Vocaloid
Contents
Why Vocaloid Exploded in Japan?
Simply put, it was the result of the rise of Vocaloid coinciding with the spread of internet usage in Japan—along with the "god-tier" response from Crypton, the creators of Hatsune Miku.
- The atmosphere on niconico (up to the early 2010s): A place where anyone—even amateurs—could easily participate through "Utattemita" (singing), "Egaitemita" (drawing), and "Odottemita" (dancing).
- The birth of piapro and pixiv (2007): Amateurs could easily share their work, and creative assets were generously distributed for others to use.
- The arrival of iPod touch (2007): A fusion of the internet and a music player.
- The massive hit of MHP2G (2008) = Spread of the "PSP": A gateway for both internet access and music playback.
- Karaoke availability (2008): Hits like Melt, World is Mine, and Black★Rock Shooter became available on JOYSOUND.
- The arrival of iPhone 3GS (2009): Sold exclusively by Softbank, one of the three major carriers.
- Nintendo 3DS (2011): Expanded internet access even further.
- The rise and spread of LINE (2011): Increased the necessity of owning a smartphone.
- The arrival of iPhone 4S (2011): Availability expanded to two carriers (Softbank and au).
- The massive hit of Kagerou Project (2012): A landmark multimedia project.
- The arrival of iPhone 5s (2013): Finally available on all three major carriers (Softbank, au, and Docomo).
The movement initially centered around the adults who were already "internet denizens."
Then, children began entering the online world through gaming handhelds.
By that time, thanks to multimedia projects like Kagerou Project and many famous Vocaloid songs being available in karaoke, the culture had transcended the internet and reached the real world.
And thus, it became a legend...
And thus, it became a legend...
(Soshite Densetsu he...)
Note: In this context, although written as "he" in romaji, the particle is pronounced almost exactly like "e".
Its origin is the subtitle of Dragon Quest III, "And Thus, Into Legend..." (Soshite Densetsu he...).
(The game was originally titled Dragon Warrior in the West.)
As one of the most influential JRPGs in history, it became such a massive social phenomenon that the title literally came true—the franchise became a "legend."
In internet culture, this phrase is used when people have high expectations for future developments, or (as I used it here) to describe something that has already achieved historic success.
Japanese culture often values leaving a lingering impression (yoin).
A similar slang term is "Please look forward to the author's next work" (Sensei no jikai-saku ni go-kitai kudasai), which is often seen at the end of a manga series.
While "And Thus, It Became a Legend…" is used positively about 70% of the time, the "Please look forward to..." phrase carries a broader range of meanings—it can be used sincerely, but is also frequently used sarcastically when a series is suddenly canceled.
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Last updated:
2026-05-01 00:41 JST (Japan)
2026-04-30 15:41 UTC (Universal)
Main Language: ja-JP
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