Sorry. I got carried away with the gay stereotypes. I too have a lot to learn. And I went a bit too far sending Elena to kidnap you. I’m sorry. Ana, you and I are a team and complement each other perfectly. And you’ve taught me a lot about the business world, but I know other things as well that I can teach you.

Bonus: Ana’s reaction to Mariana saying she could teach her other things... 

Going to Miku Expo as a someone who's not a vocaloid fan

Hi!! I went to the Miku Expo last night!! I wanted to do a fun little retrospective on what happened! No hate obviously, these are just things I've noticed. Just a lot of rambling ahead LOL

So a bit of a disclaimer: I'm not a vocaloid fan, I never have been. The main reason I went was because it was my bestie's birthday and I wanted to tag along. Even though I wasn't going for the music, I love concerts and ofc I want to hang out with my bestie. Also this will be kind of relevant, but the concert was at the Prudential Center and I went there not even a month ago to see another concert (specifically Sabaton opening for Judas Priest).

First thing I want to mention, this place was PACKED- Like both merch lines were wrapped around the building. The Judas Priest concert wasn't nearly as packed and the merch lines were nothing compared to the Miku Expo.

Me and my friend sat in one of the sections closest to the stage, so the idols on stage looked a bit flat. I'm not sure if this would have looked different if they used the hologram screen since I've never been to a hologram concert before, but it was definitely something I noticed. I also noticed how they looked to take up only a little bit of the screen which was kind of jarring? Again I've never been to a concert like this before (most of the recent concerts I've been to have been in small venues that are mostly standing room) so I don't know if that was to make things more immersive like she's actually on stage? If I were to do the animations, I would have made the models bigger so they took more attention and could be seen more clearly from farther away. I think the only time where most of the screen was filled was the one duet between Kaito(?) and Meiko(?)(I think that was their names idk shit about vocaloid).

I know a lot of the hardcore Miku fans were complaining about the screen, but I honestly didn't find anything wrong with it? Besides the models looking a bit flat and being kind of small, it didn't seem like a huge deal.

During the show I found myself more watching the background visuals, the band, and even the crowd more than I watched the stage. Personally I loved a lot of the visuals even if I didn't have the context of why they were relevant to the songs. I remember during one Miku song all the lights were CYMK and that really scratched my brain especially when they faded between colors. I also loved watching the band, they were so into it (especially Vixen's Diary, she was adorable) and I always love seeing how bands preform together. I wasn't expecting them to do a band introduction, I really enjoyed the fact that they did.

My friend taught me about light stick culture and honestly it might be my favorite thing- Not only did I love seeing all the lights in the crowd (even if it took my attention bc of ADHD) but also seeing everyone change their colors to fit their favorite idols I just- that is so fucking CUTE we need light stick culture at more concerts (or, just as someone who was dangerously close to a mosh pit before and who hates being touched by strangers, replace mosh pits with light sticks)

I heard from other people who were in more crowded areas that some of the fans were rowdy and misbehaving, but I don't think I saw that as much? Then again we were also sitting in an area that had a few open seats, so that definitely played a part. I definitely felt a difference in atmosphere though, since I felt like the crowd was very engaged while I didn't feel as interested. It felt like the opposite of the Sabaton concert, since there the crowd didn't feel very engaged while I was SUPER excited (I blame that on a bad band pairing, since while Sabaton and Judas Priest are both metal, they're two different subgenres with two different appeals). If I had to compare it to anything, it would be like my first Powerwolf concert, since it was their first time in the USA and everyone was super excited to see them. I don't know if there's been Miku Expos in the USA before, but I definitely felt that same kind of energy/sentiment.

There's also the transitions between songs that I remember someone else saying they felt awkward and I can't help but agree. A lot of the other concerts I've been to the bands would speak in between songs, whether it was hyping up the next song or just making silly jokes. I would have loved to see the vocaloids talking to each other and interacting on stage. Not only would it keep fans hyped and not make the crowd die down between songs, but it would still give the band a chance to prepare for the next song. Also maybe for songs where Miku would change outfits, I would have loved to see her magical girl transform between outfits.

I definitely feel like this is going to be a hot take, but as someone who's not a vocaloid fan, I'll say it: I wouldn't go to a Miku concert again, it just feels like a concert you go to so you can say "I've been to a Miku concert!" Usually when I go to a concert and I don't know who is preforming (usually the case for the opening band), I find myself walking away with a new band to listen to but I don't think I felt the same this time. I don't think there were any objectively bad songs, I just think it's the classic case of "this music isn't my taste". While I didn't enjoy the music, I did enjoy the vibe there. I got to meet up with friends, trade little trinkets, and have a good time regardless of the music. Anyways I hope everyone enjoyed the show, Miku is the best AI, and I will treasure the trinkets I got forever :D