It takes a particular performer to get hundreds of individuals, together with many from outdoors of Japan, to make the journey out to Chiba’s Makuhari Messe on a wet Friday afternoon. Hatsune Miku, although, suits the invoice.
Followers from all over the world braved stormy situations on Aug. 30 to kick off the Tokyo leg of Magical Mirai 2024 (the gathering additionally takes place in Fukuoka and Osaka). The annual occasion — centered on a live performance starring the aqua-haired Miku and different avatars created by Sapporo-based firm Crypton Future Media, in addition to numerous exhibitions — was held over three days. Day One attracted hundreds of tourists regardless of less-than-ideal climate situations, and the occasion performed out a brief distance from the sixtieth Japan DIY House Middle conference, making for the disorienting sight of suit-clad salarymen navigating by way of packs of Miku followers.
Magical Mirai’s showcase occasions, reside exhibits lasting greater than two hours, have been held twice a day in a corridor simply off the principle entrance. On Friday, a number of thousand spectators stuffed the world to see Miku and different characters placed on a reality-bending present with fantastical moments sprinkled in (most notably, split-second costume modifications). The performers have been rendered in 3D pc graphics, giving them a extra life like look in comparison with the LED display screen used throughout Miku’s North American tour earlier this 12 months, together with at Coachella, which had obtained some criticism from followers who weren’t impressed with the tech on show. At Makuhari Messe, a reside band additionally added further oomph to the set.
