Miku Day!

Today is Miku Day! I haven't made many additions to the site over the course of the week (besides adding a guestbook and a comment system that feels more natural), but I like how I've prettied up the place. In lieu of updates, I'd like to show off some of the Miku-related merch I have.

First up is this Miku plush I keep around the head of my bed. Her face is about as big as my hand? I got her when my sister dragged me to a convention about a year or two ago. I'm not much of a con-goer because I get claustrophobic in crowds, but I always get some good stuff out of it, so whatevs.

I have a lot of (not Miku) plushies, and you can see a few of them nearby. One of these days I'll show 'em off.

Bonus Miku shot glass in the background! It was a Christmas present. Near the end of the month I'll be 21, which means soon I'll actually be able to use it for its intended purpose. Very exciting stuff.

And around my desk are my Miku figures! Up top's the Sakura Miku noodle stopper (I believe I also got this at a convention, but I don't think it was the same one as the big plush), and near the bottom are some petit nendoroids based on the Project mirai games. I remember getting them on Yahoo Auctions Japan for surprisingly cheap.

I'm not 100% sure on this, but I think the petit nendoroids were originally sold as preorder bonuses? Specifically for the limited editions of mirai 1 and 2 respectively. This was also the case for the Project DIVA (2009) petit nendoroid.

I keep all my games, books, and CDs on my thin shelf. Pictured here is just the part with the Miku stuff. I think now's a good time for my origin story.

When I was about 9 years old, I had an iPad that I'd watch YouTube on (in lieu of the real computer that my older brother liked to hog), which eventually led me to TheFineBros' Kids React to Hatsune Miku. And you know what? I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. So I searched for more clips of Miku concerts, and this eventually led me to Project DIVA. I remember how googoo888's iconic edits of the MVs would have them change costumes all the time, and being very confused as to why their videos were longer than the actual gameplay footage. Eventually I figured out that it was just sick editing skills, but either way that was like crack cocaine to me. I think this was right before Project DIVA F was announced.

So I was basically obsessed, and by the time I was 12 I had done enough chores and favors that I had the money saved up for a PS3 and copies of F and F 2nd (I was originally just gonna buy F, but my dad accidentally bought me a Japanese copy when he meant to get F 2nd, so that's pretty neat). I never got around to getting X, though. My family got a PS4 for Christmas that year, but I had been following X's development pretty closely and it seemed too different for my tastes. I'd like to give it a fair shake someday, though. I got a 3DS and mirai DX instead.

Eventually I became an adult and got a real job, as people tend to do. With that money, I went on Mercari got myself the 3.9GB memory card that was released to promote Project DIVA 2nd. So that's neat. I also have Project DIVA 2nd itself, since it came with the Miku PSP. Speaking of...

For lack of proper wide shelves (I'd like to replace my childhood Hello Kitty shelf thing, since it doesn't store things very efficiently, but in the meantime...), I keep my various DIVA and mirai accessories on my dresser. Front and center is the box for the Project DIVA PSP + accessories that was released to promote Project DIVA 2nd, and behind it is the box of mirai 2 themed accessories, and way in the corner is the box for the mirai 1 accessories. You can also see some unrelated figures, but that's neither here nor there.

I got all these on Yahoo Auctions Japan and Rakuma. The mirai 1/2 accessories were actually about the same price as the petit nendoroids, but the PSP... well...

These bad boys are my 3DS and the Miku PSP (both are hacked, and it was very easy). I don't think the 3DS ever got a Miku-themed model, it's just blue because I wanted it to be like Miku. I put the mirai 1 protective case on it. The PSP is probably the coolest thing I own, and it + all the original accessories cost me about $350 (that's $300 from winning the auction, $50 for shipping). I was in a bidding war with this one guy and I swear I was in the trenches for at least an hour after the auction's original closing time.

Honestly, $300 was kind of a steal considering this was a fully-functioning PSP with little to no signs of wear, with all the original accessories included. Normally that sort of thing goes for at least $500, and I've seen listings in the thousands. The reason it was so cheap (relatively speaking) was because the main box was damaged (Japan is serious about their packaging!), and the seller had not tested the PSP to see if it was functional (this was all disclosed in the listing). Also, they didn't include a picture of one of the accessories, so I think people weren't 100% sure of its legitimacy. At any rate, it worked out pretty well for me.

So that's about it, or at least everything I felt was worth showcasing (I also have various stickers and prints and a water bottle). There's still more things I'd like to collect, but I need a better means of storage and also a job that pays better, but I'm really happy with what I have.