if Hatsune Miku A real person, not a hugely popular virtual pop star with VOCALOID (a software that synthesizes songs based on lyrics and melody input), she’s currently in hot water with fans following her latest concert series. Miku Expo is an annual international tour brought to you by VOCALOID developer Crypton Future Media and anime streaming company Crunchyroll Hatsune Miku Fans gather for concerts, exhibitions, and other fan events, all of which lead to virtual performances by the characters themselves (often via holograms). But this year, Miku’s appearance was shown on LED TV screens during the first two shows of the tour, and it’s just one of the big problems fans have had with the show so far.
The tour kicked off with a performance at the Miku Expo in Vancouver on April 4, and things quickly heated up after clips from the concert began circulating online.Shared clips social media Sites like TikTok andTo get an idea of just how far TV screens compare to holograms, here’s a comparison between previous TV screens Hatsune Miku Concerts and concerts at Miku Expo 2024:
as Some participants pointed out, if you’re close to the stage and in the center of the crowd, Miku’s “performance” doesn’t look as jarring as it does if you’re further away or to the sides of the stage. But no matter where you sit, the drop in quality is very noticeable. After the concert footage surfaced, some people who paid to attend future Miku Expo dates have resold their tickets on platforms such as Stubhub. Tickets are as cheap as $5.
In the aftermath, other fans created a Change.org petition Demanding full refunds, claiming Crypton Future Media and Crunchyroll did not make it clear that Miku Expo 2024 will feature screens rather than holograms as previously seen Hatsune Miku show.about Miku Expo official website, the ticket section did not detail how the character will be portrayed at the event. The page says that non-concert-approved LED lights, flashlights or battery-operated glow sticks “may interfere with concert performances,” but does not elaborate on this point further.of the website Photos from previous events Show hologram.Outside of Miku Expo’s own venues, some venues, such as Boston’s Wang TheaterOf special note, when Miku Expo comes to town on May 9, the performances will use a “transparent screen in the center of the stage.”
“We all deserve a full refund for shows that have TVs instead of holograms,” the petition states. “At this time, none of us know if the tour in Europe after the North American tour will feature this on stage. TV. We also request that for future Miku Expo concerts, the Miku Expo team clearly states before purchasing tickets whether there will be a hologram or LED TV. So if we want to watch a TV or a hologram, we can make the decision ourselves. We also Ask them to explain why they decided to change it without telling us.”
Several attendees also reported that the Miku Expo show merchandise booth was low on stock of the light sticks that have become a must-have for Hatsune Miku’s performances.Some fans posted photos of merchandise booth boxes at the Portland show on April 6, which appeared to only carry There were a total of 95 glow sticks at the event.Social media users disputed the number as the label also said it was “10 out of 27”, but attendees thought the number Includes all merchandise boxes It’s not just glow sticks at the show. Regardless, some attendees said they couldn’t get glow sticks at the show, so no matter how many they brought, they were clearly ill-prepared for the need.
We’ve reached out to Crypton Future Media and Crunchyroll for comment on this story and will update the story if we hear back.