Fans upset with Crunchyroll for 'nerving' Hatsune Miku

The fan community has been plunged into a state of outrage following the recent events of the HATSUNE MIKU EXPO 2024 in North America, where the iconic virtual diva, "Hatsune Miku," was introduced in a way that left a lot to be desired. Instead of enjoying the full concert experience, attendees were met with a series of disappointments ranging from a lack of merchandise at the booths, to the excessive rise in ticket prices. But most disappointing of all was the use of a flat screen instead of the holographic projection that had characterized previous events.

The stage, instead of being the epicenter of an immersive experience, became little more than a stand for a TV that, compared to the magnitude of the event, seemed tiny and inadequate. The live band, which should have been the musical soul of the concert, was relegated to a corner, literally locked in a cage, while Hatsune Miku, instead of appearing as a three-dimensional hologram, was reduced to the limitations of a two-dimensional screen.

Ticket prices, which range from $55 to $215 for the upcoming concerts in Phoenix, Arizona, might have been justified if the full experience fans had been waiting for had been offered. However, upon discovering that the holographic technology would not be used, many felt ripped off and disappointed, wondering if Crunchyroll, the sponsor of the event, felt that Hatsune Miku fans did not deserve a high-quality experience.

The situation is made worse by considering that attendees were discouraged from reselling their tickets on platforms such as Ticketmaster, and were urged to acquire event-specific glow sticks, claiming that they would affect holographic projection, when in fact it did not even exist. This lack of transparency and apparent disinterest on the part of the organisers has led some supporters to explore legal options, while others have started a Change.org petition to express their frustrations and gather evidence of what happened. In short, what should have been a celebration of Hatsune Miku's culture and music has become a source of discontent and distrust among fans.

And if you're wondering what fans were expecting, check out the video below from the 2018 performance in Los Angeles:

And of course, there was no shortage of comments:

"Gorillaz was using holograms in the early 2000s. Why are we going backwards in technology?"
"That's what they deserve for supporting a shitty company like Crunchyroll."
"It was never really a hologram in the first place, but a projection on a transparent screen. This makes the switch to a television even more bizarre and regrettable, because a projector and screen are much cheaper than a giant television."
"Oh my God, it looks like shit. Cheap and soulless. It's just an LCD screen, giant or not, it's still LCD. What made Hatsune Miku's concerts special was the projection technology that felt like magic."
"I bet Crunchyroll thought a hologram would allow her to show under her skirt, so they used 2D to avoid that."
"I can't believe Hatsune Miku couldn't show up to the event and they just showed a video of her, what a disappointment."
"'Sponsored by Crunchyroll,' that explains everything."
"Aren't holograms the point of attending this event?"
"The worst part is that they wouldn't let you carry glow sticks because they would 'affect the hologram.'"
"Hatsune Miku deserved better than this."
"Gosh, that really looks cheap and bad."
"It's evolving, but backwards."
"I almost bought tickets to go to the MIKU EXPO, since I was quite interested. I'm so glad I didn't do it in the end, especially now that I find out about this shit."
"I'd be pretty upset if I'd paid a lot of money to watch Hatsune Miku's hologram and find a TV."
"I hope they realize that their shit upset the fans and that I make up for their mistake."
"Holograms have always been part of magic and have always been around – the illusion of her and the others being on stage is part of the experience! They didn't even bother to blur the television to preserve the illusion. The lights just highlight the TV."
"I'm so sorry for the fans who eagerly awaited the hologram. People spend their money and travel to attend these events... And then they're harmed. Those responsible should be ashamed."
"When people think of a MIKU concert, the first thing anyone who knows the character thinks of is the 3D stuff. Not an LCD screen. And the organisers knew that and kept that fact on the Down Low that it wasn't 3d for the reason. Yes, this was scum."