— ใใฉใคๅฐ็บใๅ ฌๅผใ (@miraikomachi_PR) January 31, 2020
Best of luck to one and all!
Other
In related news, Mirai Komachi’s official site now has a new Valentine’s Day-themed February banner up! Needless to say, she is really getting into the spirit of the holiday!
— ใใฉใคๅฐ็บใๅ ฌๅผใ (@miraikomachi_PR) January 31, 2020
Hopefully sometime in February, we will learn what the below illustration that she has been tweeting about will be used for. She claims that it will be used for some new challenge that she is undertaking, and we can’t wait to learn more about it!
Miyoshino, situated in the heart of Sapporo, was founded in 1967 as a teishoku (set meal) restaurant specialising in Gyoza, and now they’re hosting a collaboration with Snow Miku!
— ้ชใใฏ ๅ ฌๅผ๏ผๅ้ณใใฏ๏ผ (@cfm_snowmiku) January 30, 2020
[The main attraction for Miyoshino was always their unique menu, consisting of things like their renowned “Gyoza Curry”, as well as the chilled curries they developed which were intended for sale in supermarkets. Now they offer a wide variety of curries, such as their “ground sausage” curry, and even jumbo versions, for those with a more substantial appetite.
This food is boasted as some of the best and most iconic soul food you can have, and therefore it remains as a firm favourite for Sapporo-ites even to this day.]
The collaboration illustrator is Dera_Fury, who has depicted our lovely Miku showing off some very delicious looking curry and gyoza herself. And a Snow Miku collaboration wouldn’t be complete without our beloved Yukine, who is ready to help serve yummy takeaway food with their little apron and boxed curries.
During the course of the collaboration, this illustration will be featured on posters and the collaboration menu mat. But don’t worry – that’s not all they have in store! Miyoshino will also have a lovely Snow Miku Collaboration Set Meal available for customers, and anyone who buys this limited-time treat will receive a special postcard, with our lovely Miku on it.
Episode 153 of the AHS Official Livestream was aired on YouTube Live on January 30, 8:00 PM (JST), hosted by Tomohide Ogata, LESS Kitayama, and special guest, Keisuke Kurita of AI Inc.! Below, you can watch a replay of it and read a summary of the announcements made!
AHS Wins Best Utility Software Category of the BCN Awards
As previously reported, AHS won the Best Utility Software category of the BCN Awards for the third year in a row! During the livestream, we even get to see the trophy and plaque that they were presented with!
Congratulations once again to AHS, and we look forward to a fourth straight win next year! (No pressure!)
Fans will soon have another chance to shop for AHS merchandise at the planned pop-up collaboration store in Akihabara starting next month! See details below:
Dates February 28 through March 15
Lottery drawing prizes Grand prize: Autographed goods Runner-up prizes: character posters โปCustomers who purchase at least ๏ฟฅ3,000 in goods can be entered; details on prizes to be revealed later
The main visual for the store event shows Wedding Ver. Yukari, as well as a new design for Maki, looking like a receptionist! Stay tuned as news for available goods are announced, some of which will only be available at Gamers!
Also called Koetsuki 6 for short, the annual Yuzuki Yukari and Kizuna Akari-only doujin event will be held on Tuesday, February 11, where AHS will also have an official booth. Pictured below is their lineup of goods.
They made specific mention that the Yuzuki Yukari sacoche bag is running low in supply, and will likely sell out at the event, so those who want one better hurry and snag theirs! AHS also took the time during the livestream to show off the Wedding Ver. Yukari goods, as well as full graphic T-shirts of Kizuna Akari, Tohoku Kiritan, and Tsurumaki Maki!
While the Wedding Ver. Yukari merchandise will be at Koetsuki 6, the T-shirts for the other three characters will instead be made available on the AHS Store starting on February 4! Be sure to keep an eye out for them!
VOCEROID2 Iori Yuzuru
And finally, we come to the main topic of the livestream: Iori Yuzuru’s impending release!
Since he was revealed on Twitter earlier today, fans have been theorizing a lot about Yuzuru, such as his relationship with the Kotonoha sisters – given how they share the same development company and character designer – even wondering if he can speak in Kansai dialect. Kurita would just reveal that AI Inc. has been wanting to make a male VOICEROID since the Kotonoha sisters we released more than five years ago, but had a hard time finding the ideal voice provider. Ogata added how difficult it is to make a VOICEROID with a really low-pitched voice, as they discovered when developing Yoshida-kun.
As for who Yuzuru’s voice provider ended up being, Kurita would not say. This led some fans to theorize further on who he may be. Some ideas that came up during the livestream included Joji Nakata and Akio Otsuka, theories that the trio all shot down, but had a good laugh about nonetheless!
One thing that Kurita knew for sure since the beginning was that Yoshida Yoshitsugi had to be the designer for Yuzuru. They still wanted him to look more on the pretty side, but slightly masculine. When discussing what names they could call him (“Yuzuru-kun,” “Yuzurun,” even “Yuzuru-kyun” came up), LESS Kitayama remarked how “Yuzuru-kun” reeminds him of a certain world-class figure skater, and even mentioned how he gets figure skater vibes when looking at the design for Yuzuru the VOICEROID!
During the livestream, we get to hear them play around with Yuzuru’s voice and parameters, and even play many of the voice samples from his upcoming exVOICE pack! Be sure to watch the livestream to give them a listen!
For all other information pertaining to Iori Yuzuru, be sure to read our previous report!
The next livestream is scheduled to take place on February 27, 2020, which is Yuzuru’s release date! Look forward to even more information being revealed for the newest VOICEROID leading up to his big debut!
Developed AI Inc., Iori Yuzuru is a male VOICEROID described as possessing a voice that is gentle and calm, yet also full of emotion and expression. His official illustration was provided by ๅ็ฐใจใทใใฎ / Yoshida Yoshitsugi.
Like many AHS products, Yuzuru will comes with Music Maker Silver (DAW), a 90-day trial version of Charamin Studio (3D character animation tool), and Video Easy SE (video editor), enabling early adopters to have everything that they’ll need for video creation with Yuzuru right off the bat!
Furthermore, AHS is in the process recording an exVOICE pack for Yuzuru that will contain 281 voice samples for him! Details on that and more to be explained during episode 153 of the AHS Official Livestream at 8:00 PM tonight (January 30, 2020)!
Demo
Want to hear what Yuzuru sounds like? You can try a demo for him right on his official product page!
Pullip Style is launching a new “Collection Doll” series, with the number one point of interest being the Hatsune Miku Collection Doll which is now available for pre-order!
“Groove launches their new Collection Doll series with Hatsune Miku! The world-famous digital songstress is posable with joints at neck, arms, waist and legs, with bendable knees; her luxurious long hair can be styled as well. She comes wearing her familiar costume, and she has a headset too. She’d love to join your doll family — order her for your very own today!”
[Size]: Approximately 27cm tall [Materials]: ABS, HIPS, POM, TRP, fabric
2) Visit the I Doll exhibit where Collection Doll Hatsune Miku is being displayed, photograph her, and post your photos to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #ใณใฌใฏใทใงใณใใผใซใฐใซใผใด
The top ten photographers with the most Likes on Twitter and Instagram will receive a free Collection Doll Hatsune Miku! The campaign will run until March 31, 2020, so best of luck to anyone who enters!
**UPDATE ON FEBRUARY 2, 2020**
After Osaka, the doll was then put on display at the Shinjuku Marui Annex Surugaya Store where we paid her a visit and snapped a bunch of photos ourselves! See our gallery below!
The first big announcement is that the VOCALOID Pack 3 is coming to Groove Coaster Wai Wai Party!, and it will feature exclusively IA and ONE songs, navigators, and avatars! Here’s the content that gamers can expect:
— 1st PLACE@1/27(ๆ)19:30~ IA & ONE Anniversary็น็ชๆพ้ (@1st_PLACE0302) January 27, 2020
The official pamphlet for the ARIA – IA MUSICAL & LIVE SHOW- Encore performances from November 30 and December 1, 2019 will soon go on sale this spring! The 1st Place Official new Blog promises more info and a release day to be announced later, so stay tuned!
Starting today on the 1st Place Official Shop HACHIMAKI, you can pre-order brand new merchandise featuring IA and ONE in their 2020 anniversary illustrations, depicting the sisters as mech pilots! Here’s an overview of what they got!
What’s more, a new sale campaign has been announced! Between now and February 16 at 11:59 PM (JST), anyone who orders at least ๏ฟฅ5,000 JPY worth of goods from the HACHIMAKI shop will receive a free IA & ONE colored shopping bag! Furthermore, those who order at least ๏ฟฅ10,000 JPY worth of goods from them will receive the bag, plus an IA & ONE voice CD called “ON THE PLANETES!”
And in other HACHIMAKI news, it’s been announced that the IA & ONE HAPPY NEW YEAR SALE – previously scheduled to end on January 30 – has now been extended to February 16! That means any of the goods that they have on sale can also count towards the sale campaign!
ใIA & ONE SALE INFOใๆฌๆฅใใSALEใฐใใบใๆกๅคงใ่ฒฉๅฃฒใใฆใใIAใONEใฐใใบใๆฉใใๅฃฒๅใใ็ถๅบใใฆใใใพใ๐ญ ใใใใจใใใใใพใโจ
— 1st PLACE@1/27(ๆ)19:30~ IA & ONE Anniversary็น็ชๆพ้ (@1st_PLACE0302) January 27, 2020
Next, a new illustration contest has been announced! The theme of the contest is “Story from another planet,” represented by the 2020 anniversary mecha illustrations of IA and ONE. Entries therefore must relate to and tell a story about them!
The contest encourages entrant to tell their own stories in any manner that they wish, be it in a single illustration, a manga, a novel, in picture book form, or anything! Winning entries will even be made into official goods!
How to enter:
Email your entries to: robot@1stplace.co.jp โปIf your entry file is too large to send as an email attachment, then you can upload it online and send 1st Place the URL
Entry guidelines ใปIllustrations: psd / jpg / png, preferably at least 350 dpi and in Adobe Photoshop ใปNovels: in Word and other text formats ใปManga: psd / jpg / png ใปPicture books: psd / jpg / png
Best of luck to all entrants! We look forward to seeing everyone’s creativity!
Performance at Niconico Cho Kaigi 2020
Although it was shown during the livestream, not much could be said or announced about the supposed performance at Niconico Cho Kaigi 2020, scheduled to take place on April 18 and 19. Once official information is revealed, however, we will report!
— 1st PLACE@1/27(ๆ)19:30~ IA & ONE Anniversary็น็ชๆพ้ (@1st_PLACE0302) January 27, 2020
A little more concrete, however, was the announcement of the IA and ONE holographic exhibition that will take place at MG Camp! The exhibit is expect to take place sometime during the spring. More info to come!
ใๅๅคๅฑใขใใฒใผใใงในใซใฆIA&ONEใฐใใบ่ฒฉๅฃฒ๏ผใ 2/15ใ16ใฎ2ๆฅ้ใซๆธกใฃใฆใใผใใกใใปๅๅคๅฑใซใฆ้ๅฌใใใใใขใใฒใผใใงใน2020 in NAGOYAใใซใฆใIAใจONEใฐใใบใฎ่ฒฉๅฃฒๆฑบๅฎ๏ผ โผใขใใฒใผใใงใน2020 in NAGOYA ๅ ฌๅผใตใคใhttps://t.co/2CPAf2kFGl โผ่ฉณ็ดฐhttps://t.co/PbKNT0D1qvpic.twitter.com/PqcSk1GZ2D
— 1st PLACE@1/27(ๆ)19:30~ IA & ONE Anniversary็น็ชๆพ้ (@1st_PLACE0302) January 27, 2020
At least we know the date for the next announced event. At the Anime & Game Festival in Nagoya, IA and ONE goods will be up for sale! Any locals or visitors to the area should check them out in February!
For those who have yet to see it – or even for those who have seen it and wish to re-live it – ARIA -IA MUSICAL & LIVE SHOW- will soon finally be available to take home on Blu-ray! It was contain a recording of the most recent shows that took place on November 30 and December 1, 2019.
2020 Anniversary Song: Diamond Days ~ใใใฆๆชๆฅใธ~ IA & ONE 2020 Version
Finally, revealed towards the end of the livestream was the official IA and ONE 2020 anniversary song called Diamond Days ~ใใใฆๆชๆฅใธ~ IA & ONE 2020 Ver.!
While listening to the song, we’re treated to a montage of IA and ONE moments from years past, making for a lovely tribute to the ARIA sisters. This is truly a must-watch for any IA and ONE fan!
That concludes the new announcements for 2020, but there was still plenty of other content to enjoy from the livestream covering the past year of events! You can watch the archived livestream here where 1st Place even kindly provides English translations of the content being discussed in the live chat section!
Look forward to many more exciting development for IA and ONE throughout 2020!
โปAll translated and transliterated names and terms below are unofficial
Ruruka’s Hero Debut
Long known as a character in Ririka’s background story and in the fictional anime series Mahou Shoujo RirikaโRuruka, Ruruka will now finally become a playable Hero character! See her announcement trailer below!
Ruruka will be made available in the game on January 27, 2020 after the regularly scheduled maintenance period!
Snow Miku 2020 Collaboration
That’s not all! Miku, Rin, and Len are all returning to the #COMPASS world, as will all the Miku-themed outfits for the rest of the cast, including the new Heroes who have been introduced since the previous collab! What’s more, one of Miku’s outfits will be her Snow Miku 2020 design, and the Snow Miku 2020 theme song will among the songs that can be played when you select her!
The performance starts off with Tianyi appearing in a beautiful water flower, singing the first verse of the well known folk song. Then it leads into Dimash appearing and singing alongside her, and they perform Mo Li Hua in a traditionally beautiful – if overly familiar – fashion.
But after the pair finish singing the Mo Li Hua in full once, that’s when the tempo changes completely into a more modern and distinctly Middle Eastern beat! Tianyi and Dimash then sing the song again and dance to this new rendition with Dimash – a Kazakhstan native – probably feeling more in his zone!
We suggest watching the Bilibili upload of the performance because afterwards, you’ll be treated to a segment with Tianyi coming back on stage to speak with the show MC, and try her hand at addressing the audience and wishing them a Happy New Year in the Ningbo dialect!
It’s also only on Bilibili that you can watch a follow-up video Dimash and Tianyi speaking together and teaching each other how to say “happy new year” in Chinese and Kazakh!
We hope everyone enjoys this very unique performance and talk sessions that blend together different music, languages, cultures, and people – both real and virtual – into one unforgettable show!
Let’s also remember that Tianyi has performed at past events and shows hosted by CCTV as well as other major New Year’s events before. Therefore, this performance will most likely not be the last one of its kind!
A brand new Hatsune Miku mobile game called Hatsune Miku – Tap Wonder is making its debut! You can find it’s official site here (Japanese) and here (English)!
This is the official account for smartphone game Hatsune Miku -Tap Wonder! We'll be using this account to share the latest updates about the game, so stay tuned!#MikuTap#HatsuneMikupic.twitter.com/k9BAhM7i5H
— Hatsune Miku – Tap Wonder official (@miku_tap_en) January 24, 2020
However, before they can officially launch, they need YOUR help. Right now, piapro has announced a BGM and pet design contest! Winning entrants will have the chance to hear their music and/or see their design used for Miku’s support pet in the game!
[Now Accepting Music and Pet Design Submissions] We want YOUR BGM and pet designs! Selected submissions will actually be used in the gameโช
Submission deadline: February 21 (Fri.) 6:00 a.m. UTC
— Hatsune Miku – Tap Wonder official (@miku_tap_en) January 24, 2020
Pet Design Contest Details
Theme: A pet who cat help Miku fire up the world stage!
Contest Entry Period: January 24, 5:00 pm to February 21, 3:00 pm (JST)
Number of Winners: 7 (that number is subject to change)
Entry Guidelines
File size: at least 1000px by 1000px
File type: JPEG, PNG
Color mode: RGB
Resolution: at least 300 dpi
Upload your entry to piapro with the tag “๏ผด๏ผก๏ผฐ๏ผท๏ผฏ๏ผฎ๏ผค๏ผฅ๏ผฒ๏ผฟใใใใใถใคใณ”
Make sure not to set your entry to licensed:
Notes
You may enter as many designs as you like
Entries are not restricted to just animals. Robots, fairies, etc. are all fair game as well, so free to let your imagination run.
See here for an example!
Caution Points
Your entries must be original designs and characters
You may only submit one pet design per entry
Your pet character can be in any post that you like as long as judges can see their faces and any other traits that they can judge by
Your pet character must have a name. Make sure to enter your pet’s name as the title of your entry โปPlease understand that when translating the game into other languages, the game developers will be the ones who translate the pets’ names as they see fit
If your pet design’s name includes Japanese in it, please write the name in katakana or English lettering for easier translation into other languages
Please understand that the game developers will be the ones to determine each selected pet characters skills and abilities
Please understand that selected designs may change slightly when the time comes to implement them in the game
Song Contest Details
Theme: Music with the feel of a live concert that can fire up players of the game
Entry period: January 24, 5:00 pm to February 21, 3:00 pm (JST)
Number of winners: 10 (that number is subject to change)
Acceptable VOCALOID character voicebank: Hatsune Miku โปV2, Append, V3, V4X, English, Chinese all acceptable) โปFor the chorus, voicebanks for Kagamine Len, Kagamine Rin, Megurine Luka, MEIKO, or KAITO are also acceptable
Entry Guidelines
Song length: no longer than 5 minutes
File type: MP3
Upload your entry to piapro with the tag “๏ผด๏ผก๏ผฐ๏ผท๏ผฏ๏ผฎ๏ผค๏ผฅ๏ผฒ๏ผฟ๏ผข๏ผง๏ผญ”
Make sure not to set your entry to licensed:
You may enter as many entries as you like
Caution Points
Your entry must be an original and unlicensed work
Your entry can be in any genre and any language
You must submit lyrics of your song entry as well, either as a text upload or in the entry’s description. If you submit them as a separate text upload, make sure to register it as a “้ข้ฃใใไฝๅ” (related work)
If your song’s title includes Japanese in it, please write the name in katakana or English lettering for easier translation into other languages
The game developers may ask you to supply your entry as WAV data if selected
Results will be announced sometime in March, and the winning entrants will be contacted by email from Crypton Future Media with @crypton.co.jp its address name, so please make sure that the email address used with your pirapro account can receive emails from them.
Best of luck to one and all! Expect the game to be released sometime in spring 2020!
VocaSphere 