Who do you think of when someone says Vocaloid? That’s right, Hatsune Miku. As Vocaloid fans, it’s not surprising that this is a name we hear quite often within the community, and sometimes, it’s even the only subject everyone seems to talks about.
But for the uninitiated, what is Vocaloid anyway? Vocaloid is a term mostly used to describe singing synthesizers that are used in the Vocaloid software. The Vocaloid software was developed by Yamaha, and no, Vocaloid is NOT the only singing synth software that is out there but we’ll get into that in a different article. Vocaloid has a huge community/fanbase that consists of all kinds of people from all around the world.
Back on topic, Hatsune Miku is one of the most popular Vocaloids out there, if not the most popular, and has been used in the production of a large number of Vocaloid songs in all sorts of different genres. She has even been used to promote certain brands including Family Mart and Honda. Naturally, she has plenty of loyal fans within the active community and even outside of it, with quite an amount claiming she’s the best of the best.
But that leads us to one question:
Is Hatsune Miku really best Vocaloid out there?
Now, if you’ve been around in the community long enough to pass by a few creative minds behind certain Vocaloid songs and covers, you’ll probably be most familiar with the Cryptloids. You know, that one crowd of Vocaloids that tend to stand out and were released by Crypton Future Media, Inc., known to be the leading Vocaloid developer to date? Not familiar? Well, let me introduce you to them. The Vocaloids that have been developed by said company are Meiko, Kaito, Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin and Len, and Megurine Luka in this order.
What? Miku isn’t the first Vocaloid? Nope, not the first, not the second and definitely not the third either. The first ever Vocaloids being Leon, Lola and Miriam (correct me if I’m wrong), who were English Vocaloids, followed by Meiko, who was the first Japanese Vocaloid released for the very first Vocaloid engine.
Then what about that tattoo on Miku’s arm that says 01? It merely refers to her being the first in Crypton’s Character Vocal Series. She is the first Japanese Vocaloid to be released in Vocaloid’s second engine though.
Alright, putting her popularity and chronological standing aside, what is it about her that makes people believe that she really is the best Vocaloid? In my opinion, I believe it’s just her appeal towards a certain community and the lack of other Vocaloids around at the time she rose to fame.
She may have been the best at one point but with new Vocaloids that offer smoother, more realistic results in this day and age, it really makes me wonder why no one seems to question how people still claim that Hatsune Miku is the best. After hearing one of the first covers from VYI’s latest update for VOCALOID4 and an original by *Luna featuring Otomachi Una and Rana, I found it incredibly hard to believe.
With more uprising Japanese Vocaloids from various different companies, Miku’s flame has begun to die down, albeit very slightly. Could it just be a loud minority of the community that just doesn’t keep up with the rest of the Vocaloid world? Maybe. Could it be that other Vocaloids just aren’t getting enough exposure? It’s a big possibility. Although I believe Miku is a definite icon when it comes to Vocaloid, her being the best Vocaloid out of more than probably a hundred (and still growing) Vocaloids of various different languages is outrageous.
The answer is personal preference. Miku may or may not the best Vocaloid, especially in this era of uprising Vocaloids with incredible potential if they’re just given the chance. There is no definitive answer to whether Miku is the best or not, because in the end, it all comes down to personal preference like how everyone prefers their coffee prepared in different ways.
A personal issue I have with whether Miku is the best or not is the fact that all the cheering for Miku and mostly, only Miku, has drowned out the potential of the rest of the Vocaloids. I believe the problem lies with, not the Vocaloid itself, but with the fans that glorify Miku like none else is worthy of their ears but her. It’s fine to like or even love Miku but if I had the chance to make a request, please don’t put down those who don’t see Miku the same way you do. Miku is undoubtedly a great Vocaloid but I’d still highly urge those of you who haven’t explored the community to do so and check out some of the lesser known Vocaloids. You may be surprised at the variety!
Who are your favourite unpopular or newer Vocaloids? Leave them in the comments below!
