Hatsune Miku Graphics: Vocaloid Comics & Art Vol. 2 Review

1 / 27 / 154 / 20 / 18

One of my favorite aspects of the Vocaloid phenomenon is how it’s powered by the fan community, with people all over the globe coming together to celebrate the digital idols through music, art, and more. Hatsune Miku Graphics: Vocaloid Comics & Art Volume 2 showcases a wide variety of Vocaloid illustrations from both professional and up-and-coming artists, making it the perfect way to see first-hand just how much talent Hatsune Miku and her friends attract.

The last Vocaloid art book from Udon Entertainment I reviewed focused on official Vocaloid artist Kei’s soft watercolor-like illustrations such as the one on the cover above, but the Hatsune Miku Graphics series is great for those who like Vocaloids but would prefer to see art from a variety of artists. While the quality of illustrations varies from artist to artist, with 128 pages total, there is bound to be an art style that appeals to nearly everyone.

The majority of the book focuses on a number of Vocaloid artists, with a sampling of illustrations from each. I love the inclusion of the artist’s website when available – in the case of Ryouno, I was so enamoured with his work that I immediately went to browse his site. His masking tape collages are so unique, and not at all what I expected from Vocaloid art!

Wasabi’s work is sugary-sweet, and was definitely one of the standout artists for me. I love the mint illustration of Miku with macaron hair ties! For every illustration, there are artist comments detailing where the image first appeared, which can help you track down your favorite piece.

The book also includes three short manga, one drawn by Wasabi featuring Luka. I really enjoyed seeing other Vocaloids represented besides the ever-popular Hatsune Miku.

In addition to the creator galleries, there are also a number of Vocaloid tribute illustrations by famous Japanese artists. Unlike the creator galleries, these illustrations each get a single page, and while I personally found more art I liked in the galleries, fans of artists such as Nanzaki Iku (Queen’s Blade) and Homare (Phantasy Star Portable 2) will undoubtedly be pleased.

Finally, there is a section dedicated to Vocaloid collaborations and other products that, while very interesting for a Vocaloid fan, felt a little out of place in an art book. There are a number of pages on the clothing modules in the Project DIVA series of rhythm games, a small section on a Lucky Star collaboration, as well as a blurb on the Racing Miku collaboration with Good Smile Company.

As a fan of the, well, fan community that has made Vocaloids the huge phenomenon that they are, both in Japan and abroad, Hatsune Miku Graphics: Vocaloid Comics & Art Volume 2 was a complete pleasure to flip through. Though it may not feature everyone’s favorite artist, it’s a great way to find a great new illustrator or introduce a friend to the colorful and varied world of Vocaloids. Even with a couple small sections that might have been better used to spotlight even more artists, Hatsune Miku Graphics: Vocaloid Comics & Art Volume 2 would make a great addition to any Vocaloid fan’s library.

Note: A digital copy of the book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.

Hatsune Miku Graphics: Vocaloid Comic & Art Volume 2

Hatsune Miku fans, REJOICE! UDON’s sixth translated artbook featuring Superstar Japanese idol Hatsune Miku is now available! UDON Entertainment is proud to present Hatsune Miku Graphics: Vocaloid Comic & Art Volume 2, a new collection of illustrations, behind the scenes material, and comics(!) featuring Miku, Rin & Len, Luka, and friends!

In this latest collection, explore the world and phenomenon of Miku and the Vocaloids through illustration, short articles, and comics. Containing official Miku artwork from Kei, tribute artwork from well-known artists and illustrators, as well as album covers, short comic strips, and three exciting manga short stores featuring Miku and friends!

Release date: September 24th, 2014
Price (U.S.): $39.99
ISBN: 1-926778-83-9
ISBN-13: 978-1-926778-83-9
Format: Softcover
Page Count: 128, Partial Color (96 pages)
Size: 8.25″ x 11.75″

Buy it at a Comic Book Store Near You | Buy at Barnes & Noble | Buy at Amazon.com

Japan Prepaid Review

12 / 29 / 144 / 20 / 18

If you enjoy Japanese media like I do, it’s likely that you’ve delved into the world of importing. Whether it be games, CDs, or anime, sometimes there are things that can only be bought in Japan. Luckily, we live in a digital age where most of these items can be purchased through online services without having to pay exorbitant shipping costs. Still, not all digital Japanese platforms allow purchases from outside Japan, which is where Japan Prepaid comes in!

Japan Prepaid offers easy purchases of prepaid cards to a number of Japanese platforms such as PlayStation Network, Nintendo eShop, iTunes, DMM, and Web Money. All codes are provided by email within 24 hours after purchase (however they are experiencing delays over the holidays), and redeeming them in your platform of choice is extremely easy, even if you don’t know Japanese.

For the purpose of this review, Japan Prepaid provided a 3,000 yen Japanese PSN card (priced at $38.50), which I redeemed on my Vita. The code was delivered quickly and worked flawlessly, and the company’s owner, Josh, was friendly and enthusiastic in our correspondence.

To redeem the code on a Vita connected to a Japanese PSN account, click on the “…” button on the bottom right corner and choose the option at the top of the list.

Since I had some extra money on my account already, I decided to spring for Binary Star, an otome game for the Vita that I’ve heard very good things about! There are more and more otome games and visual novels on the Vita, making it a great system for fans of such genres. You can even swap between different region accounts relatively easily by having more than one memory card and wiping the system before making the switch.

Japan Prepaid also offers Japanese iTunes cards in denominations of 3,000 and 5,000 yen, which is great for those who want to download iOS games, music, or even anime and films. If you don’t yet have a Japanese iTunes account, I have a guide on how to make one without a credit card to get you started! It’s easy to add credit once you have an account, and you don’t need a Japanese credit card.

While Japan Prepaid’s prices may seem slightly expensive when compared to Play Asia or Jlist, Japan Prepaid has a comprehensive range of prepaid cards available, and it was nice to interact with an individual and support a startup company. Josh is also looking for writers to contribute to Japan Prepaid’s blog, so if you like Japanese pop culture and would like to get discounts to the site, that is definitely worth checking out.

Finally, Chic Pixel readers can use the code “chicpixel” for 5% off all purchases from now until January 10th! Be sure to like Japan Prepaid’s Facebook page for other discounts and news. It’s great to see so many options now available for buying digital media from Japan!

Sailor Moon Season 1, Set 1 LE BD/DVD Combo Pack Review

12 / 3 / 144 / 20 / 18

It’s no secret that the Sailor Moon anime has had a big impact on my life, both as a show that offered female role models to aspire to when I was young and being the impetus for my lifelong love of Japan. Earlier this year, I recorded a podcast dedicated to the franchise, and when VIZ Media announced the series would be coming to Blu-ray this year, I was thrilled. Now that I’ve gotten hold of the Sailor Moon Season 1, Set 1 Limited Edition Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack, I can say being able to watch the series in its entirety uncut is an absolute joy, but unfortunately the experience is marred by subpar video quality.

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F 2nd Review

11 / 20 / 144 / 20 / 18

Back when SEGA released Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F last August, I was amazed to hear that a Vocaloid game would finally be coming out in English. SEGA only brought over the PlayStation 3 version initially, but six months later the PS Vita version followed due to the popularity of the PS3 release. Now, however, the digital idol Hatsune Miku is literally everywhere, from opening for Lady Gaga to performing on Letterman, so it makes much more sense to see Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F 2nd in English only eight months after the Japanese release. And this time, buyers have the option to choose between the PS3 and PS Vita versions at launch!

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Review

11 / 16 / 144 / 20 / 18

Earlier this year, adventure game/visual novel Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc quickly wormed its way into my heart for being one of the most fun and interesting titles I’ve played in recent memory, let alone this year. While NIS America announced from the get-go that they would release the sequel before the year was out, I had my doubts that it could be anywhere near as good as the original, let alone better, as many assured me. How exactly do you follow up a game that throws fifteen elite high school students into a situation where the only way they can escape is by killing one of their classmates and not getting caught?

Betoyo Bento Subscription Box Review

10 / 6 / 144 / 20 / 18

When it comes to Japan-related subscription services, there is no shortage of options in the candy/snack department, but if you want to venture into the realm of collectables and other knickknacks, there are considerably fewer services available. Luckily, the folks at Betoyo Bento seek to fill that void by offering monthly boxes of toys, candies, and any other “Japanese pop culture items” they come across!

Ali Baba 1/7 Scale Figure by empty Review

9 / 10 / 144 / 20 / 18

This is it, folks. I’ve finally fallen into the deep, money-swallowing hole that is scale figures. I don’t know whether I should be relieved that I lasted a whole year since I bought my first Nendoroid, or if I should be disappointed that I only managed to keep myself away from them for so long. Either way, I’m in it now, and there’s no better way to celebrate the occasion than with a review!