Korea's 'Adam' Has Disappeared... But 'Miku-chan' Releases 100,000 Songs and Holds Live Concerts [Nichiyobi Nichibunka]

Software Capable of Composing Without Human Voice Recording
Creating 'Virtual Idols' Based on Synthesizer Motifs

It seems that virtual idols have become quite popular these days. I once happened to see a virtual idol group called 'Isekai Idol' performing at a department store, and I was surprised to see so many fans gathered there. Compared to Korea's original virtual idol cyber singer 'Adam,' today's virtual idols seem perfect. Adam was somewhat crude and clumsy, and eventually faded away with stories that he died from a virus. Does anyone remember Adam?

In Japan, the original virtual idol is still actively performing. That is Hatsune Miku from Vocaloid. If you are interested in Japanese culture, you have probably heard the words Vocaloid and Hatsune Miku at least once. In fact, the Japanese culture enthusiasts called 'otaku' affectionately call her 'Miku-chan.' Today, I will tell you about Japan's Vocaloid and the original virtual idol Hatsune Miku, who was born from Vocaloid.

Hatsune Miku. (Photo by Vocaloid official website)

A program that creates songs without recording, Vocaloid

Vocaloid is a voice synthesis software developed by Yamaha. It was introduced in 2003. Its feature is that anyone can synthesize voices and create music. It registers sounds for each hiragana syllable like 'a i u e o' and 'ka ki ku ke ko,' and combines them mechanically to sing. Because it is software that creates vocals, the name 'Vocaloid' was coined by combining 'vocal' and 'android.' Initially, it did not attract much attention, but it gained great popularity with the release of the second-generation Vocaloid software.

The second-generation Vocaloid engine was used by a media company in Hokkaido called Crypton Future Media, which created a music accompaniment database to produce songs. This is when the Miku-chan we know appeared in 2007. Hatsune Miku, a cute character that looks like she stepped out of an animation, sings with a girl's voice through the Vocaloid engine and became immensely popular. In short, Hatsune Miku is a composite created by overlaying a virtual character on songs generated by software.

Working on music using Vocaloid. (Photo by Vocaloid official website)

Hatsune Miku brought renewed attention to the Vocaloid software itself. In fact, it was considered revolutionary for music creators. Composers could easily create songs with vocals by purchasing the software. Previously, even if they composed music, they had to sing themselves or ask someone else to record, which was not always easy. But with Vocaloid, they could easily add voices on a PC and make simple edits. It can even produce speeds and high notes that humans cannot achieve.

With the emergence of video platforms like YouTube, the number of places where creators could release music increased dramatically. Many songs were released without going through record companies, and hit songs appeared one after another. The distribution method of music changed drastically.

Creators who gained fame this way are called 'Vocaloid Producers,' abbreviated as 'Vocaloid P.' Among these Vocaloid Ps, quite a few have become known in Korea as well. For example, Kenshi Yonezu, who topped Korea's karaoke popularity charts with the song 'Lemon,' and Yoasobi, known for the animation 'Oshi no Ko,' both started as Vocaloid Ps. It's fascinating that it serves as a gateway for artists.

The first-generation virtual idol born from Vocaloid, 'Hatsune Miku'

So how did Hatsune Miku become so famous? Does anyone know the 'Leek Spin Song' video that once went viral on the internet in Korea? It is a classic video where an animation character dances holding a leek, perfectly recreated by a man who looks like a farmer. The character in that Leek Spin Song is Hatsune Miku.

Hatsune Miku performing at the 2024 North America Miku Expo. (Photo by Hatsune Miku YouTube)

When vocals are created with Vocaloid, the process of smoothing the recorded sounds gives them a slightly different tone from a human voice. Wataru Sasaki, an employee of Crypton Future Media who first created Hatsune Miku, listened to all the voice actor CDs from three voice actor agencies and finally chose Saki Fujita, a young voice actress with a strong high pitch, as the base voice for Hatsune Miku.

Hatsune Miku's appearance, including her green hair, was inspired by Yamaha's synthesizer model 'DX7.' The DX7 was known for its high-pitched electronic sounds that felt metallic, so Miku's somewhat mechanical-sounding high-pitched voice matched Yamaha's characteristics well. The DX7 was notable for its black base with green switches arranged on it, and this distinctive color became famous as 'DX Green.' Hatsune Miku's appearance can be seen as a personification of this synthesizer.

Yamaha synthesizer DX7 model. (Photo by Yamaha)

Hatsune Miku held a concert in 2009 and continues to hold live concerts, boasting a loyal fan base. It is said that over 100,000 songs have been released featuring her. She has also collaborated with major corporations for marketing and currently represents mainstream Japanese culture. She can be considered the original senior figure of today's virtual idols. It seems that various attempts are being made to move beyond the view that only humans can be idols.