New voices, same Mku

The Miku Append was a software update that added six new voices to Miku's existing Vocaloid database, meaning that this software update won't install unless it detects that you already have Miku's first voice bank installed. Along with the software update was a new look for Miku, and it looks totally cool.

Even though it's been less than three months after the database update was released (well, technically, it was available for beta-testing for several months before its official release), there's already some pretty good songs out there. One of them comes from an artist who calls themself Captain Beefheart (I'm serious!) who made a song with a mellow drum n bass-esque song using Miku's sweet voice:



There's also another artist called bunga who's made several songs using the new Miku voices. The artist's style is more mellow than Captain Beefheart's and uses otherworldy sounds:



As for whether or not the new voices sound better when using them to say stuff in English, only time will tell. Or when I stop being lazy.
The <a href="http://www.crypton.co.jp/mp/pages/prod/vocaloid/cv01a.jsp" target="_blank">Miku Append</a> was a software update that added six new voices to Miku's existing Vocaloid database, meaning that this software update won't install unless it detects that you already have Miku's first voice bank installed. Along with the software update was a new look for Miku, and it looks <a href="http://www.crypton.co.jp/img/special/vocaloid/img_miku_append_ver03.png" target="_blank">totally cool.</a><br /><br />Even though it's been less than three months after the database update was released (well, technically, it was available for beta-testing for several months before its official release), there's already some pretty good songs out there. One of them comes from an artist who calls themself <a href="http://piapro.jp/dogbite123" target="_blank">Captain Beefheart</a> (<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/psychedelic-dream-single/id384868176" target="_blank">I'm serious!</a>) who made a song with a mellow drum n bass-esque song using Miku's sweet voice:<br /><br /><center><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zEXhuXmaXL0?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zEXhuXmaXL0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></center><br /><br />There's also another artist called <a href="http://monstar.fm/bungalangit/" target="_blank">bunga</a> who's made <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/flowers/id384870531" target="_blank">several songs</a> using the new Miku voices. The artist's style is more mellow than Captain Beefheart's and uses otherworldy sounds:<br /><br /><center><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/etclqoF3QBM?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/etclqoF3QBM?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></center><br /><br />As for whether or not the new voices sound better when using them to <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1320985/Miku%20Speech.mp4" target="_blank">say stuff in English,</a> only time will tell. <a href="https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1320985/Mika.mp3" target="_blank">Or when I stop being lazy.</a>

Look, I'm just doing what Crypton originally wanted with Luka, alright?

The first thought that went into my head when I saw Luka's design was this:

"Woah, she looks totally cool and mysterious and stuff."

Which was then followed by something more bizarre:

"Wait a second, that dress looks totally familiar. Nah, it can't be."

And then I double-checked. And I was like, "maybe the character designer was looking at Wrath of the Lich King artwork right before he had to submit Luka's design for Crypton." So I convinced a friend of mine to make a 4-panel comic about how Luka ended up with the final costume design that you see today:



What I find extremely humorous about this comic is that something very similar happened when Luka's voice actress was put in a similar situation during a Q&A session at Anime Expo.

Also, one other thing I find funny about Luka is that despite her appearance, it seems to be confirmed that she can sound like a ditz.
The first thought that went into my head when I saw Luka's design was this:<br /><br />"Woah, she looks <a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:kwuouyME_BDlpM:http://i41.tinypic.com/2vjqwyf.png&t=1" target="_blank">totally cool and mysterious and stuff."</a><br /><br />Which was then followed by something more bizarre:<br /><br />"Wait a second, that dress looks totally familiar. Nah, it can't be."<br /><br />And then I double-checked. And I was like, "maybe the character designer was looking at <a href="https://dl.dropbox.com/u/4042185/Project%20Diva/Wowtip.jpg" target="_blank">Wrath of the Lich King artwork</a> right before he had to submit Luka's design for Crypton." So I convinced a <a href="http://bananagrill.deviantart.com/" target="_blank">friend of mine</a> to make a 4-panel comic about how Luka ended up with the final costume design that you see today:<br /><br /><a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4042185/Project%20Diva/LUKAOutfit%20Comic.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4042185/Project%20Diva/LUKAOutfit%20Comic.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" /></a><br /><br />What I find extremely humorous about this comic is that something very similar happened <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4042185/Project%20Diva/ya.mp4" target="_blank"> when Luka's voice actress was put in a similar situation during a Q&A session at Anime Expo.</a><br /><br />Also, one other thing I find funny about Luka is that despite her appearance, it seems to be confirmed that <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4042185/Project%20Diva/your%20amazing%21.mp4" target="_blank">she can sound like a ditz.</a>

T2 does not always refer to Judgment Day.

Sometimes it can refer to a Japanese illustrator who goes by the name of Tony Taka. Now for those of you who know him, this blog post is absolutely worksafe, so don't hit that Back button on your browser if you were expecting that. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the man, the best one-sentence description I can give to you is that he is a modern-day Satoshi Urushihara. And like Satoshi Urushihara, Tony is also well-known for the female designs of a particular JRPG series, except substitute Langrisser with most of the post-Sega console Shining "(Insert Noun Here)" games.

So the reason why I bring up this particular artist during Hardcore Gaming 101's Vocaloid Week is because he did an illustration of Miku for Comic Market 77, which was last winter:

What's really amusing for me about this illustration though is that this is actually the most non-sexually provocative pose of a female character I've seen this guy make. And for good reason: Sega told him to draw that for Comiket 77 because they wanted to not scare away Vocaloid fans from their booth since they used that illustration to sell a CD called White and Shadow, which contained two tracks that were composed by Hiroki Kikuta (Seiken Densetsu 2 and 3, Romancing Saga). The sad part is I haven't listened to that CD yet either. Woe is me.

Oh yeah, there's a figure of this illustration up for preorder, but you already knew that before you read this, didn't you?
Sometimes it can refer to a Japanese illustrator who goes by the name of Tony Taka. Now for those of you who know him, this blog post is absolutely worksafe, so don't hit that Back button on your browser if you were expecting that. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the man, the best one-sentence description I can give to you is that he is a modern-day Satoshi Urushihara. And like Satoshi Urushihara, Tony is also well-known for the female designs of a particular JRPG series, except substitute <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/langrisser/langrisser.htm" target="_blank">Langrisser</a> with most of the post-Sega console Shining "(Insert Noun Here)" games.<br /><br />So the reason why I bring up this particular artist during Hardcore Gaming 101's Vocaloid Week is because he did an illustration of Miku for Comic Market 77, which was last winter:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.goodsmile.info/cgm/ecommerce/goodsmile/images/large/bcee158e4d050202ce990ba8924c4462.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.goodsmile.info/cgm/ecommerce/goodsmile/images/large/bcee158e4d050202ce990ba8924c4462.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 290px; height: 300px;" /></a><br /></div><br />What's really amusing for me about this illustration though is that this is actually the most non-sexually provocative pose of a female character I've seen this guy make. And for good reason: <a href="http://sega.jp/topics/091228_2/" target="_blank">Sega told him to draw that for Comiket 77</a> because they wanted to not scare away Vocaloid fans from their booth since they used that illustration to sell a CD called White and Shadow, which contained two tracks that were composed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroki_Kikuta" target="_blank">Hiroki Kikuta</a> (Seiken Densetsu 2 and 3, Romancing Saga). The sad part is I haven't listened to that CD yet either. Woe is me. <br /><br />Oh yeah, there's a figure of this illustration up for preorder, <a href="http://www.goodsmile.info/product/en/2920/Miku+Hatsune+Tony+ver.html" target="_blank">but you already knew that before you read this, didn't you? </a>

So Today's Miku's 3rd year anniversary...

... And all I have to show for it is a picture:

Of her about to eat ice cream like you weren't expecting THAT to happen

And a sound clip of her saying the name of this website.

<div style="text-align: center;">... And all I have to show for it is a picture:<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxV8tawmlxvNAD21iIWKzK39Mmo4dCtLgTtPPnH8a3ku5E88fn3uvklEVFJMbUGalAMWb808vNo7bu5sp0bZvxi4idRz0RFjZH0pDlWzRh4mIvYl9x_hMnQotDo_GhOFSjf_HCMUr9wjI/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxV8tawmlxvNAD21iIWKzK39Mmo4dCtLgTtPPnH8a3ku5E88fn3uvklEVFJMbUGalAMWb808vNo7bu5sp0bZvxi4idRz0RFjZH0pDlWzRh4mIvYl9x_hMnQotDo_GhOFSjf_HCMUr9wjI/" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" /></a><center style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Of her about to eat ice cream like you weren't expecting THAT to happen</span></center><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">And a sound clip of her <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4042185/Project%20Diva/hg101.wav" target="_blank">saying the name of this website.</a></div>