone with thousands of subs. As a fellow Vocaloid fan, I think this is one of the best explanatory videos I've seen for Miku and Vocaloid as a whole, diving into the beginnings of the software itself, the 'product' side of miku's image and giving a very beautiful and true closing thought, all in a very digestible amount of time for newcomers. So yeah, thank you for creating such a good video, and I hope you do well in the next thing you might be working on!

[@ballisticmissilechan]

0:44 the middle image… is that… Splatoon?!?!?? WOOMY

[@dynamicsentertainment1673]

I loved how you started

[@jakeblock9896]

The come up! Great stuff as always.

[@walenty2255]

3:00 not sure if this is mentioned elsewhere but meiko and kaito are not part of the character vocal series, only the kagamines, miku, and luka are

[@scarery-p55]

when you use intense voice of hatsune miku a the title but show it for 1 sec in the vid. RIP

[@pieTone]

Holy shit. How are you not popular.

[@KawaiiLollypop]

Just now got this video recommended to me, and I gotta say that you absolutely nailed putting my feelings about Miku (and Vocaloid in general) into words. When Miku first started touring, everyone was saying her rise to fame marked the end of human musicians, but I agree with you in saying that the truth is far from that. After all, at the end of the day, Vocaloids are simply instruments (albeit ones with endearing, humanoid avatars, but nevertheless); and instruments, whether they be digital or analog, cannot make proper music by themselves. Their human producers and musicians are the ones who give those Vocaloid songs their impact, their magic. And regardless of whether you are musician, an artist, an animator, or just an avid fan of it all, I've seen so many different people, from different walks of life, bond over their shared love of Vocaloid--me and my own friends included! The scene has changed quite dramatically since I first started watching videos in middle school (there are so many Vocaloids now that I couldn't even begin to keep track of all of them!), but I'll always look back fondly on those songs that had so much drama, power, and emotion behind them. And it's only gotten better as the technology advances and becomes more widely available to users worldwide! Great video! I can't wait to see what lies ahead for Miku and company in the future!

[@myleswithay1362]

Me too! Miku has had her ups and downs but she's someone I'll always have interest in following along her "career" so to speak. Also, check out JOEZCafe on KZbin for some interesting insights into the producer side of Vocaloid

[@pekopeko0619_]

I wanna find out how to make a voice bank of my own and my own character I’m going to find out I don’t give af

[@madisonwithalaurenspicture]

Utauloid sorry if I spelt it wrong-

[@myleswithay1362]

Utauloid is correct!

[@alextankersley5838]

Utauloid is the free version of Vocaloid. Characters like Teto and Haku spawned there. You can make any voice bank you want, even taking clips from characters like Spongebob -- see "Cursed Quarantine Concert" if you are curious...

[@EvanMMD3939]

@@alextankersley5838 haku isnt an utau though....

[@EtamirTheDemiDeer]

@@alextankersley5838 Patrick has no right sounding as good as he does

[@BreadedSpace]

She's probably famous because it's just unique and a og for it

[@anonymous2858]

Its the design, the bright blue twintails just sticks to your mind making her unforgetable

[@owee3993]

Happy Birthday Miku you've changed our lifes!

[@vanessaahaha]

its crazy how far something like this can come, I mean, shes not even a real person O_O

[@jocelynt.7976]

lol i just noticed ur pic is Rin Kagamine XD

[@jocelynt.7976]

AmericanHikikomori lol yeah ^_^

[@BigWinner-ip9bw]

*YES!!!* I FOUND ANOTHER GREAT UNDERRATED CHANNEL!

[@beckst3r]

WHATS THE SONG AT THE END, IT SLAPS AH (not the outro, before that)

[@myleswithay1362]

Birthday Song for Miku by Mitchie M

[@supreme.weeb.4lif325]

you do not know how much i was about to cry in the end of the vid bc of your speach,you get a sub bro u da best

[@spiele_maus]

That was the best video to explain what Miku is about.

[@YamamotoTV2021]

Thank you for explaining about Hatsune Miku.

[@Likes_Trains]

I loved this video! I see there's a few comments complaining about profanities but tbh fam that was what gave the humour/helped entertainment value to me. Listening to this extremely well researched content but from a perspective of a real person is truly the spirit of good video essays! I'm working on a Vocaloid video essay myself atm, it's for a university assignment so I've gotta really bash the academic terminology. To be totally honest, seeing this video was super motivational to me. Simultaneously now I'm a little worried because I don't wanna feel like I'm ripping you off, but my script so far was alarmingly similar. I'll be looking at what meanings Western Fans ascribe to Hatsune Miku. It's meant to be for an academic audience though so unfortunately I can't afford myself too much humor :D not sure how it'll work out yet... If it's okay with you, I'd like to link this video in the description to redirect people who are looking for a more accessable video?

[@myleswithay1362]

Absolutely! I'm so sorry for the late response. Also, when it's done, please let me see your video (or at least tell me how it went.) I am so glad to be an inspiration to you! As for profanities, I'd like to try keeping the humor but relying less on cursing, but that personality won't vanish. I would never make something totally dry or devoid of my sense of style

[@Likes_Trains]

@@myleswithay1362 it's up already :D take a look on my channel's recently uploaded and you'll find it :) Glad to hear you'll keep the "self" in your videos :D keep up the awesome work!!

[@muffintoast4829]

Aaaah this was the boost i needed to motivate myself before i go back to college, thank you so much 2 years later

[@myleswithay1362]

Wow, that's great to here! I'm really glad I could provide that for you!

[@erim4770]

I think her rise might have to do with the rise of anime memes, KZbin and NicoNico douga becoming popular. Also her looks combined with the song "Ievan Polka" probably was noticeable, because it seemed random, funny and cool + stereotypical looking anime girl with a negi. (early internet standard for cool/funny) Her voice is also an improvement from the previous vocaloid instances. Hatsune Miku isn't just a "piece of software". She has gotten an energetic form that lives on.

[@mahreen8992]

Mikudayoo is the best thing in existence, change my opinion.

[@mikuisarollinggirld3486]

wow this made me very emotional

[@myleswithay1362]

Awww, shucks! I'm so glad to hear it. I'm still surprised people get emotional when watching this video. I made it so long ago now I forget what I even wrote down but I'm glad that it still has weight

[@lexis2573]

Same thing here. XD and ur username speaks truth

[@project_genshin3935]

Man, great video! It’s so hard to choose who my favourite Vocoloid is, they are all so great and all mean a lot!!

[@myleswithay1362]

Thank you so much!! I am really glad this video is still making people happy even now. As for me, I can't either but obviously Miku means a lot to me

[@NicolasDarknessWolf]

You successfully summarised what Hatsune Miku is, a voice to connect the world and resonate to the future

[@Irradiatedsea]

Beautiful video by the way! This is exactly what I want my fans to see when they come to Hatsune Miku Fan Club. I hope to see a lot more quality content from you in the future. c:

[@Irradiatedsea]

+AmericanHikikomori which is exactly why we love her. I really love this video and gives a better and bigger perspective about what our page and Miku is about. She's more then a virtual singer she's a pop star and idol and the amount of hate Miku gets isn't deserved. Hopefully more fans will see this and agree with you and like your videos. For now I will subscribe and share future projects you create : D

[@Irradiatedsea]

+AmericanHikikomori Not a problem c: Keep up the great work we will be happy to see more. On top of that, I'm also a member of a Black Butler page and a Princess Zelda page. If you have any videos on Legend of Zelda or Black Butler I'd be happy to feature those as well. They are a little bit smaller then HMFC but anything to help a great creator such as yourself : D And sharing your videos isn't a problem at all c: That's what HMFC is there for we love to support our fans/ producers/ creators/artist, as much as possible

[@Irradiatedsea]

+AmericanHikikomori I can't link them since I'm on mobile but I will when I can c: Since you have Zelda content Id be happy to give them a look and feature some of your stuff. Our fans on Princess Zelda always love that kinda stuff.

[@Irradiatedsea]

+AmericanHikikomori awesome! C: I look forward to seeing the Link's awakening video

[@MegaMijit]

This video is far too high quality for such low subs, you deserve more viewers! Please teach me how to edit like this!

[@mikudayoooooo]

‘legit goddamn masterpieces’ the fact you then played kagerou daze shows how good your taste is

[@WaffleTheQueenz]

Nice editing! I like that inclusion of PinocchioP's new song at 11:01, haha

[@WaffleTheQueenz]

AmericanHikikomori My friend linked me to it! I saw it on the front page of /r/vocaloid, too

[@WaffleTheQueenz]

And omg PinocchioP is a top-tier producer 10/10

[@spiceandrice4838]

The “kawgamen duo” smh XD

[@myleswithay1362]

Yeaah, I don't look back at my pronunciations in this video well. Hawtsune Miku especially. Total gaijin speak

[@Hobhunks]

Jesus I hate you, I wish I had the patience to edit and produce like this, smashing work as per meals

[@sirnimbus8330]

I was 100% indifferent to Miku before but now I actually want to go around and check out a lot of her songs because of this video! So neato work, me boi. Also pause at 13:25 to save a life

[@brandonsantisteban9626]

Oh Hatsune Miku..... You're such strange girl

[@xx-oceanman-xx317]

Wow, you deserve more subs than 234 for this level of content. Subbed and keep up the good stuff :)

[@lexis2573]

Miku is legit an amazing thing. Without her, idk what I would be doing to this day.

[@myleswithay1362]

Me either. I'm so grateful for her and I am grateful for her intense voice

[@tehyat8956]

I’ll be okay with Miku taking over the music world. Idk about other people though

[@myleswithay1362]

Mine for it

[@jenniferm914]

Happy 15th Anniversary Hatsune Miku 💙

[@babymadea1011]

yo this video is GOOD HOLY SHIT

[@blunthq8614]

her songs like aishite is something fun music and at the same times lyrics makes me think something

[@cheesefart9000]

WWHY THE FCUJK DID I CRY AT THE END PART

[@myleswithay1362]

I get a lot of comments of people crying. Still immensely proud of that.

[@Falzar2142]

how the fuck does this video only have 20k views! IT NEEDS MORE!!!

[@g_oduofthenorth9618]

still lovin these vids man. Keep up the good work.

[@CritSuccessNerd]

Myles you have done something no one else has done. Make me respect vocaloids... even if I am still not fond of them

[@mikuifyanasty]

10:30 when you talk about what Miku represents...... *chef's kiss* that was beautifully put

[@myleswithay1362]

Thank you!

[@iexist6540]

Lost umbrella is slapping tho

[@Fartmaster0]

That song features Kaai Yuki

[@iexist6540]

@@Fartmaster0 oh :(

[@iexist6540]

@@Fartmaster0 it still slaps tho

[@Fartmaster0]

@@iexist6540 It does slap

[@AssassinDXZ]

Holy damn, this video needs more views.