Now, I know what you’re thinking – Another Vocaloid figure review? Why not change your tagline to “Plamo, Toy and VOCALOID Figure Reviews while you’re at it?” Admittedly, I am invested a little too deeply in Good Smile Company’s line of Vocaloid figures. However, the subject of this week’s review – the 1/8 “World is Mine” Hatsune Miku – has a special place in my heart.
Rewind to July of last year. It was a blissful summer, and I was still free of Vocaloid fever. I knew who Hatsune Miku was – a Japanese voice synthesizer program that was responsible for an empire of fan-produced songs. However, at that point in time I still did not understand her virulent popularity. Song like Levan Polka and Black Rock Shooter that were linked to me by friends sounded stiff and lifeless to me, and I had no real reason nor incentive to look into the source of Miku’s magic.
Enter SEGA’s Hatsune Miku: Project Diva game for the PSP. Being the dirty pirate that I am, I decided to give the game a try since it came at no cost to me. After navigating into the playlist, I found myself tapping my way through a catchy tune accompanied by a 3D model of Miku strutting her stuff in a delightfully saucy fashion. That tune was none other than supercell’s “World is Mine”.
It was love at first sight.
Since then, the voice of real living people have been steadily phased out in favour of my new artificial overlords, and it all started with that little song! So when I saw GSC’s “World is Mine” Miku on sale for 30% off along with 50% shipping, I could not resist. Sure, I wasn’t crazy about the natural frame. Sure, I heard the quality control was lacklustre. But can you blame me? Even at the end of the day after appreciating all of this figure’s various flaws (some of which quite serious), I still can’t bring myself to override my ruling fondness for her unique presentation and features.
