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lesbian-forte · 5 months

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I wanna say a few things about Synthesizer V, because a lot of vocal synth fans, especially of mainly Vocaloid and UTAU, tend to misconstrue intent when it comes to wishing for vocals to migrate or cross-platform on the engine.

-It isn't about 'realistic,' or at least for the most part. It isn't about disliking their classic robotic sound just because of progress. I'm gonna say it- I do dislike Vocaloid 6. I don't think that's an unpopular opinion. But I don't hate Vocaloid in general, and want badly for the software to improve.

Banks like Gumi and Una got smoother transitions and (bad) crosslang... at the cost of getting put through a white noise factory. Their V4s were much clearer and even Gumi V3 English was far more reliable, while their V6 updates sound as though someone in the recording booth is rubbing styrofoam and the mic lacks a pop filter. Supposedly in the name of the iconic 'Vocaloid sound' that the type of engine noise doesn't even resemble. And for those who like the robotic sound and don't like SynthV because it's not, I've got news for you- you can have it without the fuzz.

For one, you can tune robotically in SynthV very easily. Tune entirely manually like any non-AI program, and since there's very little of that metallic twang, certain effects just move to mixing. Rather than taking out the sound of engine noise, it's putting certain things back in instead, which is a lot easier to do than the inverse- and the option of keeping things sounding more natural and clean without all that work is a huge bonus for people who don't think that sound fits their taste or style.

I personally love robotic-sounding vocals. But a clean, clear, and fluent base render output is essential to get the most out of your sound. I love Eleanor Forte R1/lite because that's what she is. Clean, clear, and fluent. But not realistic in any sense, unless compared to previous vsynths. She's probably just an Arpasing bank with higher render quality, but she's amazing regardless. And free too!

-Accessibility. SynthV is very accessible and easy to pick up. There's a limited version to try it out and make projects at the cost of fancy features that even allows commercial use, and many voicebanks have lite versions also with limited features and no commercial use. There aren't time limits on trying out the program- and just like Vocaloid, if you tune something with one vocal you can send it to a friend to render with another. Having lite voices to work with a lower quality version of the same voice that will render it means you actually know for the most part what you'll get, save for a couple quite old exceptions.

And when you do want full versions, it's dirt cheap. It's cheaper than Cevio, and far moreso than Vocaloid or Piapro. The two most expensive voicebanks on the program convert to roughly $120USD, and they're known for their special features and high quality. Most are 60-90 for digital, and SynthV voicebanks are feature-rich with the equivalent to appends already built in.

Full versions of AI voicebanks (the current gen) are also multilingual with little quality loss between languages, mainly just an accent. No need to purchase a separate English voicebank with no appends or deal with extremely clunky input and tuning. Currently four- (soon five!!) are options usable for any voice. Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese, English, and when testing is done, Spanish will go from being exclusive to one bank to fully available.

It's also just generally very user-friendly. Especially if you dip your toes in with the basic editor before being barraged with all the features of pro, everything is laid out simply. While the UI could use a minor revamp because it's getting crowded and being able to resize the sidebars would be nice, there isn't really anything bad to say about it. As someone who'd hardly touched vocal synths myself, I knew how to work it in hours.

Oh, the autopitch. This one is contentious. There is a certain laziness to doing plug-n-play on a cover and calling it a day, just like with any other vocal synth. However, on originals, or working with it to make sure the voice cooperates, more time can be spent on phonemes, parameters, and mixing. Calling SynthV bad because it's just 'too easy' is gatekeeping vocal synths, plain and simple. Being able to make what you want without having to manually make every single pitchbend or fight with the program before getting to do anything more interesting is a way to make people more creative, not less.

-In regards to people complaining about the updates- aside from Stardust because of her limited copies and discontinuation, previous versions are still there! Dreamtonics doesn't give companies or individuals predatory contracts that force them to stop distributing older products with the same VP or wait for years to move. They're okay with their voices being on multiple engines and still supported. You'll still get your UTAU Teto, Renri, Oscar and XYY, Cevio Rose, Popy, and Kafu, and Vocaloid Gumi, Sora, Miki, and Kiyo. And you'll get your SynthVs!

Synthesizer V, Voicepeak, and Dreamtonics are not turning into a monopoly. Vocaloid still has tenure and the current version has a backlog spanning back to V3. Cevio has some heavy hitters that make it huge in Japan. Ace Studio is big in China and has the Vsingers. If you see characters coming to SynthV, that speaks of the quality of the program and its capabilities of bringing a wider audience. It has naturalness for those that want it, high quality render output, expressiveness, fluent English for marketing to the west, and Windows, Linux, and Mac support. There's nothing wrong with wanting options, and the companies know this. It's broadening the market, not vice versa.

#synthesizer v #synthv #vocal synths #bit of a rant #vocaloid

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fictionkinfessions · 10 months

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Oh, so now the Vocal Synth fandom finally cares about Teto again?

Teto was the face of Utau for such a long time, and I don't really know her that well, but I'd say we're decent friends. Everyone seemed to love her, and she deserved it. Yeah, her voice was far from realistic, but that didn't matter back in the day. She was great.

Well, once AI vocals became a thing, everyone just... forgot about her. If the Synth doesn't sound like an uncanny "realistic" imitation of a human voice, then what's the point, right? Nobody seemed to care anymore, but she always stayed positive. Sure, it was always her dream to become a Vocaloid, but she was also perfectly happy where she was as a Utau.

Well, fast-forward to her SynthV update. Turns out being a professional voicebank wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She seems so isolated from the other SynthVs, and I've noticed that after the novelty of the software transfer wore off, she's mostly been presenting the way she did before: she wears her old outfit, uses her old voice, and of course, she prefers hanging out with her old friends.

But now, since AI software transfers are the equivalent of jingling keys to the Vocal Synth fandom, everybody seems to fucking love her again.

I don't buy it. You didn't like her when she was a Utau, you don't get to drool over her shitty SynthV voicebanks. Even Teto herself hates them. I don't blame her for trying to pretend the transfer never happened. I apologize if this sounds gatekeeper-ish, but I was her friend before SynthV. We may not be close, but it's still more than I can say for most of you.

Teto's basically the backbone of alternative Vocal Synth softwares. As far as I'm concerned, she's the entire reason we even have programs like SynthV and the options aren't limited to just Vocaloid, because her success in Utau proved that the competition could be just as good. I don't care what you think about her SynthV, but if you like Teto the SynthV, then you better fucking love Teto the Utau. You'd be nowhere without her.

-Fukase (#👁❌️🔴)

#fictionkinfessions #fictionkin #👁❌️🔴#fukasekin #vocaloidkin #fandom issue #poie issue #mod party cat #YES DISH IT #<- has no idea whats going on

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aseriesofunfortunatejan · 5 months

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Since I post about vocal synth, and most importantly about SynthV, which is The AI vocal synth program, to an audience of people who followed me for strange reasons ranging from "Danganronpa" to "Akudama Drive" passing by "they don't remember" (all of which are valid), I sometimes see either of those two reactions:

idk what this voice or program is but it sounds good!

where miku.

And I want to clarify that either way, I am always happy to talk about vocal synth. Ask me anything about vocal synth. Anytime. Anywhere. I'm always ready. I'm always happy to talk about it. Go ahead. Ask. Comment. Send me a letter.

Regarding the second one...... here is my default statement......... if you need it...........: she's on Piapro Studio. Unfortunately

In 2019, the company that owns Miku, the Kagamine twins, Kaito, Meiko and Luka decided to move away from VOCALOID (the program) to have their own program instead, being Piapro Studio. They released Miku in 2020. And then nothing else.

"Hatsune Miku NT" is the latest version of Miku and it's generally understood not to be her best? Some people will say she's the worst, and the most optimistic fans will say she can sound good. That's not a very positive description, lol. She is not AI, as I'm pretty sure this voicebank *juuust* pre-dates the AI boom that really changed the vocal synth market. Vocal synth has shown to use AI ethically, and SynthV notably uses it very efficiently. Nowadays, people expect AI voicebanks, so what would be good for Miku would be to get an AI voicebank too. The issues are as follows:

where crypton? They haven't made voicebanks for their other characters yet.

Since they've not done anything in a while, there's no way of knowing that they're exploring AI as an option or that they may work with AI in the future.

With the move to their own program, Miku can no longer be used by VOCALOID, which is why she is not getting an AI VOCALOID6 voicebank. Unless Crypton comes back begging.*

With that move, it's also unlikely that Crypton is interested in partnering with any other company, so Miku CeVio or Miku SynthV don't seem realistic either.

Did you read that tumblr post way too many people reblogged about how "Miku should NEVER be compared to AI, which is bad, because Miku is good"? Yeah I think Miku is so mainstream, and the mainstream so ignorant about AI and why we talk about it being bad, that it would be a risky decision for her voice provider, Saki Fujita, to make an AI voicebank. Imagine the fearmongering. Imagine people thinking Miku became problematic because they're completely ignorant about both vocal synth and AI. That's what I call Hell.

*By the way, VOCALOID6 kinda sucks. It doesn't sound very good and it's more expensive than other modern programs that sound better. Even if Miku got a V6 AI, even though it would be reassuring to see Miku go anywhere at this point, there's a high risk that she would sound disappointing.

As far as I'm aware, the only notably good thing about Hatsune Miku NT is that they finally drew her with a lot of hair again. Honestly, I've listened to some covers that used that voicebank, and yeah, she can sound alright. It's just nothing special, and Piapro Studio has given us nothing. (I forgot to mention. Hatsune Miku NT alone costs ~130€. Programs other than Piapro and VOCALOID offer cheaper prices.)

I don't think it's completely hopeless, though. I'm paying attention. Sometimes when I talk about something it suddenly gets an update so you never know

#jan's vsynth post

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trappedward · 1 year

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In a deep, dark forest

To begin this blog, I felt it only appropriate to address one of the topics that was the main reason I started this in the first place.

That's right baby we are starting off strong with Kikuo. It should be of no surprise then that Kikuo is my favourite artist, considering I partially dedicated this blog to him and my first post is about his latest song (that you were going to discover as you read on).

So, In a Deep, Dark Forest has finally been uploaded to Spotify after being teased on his Instagram and formally released 2 weeks ago! To be honest, it's felt way more like a month than 2 weeks but also my concept of time has been so fucked up recently. Regardless of that, let's move on to what I really want to say about this song.

(Feel free to give it a listen if you're a passerby or a fan that hasn't heard the song yet so you can gather your own opinions before reading mine)

youtube

Again, to no surprise, I LOVE THIS SONG. I never listen to songs on repeat, usually I'll put a few songs in between and then re-listen. HOWEVER I could not help but put it on repeat a few times when It released on Spotify just a little bit ago.

It's classic Kikuo; upbeat yet distorted tempo and whacky little sound effects if you listen carefully. It's why I love his music so much. I've rarely found music artists quite like him and every time I listen to his music, I either find something new or find that I listen to it differently than I last did - if that even makes sense?

But I'm not here to just summarise. After all, I've DEDICATED this blog to my interests. That means I'm doing this properly baby - I'm breaking down every aspect of THIS ONE SONG that I feel like talking about for my own sick pleasure. Ladies and gentlemen, let's properly start the blog.

QI XUAN

For this song Kikuo diverted from his usual use of Hatsune Miku and instead decided to use Qi Xuan as his vocalist. Now I'm fully aware that this is not the first time Kikuo has used Qi Xuan's or another Vocaloid's voice bank - he has dabbled with Stardust Infinity and his song ローディーローディー/ Roadie Roadie features Qi Xuan. I just felt the need to point this out because for the past few years we have seen KIKUOMIKU 1-6 so I was interested to see that he had tried something else for the first time in a while (aside from collabs with Si_ku and Hanatan, etc). Anyway... Qi xuan! I personally think her vocals were amazing for this song. Don't get me wrong, I adore Miku and I absolutely understand why she is one of the most liked vocaloids. She's always amazing for Kikuo's music. This time though Qi Xuan just seemed like a more obvious choice in hindsight. While her voice is still soft (just like Miku), it sounded a bit more lively in somes parts as opposed to Kikuo's Miku usually being pretty deadpan or emotionless. Qi's smooth, more exasperated vocal seems to fit the flowy aspects of this song and make it sound sort of like a tide. Drawing out and then back in. She just has a bit more emotion at parts idk... maybe I'm just way too used to the atypical Kikuo Miku that hearing something different feels more realistic in terms of making it sound like an actual person.

COVER ART

From what I understand from Kikuo's description on the youtube upload of this song, the artwork was a collaboration between him and Si_ku. Which like.... HELLO?! When was the last time Kikuo drew one of his own album or single covers? And to do a collab with his star artist Si_ku? MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN I say. I absolutely adore Si_ku and her artstyle and that she is constantly working with Kikuo. Having them work together to make the artwork is just... it's incredible to me. It's got the usual style of Si_ku mixed with that "grimeieness" that Kikuo usually exploits. I've stared at it for so long just looking at the intricate details and colours hidden within all the lines spewing out from the main subject. Imagining Kikuo and Si_ku in the same room making this is so cool to me and IDK MAN I'M JUST FAN-GIRLING SO HARD RN.

INSTAGRAM STORIES

I follow Kikuo on Instagram. As much as it is an annoyance to me, I use Instagram a lot (more than Twitter). Can you imagine my surprise when I saw Kikuo's icon at the top of my screen in the stories bar? The speed at which I clicked was that of mach 20. I. WAS. NOT. DISAPPOINTED. This is probably not the right spot for this segment of the blog but do I care? No. Anywayssss seeing his behind the scenes process and getting casual updates throughout the week was awesome. I've always enjoyed watching him deconstruct his process especially since he doesn't actually know anything about music theory. He just does whatever sounds good to him and it's so garbled but insanely interesting as he explains why he makes the choices he does, how it isn't based on any logic in regards to making music but because of some reason that is akin to his creative process. If that makes sense. I'm sorry if my speech is hard to understand because I'm multi-tasking atm and rereading my sentences doesn't always help me edit. Ok I digress for the millionth time. Kikuo's instagram stories were not something I thought he'd take interest in starting considering that he really just works at his own pace being the NPC he is. Not complaining though and I will happily eat my meal.

ENDING SEGMENT

I would love to continue but I have lost track of my thoughts because I had a 2 hour interval at one point when writing this because I got distracted ACK. I may do a part two but that is only if I can get my shit together and not have like 5 different people trying to message me at once (I'm grateful for all of you though FR). For anyone who somehow is interested in this or has made it to the end of this post, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me your thoughts on the topic / this song! I would love to discuss it even if only briefly in the notes. That's all, bye bye.

#kikuo #vocaloid #Youtube

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animecreator3000 · 3 years

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About the Boueibu iceberg

@delphoxqueen asked me to explain about my list for the iceberg so here it is. I might update this from time to time with links and stuff if I stumble across the original posts. This is all from what I know so feel free to add new info. Also, spoiler warning for RobiHachi and the Boueibu manga and novels. (This is like a masterpost it’s very long)

1. There’s a theory in tumblr about which decade the series is set in, using data like the friday the 13th calendar in s2 ep11. In HK we got a second number for when the next monthly Pretty Boy Contest was happening and using the one from Love it was theorized that around a decade had passed since then, which ended up being true.

2. The stage play had a few original songs and characters exclusive to it so unless you watched the full performance, you probably weren’t able to witness all of them. One of the characters is called “Robato Deniro”, as romanized in the stage play booklet I own.

3. The nurse and the cafeteria staff from the s1 mobile game appear in the background in around the first half of s2 ep3.

4. S2 had an unfinished manga that was only available online and was never released on physical format; it was centered around the defense club and sometimes the conquest club and Beppu brothers. All that’s left from what I know are the scans linked on magicalgirlsandcerulean’s blog.

5. This isn’t that obscure because it’s talked about in the anime, but I’m mentioning it because I think many people dropped it before the ova, where right at the beginning it is revealed that the alien that resucitated Mr. Tawarayama twice was, as described by Io, a “mulberry-colored naked mole rat-looking thing”, and was nicknamed “Moley-san” by Yumoto. At least in the anime, we had never heard before of who this was and it never appeared on screen nor was mentioned again.

6. In HK ep8, Karurusu promises the knights to grant a wish if they show him how earthlings spend summer. Kyoutarou reveals at the end of the episode that he wished that summer lasted one more day so he could spend it doing nothing, which prompts Ichiro to theorize that it’s the 32nd of august, and the next day is the second 1st of september.

7. The stage play was was held from march 10th to 13rd, of which the latter is Ryuu’s birthday. There’s an additional recording of a small celebration with cake focused on Ryuu and Io.

8. Atsushi mentions his older sister in the flashback at the beginning of s1 ep4, but she never appears or is mentioned again.

9. There’s a few posts on tumblr theorizing about what happened to the Hakone parents since Yumoto only says in s2 ep3 that according to Gora, “they are busy with their hot springs tour”. En mentions that it’s a bit suspicious, but it’s all the information we have from the anime. Posts talk about the parents perhaps passing away from an accident or an illness, thus the reason why Gora was so worried about Yumoto’s cold in s1 ep10, but from another post I think it’s implied in the second novel that they actually left their home when Yumoto was still a toddler.

10. It’s no secret that the surnames of the characters are all real onsens in Japan that even the seiyuus have visited, but apparently the Arima onsen has two different kinds of water, “kinsen (gold hot spring)” and “ginsen (silver hot spring)”, with different properties each, and the Kusatsu onsen water also has certain properties, both that were used to build the characters. Additionally, Ryuu’s favorite food are Sato Nishiki cherries, which are grown in the same prefecture, Yamagata, as his onsen, Zaou.

11. The press club lose relevance after s1, with only Kinosaki and Tazawa reappearing briefly in s2 ep2 to interview the Beppu twins after they arrive at the school. Tazawa doesn’t even have lines. Hireashi is mentioned by Zundar in ep11.

12. What the heck

13. Exclusively in the manga we see that Arima met Kinshiro and Atsushi when they were little and they were good friends, but when they met again as adults, Kinshiro seemingly didn’t remember Arima. Atsushi, however, stated that Kinshiro’s talent is remembering people’s faces and names, so Arima wonders if he’s just trying to distance himself from him. He also explains to Akoya that he follows Kinshiro and obeys him because as a child, he was fascinated by his radiant smile. This is never talked about in the anime.

14. Like the previous point, the anime never shows Akoya being bullied, at most just a slight dislike of his full name, but the manga shows that he was made fun of for it and how he actually hates his surname, to the point of introducing himself formally to the president and vicepresident of the student council as “Holy Angel Akoya”.

15, 16, 17, 19. Batonama lives were the livestreams done through the franchise by the defense club seiyuus on youtube and niconico. They’re all on youtube, without any kind of translation.

Love-ko is a girl with a shell bikini drawn on a piece of cardboard that was used as a girlfriend in the Batonama Love! lives, acted by the seiyuus themselves.

RobiHachi has one episode full of official Boueibu artwork and a parody of the series too, a Love-ko doll appears, and Wombat appears as well, named “The Don”. It received an english dub, so for a bit, people were excited that Wombat was going to speak in english too. Also, various mechas appear in both Boueibu and RobiHachi.

18. The director of Fairy Ranmaru (Masakazu Hishida if I’m not wrong) revealed in an interview that he was inspired by Boueibu and aimed to make a show like that.

20, 21. The website super-groupies.com has results for defense and conquest club lingerie sets, dc and VEPPer tote bags, the Beppus’ scarf rings, dc bath sets and the pumps magicalgirlsandcerulean mentioned. I’ve found the s1 Loveracelets and Caerula Adamas’ ring on different sites, the True Loveracelets on TheChara’s twitter and the Happybraces (apparently called “Hapibure”) on broccoli.co.jp but I’m not sure where exactly they were all announced and sold, so I’ll just drop that.

22, 33. Boueibu was originally pretty much a copy of Sailor Moon, I think they were all going to be called “Lackluster Moon” and that stuff and be literally Sailor Moon genderbent. They were all different from color palettes to physical features (except Yumoto’s), and Ryuu was a shota, even smaller than Yumoto. Their names were also very reminiscent of the five Sailor Senshis’. Even if they made it more original, the show is still clearly inspired by Sailor Moon (just look at Caerula Adamas lol) and Pretty Cure. It has also referenced, very blatantly, animes like Doraemon, Detective Conan, Aikatsu and even Vocaloid, when Kyoutarou tries to guess what Karurusu is saying with ““Just Google It, Asshole”?” in ep1.

23. Wombat’s real name and the name of his planet sound like gibberish to the earthlings and ends up being named after the Earth animal, but Zundar, Dadacha, Karurusu and Furanui all have original names. And I think Hireashi means “goldfish”?

24. If you google “zundar technology”, it’s actually a company in Shanghai, China. Aren’t Wombat and Zundar always talking about “advanced alien technology”?

25. Zundar and Dadacha are siblings, so are Karurusu and Furanui, and so are their father King Kamopapa and their uncle minister Wao, but neither are the same species and, except the first two, not even the same color. But they are supposedly related because they share birthmarks or something like that...

26. Everyone who’s in this fandom knows about the pixel blur and voice pitch censor from s1, but I’ve added it anyway because it’s so rare for mahou shoujo and shounen animes to explain why the heroes aren’t recognized when transformed.

27. A good while of s2 ep11 is spent discussing Zundar’s ex-wife and his problems to give child support. Naturally, he gets mad at this.

28. “Money doesn’t betray” (s1 ep6) and “The despair hidden behind your smile that comes from not being understood” (s3 ep11) are sentences that came out of nowhere and implied that the people they were said by (Io) or about (Taiju) respectively had some kind of angst going on but were never explained at all. They’re famous for just that.

29. The Beppu twins’ house in Andromeda shown in flashbacks had strange green circles that apparently are from another anime I don’t know but honestly I didn’t get it very well... It was revealed on a tweet from Takamatsu.

30. Alien language mostly appeared in s2 due to the many flashbacks of Aki and Haru in Andromeda, but in Boueibu s1, it appears on the Zundar Needle before it is shot on the human. It appears a lot through RobiHachi as well, due to being a story about travelling through space. There might be an alphabetical chart somewhere, but I can’t assure it exists, I might even have dreamed it.

31. Hikaru Midorikawa as the melon monster, Kousuke Toriumi as the bishounen monster, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as the kotatsu and panda monsters and Takuya Eguchi as the remote controller monster in s1 and 2, before going on to voice the main cast in HK. Keisuke Koumoto voiced Hatchi Kita in RobiHachi as well as Akihiko in Boueibu, and the characters look similar.

A new addition is that so far Boueibu is the only anime I’ve seen where children weren’t voiced by female seiyuus, but by actual children. Personally, it’s charming and makes it so much more realistic, specifically since no women appear in the franchise at all either (not counting Protag-chan in the game).

32. Speaking of seiyuus, Can I Destroy The Earth? had a dub shown in ep11/12 (?) that made Gora the villain that wanted Earth to stay the same and not progress, against the monsters that supposedly wanted to bring good things to earthlings. Aki and Haru quickly dismissed this dub as fake. (I made a mistake in the title in the previous post btw)

34. As seen in the glossary in the Boueibu Mook (I think, but might not be the mook), Caerula Adamas’ speeches are based on an old japanese detergent commercial that went “Gold, silver, pearl, gift”.

35. In the manga there’s a short parody of the first chapter of Sailor Moon with “Pretty Boy Guardian Gakuran Akoya”. The conquest club manga was released before the anime, so I remember reading somewhere that a fake website appeared for the Gakuran Akoya manga, before turning into the conquest club manga website in the day of its release.

36. Cgi was used a few times in the anime: s2 ep10 for a short sequence of the defense club on a rollercoaster and the carousel monster, ep11 for a cenital shot of the Battle Lovers singing, and HK ep12 for the Honyalaland soldiers and the Wao mecha.

37. The toothbrush incident in s1 ep7. (It’s definitely well-known but it’s so weird lol)

38. “We hope we can see each other again someday!” Something along those lines was the last text to appear in the last episode of HK, implying a s2. We all know how that went.

#boueibu #new post bc i didn't put a readmore in the other one and it was getting too long #msorry #long post #speaking of the robihachi eng dub... sarazanmai has one too...#so many animes like those get dubs but not boueibu?! HOW UNFAIR #at least we got the funimation subs #is the game even canon??#i mean with stuff like how everyone is apparently straight in there #even yumoto who pretty much came out as gay in the anime #that's very inconsistent #i mean. it is canon but maybe it's like an au? idk #also we need gakuran akoya to be real lmao #also no prequel with gora or hk s2. WHYYYY #i think this took me four hours

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cassahina · 3 years

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Hello! May I please request a romantic matchup for Little Witch Academia, Demon Slayer, and Danganronpa? (Any of the 4 games work for DR!)

Gender Identity:

• I'm nonbinary and use they/them pronouns!

Sexual orientation:

• I'm still trying to figure out my sexuality, but I think I lean more towards girls.

My personality:

• I'm introverted and it takes me more than a few interactions to warm up to people, and even then I'm not very energetic unless I feel very comfortable with them! I can be very snappy and annoyed easily, though I really try to stay as quiet as I can. I don't think I have to be right all the time, I just wish people would listen to what I have to say and not automatically side with whoever I'm arguing with.

• I have a very deadpanned face and I'm quiet in public, though it's mostly because I feel tired and unable to match the energy of people around me. I can get shy when I'm, for example, ordering food, but I've also discovered that I feel physically sick a lot when around too many people or even when I get uncomfortable around just a few family members.

A few interests/hobbies:

• I love writing and playing video games! I only listen to Vocaloid as of now, but I can listen to bedroom pop and alternative rock if I'm really in the mood! I also daydream a lot everyday! I've looked into maladaptive daydreaming and the symptoms seem to fit me perfectly, but I won't self diagnose.

Dislikes/Pet peeves:

• I really, really dislike when there are too many distracting sounds or voices, as it gets hard to concentrate and I get extremely annoyed. To add, I hate when people talk over music, especially what I play!

What I like in people:

• I like people who are laid back and quiet, yet they can get excited and passionate whenever they find something they enjoy! I would really appreciate someone who is mostly a realist, though I wouldn't mind a little optimism!

What I dislike in people:

• I dislike people who say self deprecating things and really talkative people, especially when I'm trying to concentrate! I also dislike people who are too energetic, too optimistic to the point where it's unrealistic, and basically anyone who's an extroverted extrovert /lh. I really dislike when people don't pay attention to things I show them, such as me an anime I'm rewatching with them.

Other facts:

• My personality type is ISTP, I really care what people think of me, and I hate most stereotypes. One of my flaws is that I act annoyed a lot at small things! Some of my kins include:

- Kenma Kozume (Haikyuu)

- Muichirou Tokito (Demon Slayer)

- Mitsue Kanako (Stars Align)

- Sakura Nanamine (Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun)

- Qiqi (Genshin Impact)

- Sara Chidouin (Your Turn to Die)

Thank you! /g

Of course anon!

I match you with....

Lotte Yansson, Tanjiro Kamado, Chiaki Nanami!

I chose Lotte because I think you two would vibe nicely interests wise. To start off, Lotte isn’t very loud or anything, rather she is a bit more timid from what I have interpreted. So she isn’t the type to try and distract anyone. She love writing and stories, which will go well with your interest in writing. She is also just very sweet and would totally listen to whatever you wanted to talk about. She is respectful of others interests and goals, which seems like something you want to have in a partner.

I chose Tanjiro because he is honestly just such a sweet boy. He is very patient, not the type who need to be right and just wants to make sure everyone is happy and safe. He would be the most likely to continue to interact with you to get to know you better so you aren’t uncomfortable around him, with you saying it takes a bit of time for that. He wouldn’t mind how you get annoyed at small things either, he is very patient and not really judgmental, which is very nice to have in a partner.

I chose Chiaki because she fits very well with what you like in others. She isn’t very talkative of self depreciating, rather she actually cheers people up and helps them out quite a bit while not being pushy. She is very sweet, but also pretty introverted and quiet herself, but is super passionate about gaming. This fits well with the quiet yet passionate interest you have in others. Chiaki is also one of the few characters who is very reasonable when arguing and doesn’t really just choose a side over someone else. She listens and looks at both sides, and you can see this with how perceptive she is. In Chapter 3, she was one of the only two not to jump to a conclusion about Hiyoko’s shrine and actually defended it when everyone wanted to destroy it. Although that isn’t fully an argument, I think that moment shows very well how although she is quiet, she is very perceptive and kind and will back up who she knows is right. She is willing to listen to all sides and is very considerate, which seems like someone you would want to be with.

#cassierole the ultimate writing prodigy #request 0w0 #romantic matchups #little witch academia #lwa #danganronpa matchups #danganronpa #demon slayer #demon slayer matchup

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onestowatch · 4 years

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Why Virtual Reality May Be Our New Reality | Music and Its Digital Past, Present, and Future

Pre-quarantine predictions about the music industry painted a picture of one its best years yet. Such predictions were overflowing with promising new releases, sold out tours, and unique marriages of music and technology just beyond horizon. While coronavirus has shifted many a release schedule and left tours and festivals in a state of indefinite hiatus, alliances between music and technology remain increasingly vital, both in the name of technological progress, and, more recently, as a supplement to the live experience industry inhibited by the ongoing pandemic.

Discussions of technology in relation to music range from video games to virtual reality. Travis Scott and Marshmello both held concerts in Fortnite, Paul McCartney had a hand in the Destiny soundtrack, and Ariana Grande had both a song and a playable character in Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. Billie Eilish, Panic! At The Disco, Imagine Dragons and many others have also made their concerts available to stream in virtual reality. But there is another game changing intersection between the music and digital world that challenges not only how we experience music, but also how music is created. It’s called the vocaloid.

Early versions of software designed to synthesize human speech have existed since the late 1930s. Fast forward about two decades, the earliest form of synthesized singing had arrived. The IBM 7094, installed in 1962, was the first “computer to sing,” singing a song called “Daisy Bell” by Harry Dacre (the technological advancement would go on to inspire a similar scene in Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 sci-fi epic, 2001: A Space Odyssey). Since then, vocal synthesis has come a long way, and has also been marked by a different name.

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The year was 2000. The place was Barcelona, Spain. Hideki Kenmochi developed the vocaloid, a voice synthesis software short for vocal android, which was designed to emulate singing. Commercially adapted by Yamaha and distributed by Crytpon Future Media in 2004, the company launched the first Vocaloid and initially called it “Daisy,” after IBM 7094, but due to copyright issues, settled on “Vocaloid 1.” This is where the game changing begins.

Using this first iteration of the software, Yamaha created Meiko, an animated persona designed to serve as the face to the sampled voice of singer Meiko Haigō, with both English and Japanese vocals. Meiko was followed by the release of Kaito, a male vocaloid, two years later. As time went on, the software became increasingly realistic.

In 2007, Yamaha launched Vocaloid 2, which Crypton Future Media used to bring us Hatsune Miku, a vocaloid persona that quickly went from software to stardom. With long turquoise hair and a heavily anime-inspired look, Miku was sampled from voice actress Saki Fujita, and her Japanese name fittingly translates to “the first sound of the future.”

Hatsune Miku is the first vocaloid to top the charts, has been involved in countless advertisement campaigns, such as those with Google Chrome, Toyota and Louis Vuitton, and opened for Lady Gaga’s ArtPop Tour in 2014. And if it were not for COVID-19, 2020 would have seen her make her Coachella debut. Though other vocaloids have since been created, none have reached the full cultural immersion achieved by Hatsune Miku. Hatsune Miku is now not only the face of vocaloid but also one of Japan’s most recognizable pop stars. Though Miku’s virtual existence isn’t palpable, her real-life fandom and influence certainly are. So much so that in 2018, Akihiko Kondo formally “married” the vocaloid, making for the ultimate ultramodern love story.

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But it doesn’t stop there. In 2016, a transmedia startup co-founded by Trevor McFedries called Brud created Miquela Sousa, the first computer-generated social media influencer, programmed as a half-Brazilian, half-Spanish bisexual 19-year-old from LA. With 2.4 million Instagram followers, the mysteriously charming avatar is an ideal fit for advertisers. Miquela did an Instagram takeover for Prada and a Calvin Klein ad with Bella Hadid, in which Hadid, too, was animated, prompting a fascinating elusiveness.

Miquela is also openly progressive, showing support for Black Lives Matter and other movements. Her creators have noted their intention to help promote social justice through their pioneering of virtual personalities–and talented ones, at that. Miquela is not only an influencer with multiple brand partnerships but also a musician who has collaborated with Lauv and Baauer and is now signed to CAA.

McFedries, Miquela’s manager and one of her creators, is not new to the music industry, having been a DJ, radio show host, director and manager himself. He also created two other virtual personas, Blawko and Bermuda, who are friends with Miquela and whose frequent dramas are created and conveyed through their social media and Youtube vlogs, like a relatable, sympathy-inducing reality show. The three unique virtual influencers portray an obvious self-awareness that they are not human, addressing themselves as robots. Despite not having a true pulse, the self-awareness of these bots certainly shows they have a pulse for the culture, for humor and for connection. So much so that Miquela was listed as one of Time Magazine’s “Most Influential People on the Internet” in 2018, alongside Rihanna and, unfortunately, President Trump.

The creation of both Hatsune Miku and Miquela sparked a paradigm shift in the role of technology in music, an intersection that will lay the foundation for the potential digital future. But this article taps only the tip of the iceberg. From self-driving cars to self-writing songs, the potentially unpredictable nature of innovation sparks anxiety in some and optimism in others.

Unlocking new worlds of music technology can equip new levels of human creativity. But some may wonder, where the line is drawn when humans are not the only ones making art? Technology is meant to be a resource for the artist, not a replacement. On the other hand, who is to say an artificial collaborator is not a tool? Who is to say the creators and drivers of these vocaloids or virtual artists are not artists themselves?

Perhaps the increased role of technology will bring a heightened appreciation for the human elements. Perhaps all this live streaming via social media will create a heightened appreciation for the physically live experience while also giving us new tools to reach people around the world. Similarly, while vocaloid hologram performances allow us to experience music in a new way, perhaps this will reinforce an appreciation for the live, human performer.

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Fear is an inevitable part of progress, as people before us feared the advent of trains, television, and the internet. Technological progress does not exist in a vacuum, as we have witnessed its challenges but also its immense rewards. Ultimately, we are veterans in experiencing the result of groundbreaking technologies sewing their way into our everyday lives, and adapting accordingly. As technology expands exponentially, we are still only at the cusp. (If you don’t believe me, just google the quantum computer IBM has sitting in their refrigerated basement).

Though the future can be daunting, it is also exciting. Having Miquela in a Calvin Klein ad in which Bella Hadid, a familiar face, was also animated is like opening a portal between the virtual and real world (like the princess in Enchanted jumping out of the sewer, morphing from cartoon to human). Bonding with artificial characters is not new. But this portal allows virtual influencers to become a notable real part of our reality as they themselves claim to be part of it, whether via music, fashion or fandom (or marriage, in the case of Miku’s now supposed husband, Akihiko Kondo).

The newest Miku update is Vocaloid 5, launched in 2018 and now more adaptable across formats and also available in Chinese, Spanish and Korean. As she shared on her instagram, Miquela dropped two singles this year and is still seeing her friends Blawko and Bermuda.

With coronavirus still very much a reality, the longing for a return to normal is absolutely understandable; however, with so much of our world changing, our world may never return to its pre-pandemic state. Instead, it is likely to return to a new normal, in which live streaming and virtual reality are not supplements for the live experience but directly part of it. Whether virtual musicians like Hatsune Miku or Miquela are a momentary fascination of our present or a glimpse into a very real future, one thing remains certain. Our potential digital future is much closer than we think.

#hatsune miku #miquela #cornoavirus #virtual reality #op ed

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thebeautyoffandoms · 4 years

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10 of The Best Vocaloid/Utaite/J-Pop/Anime Themes/etc Songs That I’ve Stumbled Across! (AKA 10 Best Weeb Songs That I’ve Stumbled Across):

Sorry for my repetitive vocabulary...

1) (trigger warning) Ruru’s Suicide Livestream (Shinsei Kamattechan)-

One thing I always find amazing about songs is when they have a story behind them. Ruru’s Suicide Livestream (also translated into other similar titles. I.e. Ruru’s Suicide Show on a Livestream, Ruru’s Livestream Suicide Show. You can search and find it by any title such as those.) tells the story of a 14 year old Japanese girl. According to what I’ve read, she would livestream things ranging from singing and playing the piano (rather impressively), to running across busy streets. Up until the day she livestreamed herself jumping, with some people encouraging it. The singer/songwriter for this song, who has BPD and has attempted suicide in the past, felt deeply enough for the poor girl to write a song about it. As sad as the story is, I have to compliment how well the song’s put together. Along with the fact that I have a huge soft spot for songs that have sad lyrics/meanings but a happy tune, the singing in this song sounds so… strained? Sad, almost in pain. Which is how Roro-chan must have felt. The art and animation in the video are also incredibly impressive. I really respect how they tried, and succeeded I believe, to tell the story in Roro-chan’s perspective. With everything put together how impressively it was, the song is enough to bring me to tears, even if it does have such a positive-sounding tune. (NOTEWORTHY COVER: MDATripleStar’s Cover! I really, really, like this cover! The singer manages to keep the sadness that the original singer had, and does a really great job at keeping the same overall sound in her voice. I also think that the lyrics used here fit really nicely!)

2) (trigger warning, adult themes) Wozwald (Niru Kajitsu)-

I have to start this by saying, I’m honestly not a big fan of how they tuned vflower. But, even with that, this is still my favorite song. Wozwald has such an eerie tune, that’s also pretty sad-sounding, with (in my opinion) equally as eerie/sad lyrics. I enjoy the fact that they leave most of the theorizing up to the viewers. Though, at my first glances, Wozwald seemed to be about a man questioning religion, the more I listened to it and watched the video closer, the more I began to see it a bit differently. Is is about religion? Morals? Happiness? Lost family members? Oswald the Lucky Rabbit? All of the above? Or maybe none of that. (I really like this theory!) I also really like that they throw in another character from another song (Kalmia.) The visuals also stole my heart from the beginning. It being mainly black-and-white suits the song, and I adore the art style. Especially the lighting. It’s really nice to look at! (NOTEWORTHY COVER: any fan of this song probably saw this coming- miy_yuu’s cover! He always does such an awesome job on his covers, and this one is no different! From the whispery parts, to the high notes, I think just about everything here is beautiful. The subtitles on the video are also super neat!)

3) Yellow (Yoh Kamiyama)-

This song, right from the beginning, is awesome to listen to. The way it starts off with a simple beat, and Kamiyama’s amazing voice, and then quickly switches to more instruments. Though the switch isn’t anything crazy, it’s still there, and it’s a rather beautiful change. I think the meaning of this song is clearer than Wozwald, but I still like that it’s left for people to decide. The most “obvious” (in my opinion) theory being that Yellow is about a past relationship, most likely a toxic one, and the boy trying to get over it. While some may say the art isn’t “anything impressive”, I think it’s still a key factor in what makes this song one of my favorites. It’s done sort of like a sketch, and has simple colors. Which reflects how the song itself sounds… pretty simple. Yet, it’s still incredible, just like the art. The animation is also very neat! While it looks almost like normal animation, it manages to be… a bit off putting? Most everything about this song and video is almost… hypnotizing? (NOTEWORTHY COVER: JubyPhonic’s Cover! I really like her vocal range in this cover! It suits her voice amazingly. And, once again, I love her translyrics. I also admire the fact that she got this cover out, and beautifully done, when she wasn’t feeling her best.)

4) Nandemo Nadari (KANA-BOON)-

Such a cute song! It may not seem very impressive to some, but I absolutely adore this! It’s such a genuinely happy sounding song, and the lyrics, though maybe not what was expected, are just as precious! Or… pretty much just as precious. The dances in this song are simple, but the way everyone seems to be goofing off slightly makes me smile! I also love how much fun everyone looks to be having! It’s also really cute how some of the people’s timings are a little off in the dances. It makes it seem… more fun! Cuter! Happier! Less… pressured! The people, not just the band members, are also so, so precious.

5) (adult themes) Liar Dance (DECO*27 and NAOKI ITAI)-

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure why I love this song so much, but I’m going to try and describe it. While I admire the tuning, and I really like the video (the one used in Rachie’s cover anyway-), I think it’s simply the tune and lyrics that got my attention. It’s quite upbeat, and I love the way it begins. Slowly fading in, then changing the beat a bit. Though some of the lyrics, and the overall theme of this song, is… not the most appropriate, I just… really love the way it sounds. (NOTEWORTHY COVER: Rachie’s Cover! This cover is actually what made me fall in love with Liar Dance, and is the primary way I listen to it. Though she said she wasn’t a big fan of the song, she still did incredibly for not loving it! I also agree with her other comment, she does sound really, really awesome here! But… I can’t think of a time Rachie doesn’t sound beautiful- this is still one of my favorites of her covers~.)

6) Zettai Zetsumei (Cö shu Nie ((The Promised Never ED 1)))-

Aah… The Promised Neverland… an, honestly, amazing anime. And Zettai Zetsumei, a song that truly fits this show! Of course, the fact that this song fits this show that I love so well is a big reason I love the song, but the other big reason is: the vocals. More importantly, the way she hits the high notes. I’m not sure how to describe how it sounds, other than absolutely incredible! The singer’s voice through it all is insanely beautiful, of course, I was just really impressed with the higher notes. She overall has a… somewhat soft voice, and to have such a gentle-seeming voice sing lyrics like those, it also reflects the anime. Just a bunch of kids going through an awful situation.

7) Outer Science (Jin ((Kagerou Project))-

Kagerou Project. A series that captured my attention from the moment I heard Kagerou Daze. While Outer Science sounds really awesome not knowing the story, it just seems all that more powerful when you know the context. Kuroha strikes again. Wreaking havoc just as he’s done previously! And plans to do it again and again! Well- enough about that evil boy- I don’t tend to enjoy a lot of songs with IA, Jin does an amazing job using her for this series. Especially Outer Science. Bragging on the visuals a bit, I adore the animations! And basically all of it! The drawings, the way the lyrics are placed, and the animations! The way it’s all colored also stole my heart. Especially the lighting. Shadows being cast to give it the right amount of spook, and Kuroha and Mary being in the center of some of the light. As for the music part… summed up, it’s incredible. Like I said, IA sounds really good, but the instruments are also wonderful! The guitar being one of the best parts of the song, in my opinion. The song manages to sound chaotic while still sounding like a somewhat normal rock song. From the “softer”, “calmer” parts, to the loud, evil parts! I love this song so much! (NOTEWORTHY COVER(s! And Remix!): Kuraiinu’s Cover! While Kura usually impresses me, I really fell in love with this cover! I think his voice suits it nicely, and he pulls of the insane-sounding parts beautifully. His laugh too… amazing… RafScrap and Others (A-L1)! I truly think everyone did crazy great in this cover… from the independent screams, to the parts where they all sing together. Adding all that with the art, and video in general, this really is one of the best group covers I think I’ve ever heard! Teddyloid Remix! I think the dialogue at the beginning sounds pretty realistic, especially for a Vocaloid! The remix itself is also amazing. The video is a huge plus~.)

8) (adult themes?) Goodbye Ms. Floral Thief (Mel)-

I’d like to start this off with saying: Miku sounds so soft! It’s adorable, and very beautiful! Along with a lot of songs I fall in love with, I found Goodbye Ms. Floral Thief through a cover, which I’ll be putting in the noteworthy covers section. This song has a sort of… nostalgic feeling to it. I really adore songs with a nostalgic feeling such as this. Though this song may talk a little bit about “adult themes”, it’s still a beautiful song. It’s sad, and, to be honest, I’m not entirely sure on what the meaning of the song is. Though I think it’s about a lover dying, I’m not entirely sure. That seems like the most likely to me and, if that’s the case, it makes this song just that much sadder. (NOTEWORTHY COVER: Rachie’s Cover! Aaah, Rachie’s voice… it really is so lovely, especially in this cover! I believe she does an amazing job at sounding soft, and somewhat emotional. And Anthong did an amazing job with the lyrics!)

9) (trigger warning?) Tokyo Teddy Bear (Neru)-

I think the main thing that made me fall in love with this song was the guitar. It’s my favorite instrument, and it was played amazingly in this song! I think it’s incredible when it’s being plucked at to mimic Rin texting, though that may be a strange thing to be so impressed with. Though the texting isn’t the only impressive part with the guitar, don’t get me wrong! I think every part, especially with the guitar, in this song is super impressive. The song sounds so… loud, and gives off “I’ve given up” sorts of vibes. Plus, Rin sounds… amazingly realistic. Heck, she even breathes! Onto the art! Though it’s just a picture, in this video anyway, it’s still really neat! A kid, covered in cuts, dirt, and bandaids, in a box with a stuffed bear. As the lyrics show, the kid is almost… lost-seeming. They just want to be replaced with anything that will even be somewhat fitting. They want to be loved, and they want to feel like they belong, but they don’t think they’re fit to have any of that. So, they make themselves, basically, a living doll. A fraud, and nothing like the self they really are. Or that’s what I’ve gotten from it at least~. (NOTEWORTHY COVER: Princessemagic’s Cover! I think her voice suits this song rather nicely! It has the perfect amount of emotion put into it, and manages to be soft, yet powerful! I especially love around 1:30 when she says the lines with such… hatred.)

10) Hurricane (i’m not sure who i would credit... ((Death Note the Musical English))) -

Gosh, where do I start…? I know the Death Note musical gets a lot of hate, but I enjoyed it! Especially this song. I think the man singing for Light is the perfect english voice, and his voice is beautiful! He sounds soft at the beginning, but, throughout the song, his voice grows stronger, which suits what happens perfectly! It’s showing Light realizing how much power he has, and it’s ever so slowly beginning to get to his head. Yet, he still has somewhat innocent intentions. But, by the end, Light is starting to see himself as the “god of a brand new world.” That’s when his voice really starts to get powerful. And his growls! They’re perfect!! Amazing, beautiful, absolutely breathtaking! The lyrics progress nicely, slowly shifting from innocent Light wanting to rid the world of evil, up until the end where he wants to become a god. As for the instrumental itself, I also think that it’s rather perfect! I really enjoy the somewhat-gloomy piano at the beginning. It almost reminds me of a sort of “calm before the storm.” The instruments slowly pick up pace, adding more in, the further into his power Light finds himself.

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jusadode-blog · 5 years

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:0 whats the tea?

I don’t know which tea you’re referring to but I’m having an emotional breakdown over vocaloid so I’m dumping vocaloid tea. Huge rant below.

The year is 2012, the vocaloid community is in a weird phase. V3 has been out and going steady for a bit, and a lot of the fans are demanding remakes rather than new vocaloids. The exploration of new languages is a new trendy thing in V3, however, people are mainly demanding remakes of lesser-known V2′s and even underappreciated V1′s. Miki is a popular candidate, as she has a stable fanbase, a decent voice, and her design is manifique, however, many companies are currently popping out new vocaloids who are beginning to grow individualized fandoms of their own. The big 5 (or 6 or 7 depending on if you include Luka and/or Gakupo in the major leagues) are getting their V3′s, but there’s a definitive copy-cat style going on of the big 5 with a lot of the newer vocaloids. However, someone new comes into the fray.

The greatest vocaloid in the history of mankind has just been released. The beautiful, the one and only Aoki Lapis, has graced the world with her perfect demo, her perfect design, and her perfect name. Her voice is crafted like that of an angel, and she is ready for all your basic vocaloid needs. She can sing cute, happy songs. She can sing painful, sad songs. Her voice is like that of a lonely puppy, ready to make or break your heart at a moments notice. Will she smile? Will she cry? The choice is up to the fans. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THEY FUCKING DID?

THEY IGNORED HER.

FUCKING INSTEAD, A YEAR OLD VOCALOID WHICH HAD NO FUCKING FANBASE UP UNTIL THAT POINT DECIDED TO START PICKING UP PACE.

Tone Rion, WHO’S INITIAL FANDOM WAS COMPRISED OF MANY FUCKING LOLICONS [aka PEDOPHILES] DUE TO HER FUCKING RIDICULOUSLY CHILDISH YET SEXUALIZED OUTFIT, started gaining traction despite her initial rocky start, ENDED UP WITH A LONG-STANDING FANDOM WHO STILL PRODUCE MUSIC TO THIS FUCKINGDAY. And I mean HER FACE IS EXACTLY LIKE FUCKING KAAI YUKI, A FUCKING KINDERGARTEN AGE VOCALOID. Tone Rion sounded so fucking bland, so fucking generic. Her voice is like that of if you put a hundread different fem vocaloid voices through a neural network and made it produce one of it’s own. It’s so fucking bland and has no emotion in it, AND YET GUSSS FUCKING WHAT?!?

SHE GET’S A FUCKING V4, AND THEY REDO HER WHOLE DESIGN BECAUSE THE WERID SEXUALIZED SCI-FI MAGICAL GIRL KID WITH TIDDY WINDOWS WAS KINDA A BAD IDEA. NOW SHE HAS A SUPER FUCKING CUTE DESIGN AND A NEW (IMRPOVED) VOICE BUT YOU FUCKING KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO AOKI???

SHE’S FUCKING DEAD, SHE HAS NO FANDOM. SHE HAS NO SONGS. THE ONLY SHIT SHE GET’S IS FUCKING COVERS AND TO WORK WITH OTHER VOCALOIDS. MERLI COULDN’T EVEN SAVE HER ASS, AND HONESTLY I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW MERLI GOT FUCKING RELEASED BY HOW LITTLE THE COMMUNITY PICKED HER UP.

They did my fucking girl SO WRONG.

So yeah, FUCK TONE RION. FUCK ALL HER INITIAL FANS. And FUCK EVERYONE WHO LEFT AOKI TO DIE.

IT’S 20 GODDAMN 19 WHY IS TONE RION POPPING UP IN MY GODDAMN YOUTUBE FEEDS?!!? I DON’T WANT THIS SHIT.

Especial shoutouts to FUCKING MEW, WHO Y’ALL FUCKING ALSO DROPPED LIKE A DEAD RAT, Cul (who’s fanbase was actually pretty solid for a while but fizzled out), and finally Galaco and Chika who everyone seems to have forgotten existed despite some somewhat proficient producers using her.

Also I’m still bitter Miriam wasn’t as loved as she should have been. It’s like everyone forget’s she ever existed.

SO YEAH THAT’S THE TEA. FUCK TONE RION’S NEW V4. Apparently she’s been out for a year but I just hadn’t of paid enough attention while scrolling away apparently.

ONE MORE THING SINCE THIS HAS ALL JUST BEEN ABOUT MY HATE ON V3:

Y’ALL FUCKERS DIDN’T PICK UP SACHIKO ENOUGH FROM V4. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU ALL SHE SOUNDS SO GODDAMN AUTHENTIC?!?!? Like GODDAMN Sachiko is fucking god-tier like Aoki and y’all sleeping on her. HER BOX ART? GREAT. HER VOICE? GREAT. HER EMOTION, HER EVERYTHING??? FUCKING ON POINT. She’s got that rougher, deeper voice y’all loved about Luka, BUT LOO KWHAT YOU DID TO HER. Y’ALL LEFT HER FOR DEAD. Sachiko is EONS ahead of Luka in terms of rough, deep vocals, and god she sounds so fucking realistic because of it. It makes her emotion in depressing songs or creepy songs SO MUCH BETTER.

[Please note I’m angry at the community as a whole, and not individualized people and you should not feel in any way responsible for my anger. It is not your duty as a fan of something to show appreciation for lesser known characters or aspects of it. The vocaloid fandom, however, has a trend of picking up lesser-quality vocaloids in favor of the more robotic voices. Look at fucking SONIKA, one of the worst vocaloids to date MECHANICALLY WISE, NOT EVEN JUST VOCAL WISE, with her strong fandom and usage. And yes, the power of a producer using lesser-quality vocaloids and still making jams with them is a testimate to their skill, but it’s still painful to see the fans in turn also pick up said vocaloids because they want to be like their favorite producers rather than experiment with something new.

I used Maika fans as a example of “unproblematic fans” as most Maika songs are from Spanish! Vocaloid community, who really don’t have enough vocaloids to start discourse about lol. The only real discourse I saw on the spanish vocaloids was from the English and Japanese communities, who were super fucking shitty on Bruno and Clara but for ~some reason~ loved Maika. Honestly, Spanish Vocaloid community I’m so sorry y’alls first vocaloids went through such a hard time. Hope y’all get more vocaloids soon, y’all are such an awesome fanbase and I see y’all with all the subs you guys make. Keep being loud! Be seen! They’ll remember you’re a epic market!

Please note most of my critique is on the English vocaloid community, however also partially on the Japanese vocaloid community. It is very common for English producers to use non-english voice banks, however there’s a definitive trend to it all I hate. The Japanese vocaloid community is a lot harder for me to critique, however as a consumer of both english and japanese community creations I can fucking say that both of y’all assholes left my favs to die.]

TLDR: Tone Rion was initially a loli-bait style character who was made as if a mix between “robot magical girl” Miku, and Kaai Yuki with one of the most generic voices to date, but managed to get a V4 (and a VERY WELL NEEDED redesign I actually approve of as it’s more just to look cute rather than to be creepy) and a steady community while my fav Aoki just was thrown away and not even the underground community picked her up enough. I will reinterate here though, most Tone Rion fans now are not creeps. They’re just digging the cute remake of a vocaloid they may have some kind of nostalgia for just because they were hyped for all the new V3′s coming out at the time. Like, modern Tone Rion fans I’m more jealous of you rather than angry at you. Old fashion Tone Rion fans (especially those who didn’t like her new design) can go choke, that was a shit-tier design and she had an awful voice. Her new one is actually not bad, but still pretty dead in comparison to our lovely Lapis.

I will say a reason that most vocaloids “die” is caused by fans liking producers who make funky songs, and then buy the same vocaloids of their favorite songs to mimic their producers rather than to explore new vocaloids. This leads to a cycle, ultimately leaving barely any room for new vocaloids to be explored. If a popular producer doesn’t pick up a vocaloid, or even if they did but didn’t utilize them enough (often because the vocals don’t mix well with their style or because the mechanics behind the voice are shit. Despite Circus-P getting a copy of Galaco she still died pretty hard, and she actually had a pretty alright voice and cute design. I think that one Yandere-style lolita-fashion vocaloid, can’t remember her name despite loving her, also beat her in popularity as she’s still being used quite decently.), and so that vocaloid’s popularity will be almost nothing.

Also my fav V4, Sachiko, was also discarded despite her BEAUTIFUL voice and design, because of her extremely rough voice not fitting the ~cutsy~ style of most vocaloid fans. For fucks sakes she’d be perfect for the Hagane fandom but we’re pretty fucking dead right now. Not even Yandere! vocaloid fandom picked her up and that’s such a disappointment man.

Thanks for stopping in for the tea anon! Hope you have a lovely day :D

#talk junk #anon ask #anonymous ask #ask #I'm going to die so fucking mad about this #vocaloid #vocaloid discourse #now that that's out of my system it'll be another half year before I break down crying again #forgot to mention as well by active fandom I mean original songs and people listening to said songs #there's a decent amount of covers for my dead favs but they're unloved #I will say bless the underground UTAU community for using a lot of dead vocaloids #Assault Mirage with Aoki IA and Maiko is SO FUCKING GOOD #Honestly just bless everyone who attempts to use Maiko and especially those who learn to use her well

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brianna-lei · 6 years

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Butterfly Soup Asks #18

I’ll be spending the week of Thanksgiving in Taiwan w/ relatives, so I tried to answer as many as I could ^^; It’s my first time there in around 10 years so I’m really excited! I would do the rest on the plane but I don’t think I’ll have wi-fi...

Highlights of this batch: The squad’s Halloween, pets, and Ester info

Yup! The others finally convinced Noelle to go trick-or-treating for the first time

Diya and Min matched, Diya was Red Riding Hood and Min was the Big Bad Wolf. Min got to wear a wolf mask that went over her head

Noelle: But that doesn’t make sense as a couple’s costume. The wolf wants to eat Red Riding Hood

Akarsha: :^)

Akarsha went as Guy Fieri

Noelle is boring so she was a doctor. She basically looks the same as normal except wearing a lab coat

While trick or treating, Min started complaining partway through that she was thirsty and drank sprinkler water even though Noelle repeatedly told her not to. She immediately spat it out and went “YUCK!! TASTES BAD” apparently it tastes like mud

A few times, Akarsha ran ahead of the gang and jumped out at them from behind bushes. Noelle screams, Diya jumps back, and Min reacts like this

Min dared Akarsha to lick a mailbox and she did

One house’s decorations were too good and Diya got scared

Noelle didn’t want most of her candy so Diya got it

Diya doesn’t have a dog yet in high school -- she’s always begged for one but her parents knew they’d be too busy to handle it. So their house has a fish tank with guppies

Akarsha had a pet snail in elementary school but accidentally killed it when she tried to wash it with shampoo. She still mourns it. The way she talks about it made Noelle believe for a long time that Akarsha had a deceased sibling or other close family member and she got mad when she found out it was a snail

Hayden’s had a dog since elementary school, much to Diya’s delight and jealousy

Yuki has a hamster

Liz has 2 cats. They’re siblings, one of them has a crooked tail

Chryssa doesn’t exactly have pets, but her family runs a wildlife rescue/rehabilitation center. They mostly pick up birds but also get other critters like possums and skunks. They even have a hawk there

Ester is just as much a weeb as Sakura and Yuki, but tries to hide it because she worries about how other people see her and wants to be perceived as normal. Whenever they talk about anime she acts like she’s too cool for them but is actually really interested. She set all the anime and vocaloid songs on her iPod to Skip on shuffle so that if someone else happens to listen to it, they won’t hear any.

She has friends but isn’t anyone’s Best friend -- they all have someone they like more than her and she thinks about this a lot

knowing she wouldn’t wear it, I never bothered to design one for her haha

I imagine that she’d want a dark colored one, and only wear one strap bc she thinks it looks cooler like that

Yes, I really want Butterfly Soup 2 and my other future games to have their own soundtracks of music written for them! Feel free to send me examples of your work and rates! Once I properly start development for them I’ll probably make an open call for musicians too ^^

During the story Min doesn’t know about alternative pronouns like they/ze/ey yet, so she currently only uses she/her. In the future, she still mostly uses she/her but will also be fine with they/them

They’re both 17

Yup!

Secret for the reasons above, sorry!

It’s funny because there’s only 2 reactions to Min’s height, with almost no in between:

HOLY SHIT I DIDN’T REALIZE SHE'S SO TINY

I related to her bc I’m small too, but she’s 5′1″?? IM NOT EVEN 5 FEET TALL I FEEL BETRAYED

This is a common enough sentiment that I really want to make it happen. I’ve found decent places that make custom hoodies for Diya’s jacket, but I still have yet to find a reasonably priced option for custom bomber/letterman jackets. If anyone has places they recommend please let me know!

In high school I wanted to be an artist but my parents didn’t approve of it, so I didn’t really know what I wanted to do yet. UC Berkeley is considered the best UC to a lot of Asian parents, so it was just naturally somewhere I wanted to get into.

It wasn’t until I actually got into USC that I found out game design majors even existed. It was insanely lucky that I happened to go to a college that had such a well known game design program

I’ve said a bit about this on twitter before, but that part of Min’s story was inspired by things my friends and I experienced growing up. Most stories about fictional bad parents come in 2 flavors:

The parents see the error of their ways in the end and aim to be better

The kid escapes from the parents and lives happily ever after

But in reality, it’s often not that simple. Sometimes your parents never change and there’s no easy way out, that’s just how it is and you have to live with it. So I wanted to show characters who have to bear with it, and at the end of the story are still bearing with it, but are able to find happiness despite it. I wanted people like that to know they aren’t alone in never getting a storybook resolution to what they went through and it’s ok

It is a difficult subject to handle, and it was a challenge figuring out how to realistically show Min going through this without being gratuitous about her suffering. A lot of people like my beta testers were happy seeing a character having the same arguments with her parents as they did, but everyone reacts to things differently and I hope that the trigger warnings prevent too many people from being blindsided by it

you’d be surprised at how small of a space you can fit in! ...not that I endorse getting free meals like this. kids don’t try this at home

oh?? Do you mean PC Gamer? I haven’t seen an IGN one yet :o

oh no! I’m sorry it’s doing that :( dam u tumblr

I’m not sure what this means but it sounds right

SFDJHKJ I actually don’t think she would, I feel like it’s not the right vibe for her if that makes sense

They were mostly drawn in Clip Studio Paint! It goes on sale for as low as $15 every few months and it’s my favorite drawing program atm

I generally welcome Lets players, it’s fun seeing them enjoy the game! I specifically dislike Pewdiepie, though. I don’t know a lot about Markiplier, but I don’t think he ever played Pom Gets Wi-Fi?

I’m really touched that people like it enough to replay it, it’s only been out for 2 months!! Thank you!!

You’re welcome!! I’m really really happy you appreciated it!

It makes me so happy to see it too!! You’re welcome, thank you for the message ;u;

You’re welcome!! I’m always really glad to hear people relate to Diya ;u;

You’re welcome! I hope you like the game!

You’re welcome!!!

Thank you! I’m really glad you liked it :>

You’re welcome! Thank you for playing it!!

#briANSWER #my post #Butterfly Soup

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co-mm102 · 3 years

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#4: [robotic voice] mu-sic

So, you’ve heard of music that people sing over instrumentals in recording booths, you know: Queen, Taylor Swift, Hozier, the like. But have you ever heard of composers using softwares to sing for them? Imagine this: a composer sits at their desk, arranging the instruments they’re using for a song, writing lyrics at the side, and after hours and hours of editing, it’s time to have the vocals sing. After a cup of coffee, they sit back down on their desk, and instead of calling someone to sing for them or perhaps sing their own, they open a singing synthesizer that allows their lyrics to be sang with pre-recorded syllables: VOCALOID.

That’s it. No actual vocalist needed. Just your preferred Vocaloid voice bank, some fine tuning, and a beat. Vocaloid was created using voice samples from actual human voices, recording every syllable there is in the Japanese and English language for users to use to their satisfaction. Now, this all might sound foreign to anyone but perhaps you’ve heard some Vocaloid songs in your own time. Ever heard of Hatsune Miku, Vocaloid’s most famous voice bank? How about her rendition of the Polish song Ievan Polkka? Of course, one can’t forget her iconic ‘sekai de’ from Ryo’s hit song World Is Mine.

(image: Vocaloid Diva Hatsune Miku looks you in the eye.)

As a wandering, curious child scrounging the deep depth of the early internet, finding Vocaloid had been nothing short of a dream come true for me. Not only was I a child who regularly listened to Korean lyrics, I was also an avid watcher of Japanese animated shows. Mix it all together and you get, well, an anime girl who sings foreign lyrics! I was just about used to that. Cute lyrics, misleading videos, dark meanings, and hair to die for – Vocaloid had it all for little seven year old me. Now though, as a teenager-slash-adult, the one thing that draws me back in to Vocaloid every single year, without fail, is that all the content in Vocaloid is fan-made.

Let’s look at mainstream pop: a song is produced by either the artist themselves or through another producer, but it will ultimately be sung by the artist. Some add choreographies, some make their own, some hire choreographers. Eventually, the songs will be released through an album or a single, promoted by their recording agencies who release their songs on music platforms such as YouTube or Apple Music, or Spotify. Vocaloid challenges this whole process of of song production and distribution, simply because there is no one entity that produces Vocaloid songs. Everything released is made by fans: the instrumentals of the song, their videos or PVs, the promotion, the animation–all that is provided is a voice bank which producers will have to tune themselves through synthesizers for Vocaloids to sing their lyrics.

Vocaloid is sustained by the Vocaloid community. If all Vocaloid users ceased to use Vocaloid, then Vocaloid would most likely cease to exist as well. Yet Vocaloid consumption is not stopping. Why? Well, that is because this is a profession for some. Some producers do shoot to fame. Some stay within the fandom. Some do not. Vocaloid can serve as a sort-of gateway for producers to be known in the Vocaloid community first, then branch out into other forms of music when they become famous enough. A prime example of this is Kenshi Yonezu, otherwise known as HACHI in Vocaloid circles, who created and sang the opening song for 2017′s hit anime My Hero Academia. Now, his songs are known and heard all over the world through the show, but before all that, he was first heard through Hatsune Miku in NicoNicoDouga (the Japanese YouTube).

Kenshi Yonezu was part of what the Vocaloid community liked to call their golden age, circa 2007-2011. This was around the time VOCALOID2 was released, following the success of the first Vocaloid engine. New voice banks were released: Hatsune Miku, Megurine Luka, Kagamine Rin and Len, GUMI, Gackpoid, just to name a few. This was also the time when many iconic songs came to bloom, songs like Meltdown, Just Be Friends, and World’s End Dancehall were released. However, some people (my one sister included) were reluctant to listen to these kinds of songs as many of them sounded... robotic. As VOCALOID2 is one of their earlier releases, its quality was reduced to its time. Many songs sounded clunky due to their syllabic nature, some were dripping with autotune, some played like a storyteller with an instrumental in the background. Yet, it cannot be denied that there were some strokes of genius within. Songs like The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku were sang at a speed which humans cannot recreate, to convey how Miku felt as self awareness dawned on her: this is her final song before she was deleted forever. The Night ∞ Series was sung in a musicalesque manner, with 8 voice banks singing in a four-part series to tell a recurring mystery. Due to its popularity, it was granted a three-part novel with fleshed out scenes and far more content than that of the videos. It was also granted a manga.

Vocaloid’s most recent releases is its VOCALOID5, with its numerous improvements, such as functions of breathing, whispering and growling. Song production in the Vocaloid community have become more realistic: you can hear them breath in, take a gasp of air before singing a line, vocals thin out towards the end to mimic real vocals running out of breath, growls are used for maximum human effect. A particular favorite song of mine is a cover of the song Fairytale by cillia, which sounded so human to me that I had a hard time believing it was actually a Vocaloid singing it. In the end, it all boils down to preference. Some people are inclined to the iconic robotic Vocaloid songs, some producers still use that clunky style in tuning, but every song will still have that Vocaloid magic in every syllable uttered.

Now, remember Kenshi Yonezu? HACHI within the Vocaloid circles? Recently (or three years age, more like), he released a song: Sand Dune. Surprisingly, it was sang by Hatsune Miku, for a community he abruptly left high and dry on his songs. It tells a message of the Vocaloid community dying, of Miku wandering a sand planet with nothing but memories of fame and her loyal fans following her. He hinted that producers will always leave the community eventually, stolen up by talent searches to create music elsewhere. The song is a bop, but he couldn’t be more wrong.

While Vocaloid isn’t at its greatest peak, with songs topping charts at NicoNicoDouga and booming every week or so, it is nowhere near the dwindling state he sings about. You’d be surprised at how many commercials Miku is in, at how animated, hologram figures tour around the world, selling out concert venues to play the songs their fans made. The Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra conducts an event called the Miku Symphony to perform Vocaloid songs annually. Prior to the pandemic, Hatsune Miku was supposed to perform at Coachella. Can you imagine that? Thousands of people possibly raving to the songs of a girl with sea-green hair, too wide eyes, and her lithe body when she eventually stage-dives into the crowd below and vanishes–oh wait, right, she’s not real. But she has been a growing phenomenon for the past decade, golden age past or not, this community will continue to thrive for as long as fans will allow it. Many see Hatsune Miku as an upcoming and sensational future pop icon but for the pop stars made by Vocaloid, produced by Vocaloid fans, the future has already come.

#entry 4 #april 3 #there are also vocaloid songs in Filipino #mindblown

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monochrome-typewriter · 6 years

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Here’s a pointless list detailing the traits I find most attractive in animated character designs. This is pretty much exclusive to 2d characters because when we start getting into 3d, what’s appealing to me starts leaning more towards what I find attractive in real people. It’s also important to note that these traits aren’t what make a character my favorite. They just have an appealing design for me.

I apologize in advance for how all over the place this is. It was kind of inevitable when talking about character designs.

Really big or really long hair - It really doesn’t matter what the style or color is. If a character has loose hanging hair that’s bigger than the rest of the design, they immediately catch my eye. Some good examples are Kamukura Izuru, Vocaloid SeeU, and Stevonnie from SU. I’m also fond of a lot of 80s anime designs, even ones that don’t have hair that’s especially long. The hair can still get so big and fluffy that it’s nice too look at. Adding waves or curls is always a bonus, as well as any accessories or clothing that add to the flowiness (a good example of this is Taiwan from Hetalia).

Very light shades of green, purple, or blue hair - This doesn’t work if the hair doesn’t look soft, so I’m not as drawn to a character design like CC from Code Geass. When the hair is allowed to be fluffy or soft looking, though, these colors can look really pretty, especially on female characters. I tend to favor purple and green over blue, but blue looks great, too, especially when gradients or highlights are added. Bonus points are added for colored eyelashes or dark skin. Speaking of which...

Dark skin with light hair - Actually, it’s generally hard to go wrong when you give a character dark skin. The darker, the better. I don’t mean for this to sound like fetishizing or anything. I just find really dark skin very pretty to look at. It makes the lighter features pop a lot more, which is why I like it combined with light hair colors.

Round faces and tummies - I’ve made no secret of the fact that I like tummies. Any tummy is automatically a good one as long as it’s realistic. Disney’s Jasmine doesn’t have a very great tum, but Nani’s is amazing. Let me see muscles and chub and heck, even bone structure if the position calls for it. Obviously, this combined with my fondness for round faces leads to me just liking chubby characters who aren’t designed for comic relief. It’s especially likable when the character is allowed to be bubbly energized (like Yuri’s mother from Yuri on Ice) or confident and stylish (like Akimichi Chouchou). Again, I do know there are people who fetishize chub, and that’s not what I'm intending here. I just appreciate when characters are allowed to have realistic body types and not be treated as comic relief.

Defying gender norms - This is pretty self-indulgent since I’m a trans dude who likes cross-dressing, but yeah. As long as it’s not treated as a fetish or joke, I’m always excited for girls in tuxes or boys in dresses. A good example is Saber from Fate/Zero. While her main outfit is an armored dress, she’s shown wearing a suit multiple times. It looks so good. I get even more excited when I see a transgender or nonbinary character. Again, as long as they’re treated right, I’ll watch anything with a transgender or nonbinary character. This is very important to me.

Some kind of quirky design or animation - Some good examples of what I mean by this are small or thick eyebrows, multicolored hair, freckles, dimples, thick rimmed glasses, or an odd but not unrealistic hairstyle. It doesn’t have to be anything big, but anything that makes a character’s design more interesting to look at is a huge bonus. This can also apply to the general art style, as is the case with something like Little Witch Acadamia, where all the designs are fun to look at. If I had to pick my favorites from that franchise, I’d go with Sucy, Lotte, and Constanze. This can also come from how the characters move. Nonaka Masayuki is great at adding in really expressive and bubbly animation that makes characters look great even if their designs aren’t fantastic, for example. There’s also a subcategory I have for characters with more extremely quirky designs.

Extremely quirky designs - I’ve stated multiple times in the past that I don’t find anthropomorphic animals very appealing. It’s that reason that makes me avoid monster girl shows or anything with furries outside of stuff put out by Disney. However, if a character has some sort of design that’s bizarre and doesn’t obviously borrow from a specific animal, I get a lot more interested. Non-sexualized plant people are really cool to look at, as are people made of water or other liquids. Weird skin colors or extra limbs are cool, and I’ve yet to see an anime girl with one gigantic eye that I didn’t find adorable. Stuff like the fusions in Steven Universe, that spring sprite from Fantasia 2000, or any monster girls that clearly aren’t just part animal are really creative and fun to look at. The only exception I’ve ever made to the “no part animals” rule is dragons. Because I freaking love dragons. I’d marry a dragon.

And finally, Really Likable Personalities - This one’s kind of cheating since it’s not about the artistic design, but I think it counts since this isn’t about having a complex or fascinating character. When a character is given an already cute or otherwise appealing design, they become even more attractive if they have a likable personality. This includes characters who are really cheerful and fun, characters who are extremely kindhearted and like to help others, or characters who are energetic and hot-blooded without also being angry or mean. These characters can be complex, but they aren’t always. Sometimes, their simplicity is part of the appeal. Some good examples of this are Mioda Ibuki, Tohru from Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid, the obvious Naegi Makoto and Furukawa Nagisa, and fug it, I’m gonna throw Penelope Garcia and Disney’s Giselle in here even though they’re (mostly) live action, because their likability makes them that much more appealing.

And I think that covers the most important stuff. This was pretty pointless, but eh. It was fun to put together and I have a lot of time on my hands. Plus, it’d take a lot less time than just listing a bunch of random characters I think are pretty. I have so many, including characters from franchises I know nothing about. If you actually read all this, I apologize and hope this wasn’t a complete waste of your time. It’s over now, so go do something fun. You deserve that much.

#about me

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kierans-crow · 6 years

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@adraughtofamortentia asked for Japanese music recommendations so here I go on forever about Vocaloid. Under a readmore because hi, it’s long.

A quick note: if you’re looking for groups more like Narsha and Exo you won’t really find it in Vocaloid. It’s pretty community driven, and you’ll see why. But I don’t know many idols/groups. Vocaloid is completely it’s own thing.

Ok so I'm going to focus on Vocaloid for a couple reasons, one: that's what I listened to most, and two: because they can easily introduce you to a lot of artists at once. I’m going to give you a ton of info because I think you would prefer to have a bit of cultural background into this thing so you maybe understand why it’s a thing?

Quick background: Vocaloid is not a band or a singer - it's a program. Each voice is sold (more-or-less) separately, and each voice has a character representation and a name. This is important to remember because the songs aren't written *by* a Vocaloid, they're written *with* one. On that note, some producers are more famous than others, such as Kemu-P, Neru, and DECO*27. There are also some English/American Producers such as Circus-P.

The way the vocaloid system works is really designed around the Japanese language. I don't know how much background you have by the language is made up with a set number of sounds (I found it really easy to learn Hiragana because there are only like 76 possible syllables). A human records their voice saying each syllable/sound individually, and the producers/songwriters can make their voice sing any song.

A great example of this is with a Japanese singer who goes by Gackt - he recorded a vocaloid called Kamui Gakupo. Another singer recorded two, the twins Rin and Len which she recorded using a high-pitched and low-pitched voice. The result is that Rin and Len sound a little like teenagers with slightly similar voices. This is useful if you want to write songs but have no singer, or can't sing, or have an idea for a song with very fast lyrics (The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku and Two Faced Lovers by Miku have fast lyrics, as does IA's Two Thousand Years and an Overnight Story). So you can branch out and check out the voice actor's works (I like Gackt's GHOST it kinda has an electronic vibe and the MV looks like it's based off Terminator).

This also led to a Vocaloid off-shoot called Utau - derived from the word meaning "song" an Utau is essentially a fan-made vocaloid. If you knew what you were doing you could record your own voice and make an Utau that sings. They tend to sound more robotic, while some Vocaloids can sound really realistic (depends mostly on the quality of the version you have and your expertise). Similarly, you'll probably run into the word "utaite" (from singer/to sing) denominating someone as an amateur human singer best known for covering vocaloid songs.

The most famous Vocaloid is Hatsune Miku- she was the first Vocaloid, I believe, and usually the singer of the first vocaloid most people hear. My first Vocaloid song was "Deep Sea Girl" using Miku's voice. Other popular songs include World is Mine, Senbonzakura, and Ievan Polkka - a note about that last one, the original is in Finnish, which Vocaloid cannot sing, so the lyrics in the Voca covers are complete gibberish but they're catchy as hell. Other vocaloids include Kaito, Meiko, Luka, and Gumi.

The first Utau is Kasane Teto, who debuted on April 1. Advertised as an "official vocaloid" as an April Fool's prank. Teto and Neru are the most well-known Utau's and both has clothing and hair styles reminscent of Miku as part of the spin-off joke.

Valshe, Soraru, and Reol are the only Japanese Utaite's I can think of- and I'm pretty sure Reol has moved on to writting originals. Juby-P and Ashe are English Utaite's and they do their covers in English.

There are some vocaloid songs done in English or with English lyrics snuck into Japanese songs (Corruption Garden by Luka being an example), these are more difficult because English has sounds and sound-combinations that are nearly impossible to pull off with Japanese phonetics, but pro's have pulled off some amazing things in the past.

There is also a Korean Vocaloid, SeeU! She debuted with "I=Fantasy" a few years ago but she also did a Japanese song called "Hide and Seek Alone" a creepy song about game by the same name.

Recommendations can be tricky. What do you like? Because it's community based there are Genre's and Sub-Genres...

For someone with a K-Pop background I'll give you I=Fantasy using SeeU and Hibikase (an original by Reol). Also Echo (Gumi) if only to show off this Live Show Concert using holograms because it’s pretty rad and uses a remix of those last two.

Miku’s Deep Sea Girl and Rolling Girl and Gumi’s Coward Montblanc are slower and a little sad.

Re: J-Rock here’s GACKT’s original song Ghost vs a cover by the Vocaloid using his voice

Matryoshka is a little abstract -- and here’s a rearrangement cover feat. two of may favorite utaite’s

There are also Power-Ballads such as Hatsune Miku’s Love is War As well as songs that sound like folk music like this and this

There are also some plot heavy songs, including series and plenty of kind of fucked-up horror songs in there as well as the completely, comically, absurd.

God I haven’t listened to these songs in years what a trip. If you have questions/need more recs let me know :)

Would you mind rec’ing some K-pop to me?

#adraughtofamortentia #cat talks

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thecosmicscribe · 7 years

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Okay, I got bored and stared thinking about the Onibi Series, the thing that got me interested in Vocaloid. It's basically about the curse Akari Oborodzuka (played by Hatsune Miku) inflicted upon the Shishikusa clan after she was tortured to death by Ryou Shishikusa (played by GUMI). I love the traditional sound the songs have, plus how creepy the series is. Though, I wish Masa used more Vocaloids to portray the various characters in the series. So, I ended up casting some of the Vocaloids that I'm familiar with and the ones Masa have used to the characters! ~ GUMI as Mai Shishikusa ~ Mai is one of the only ones that hasn't changed, since her being Mai is fitting and I also ship GUMI with Miku. ~ Hatsune Miku as Akari/Zhu Li Oborodzuka ~ Like Mai, Akari's portrayer hasn't changed. I ship Miku with GUMI, so her being Akari just fits. ~ Kagamine Rin/Len as Shikyou the Amanojaku ~ Shikyou is an amanojaku, a malevolent kami/demon. I like to headcanon that they're agender, since they think the human concept of gender is meaningless. They appear as both male and female, not only because they use these two forms to help persuade mortals to give into their deepest, darkest desires but also because they like switching forms to confuse humans. So, having Shikyou be both Rin and Len is quite fitting. ~ Megurine Luka as Emi ~ I always saw Emi as being older than Mai and Akari, but younger than Ryou and Tomonari Shishikusa. Luka's voice sounds more mature than GUMI's and Miku's, so I thought she would be a good Emi. Plus, Luka with Emi's long, purple hair would be perfect. ~ Sachiko as Ryou Shishikusa ~ I adore Sachiko's voice with all my heart. She's much more mature and realistic than most female Vocaloids, who tend to have more anime-esque sounding voices. Her being Ryou would be perfect. Can you imagine her singing GUMI's parts in "The Demon Spider and the Kitsune-like Lion", "Demon Child in the Clear Mirror", and "Will-o'-the Wisp/Demon Fire"? It would be HEAVENLY. ~ Yuzuki Yukari as Kaori Onidzuka ~ Masa has used Yukari in the past, but I couldn't find any song of his that features her. I have only heard one song of hers, but I think her voice would be perfect for Kaori the Demon Child. Plus, Kaori having Yukari's low pigtails would be adorable! ~ Hiyama Kiyoteru as Tomonari Shishikusa ~ I dunno why, but having Kiyoteru be Tomonari seemed right to me. I don't really ship him with Sachiko, but the only two other male Vocaloids I like/know of don't really fit Tomonari that much. *le shrug* ~ Camui Gackpo as Daiji Masaoma ~ The only reason Gackpo is Daiji is because he's a samurai and I totally see Daiji as one of the many samurai Daimyo Tomonari has under his control. That's it. ~ KAITO as Kanishiro Oborodzuka ~ I always saw KAITO as Miku's brother/cousin, so him being Kanishiro was no debate. ~ IA as Shizune Shishikusa ~ Like Yukari, Masa has used IA in the past. She's already in Maha's Story (I think???), so why not include her in Onibi?

#Ari babbles #masa works design #onibi series #mai shishikusa #akari oborodzuka #zhu li oborodzuka #shikyou the amanojaku #shikyou #emi #onibi emi #ryou shishikusa #kaori onidzuka #tomonari shishikusa #daiji masaoma #kanishiro oborodzuka #takahiro oborodzuka #shizune shishikusa

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kayostesting · 7 years

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"8HIT" makes for a really good Training Montage. "Abstract Nonsense" by Rin. Apparently her being suicidal and with black hair contributes to the sheer awesomeness of this song. "Adolescence" uses the tune of "Cendrillon" and renders it better. Len's a capella cover of "Ark" (originally by the band Sound Horizon) is absolutely amazing. Rin and Len's "Astral Domination" has some awesome guitar and vocaloid-work. Len's cover of Justin Bieber's "Baby". Haters to the left! Their cover of "Bad Bye". Once again, the Kagamines cover one of Miku's songs and make it even more awesome (be warned, this video is somewhat disturbing). Rin's "Black*Rock Shooter", backup voices courtesy of Len. "Bloody My Doll" shows that Len tops Edward Cullen any day. "Butterfly on Your Right Shoulder", Len's version. The original Rin version was already great, but Len completely tops it. "Candy Psychologist" by Rin. Just like the name, it's addictive. "Childish War" made by Giga-P and sung by both, both the song and the PV are awesome, very upbeat and catchy. Sibling rivalry at its finest. "City Lights" by PowaPowa-P. "Cloud", an awesome Rin song. "Cosmic Star" by emon, for Rin Kagamine. A very sweet, beautiful song. "CULTURE Liberalization Ward (BUNKA)" features the Kagamines as detectives! Here's to hoping that they'll be able to solve any case that comes their way! "Cursed Glasses: Stray Girl In Her Lenses" by Rin (featuring Gakupo) is outrageously funny and weird at the same time. "Darkness 6". There are no words. "Death Should Have Not Taken Thee!". A parody song of Dragon Quest I made by Jesus-P. Warning, it's EXTREMELY catchy. And has an equally catchy sequel, "Your Adventure Log Has Vanished!". "Discotheque Love" for Len, from Lelele-P. Rin's "Dolls", combined with the very well made video, is incredibly beautiful and touching. Knowing the lyrics also makes it even more tear jerking. "Dreamy Cherry Blossoms" is about a rich girl (Rin) that's getting married in a little while that happens to fall in love with a violinist (Len). It's also note worthy that the art style in the PV is just as beautiful as the song that accompanies it. "Electric Angel" has excellent vocals by both Rin and Len, as well as a very catchy beat and awesome electronica elements (not surprising considering the name of the song). PowaPowa-P's "Equation×**". Len's cover of "-Error". Has some of the best vocalizations by Len. Rin's version sounds rather cute but still good. "A Faint Wish" and its sequel song, "A New Millenium" are very heart-warming. From the same series, we also have "Utopia", which is not quite as heartwarming. "Falling Falling Snow" is such a beautiful song with a simple yet touching PV. Rin's "Fate of Soul", an epic song that manages to be dreamy and powerful at the same time. "Fire Flower" is definitely one of Len's best. "First Virus Resistance". That is all. "Flames of Yellow Phosphorus" by mothy. Disturbing, sad, and absolutely epic. "Gekokujou", hands down. Nothing'll get you hoisting a yellow standard quicker. "Gemini" is just d'aaaaawwwww. "Gigantic O.T.N" is about Len gushing over his enormous penis. No really! You'll love it. PowaPowa-P's "Girl A". "Himitsu ~Oath of Black~" anyone? It's fantastic, and the story is heartbreaking. "Hot Cocoa" by Len is a very motivational song to listen to if you're trying to get work done. It's about Len trying to finish a homework assignment that he put off until the night before it was due. Rin's "I Like You, I Love You" is an adorable song about a shy girl's awkward attempts at a love confession. Len's cover of "Ievan Polkka" (the entire song, not just the leekspin gibberish portion; and in good Finnish too). "Imagination Forest", originally for IA and covered by Rin Sweet APPEND, the mood is captured very nicely and this version is just as nice as the original... and then there's the added bonus of Len coming in for the song's climax. Another amazing AVTechNO song, "Innocence". Awesome use of Len's Power append, sexy heavy beat, and one Epic Riff. "INTERSTELLAR", a Kagamine Rin original by FROMAGE. "Iroha Song" by Rin is a vibrant rock ballad with a traditional Japanese sound about being consumed by love and then losing it (oh, and bondage). "Jabberwocky Jabberwocka" sung by their appends is extremely catchy. The flashy PV doesn't hurt either. "Jutenija" by DATEKEN. Think priestesses singing in a desert temple and you're almost there. "Juvenile" from Dixie Flatline, a nice R&B song with smooth singing by Rin and great rapping from Len. "Karakuri Burst" is an absolutely amazing song. Len looking quite sexy (and non-shota) in that military uniform certainly doesn't hurt, either (also, please note that 卍 itself is not a symbol of the Third Reich — the Nazi symbol faces the other direction). "Karma". Bro. The composition is fantastic, as is Rin's voice, and that scream! "Kokoro". Just... "Kokoro". Len's version or Rin's version, there's really nothing better...except, of course, the mixed version. "Last Stage" and its Tear Jerker alternate ending, "Last Battle". The Synchronicity triology: "Looking for You in the Sky", "Paradise of Light and Shadow" and "Requiem of the Spinning World". "Lost Destination". Act 1 Len with Power, Cold, and Serious Append with an almost Crusader-like, cynical atmosphere. It is truly epic. This version uses Len Append Power and Cold, along with beta versions of Kaito Append Normal, Soft, and Whisper. Yes, Kaito. Append. Rin's "Lost Life" is just so rockin' awesome,and the high pitched voice fits the song perfectly. "The Lost One's Weeping" by Neru. It's a powerful rock song that'll get your head bopping... if the lyrics telling the story of a kid who's gone empty from exceeding pressure to succeed doesn't hit you in the feels too hard. This remix of "Love is War" is better than the original. "Magical Kitty Len Len" is more of a Funny Moment but still awesome nonetheless. "Main Character", a Len song. Awesome tuning, awesome music, but slightly Tear Jerker lyrics. "Make a Wish" is an excellent use of Rin's voice. "Meltdown". By far one of Rin's best. "Memory", a vocal version of the Leitmotif of the title character of the video game Ib sung in Surprisingly Good English by Rin. Ignoring the Engrish, "MIDI MASTER!!" will leave you clicking replay over, and over, and over again... Len's "Monochrome Dream Eater" has an extremely catchy beat. The voice of Len in it is nice, low and just ridiculously fitting for the song's tone. One of Len's best solo songs. Append (Power, Cold, Serious) Len's cover of the Girls' Generation song "Mr. Taxi" is amazing. "Never" is a pretty upbeat song (that comes with Len rapping!) about... eating natto. Their cover of Limahl's "The Never Ending Story". "Noiz bom", "Noiz Are NEL" and "DARK NEL" by AVtechNO are absolutely great. You know, let's just say anything by AVtechNO! Rin's cover of "Only My Railgun" completely overpowers the original. Their cover of "Our 16bit Warz" by their V 4 X voicebanks is just plain amazing, and they sound incredibly realistic. "Pantsu Nugeru Mon", or "I can take off my panties!", is definitely a lot more innocent than the title would suggest, and contains probably the best use of panties as a metaphor (for the care and control of her guardians) that we'll ever see in a a song. The story is about Rin going through puberty, standing on the border between childhood and adulthood, as she is torn between the freedom but responsibility of adulthood and the restrictions but irresponsibility of childhood. The song is very catchy, too! When "Paradichlorobenzene" and "Anti-Chlorobenzene" combine. Here's a Project Diva version of the combination. Len's Append voice with "Pink Rose" is quite lovely. Giga-P's, Orebanana's, and Reol's "Pinko Stick Luv". "Plus Boy." Len is a horny schoolboy who wants to get laid. Rin's cover of "Popipo" is just as energetic as Miku's. AvTechNO!'s "Plus/Space". "Q" by PowaPowa-P, featuring Rin. "Recycle Bin" sung by Len will prevent you from deleting a file from your computer in good conscience ever again. The sequel in Rin's point of view, "Salvage", doubles as a Heartwarming Moment. "The Riddler Who Can't Solve Riddles", a mystery song for Len Also, "The Riddler Who Won't Solve Riddles", its sequel song for Rin. Rerulli gives us another sexually charged Len song in "Sacred Spear Explosion Boy". Like "Brain Fluid Explosion Girl" before it, the words fly by fast, but it's still catchy. "SheSaw Day", a sexually charged song with the most realistic-sounding Len ever. Rin's cover, made by Lu Yurippe, is equally as amazing. Rin's "The Shibuya Catastrophe", complete with a PV as full of explosions as a Michael Bay movie. "SHOTA=RELEASE". Lyrical Dissonance and some absolutely stellar tuning make it a standout Vocaloid song, despite the scary mplications. "Sigh". Some might need a few tissues. "Silver Girl -awaking mix-", sung by Rin — the most epic coming-of-age rock ballad ever. "Skeleton Life" needs to be here. One of the best examples of Vocaska out there. "Skyblue!" is an upbeat song sung by Len, about friendship. Kind of... it's probably supposed to be, at least. Rin's song "Soleil", a song with beautiful instrumentals and an interesting storyline. "SPICE!" is pretty damn seductive. "Spinning Song" is a very soothing song which has a very traditional Chinese feel to it. "Taiyou no Kiss (Rerensa Mix)", a cover of Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl" sung by Len. "Tokyo Teddy Bear" by neru. It's about Rin wanting to change herself, and hating herself. It's a bit of a Tear Jerker, but the beat is so strong, you may be too busy headbanging to cry. Vocaloid Halloween? Try "Trick & Treat". "Undead Enemy" is a sleeper hit of Rin's, and would you believe it's actually about not being able to live up to expectations and good grades in school? Rin and Len cover Miku's "Unhappy Refrain" and completely steal the show. "Unrelated Emergency", which is about how most people think the news going on in the world doesn't concern them. "Vermilion" by toya, a duet by two Lens. "The Weekend's Coming!" Rin wants to confess her feelings to her crush, but the end of the world comes in the way. "Wings of the four seasons", a musical adaptation of a beautiful folktale, with amazing harmonies done by Hitoshizuku x Yama. "White Brick and Black Mourning Dress", sung by Rin, is a little bit confusing, but very touching and a real Tear Jerker. Len's cover of Harry Nilson's "Without You". Not a bad effort of trying to get Len to sing in English. "The Wolf That Fell In Love With Little Red Ridding Hood" by HitoshizukuP. Exactly What It Says on the Tin, although seeing as they're just characters of a story and Status Quo Is God, the two will never get together. However, many suspect that the bitten apple at the end of the PV may prove otherwise... Rin and Len's cover of "World's End Dancehall" by Giga-P is epic in its own right. And it combined with this Project Diva Edit PV just adds to the awesomeness that is this song. Len's cover of "World Is Mine". A must-see for Rin/Len shippers. "The Worst Carnival" is a very empowering Rin song about not letting rejection get to you. "YELLOW TRICK" by Yuugou-P. PowaPowa-P's "Year 3 Class C-14, Chiyoko Kubozono's Joining of the Cabinet", while having a rather lengthy title and having Mind Screw-y lyrics, is interesting and pleasing to the ear.

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