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| Hatsune Miku 10th anniversary Photo: piapro.net |
The 31st of August, 2017, marks the 10th anniversary of the world's famous virtual idol, Hatsune Miku. From her inception in the Vocaloid voice synthesizer to her shot at glory as the famous virtual idol the world knew and loved, it's no wonder that the name Hatsune Miku became a household name for every otakus everywhere and when you see her face plastered around the world, you know that she's a cult following in her own right.
To celebrate ten years of Miku, let's jot down the ten reasons why you and I became part of the Miku mania.
1) Her success lies upon us - Because Hatsune Miku is part of the long line of Vocaloid synthesiser software, users used her signature voice to create cover versions of their favorite songs as well as original ones. Thanks to their creativity, Hatsune Miku's rise to fame is just one viral creation away.
2) Her signature look is timeless - From her signature greenish twin-tail hair, cyber fashion style, and her pleasing personality, this is why Hatsune Miku is easily distinguishable from the rest and no matter what style she sports in, they will still recognize it's the Hatsune Miku we know and love.
3) Miku's not alone, though - Miku has a lot of friends from the VOCALOID range. There's Luka, there's Rin and Len, there's Meiko, and there's Kaito, and together they share the same shot at glory thanks to the users' desires.
4) A video game phenomenon - Because of the folks from SEGA, Miku and pals got their shot at fame at rhythm based video games in the case of Project Mirai franchise and because of the games, more and more people are getting to know about Hatsune Miku and pals while mastering different songs in different difficulty settings.
5) Combining virtual and reality is Miku's specialty - Seeing Hatsune Miku performing onstage in real-world concerts in Japan and overseas is a science-fiction turned science fact and for the fans of Miku, it's like a dream come true to see the world famous Hatsune Miku performing in real time.
6) Merchandise! Merchandise! Merchandise! - Because of Hatsune Miku's partnership with Good Smile Company, we've seen a plethora of Hatsune Miku toys in the hobby stores. From scale figures, Nendoroids, and figmas, the Miku-GSC partnership is such a sweet soiree and has been a target of every bad boys worldwide to waste their hard-earned cash for those.
7) A real spokesperson - Whether if she's advertising a car, an internet browser, or even a shampoo, rest assured that Hatsune Miku is the real spokesperson to get her face plastered on TVs and internet ads.
8) An eye-candy at every Super GT race - The Hatsune Miku mania doesn't stop at the hearts of otakus worldwide because even in Japanese motorsports, she's a real eye-candy. GOODSMILE RACING is known for showing off Hatsune Miku on every Super GT race in the season and no matter how had this team tried, be it a win or a loss, the crowds got starstruck by the appearance of Hatsune Miku in German race cars like the Z4, the SLS AMG, or even the AMG GT, built for Super GT specs.
9) The community! - Hatsune Miku's ever-growing fame prompted many people to do cosplays as Miku and friends as well as some viral fanarts to express their love for the Vocaloid heroes. I have to give these Miku-loving community a heartfelt thanks because you Miku-loving fans are the best.
10) Getting to know about Miku - If you were one of the many folks who listened to one of Hatsune Miku's greatest hits, it's a great thing to know that you are a bonafide Hatsune Miku fan but listening these songs is not enough. You need to know more about Miku and the others if you want to step your game up. Who knows, your fandom might get elevated to enthusiast up to being a certified Hatsune Miku aficionado.
HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY, HATSUNE MIKU! LET YOUR EVER-GROWING FAME SHINE THROUGH THE FUTURE FOR THE HEARTS OF MANY!
