It’s a story that could have ended very, very badly. But as it turns out, this post from a Japanese Twitter user ended up being the heartwarming story that otakus worldwide sorely needed. It’s a story about love: the love being a man, a woman…and virtual Vocaloid idol Hatsune Miku.
The Closeted Hatsune Miku oshi
Our story comes from user @miku_miku_panda. “Panda-san”, as he’s being called in Japanese press coverage, is (we assume) a mild-mannered, hard-working, married Japanese man.
Panda is also a GIANT (and only slightly apologetic) Hatsune Miku fan. A fact that, to his detriment, he kept from his wife.
First, some background for people who aren’t Japanese culture addicts or who live in cabins alone in the mountains with a wood stove and no running water. Hatsune Miku is an anthropomorphic representation of a Vocaloid, a vocal data bank used by composers to create songs. Vocaloid is speech synthesizing tech developed with backing from Yamaha. Users of software that uses Vocaloid technology can create compositions with vocals in the absence of an actual singer[1].
Anyone who licenses the software and associated vocal bank can create songs with a given “character”. Vocaloid is an amazing tech that’s enabled millions of people worldwide to unlock their creativity and create some truly cool compositions.
A worldwide phenomenon
Hatsune Miku (初音ミク), developed by Crypton Future Media, is undoubtedly the most recognizable “face” of Vocaloid. (The kanji for Hatsune mean “first sound” and reflect that Miku was Crypton’s first foray into Vocaloid data bank creation.) Propelled to success by Japanese video site Nico Nico Douga, the 16-year-old virtual idol is now a worldwide phenomenon. Fans flock to concerts where Miku’s 3D-projected image belts out her greatest hits.
While I’m not an avid fan myself, several of my kids have dabbled with Vocaloid software. And I’ve heard enough Miku played in the car that most of “World is Mine” has burrowed its way into my head.
The passion surrounding Hatsune Miku reminds me of the fervor I first had when I discovered anime via Dirty Pair and Urusei Yatsura. (Yes, folks, I’m that old.) In other words, I may not be her biggest fan. But watching others delight in her is delightful.
The Closeted Hatsune Miku oshi
That’s why I’m so taken by the story of Panda-san, who is a true blue Hatsune Miku stan. In a post that garnered over 300,000 likes on Twitter, Panda confessed to the world that his wife had found out he was an otaku (Japanese slang for an avid fan of a subculture, such as idols or anime).
Unfortunately for Panda, his otaku-ness looked all the world to his wife like he was having an affair with another woman. As he describes it:
“From around July, I was in great spirits (probably because Magical Mirai [a Hatsune Miku concert] was coming up)
“I started leaving the house on days off for parts unknown (I was pumped for Magical Mirai and went to buy merch and practice karaoke)
“I’d take my smart phone into the bathroom and stay there for hours (I listened to songs in the bath)
“I made a locked storage space in my room (I wasn’t out as an otaku so I hid my geek shelf) “
Ace detective work
You know those sitcoms where people assume crazy things that could have been resolved easily if they’d just…talked? Well, it’s at this point that Panda and his wife started living this sitcom out. He wasn’t frank with her about his interests. And, rather than confront her husband directly, his wife hired a detective agency to investigate his suspicious behavior.
So the detective agency trailed Panda for a while. “And here,” says Panda, “is what they discovered”:
“A husband going at it in solo karaoke
“A husband donning a happi [a shirt worn during festivals, and also donned by fans of a performer at shows] prior to Magical Mirai
“A husband fixated on a Miku claw machine
“A husband suspiciously coddling the last prize from the Lawson [convenience store, or combini] collab [with Hatsune Miku]”
All’s Miku That Ends Miku
Fortunately for both husband and wife, this story has a happy ending. The wife was relieved to discover her husband wasn’t a cheat but just a big stinking geek. In the end, she accepted his love for all things Hatsune Miku.
In exchange, Panda paid the unpaid amount on the detective agency bill – around 870,000 yen (around USD $5,900 at current paltry exchange rates). He also treated her to her otaku fascination: a two-night stay at Tokyo Disneyland.
In an interview with Maido na News, Panda provided a few more details about why he concealed his hobby from his wife. “A lot of people don’t know what 2D is about. I was afraid I’d have to toss all my merch if she found out. And I was worried about what others might think, so I never publicized it.”
Panda says he now invites his wife to Hatsune Miku events he thinks she can easily participate in. But he gleaned from other people’s comments on the situation just how many others hide their 2D hobbies from their significant others. “I guess there are things you hide even from your partner.”[3]
I hope Panda, his wife, and all of our readers have learned a valuable lesson from this. If your interests aren’t harming anyone, there’s no reason not to share them with your partner. Life is short and we should all feel free to enjoy the little things that bring us happiness.
In other words, there’s always room for Hatsune Miku in any relationship.
Sources
[1] Hatsune Miku. Wikipedia
[2] SankeiBiz: Hatsune Miku Has Earned US$120 Million+. Anime News Network
[3] 1人で外泊…妻が夫の浮気を疑い、興信所に調査依頼 結果にSNS爆笑「撮られた写真面白すぎ」. Maido na News
