American Hatsune Miku (Eng.)

(This is not a report of anything. It's just my impression of a news.)

Piapro.jp had been collected ideas of the design of "American Hatsune Miku". Today, the result of selection was announced.

[Official Announcement (Jpn./Eng.)]

http://piapro.jp/static/?view=sf_japantown

The selected illustration was drawn by American.

http://piapro.jp/t/opAe

http://exiled-artist.deviantart.com/art/2011USMIKU-Americana-244414393

According to the official site, this costume in this illustration will be used some projects in the future, such as a design of goods on the next live concert, as the image of the triumphant homecoming.

This announcement was impressive to me.

The point is that this Miku was drawn by American creator, with American sense. It means that this Miku is born in the US!

When I went to the Anime Expo 2011, I was surprised the quality of illustration of VOCALOIDs by many American artists.

In my opinion, Japanese should not force the ideal figure of Miku to the World. Miku should be understood by the various cultural backgrounds. I'm looking forward to the homecoming of more Americanized Hatsune Miku! I think that this picture is still under the very strong influence of Japanese Animation.

It is OK that Japanese Animation is influential. However, I believe that everyone shouldn't consider the original Miku as the untouchable masterpiece.

Also, I want to meet more ethnic/national Mikus based on various culture. Miku is not only for Japanese, any more.

And I believe that these kinds of many expression with particular culture makes Miku and the world of VOCALOID more international. It must be quite effective way to make Miku globalize!

On the other hands, as I wrote in the past article, this result indicates that the possibility of the international collaboration, which means the borderless joint of creation! It also enhance the Miku's internationalization by making solidarity of the world creators. Although I'm not a creator, it is excited to imagine that many artists in the World who love Hatsune Miku work together to create a great work!

The winner, Mr./Ms. Exiled-Artist will be invited the next live concert to Japan.

Comic Market 80 (Eng.)

Sorry for being late.

I attended the 2nd day of "Comic Market 80".(Aug.13)

［日本語はこちら］

I departed from my home at 8:20. It was around 1 hour trip from my home to Tokyo Big Site.

I attended the Comic Market 79 last December, too. But, Summer and Winter is very different, you know. I and other attendee had to wait for a long time under the sunlight. Although many were sitting or squatting on the ground, I kept to stand up. Because I could get much wind from the Tokyo bay. Standing posture makes my surface area bigger than sitting. Some girls were using parasol, I covered my head by towel. Unfortunately, a few attendee were carried out using wheelchair. Maybe they were suffering from heatstroke...

10 am, the hall was opened. Everyone in the long line clapped their hands. It means that the top end of this line are going into the hall. However, we were still at the long queue... When I started to walk again with other attendee around me was 10:50 am. It was 90 minutes waiting time.

The circles on VOCALOID were located the East end of East 3rd hall. That's very near from the entrance. I made a beeline to Nijihara Peperon's booth first.

Just after I got his latest album, something was happened on my body.

I felt strange feeling just like a weak electric shock on my nose to eyes. And more, my field of vision became slightly darker and tiny stars or dust were started to fly in my eyes. Something is wrong! I escaped from the hall to the parking lot out of the hall immediately and had a short break. Despite sunny place, there was comfortable breeze from the bay.

From the symptom, I thought it might be either hyper ventilation syndrome or an oxygen shortage, on the contrary... I also suspected the shortage of blood circulation for my brain because of low blood pressure. This largest event on self publishing might have made me too excited, or the long waiting time under the sun might have made my vessel wider and decreased blood pressure.

Anyway, I was sure that it was not heatstroke. When I had sports drink, I didn't gulp everything in the bottle. When I had dried umeboshi (pickled ume(Prunus mume) fruits), I felt that was strongly salty. They mean that my body still kept water and salt.

This sunny and breezing parking lot was more comfortable than the inside of the humid hall that was lack of ventilation. I stayed there for a while.

Fortunately, my strange symptom was disappeared rapidly. The sequel of shopping was started. I visited some booths that were already checked off.

I was grabbing an iPhone on my hand. The display indicates the map of the hall added tips of info about booths and circles by myself. Because it's small, I could carry and see the map very easily in the crowded hall.

The example of the map is below. The map itself was from Twitcmap.

http://twitcmap.jp/

I also visited some circles that were not checked out. Glanced at the name of circles, I confirmed what was displayed on the table. An illustrator whose pictures I bookmarked at PIAPRO were selling Negitoro (Miku & Luka) comic. Although I usually buy only CDs and it's very rare to buy self-published comic, I handed it and opened my wallet in front of the illustrator...

There was crowded, but not very crowded. At the "THE VOC@LOID M@STER 16" (the largest self publishing event limited to vocaloid, held in June), I was just like a packed sardine... However, the record temperature and humidity gave me pain. I had put a towel into my back between shirts to absorb my sweat effectively. But the towel completely got wet and made my outer clothes wet.

After the second short break to cool down my body and brain, I tried 「ジャケ買い」, "Jacket buying" in direct translation, means making the decision whether I buy the CD or not by the appearance (especially the design of the cover) of CD.

I have bought some previous released unknown CDs from a circle whose latest works were my aim. This time, I went to some circles I didn't know the name before, and watch the design of their CDs and check the name of VOCALOIDs, finally I made decisions whether I buy anything or not there.

If the jacket was very cute illustration of VOCALOID, the songs inside of the CD should be also cute.

This bizarre shopping made me buy some CDs sung by miki and Yuki Kaai, usually I wouldn't buy.

They are the trophy of the war! I didn't buy very much. Actually I found many attractive CDs without them... But, "THE VOC@LOID M@STER 17" will be held on the first Sunday of September! I need to protect my wallet from extravagantness...

(For VOCALOID fans, THE V.M. is more important than Comiket, I suppose. Many producers tend to release the new workes for the V.M.)

I didn't go to the West hall.

I'm going to listen to these CDs from "Jacket buying". If I prefer any CDs, I will follow the circle. It is not recommendable way to buy CDs for everyone. Of course, this way can't make us select whether the works are good or bad before purchasing. We may have unnecessary and dislike CDs.

However, I wanted to find new producers by myself even if I pay for potentially boring CD, rather than following only famous and popular producers with bright long history.

I'm a fan of VOCALOID music since Hatsune Miku was released(2007). That long time have made me choose the name of producers and I didn't want to do so. That's why, I had checked out all VOCALOID music everyday (now I can't listen to all songs every night. Because I'm too busy to listen to everyting...), and I don't rely on the ranking still now.

However, as I already mentioned, I can't check out all songs now. That situation gradually made me depend on the rate of fame and the number of page view. That has been the thing to regret. I still wanted to meet new sound... So, I did such kind of gambling.

To tell the truth, I can't answer the name of the circles where I bought these CDs. Of course, it is easy to find their names and URL on the label. But, the situation that I'm going to listen to unknown music by unknown producers makes me excited!

Add more.

I've been get used to the hot weather because I've been working outdoor through the year. Certainly, that was no heatstroke.

However, on the other hand, I realized that we should be more sensitive to our health condition, again. If I didn't noticed or neglected the sign of health problem, I might fall down in a faint.

In my working place, I, my co-leagues and bosses frequently addressed "You never push yourself too much in the burning season!" each other. This time, this routine greeting was effective to protect myself from a serious health trouble.

Ｃ８０行ってきた

ご報告が遅くなりました。

「コミックマーケット８０」２日目(8/13・土曜日)に参加してきました。

［English Edition is Here.］

当日は８時２０分頃に自宅を出て、地下鉄とバスを乗り継いで約１時間後に入場待機列最後尾に到着。昨冬と同じ最東端の駐車場の、ほぼ同じ位置でした。到着が冬より２０分ほど遅れたけど同じぐらいの位置ってことは、Ｃ７９の３日目よりは人出が若干少なかったのかな。

しかし、そもそも夏と冬では条件が違いすぎる。 タオルでほっかむりして屋根などない駐車場にじっと立ちつくして待ちます。別に座っていても良かったんだけど、立っていたほうが身体に風が当たるのでいくらか涼しいのです。すでにこの段階で車椅子に乗せられて退場してゆく人もチラホラいました。 １０時の拍手を過ぎてなおも駐車場に釘付け。やはり列が動き出したのは９０分後のことでした。

今回はVOCALOID系が東３ホールの東端ということで、入場してすぐの好立地。まっしぐらに虹原ぺぺろんさんのところに赴いて１枚購入。

　―ここで異変が発生。

眉間から鼻にかけてシビレが発生し、視界が薄暗くなって細かな星というかほこりクズみたいなものが飛びました。ともかくホールの外へ退避！　日なたではあるけど風通しの良い場所で少し休みます。熱中症ではないだろうという自覚はありました。症状からして可能性が高いのは過換気症候群、逆にホール内が酸欠状態だったのか。あるいは脳貧血のような低血圧。久々の“聖地”で興奮していたのかもしれません。炎天下じっと待っている間に血管が拡張して血圧が下がっていたのかもしれません。

いずれにせよ、身体はまだ水分と塩分を保持していて、念のため口にしたスポーツ飲料を一気にあけるほどの喉の渇きはなく、干し梅もたいそう塩辛く感じました。 しかしこの日なたが涼しい…ってお前は何を言っているんだという反応が戻ってきそうですが、風が入らず湿気がこもって汗がまったく蒸発しない館内よりも、直射日光はあっても海からの風が吹き抜けて汗を乾かす駐車場の方が涼しく感じられたのです。しばし日なたで一服。

体調の異変もほどなくして収まったので再び館内へ。まずは目を付けてあったいくつかのサークルを訪問します。昨冬から導入した「iPhoneに館内見取り図流し込んで持ち歩く作戦」はかさばらなくて良い作戦だと自画自賛。たとえばこんなものを簡単に作ってiPhoneに表示させるわけ。


Powered by Twitcmap http://twitcmap.jp/
（表示内容は実際のものと異なります）

このようにあらかじめチェックしておいたサークルさんに限らず、パッとブースのサークル名を見てどなたかわかる程度の有名Ｐのブースを見つけてはテーブルの上を確認します。 ピアプロでブックマークした絵師さんがネギトロ本（非エロ）を出しておられるのを見かけたのでこちらも購入します。わたしはあまり同人誌は買わないのですが、あの絵師さんでネギトロならば…というわけでｗ

混雑度はそれほどでもなく、まともに歩ける状態ではなかったボーマス16に比べたらかなり楽。C79よりもまだ楽だったかも。その代わり温度と湿度は過去最高。わたしは背中に多く汗をかいてすぐに衣類が濡れてベタベタになってしまうので、タオルを１本衣服と背中の間に入れて襟のところをクリップ止めしてありましたが、結局汗がタオルをすっかり濡らして衣類まで濡れてしまいました。

再び、今度は純粋に涼をとるために外に出たのち、三度目の突入。今度は初の試み、ジャケ買いです。従来も新作目当てに有名サークルを訪れて既作ＣＤも買ってくるということはありました。今回は名前を聞いたこともないサークルに顔を出して、ジャケットと歌ってるVOCALOIDを選考基準にＣＤを買うという“冒険”です。 可愛いイラストのジャケットならば「かわいいミクうた」「爽やかなミクうた」あたりのタグがつくような曲であろうという程度の甘い基準が、今までだったら買うこともなかったであろうmikiや歌愛ユキの歌うＣＤをも入手させました。

というわけで今回の戦利品一覧。 購入量としてはジャケ買い分も含めて抑えめにしてあります。ホントはもっといろいろ欲しかったけど９月４日にボーマス17が控えているので…　VOCALOIDファンにとってはコミケよりもボーマスの方が重要なのです。プロデューサ諸氏も新作はボーマス合わせって人が多いんじゃないかな。もうカタログも用意してありますよ！

西館には行きませんでした。企業にもVOCALOID関係はあるのですが、それほど重要とも思えなかったので。

これから、まず「ジャケ買い」分から聴こうと思います。それで気に入ればこれからそのサークルさんを追いかけてみようかなって。 あまり皆さんにオススメはしない手法ではあります。好き嫌いも当たり外れもどうしても発生すると思うし、ＣＤの購入枚数も増えてしまう。でも作品に定評ある有名Ｐ・古参Ｐばかり追いかけているよりも、身銭を切っても新規開拓をしたいと思ってしまったものですから…つい。 長くVOCALOID曲を追いかけていると、どうしても「Ｐ名で聴いてしまう」ことになりがちだと思っていました。それが嫌で以前はＰ名にも再生数にもこだわらない全曲チェックを続けていたのだし、今もランキングをあまり頼らないでいます。

でもプロデューサが増え続け、わたし自身も全曲チェックできるほどのヒマがなくなってしまいました。そうするとだんだんＰ名や再生数を頼りに聴くようになって、自分にとっての名曲を発掘することができなくなってしまいました。それがずっと心残りで、何とか新しい音に出会いたくて、こういうことをしてみたわけです。 実のところ、何というサークルさんで購入してきたのかさえ即答できないのですｗ　もちろんＣＤにはサークル名やＵＲＬが印刷されているので後から調べることは可能ですが、今これから再生しようとするＣＤが誰のどんな作品なのかもわからないってのも結構ドキドキするもんですよ？

それから。わたしは夏の間ずっと屋外で仕事していて暑さには慣れているつもりでしたが…確かにあれは熱中症ではありませんでした。しかしそれはそれとして、ほんの少しの体調変化にも敏感になるべきだなあと改めて感じました。この程度の立ちくらみは平気だとサークルさんを回り続けたら倒れていた可能性だってある。自分で「あれ？おかしいぞ？」と少しでも思ったから館外に退避したので、そこは職場で「暑い中、少しでも異変を感じたら無理せず休め」と互いに声を掛けてきたのが功を奏したのかもしれないなと思います。