Forget Robots. Holographic Vocaloid Rock Stars Are Where The Creepy Is At

by

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMtzNv7pqfA']

Okay, I thought Dave Matthews was weird. I was wrong. This is weird. Hatsune Miku is a character made up for Vocaloid, which is basically some software that lets you make pretty real sounding songs, using this singer. This software is so good, in fact, that this character has built up many many (did I mention many) adoring fans. Watch the video above. Holographic-anime-character-rock-concerts… Only in Japan.

Apparently, she (and her holographic colleagues) go on concert in Japan from time to time, selling out stadiums and other venues, even though she’s totally fictional. Gotta admit. She’s not all that bad, either, for a hologram.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTXO7KGHtjI']

Personally, I’ve never seen holograms that were this good and had this much movement to them. All I remember is the holograms from the ’08 elections, and those were pretty lame. Forget 3D televisions, I want holograms in my home. This is just another example of how Japan is ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to really cool technology being used in weird and creepy ways. Doesn’t mean it’s not awesome, though.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfuAfHnb5ns']

If you’re at the point now where you feel like you need to cleanse your mind you can do so with a Japanese Island overrun by cats.

P.S. If you think the future is here, you should follow Tofugu on Twitter, here.

[Source]

  • Soultorndrummer

    The fictional band Gorillaz did 5 holographic shows in new York about 4 or 5 years ago that sold out in about 5 minutes if I remember correctly. The music is of course real, but the band members are all animated with made up back ground stories etc.

  • http://twitter.com/EpicFailFTW Not Available

    Wow, I want to attend to a concert like that. I like Vocaloids and when I heard they have concerts I wondered how it was done.

  • http://twitter.com/EpicFailFTW Not Available

    Wow, I want to attend to a concert like that. I like Vocaloids and when I heard they have concerts I wondered how it was done.

  • Artemisth

    Like Soultorndrummer said, they are not the first one to do that :D

  • Anonymous

    That’s it! The end of the world is coming!

  • Sirjacksinurbox

    Craziness…

  • http://www.tofugu.com koichi

    I’ve always wondered why I only saw drawings of them… huh.

  • Key

    Also, Miku had a concert at the New York Anime Festival this year as well, so she’s been over here in the States.

  • tetsu

    looove the light up leeks..haha.

    gotta go to one of these.

  • brokenphone):

    That is freaking amazing!

  • http://twitter.com/hajameelne Oop

    It seems weird someone cares to wonder at such an ancient concept. After all, well, after “Idoru”, it has all been just waiting for a technical realization (and Kyoko Date was the first quite some time ago). Sure, kids these days are funny.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Nathan-Barnes/100000224499232 Nathan Barnes

    I love that song :3

  • http://rhinospike.com Thomas Hjelm

    A little trivia: there was a petition to load some aluminum plates with Hatsune Miku’s picture on them onto JAXA’s Venus orbiter Akatsuki. They got enough signatures and she’s on her way to Venus right now (Akatsuki launched May 20th and should arrive at Venus on December 7th of this year)

    http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%81%82%E3%81%8B%E3%81%A4%E3%81%8D_(%E6%8E%A2%E6%9F%BB%E6%A9%9F)

  • Anonymous

    That’s so weird, I just saw this video like 2 days ago while I was trying to decide if I like any Miku music. Turns out I do.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FIHP5NQDU75YBDHGQKUTE7ERFA Willow Branwen

    This is just the first step for Otakus everywhere to have their own personal ani-companion, isnt it?

  • WOTDsctoo

    I actually know a guy who gives talks on Vocaloid and Hatsune Miku at anime conventions on a regular basis…I feel like there are serious academic papers to be written here! :P

  • JN

    She will perform in Singapore this weekend.

  • Ipconfig42

    this is vexes me very much O_O

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Fruzsina-Varadi/100000170416936 Fruzsina Váradi

    It is weird but as a Vocaloid fan myself, I have to admit it kinda makes sense, since Hatsune Miku is described as a virtual idol.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Fruzsina-Varadi/100000170416936 Fruzsina Váradi

    Also, I’d consider Miku a mascot for Vocaloid Music, since while we’re fond of the character we’re fans of the actual composers who use the software. Vocaloid Music is a subgenre of doujin music that encompasses almost every musical genre from hardcore techno to death metal. So once you hear something very good in the genre you like, you’ll probably become a fan too.
    Nowadays major release companies are starting to realise that they can make money with Vocaloid Music, and there’s always at least one major vocaloid cd release every month. As of now there’s over 50 available for purchase on amazon.co.jp and the number is steadily growing.

  • OtakuJolyn

    Haha, Wow this is awesome, I’m a fan of mostly anything Vocaloid/Utau, but this? haha wow, just wow…

    Yeah I also remember the Gorillaz concert, really 5 min?

  • Libii

    Wow. Ummm~ wow.

  • VXLbeast

    Noodle is so cool. :)

  • Dolphinwing

    I saw this at comic con.. it was friggen’ awesome

  • http://twitter.com/Salahare Salahare

    I have never been a fan of Gorillaz, and my biggest attachment to the Vocaloids are the fact that everday users of the program may have their song popular enough to be used in concerts like this one.

    I took the DVD to my 3D Animating teachers, but when they saw the glass they quickly attacked it as smoke and mirror tricks that were used in the 1800s to simulate ghosts, and brushed the animation off because it relied too heavily on motion capture techniques. I never felt so deflated in my life. :( Still, they couldn’t stop watching it as long as I had it playing while showing it to my classmates.

    Technology is where it’s all at!

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  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Sheb-Slider/100001652884394 Sheb Slider

    That’s what you get from two…. nay I shouldn’t.

    They should do a Haruhi dance now that will be epic.

  • http://www.kilala.nl Cailin Coilleach

    I have sad news for you: these are NOT holograms :) Nor were the 2008 election graphics you’re referring to.

    The Vocaloids concert uses a projector which projects onto a treated, see-through screen from the rear. You can even see the projector’s lamp shine very brightly in the back. No smoke, no mirrors, no lasers, just a rear-projection screen. A friggin’ awesome screen at that :)

    The 2008 election “holograms” were video editing effects which were spliced into the feed. There really was nothing to see in the studio.

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  • Anonymous

    She did? I was there…and I missed it? X.x

  • Shrimptempura

    Actually, she’s pretty popular here too. I have a friend who saw her in California not too long ago.

  • ALICESBLACKABYSS

    WHAT TECHNOLOGY! I’M SPEECHLESS OR WAS. WEREN’T THEY HOSTING ONLINE COMPETITIONS AND THIS IS THE END RESULT? I DONT KNOW.  BY THE WAY I WANT TO MAKE THE COMMENT THAT THE FUTURE IS DEFINITELY HERE AND THAT IS WHY I AM DYING TO GO TO JAPAN. MAN, OH MAN, HOW MUCH I LOVE JAPAN

  • ALICESBLACKABYSS

    WHAT TECHNOLOGY! I’M SPEECHLESS OR WAS. WEREN’T THEY HOSTING ONLINE COMPETITIONS AND THIS IS THE END RESULT? I DONT KNOW.  BY THE WAY I WANT TO MAKE THE COMMENT THAT THE FUTURE IS DEFINITELY HERE AND THAT IS WHY I AM DYING TO GO TO JAPAN. MAN, OH MAN, HOW MUCH I LOVE JAPAN

  • ALICESBLACKABYSS

    WHAT TECHNOLOGY! I’M SPEECHLESS OR WAS. WEREN’T THEY HOSTING ONLINE COMPETITIONS AND THIS IS THE END RESULT? I DONT KNOW.  BY THE WAY I WANT TO MAKE THE COMMENT THAT THE FUTURE IS DEFINITELY HERE AND THAT IS WHY I AM DYING TO GO TO JAPAN. MAN, OH MAN, HOW MUCH I LOVE JAPAN

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  • murasaki

    “Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi…you’re my only hope!”

  • Michael

    I LOVE Vocaloid!!!!!!!!! I went to Anime Expo this year but didnt go to the concert cuz it was sold out D=

    And i really dont think this is creepy, I mean, they are singers that won’t die! I really am disappointed that I was born in the post-Beatles / Zeppelin generation, and also in the fact that there will be no more new Beatles/Zeppelin albums…. but Miku, she can practically live on forever,  she’ll release countless albums and i’ll be more than happy to introduce my children and grandchildren to her music. Plus, she can sing many genres.

    In fact, I think it’s one step into the future (which it is…). God… I am such an otaku…

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