“Miku Expo” has always been seen as an enchanting event for both Vocaloid fans and listeners alike. The experience of being able to witness the illusion of iconic virtual singers such as Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin, and Kagamine Len coming into being on stage whilst performing some of their most beloved songs has always been the ultimate dream of any Vocaloid fan.
“Miku Expo” for years has been a cornerstone of these fans’ wishes, as it is a yearly global concert event that has toured many countries from China to Mexico. Recently, to celebrate its 10th anniversary, “Miku Expo 2024” is to be held in North America with the partnership of Crunchyroll.
Despite the fans’ high anticipation and excitement for the extraordinarily well-known hologram concerts, the “Miku Expo 2024” took on an LED TV approach. The magical mirage dissipated with the disappearance of the holograms and the LED TV sticking out like a sore thumb. As a result, the expo has received backlash from Vocaloid fans all around North America.
An attendee of the Vancouver show, by the YouTube channel name, “Blake The Nerd” shared, “To me, the problem isn’t having A LED TV. The biggest issues I have are the dishonest advertising and the lack of blending in the TV screen to the stage as well as the lack of merchandise.”
In his video, he stated the false advertisement comes from the promises of a hologram concert, yet on the day of, the TV replaced its place which could hypothetically count as a scam.
He then shared his experience of the “Miku Expo 2018” in LA, “I barely noticed there was an LED TV. In fact, I don’t even know if they had one or not, but when you reveal there’s an LED screen by having lights in the wrong places or even lights around the screen itself, it really breaks the immersion.”
Fans have also gone on to demand refunds for the tickets that ranged from $50 to $200 with some even going as far as to set up a petition for it on Change.org. Other fans who were disappointed with the event have also taken to reselling the tickets they already paid for on sites such as StubHub for as cheap as $5.
Khamila Roman, the fan that initially started the petition shared in the description of it that “People paid to see the Miku Expo, not a TV.”
She then goes on to demand that “for future Miku Expo concerts, the Miku Expo team clearly state if there will be a hologram or the LED TV before purchasing tickets. Therefore, we can make our own decisions if we want to see a TV or the hologram.”
On various social media platforms, fans made memes and comparisons of the expo. Some individuals compared it to the “Hatsune Miku x Genshin Impact” collaborative live concert last year.
Despite the many complaints that were made against “Miku Expo 2024” this isn’t the end of Hatsune Miku. Hatsune Miku is said to be headlining for Coachella this year, re-entering the lineup after her initial 2020 appearance. With the controversy that the “Miku Expo 2024” had caused, fans are now anxiously unsure about what is in store for Miku in the future. However, only time will truly tell if Coachella will be another disaster or a hit.
