Crunchyroll have already proven that they haven’t been putting away funds generated from its monopolized subscription service as the only anime streaming service outside of Japan into security, Furthermore, recent events such as the North American Hatsune Miku Expo suggest that they’d do anything besides invest back into their audience.
The “Miku Expo” is an annual concert tour that captivates fans of the iconic virtual singer, Hatsune Miku. She is essentially a singing voice synthesizer packaged in the adorable appearance of a character with teal twin tails.
Hatsune Miku is arguably one of the most globally recognized fictional figures from Japan, boasting fans worldwide. This widespread popularity has led to the creation of a literal world concert tour featuring the beloved virtual singer.
This is evidenced by the real-life marriage between a Japanese man and the virtual singer. Their relationship stands out for its wholesomeness, in stark contrast to Anita Sarkeesian’s wedding-themed birthday.
However, fans are irate following the beginning of the 2024 Miku Expo North American Tour which began on April 4th and will conclude on May 21st in Mexico City, fans are criticizing the event for its low budget operation versus previous events.
The 2024 North American tour of Miku Expo is a joint venture between Crypton Future Media, the creators of the iconic character, and Crunchyroll. However, this year’s expo has noticeably regressed in terms of quality and immersion.
It has become apparent that Crunchyroll primarily directs its investments towards its annual anime award ceremony, which caters exclusively to Western tourists of the medium, with NFL stars, rappers and other people of no importance being paid big money to attend Crunchyroll’s award show rather than enhancing commercialized ventures such as the Miku Expo.
In past events, Hatsune Miku was projected onto glass to create a hologram effect, enhancing the immersion and enjoyment for fans attending her concerts. However, with Crunchyroll running the show, they have chosen to increase ticket prices instead.
Attendees have complained about merchandise vendors being understocked, but the primary concern revolves around the fact that the North American Miku Expo showcases the virtual singer on a flat-screen TV instead of utilizing the previous holographic glass projection setup.
Despite the money that Crunchyroll makes as the only source of “legal” anime streaming outside of Japan, they’ve opted to do away with tradition likely due to the exorbitant costs associated with holographic projections rather than simply wheeling out a large flatscreen, fans are justifiably outraged over being swindled.
Since fans could easily replicate the experience by playing one of the numerous videos featuring the virtual singer on their own home TVs, many feel aggrieved by Crunchyroll’s decision to deviate from tradition as a means of obvious cost cutting.
Crunchyroll’s organized expo seems to exploit people’s goodwill by offering only a limited quantity of penlights for sale per venue. Additionally, they strongly discourage attendees from bringing their own LED lights, flashlights, or battery-powered glowsticks, other than the official ones sold by the event organizers.
The restriction on bringing personal LED lights, flashlights, or battery-powered glowsticks is primarily due to the potential interference they may cause with the LED TV screen if used in large quantities. However, it’s important to note that lights and glowsticks are integral to the concert experience, akin to other elements like psychedelics for example.
Fans have initiated a Change.org petition demanding full refunds, asserting that Crypton Future Media and Crunchyroll failed to clarify that the 2024 North American Miku Expo tour would feature a TV screen instead of the hologram present at previous Hatsune Miku shows.
This alteration, while cutting costs considerably deviates from the established precedent of the past eight plus years set by the Miku Expo and was not explicitly communicated on the Expo’s website or any other platform.
The ticketing section on the official Miku Expo website lacks details regarding how the character will be presented at the event. While the page mentions that non-concert-approved LED lights, flashlights, or battery-powered glow sticks “may interfere with the concert performance,” it does not provide further explanation.
Their frustration is understandable. A large-scale hologram offers concert attendees a memorable experience, with Hatsune Miku’s appearance seeming larger than life.
In contrast, a relatively small flat-screen TV only provides immersion for those in the general admission standing area, rather than those who paid for “premium” seating.
I hope these people have learned a valuable lesson, that they should never financially support a company as heinous as Crunchyroll, with the Western monopolistic cancer serving no purpose outside of bringing Japanese animation to global audiences.
Their mission is to infect the hard work of the Japanese with malicious translations written by cultural colonizers with an agenda plagued with memes and slang, with the end goal of catering their efforts to sensitive Western freakshows who get riled up over the way fictional characters are presented and their “age”.
Their disdain for anime is evident, yet their influence is undeniable. Recent alterations in shows like Re:Zero’s third season, where designs of loli characters are modified to suit the sensitivities of “global audiences,” reflect their impact.
These individuals seem capable of both consuming and criticizing shows they deem “problematic” or “pedophilic.” However, the commercial success of series like Gushing Over Magical Girls defiantly gives these progressive gaijin the middle finger, asserting that true anime enthusiasts embrace and appreciate fanservice without hesitation.
