Hatsune Miku is one of the voicebanks included in the singing voice synthesizer software called Vocaloid. The voicebank is represented as a girl with long, turquoise twintails, a mascot that soon became a global icon. Despite having an official design, Miku’s character is open to artistic interpretation, which opens up a wide range of creative directions and variations.
“Hatsune Miku’s cultural influence doesn’t just stop at [static] media,” notes Daniel Hyon of The Spirit, Seoul Foreign School’ student newspaper. “Fans from all over the world draw and share Miku in their own nation’s traditional dress, often posting this fanart on social media […] Through this creative exchange, Miku serves as a cultural bridge that connects people across borders and highlights the role of culture in shaping relationships and artistic expression.” There is also a distinct musical variety to her, as different music producers utilize the voicebank in their own ways.
Live performances with the virtual character have taken place regularly since 2009. Using projection technology, Miku is able to appear as if she is 3D. Other vocaloid characters are often featured in these events, as well as a live band.
Miku Expo 2025 Asia spanned Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, and more. South Korea was the last destination.
The Seoul expo took place from November 29 to 30 at Korea University. I attended the event on the 29th, and it was an incredible time that will be one of my most cherished memories. The concert area was divided into a VIP standing area up close to the stage, regular standing area and seated area. Many attendees showed up covered in Miku merch, and some were even in full cosplay (i.e. dressing up like Miku). There was a merch shop near the waiting area, selling t-shirts, badges, printed towels and glowsticks. The majority of attendees had either purchased the glowsticks or had brought their own from previous Miku events. I had arrived at the university building at around 7pm, but the merch shop was open since 11am and the glowsticks were in high demand, so by the time I got there they were sold out. I ended up waving my Miku plush to the rhythm instead.
Songs performed at this concert ranged from older classic vocaloid songs to newer, popular songs. Some noteworthy classic songs that were played include “Deep Sea Girl,” “Rolling Girl” and “Patchwork Staccato,” while some recent songs include “The Vampire,” “Darling Dance,” “Culture” and “M@GICAL☆CURE! LOVE SHOT!” The song “M@GICAL☆CURE! LOVE SHOT!” contains a well-known part that, when performed live, never fails to engage the audience. It is the part that spurred many internet trends, where Miku shouts, “One, two, three, ready? Miku, Miku Beam!” Other memorable moments involving the audience was when the concert seemed to abruptly end, and the crowd chanted for an encore for minutes. Right as I began to grow doubtful, Miku showed up on the display screen with a classic vocaloid song that is a staple in the community: “Rolling Girl.”
Hatsune Miku also interacted with the audience through the adjustment of her voicebank to emulate Korean. The pronunciation was not perfect, but it was endearing. The crowd went wild every time she spoke Korean, revealing a significant cultural bond formed through the shared love for a character, growing stronger from organizers’ efforts to honor the Korean language.
The overall experience—the music, choreography, crowd engagement and visuals—brought me great excitement and joy. The illusion of the Vocaloid characters appearing as three-dimensional holograms was impressive, and the live band paired with synthesized singing voices made the auditory experience unique. However, a minor issue was that a view of the dance performances was obstructed. It was slightly hard to see the full character in a non-VIP standing area as someone who is 170cm in height. My advice for anyone around my height or shorter who is planning to attend a Miku concert in a regular standing area is to purchase “standing shoes.” They are tall platforms that add around 8-12cm to your height. Also, if you think you’ll feel left out without a glowstick, you should purchase one prior to arriving at the concert or visit the merch stand as early as possible. If I had the chance to go to this event again, I would buy one on the internet before attending because the expo accepted the use of unofficial glowsticks.
There is no definite date for the next Miku event taking place in Korea, but if you are interested in going, I would highly recommend it, as I had a wonderful time. Seeing a virtual performer is an experience incomparable to traditional concerts; some may find it jarring, however, it is a special experience that is just as fun as other live music events.
