Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd Coming To PS3 And Vita In Spring 2014

Re: what I see in Kagamine Rin & Len…sure, I can try! This is kind of hard, though, since I could go in so many directions here that I’m not sure where to start.

I guess I’ll try a list?

1) I’m fond of them as characters. I know that there isn’t really a canon in vocaloid, but enough songs have built up over the years to get a sense that Rin’s generally cheerful and somewhat reckless, and Len’s more serious and thoughtful. They balance each other, and the whole BFF thing they’ve got going is refreshing. And when they really get going with twinnish antics, it’s a whole lot of fun. :-)

2) The stories! I love vocaloid pop and dance music, too (especially in Project Diva), but I’m primarily drawn to vocaloid because of the whopping good tales.

And the Kagamines seem to have more than most, somehow. I suppose it’s a function of them being packaged in the same software, but people naturally gravitate toward writing duets for them, or having them answer each other’s songs. And a story grows from there, and artists and video creators are inspired to create some truly awesome videos to bring the story alive. Glider and Suzunosuke in particular seem to quite like the twins.

I guess that’s what I like about vocaloid in general, not just Kagamine Rin and Len. The creativity from composers, storytellers, artists, all coming together to make something that feels bigger than all of them. Like that one Google Chrome commercial!

Here are a few examples of Kagamine Rin and Len’s particular brand of it, though:

* First there’s Kokoro. Then someone couldn’t leave it there, so we got Len’s answer song, Kokoro Kiseki. Then you’ve got at least two different PV artists who’ve created their own interpretation of both songs…one where the scientist is more of a father figure, and one where he’s more on Rin’s level. Then you’ve got the Kokoro Mix, where some enterprising soul combined them all together with their own PV and added a twist.

* Mothy (i.e., Akuno-P) has pretty much made his own universe, and it started with the twins’ Story of Evil. You want to be astounded, google “Evillious Chronicles wiki”. Some folks have tried to put together a timeline of Mothy’s songs, and it’s…it’s just amazing.

And on top of that he’s written a couple of novels based on the main story, and there is at least one non-canon manga… If there’s ever an anime, I’m so there.

* Synchronicity (a three-song arc) started out as a web novel. Then songwriters wrote three songs, and then artists created some amazing PVs. People waited years for a conclusion, as the first PV/song was posted back in 2009, and the last in late 2012.

* For one of their birthdays, some Japanese fans made a 10-minute tribute video based on three of Rin and Len’s more famous story arcs. You can find it on Youtube by searching for “3 best tragedy kagamine”. It’s really well-made, and you can feel the love pouring off of it for these songs/characters. The credits alone are just so cute.

* Check out their cover of Romeo and Cinderella. The producer and PV artist took Miku’s song and give it an entirely different twist. (Note here: they are definitely not twins in this one, so tread carefully if you’ll be bothered by that.)

3) A few of the stories have managed to hit me right in the gut. It’s been years since i’ve first seen Kokoro or the Kokoro Mix, and watching the PVs can still get me teary.

And even if some of their songs don’t have quite that much emotional impact, I can count on just about any Rin and Len PV I watch to be entertaining. They have songs ranging from the story of the wolf who fell in love with Little Red Riding Hood, to the little match girl who burned down her father’s house, to a tale of dolls taking revenge against the girl who threw them away. And many more.

4) When you’ve had enough drama and seriousness, the Kagamine twins can also be plenty silly. Like Gekokujou (Revolution), where they declare war on Miku. Or Remote Control, Death Should Not Have Taken Thee! and just about anything illustrated by Glider. Or just…their obsession with road rollers. Have you seen that “Learn English with Megurine Luka” video?

5) A good producer can get their voices to blend in really interesting ways in duets, since they’re both created from the same voice. ESPECIALLY if the producers use their appends. As an example: look up Synchronicity 3/3 or Hello Again (append version) on Youtube. Then just close your eyes and listen. (Bonus: put on headphones for Hello Again.)

For something a bit softer, look for anything by Nata-P. (i.e., Sun, Forest, etc.)

6) And then you have things that defy description. See: Paradichlorobenzene and Antichlorobenzene. They’re just awesome.

Whoops…my apologies, that was really long. I don’t get to talk about vocaloid much, either. I hope this helps explain a little of what I see in Rin and Len, though? It’s really interesting to see where different fans are coming from, with such a wide fandom. :-)

I’ll need to check out some of the songs you listed in your comment…might find a new favorite!

And I just saw this reply NOW. I suck and feel like a douchenozzle, sorry – don’t check the Siliconera site a whole lot. I want to reply to you, but need to think about how what I think about Miku and my favorite Miku songs (sasakure.UK and T.Komine-san are definitely up there, though. :-) ) and read your reply more thoroughly, and I’m just taking a break at work. But I’m definitely going to reply!

Oh, goodness, so sorry about this.

OK, Miku! She is super-adorable and does have stuff I really, really like, but I sometimes have trouble finding it, since she’s very popular as (as you said) more of a traditional diva, so she has this huge body of pop tunes to sort through that I’m more hit-and-miss on. (Like, I often like the stuff that Project Diva includes – especially in F and Arcade – but it’s way more hit-and-miss when I click on random stuff.)

Here’s some of the stuff I like. Warning because…most of the non-PD stuff I like with Miku is pretty weird.

CAN I DO LINKS. LET’S SEE.

* Sasakure-UK. He’s a little hit-and-miss for me and not a lot of what he’s done is translated (and you really kind of have to read translations for his stuff), but when he hits with me, he really, really hits. Like, I love Hello Planet (trying a link here, since this PV should not be missed), NegaPosi Continues, and Twee Box Puppet Show. I also quite like The Heap Princess and the Apostrophe, and the Snow Show Song is pretty adorable. Also Patchwork Eden (which shouldn’t be in this list since Gumi, but eh, it’s awesome.)

* T.Komine / Utata-P’s troll songs. :-) OMG his stuff is great. I stalk this playlist for new stuff, and I also like this Halloween song he and Moca did.

* I like Wowaka and Hachi, too, but not much to say about either producer since most of the stuff I like is in Project Diva? My faves are World’s End Dancehall; Unhappy Refrain; Two-Faced Lovers; World’s End Umbrella; Hold and Release, Rakshasa and the Corpse, etc. I’d love to see Matroskya in Project Diva, but it won’t happen unless they add Gumi.

* Mothy / Akuma-P – he’s kind of the uber-story-master, which means he’s done story-based songs for most of the major vocaloids at one time or another. Miku’s big ones are Moonlit Bear and Gift From the Princess Who Brought Sleep. Also Daughter of White (as Haku), and she’s in a bunch of his stories without a singing voice (like, she’s the girl from the Green country that Kaito falls in love with in Servant of Evil, ferinstance).

* Kikuo! One of the weirdest producers I’ve found, and I’m including T.Komine in that. His stuff tends to have happy, joyful tunes matched with strange, disturbing subject matter. Like: You’re a Useless Child, or Don’t Look at Me In That Way, or Breaking Things Into Pieces, or A Happy Death. (And Chiri Chiri Juusou with IA.) When I found him I just went through video after video and my eyes just kept getting bigger and bigger and…weird but definitely worth checking out. I’d rec most of his stuff, but NOT “I’m Sorry, I’m Sorry” because that one is seriously disturbing in a not-good way.

…I don’t think any of his stuff’ll ever be in Project Diva. Unless he writes something a bit more conventional?

* Miku also has an absolute ton of creepypasta. All of the vocaloids do, but Miku more than most, I think because she’s so cute and innocent. You can find a bunch of it on TV Tropes’ Nightmare Fuel page (with links to subbed videos, usually), for all of the vocaloids, not just Miku. I recommend Bad End Night; Circle You, Circle You (i.e., Kagome, Kagome); Wide Knowledge of the Late, Madness; Dark Woods Circus; and lots more. (TV Tropes is a great resource for finding new songs in general; they also have a Tearjerker, Heartwarming, and Awesome category.)

* And here’s a bunch of random stuff (hopefully linked if I did it right!): 1imb0 (Miku and Luka), Hocus Pocus (Miku and Gumi), Hello, How are you, Reboot (with Luka, Samune Zimi), Eight Hundred, and the Miku and Rin/Len versions of the “Let’s say the P Names” songs, which are vocaloids listing off a ton of producer names at inhuman speeds. (There are also some awesome edit plays being made of these…check hisokeee’s youtube channel for PVs.)

* …and heck, here’s a couple I’ve been listening to a lot that aren’t with Miku or Rin/Len. Just because: What a Miniature Garden Dreams (with IA) and Straying Rhapsody (Gumi, Lily, Gakupo). Both by Hitoshizuku x Yama, my favorite producers.

I really like Paranoia and Saturation, BTW. You wouldn’t happen to have an english sub of Saturation, would you? I’d love to know what she’s singing about. :-)

Annnnd, I did it again, geez! Forgot to check Siliconera for replies. My apologies. I have no idea about PMs, sorry…I’d say email, but I suck mightily at checking my email, too. I’m a total flake, internet-wise.

Don’t worry about the Saturation translation…it’s a cool song as-is, and some songs don’t really need a translation to be enjoyed. Just wondered if you knew of any. :-)

It is really cool that you know enough Japanese to even attempt a translation, though…wish I could do that. My year of Japanese back in middle school is completely gone, now.

Did you see the news?? The Happiness and Peace of Mind Committee is going to be in F 2nd! http://www.siliconera.com/2013/09/18/hatsune-miku-project-diva-f-2nd-adds-packaged-a-thousand-year-solo-and-more

(Also a new Rin (& Miku?) song I hadn’t heard but which sounds pretty cool – and a couple more repeats from past games. I’m most enthused about T.Komine being in the game, though!)

OMG, I missed that! How did I miss that?? Thank you so much for the translation and for all your hard work!

…the translation is so very beautiful, wow. I mean “my ever-changing heart, beating faster and faster, would be captured” – that’s lovely. This is why I like to understand the songs. Whole new level of meaning.

I can’t pull the video up right now (I have completely used up my work break writing this, gotta get back to trying to figure out what this document actually says), but when I get home I am totally printing your translation out and sitting with my tablet in front of the PS3 so I can see the vid on the big screen, and I’m going to read it along with the video. Awesome!

I just saw your note on the Kagamine song, too – just googled the youtube code real quick-like, and it’s Re-Education! Yeah, I like that one – it’s by Neru, who did Tokyo Teddy Bear, World Domination How-To, and The Lost One’s Weeping. Which are all awesome. I’m not familiar with all of his stuff, though – I keep thinking I should look up more (and I don’t know why I haven’t, actually). Seriously, though, any Neru song they want to include in PD is fine with me.

Have you heard Jabberwocky Jabberwocka, BTW? I don’t have time to grab the video, but it’s a really fun, nonsensical Kagamine song…that I just found in the last week. (I think every Kagamine fan but me knew about that one.)

Also, as a Luka fan…have you heard of “Witch”? Ran across it yesterday and thought of you. It’s one of the few story-based songs centered around Luka I’ve seen, besides Mothy’s Tailor song. (Actually sung by 4-5 vocaloids, though, not just Luka.)

Re: shook hands with the Crypton CEO Hiroyuki Itou at Japan Expo 2013 in Paris: that is so cool! Gosh I’m envious…not only for the shaking hands and the autograph, but for Paris. I’d love to go to Europe. ONE DAY

Thank you again for the translation. :-)