If Hatsune Miku were an actual person and not an insanely popular virtual popstar vocaloid (a software that synthesizes singing from lyric and melody inputs) she’d currently be in hot water with fans after her latest concert series. Miku Expo is an annual international tour where vocaloid developer Crypton Future Media and anime streaming company Crunchyroll bring Hatsune Miku fans together for a concert, exhibits, and other fan events, all leading to a virtual performance by the character herself, typically via a hologram. But this year, Miku’s appearance was displayed on an LED TV screen at the first two shows of the tour, and that was just one of the big issues fans have had with the shows thus far.
The Vancouver Miku Expo show on April 4 opened the tour, and things got heated fast after footage from the concert began surfacing online. The clips shared on social media sites like TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) show the crowd’s reaction to realizing that Miku’s appearance would be on a hugescreen, rather than the hologram typically associated with the character’s live events. To get a sense of just how much worse the TV screen was compared to the hologram, here’s a comparison between a previous Hatsune Miku concert and the one at Miku Expo 2024:
As some attendees have pointed out, if you were close to the stage and in the center of the crowd, Miku’s “performance” didn’t look as jarring as it did if you were further away or on the sides of the stage. But the drop in quality, no matter where you sat, is pretty apparent. Following the concert footage reveal, some people who paid to go to Miku Expo’s future dates have been putting their tickets up for resale on platforms like Stubhub, with tickets going for as cheap as $5.
In the fallout, other fans have created a Change.org petition for full refunds, claiming Crypton Future Media and Crunchyroll didn’t make it apparent that Miku Expo 2024 would feature a screen instead of the hologram seen at previous Hatsune Miku shows.On the official Miku Expo website, the ticketing section doesn’t detail how the character will be portrayed at the event. The page says that non-concert-approved LED lights, flashlights, or battery-powered glow sticks “may interfere with the concert performance” but doesn’t expand on that any further. The site’s photos from previous events showcase the hologram. Outside of Miku Expo’s own site, some venues, such as Boston’s Wang Theatre, specifically note that the performance will use “a transparent screen in the center of the stage” when Miku Expo makes its way to the city on May 9.
“We all deserve full refunds for the shows that had a TV and not a hologram,” the petition states. “As of right now, none of us know if the tour that will be held in Europe after the North America tour will have this TV on the stage. We also demand that for future Miku Expo concerts, the Miku Expo team CLEARLY STATES 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. We also demand an EXPLANATION as to why they decided to change it without telling us.”
Several attendees have also reported that Miku Expo understocked glowsticks for the show’s merch booths, which have become a staple for Hatsune Miku shows. Some fans posted photos of merch booth boxes at the April 6 Portland show that seemed to only carry 95 glowsticks at the event. Social media users disputed the number, given the label also says this is box “10 of 27,” but the attendees believe that this number encompassed all boxes of merch at the show, not just glowsticks. Whatever the case, several attendees say they weren’t able to get glowsticks at the show, so however many they brought, they were clearly underprepared for the demand.
We’ve reached out to Crypton Future Media and Crunchyroll for comment on the situation and will update the story if we hear back.
Updated: 04/12/2024, 9:25 a.m. ET: Crypton Future Media responded to Kotaku’s request for comment, saying it will “continue to refine [its] show experience with [its] audience in mind.” The full statement reads as follows:
“We appreciate the fan feedback regarding MIKU EXPO’s North America tour and will continue to refine our show experience with our audience in mind.
To celebrate MIKU EXPO’s 10th anniversary, fans across North America and Europe can continue to expect the same high-energy concert experience featuring the LED screen technology that fans have enjoyed across other MIKU-related events.
For future updates to MIKU EXPO, fans can keep an eye on our SNS Channels or can share feedback with us directly via https://www.crypton.co.jp/cfm/inquiry-aboutus_en
We thank everyone for their continued support of Hatsune Miku and MIKU EXPO.”