No.18678[View All]
Hello, 39chan. I’m Smith Hioka, the creator of Akita Neru.
This will be my second live Q&A session on 39chan today. Thank you for having me again.
If you missed the first one, please see the link below:
https://39chan.moe/leek/res/9260.htmlThe first Akita Neru illustration was posted on November 1, 2007.
She is a derivative “fanloid” character, inspired by Hatsune Miku and internet trolling, and I’m her creator.
Please feel free to ask whatever you’d like to know. I’ll answer as much as I can.
How this will work:
Just like last time, I’ll take questions in two blocks, Part 1 and Part 2, with a one-hour break in between.
Please check the image for the schedule, and make sure you’re looking at the correct time zone for where you live.
The Q&A will be in English. Since I’m not a native speaker, I’ll be answering using AI translation (ChatGPT/Gemini). Thanks in advance for your patience if anything sounds a bit awkward.
A few requests for those asking questions:
◆As long as it doesn’t violate 39chan’s rules, most questions are welcome. That said, I may not be able to answer everything.
◆Please limit to one question per post.
◆If you can keep the question itself concise, it helps the session run more smoothly.
For questions that require a deeper answer, my response may be delayed. Thank you for your understanding.
All right—ask away!
No.18740
>>18719You could make a derivative out of this. A derivative of a derivative, I guess you could say.
No.18741
>>18719I have one of these bootleg sets too, my brother gifted it to me.
No.18742
>>18701I previously mentioned this issue on X. The situation has changed a little since then, but my overall view hasn’t really changed.
https://x.com/hioka/status/1814314064954470873?s=20Since this isn’t something I can decide on my own, I can’t fully endorse the sale of bootlegs. However, I do understand how fans who live in regions where official merch isn’t easily available may want to have something close to them.
On the other hand, I’ve also seen fake storefronts where the product never arrives at all. It pains me to see people taking advantage of fans’ feelings and essentially stealing their money.
No.18743
hioka, do you think that BOUKALOIDs should be born from controversies and people being immune to it (fire-proof)? since neru was created from that
No.18744
What does the DEN2 on Neru's shoulder mean?
No.18745
Any favorite songs from this Vocacolle so far?
No.18749
>>18746A derivative of a derivative based on a bootleg figure being created in a Q&A thread is the most 39chan thing i've seen today
No.18750
>>18702🤫
>>18703As far as I know, there aren’t any special restrictions just because a request comes from outside Japan. In practice, CFM handles the discussions, and unless there are red flags, such as a company with an untrustworthy track record, I think it would still come to me for confirmation.
Speaking personally, I wouldn’t refuse something simply because of the company’s country or language. If the proposal itself were something extreme, I might hesitate, but in cases where CFM deems it acceptable, it’s very unlikely that I wouldn’t be able to agree.
No.18752
if a vocal synthesizer company reached out to you and asked if you want to make neru "official" product, would you agree?
No.18754
Do you have any recent Vocaloid songs you really like? It doesn't have to be from any region or specific event.
No.18755
does she still use a flip phone in 2026, or did she switch to a smartphone?
No.18757
will you consider making a bluesky account?
No.18760
will you give her a new outfit?
No.18762
>>18759We need a Saru banner pronto
No.18764
do you plan on doing anything special for her 20 years anniversary?
>>18763lol i mistyped, it's 20 in a year
No.18765
>>18764now you're making me feel even older
No.18766
We’ll take a break here for now.
We plan to resume in about an hour.
No.18768
>>18767I'll consider it when TORIKO English comes out
No.18771
what are your thoughts on Akita Neru Sunrise/Sunset idea and will you do it in the future ?
Your fortune: Average Luck
No.18774
Hi, I have a various questions about the blog that was taken down. Will you be reposting the drawings that were uploaded there? Will you be reposting some of the information that came out of it? I understand that you'll be reposting Neru's story, if I'm not mistaken. But a lot of information was lost; for example, I still remember that there are several Neru fans from years ago who know about "Akita Nezu" or characters you drew like Otaki Mee and Moi. I feel like several important things were lost that fans today might like to see, at least out of curiosity, including the old drawings... That's all, I hope you can answer me in time, thanks!
No.18778
welcome back hioka
No.18780
I’m going to resume now.
>>18705As someone who presents the fanwork guidelines, the first thing I hope is that people enjoy creating within the rules. That said, speaking purely from my personal perspective, when it comes to sexually suggestive or NSFW fan art, I think it’s basically impossible to prevent it from existing, whether it’s welcomed or not. Human history makes that pretty clear.
That doesn’t change on the internet, and especially not on platforms like social media, where access is easy and things can spread globally. If people make an effort to keep proper boundaries between platforms and communities, trouble is less likely to happen, and I feel it can stay manageable.
Since I’ve accepted that the existence of sensitive works is simply unavoidable, I don’t personally feel anger or a strong sense of disgust toward it. At the same time, I’m always aware that some people find it difficult to separate a character’s core identity from individual works. So even if there were a piece I personally liked, it would be extremely unlikely that I would share it around.
That said, I should add this: deliberately posting explicit works as a form of harassment, or dragging someone else’s properly contained work into a different space just to criticize it, is an act that unfairly harms people’s wellbeing and their work. That is a completely separate issue from whether the work itself is acceptable.
Well, I think that about covers it. Sorry if I missed what you were really asking. And I hope you’re able to get a Neru plushie!
No.18781
>>18707Yes, I’ve seen it in real life as well.
People cosplay for different reasons, of course, but I think it’s usually driven by affection for the character, so I was honestly very happy to see it.
>>18709I’ve already watched that video.
>>18711For peedee-san’s Neru plushies, it’s as I said in
>>18725.
Also, a small prize plush is scheduled to be released soon. However, since it’s an amusement-arcade prize in Japan, it may be difficult to get outside Japan.
No.18782
>>18781>However, since it’s an amusement-arcade prize in Japan, it may be difficult to get outside Japan.I'm counting on the Teto claw machine guy from the Merch thread.
No.18783
A bit of a fun question: Would Neru rather be stuck in a room for 24 hours with Miku, or be stuck in a room with Teto for 24 hours?
Your fortune: Reply hazy, try again
No.18784
>>18712Honestly, I’d love to make things like that, but I have a lot of other things I need to focus on, so I can’t really put enough time into it right now. I’d be happy if a company approached me with that kind of proposal, but realistically it would be difficult.
As for fan-made clothing items under the Piapro Link framework, I’d need to look it up again to be sure how much is allowed and at what scale.
>>18716It’s as shown in the image in
>>18717 No.18785
Welcome back!
I noticed Neru's design is slightly different for her Nendoroid petite figurine. Did you decide those changes, or were outside your control.
No.18786
hii hioka Tmw is my birthday! and do you think i could talk to you for abit would be awsome.if you dont mind!! but here my question btw! it would be the best gift of.my.life!
how can describe neru personality over all this is for a i am working on^^
No.18787
will you make neru figures in the future ?
Your fortune: Good news will come to you by mail
No.18793
>>18727Unfortunately, it’s not showing up for me...
>>18731In terms of “weird,” there are a few coincidences involving numbers.
For example, one of the things that influenced Akita Neru’s origin was a job listing from a certain company. It was recruiting people to post on message boards, and the hourly wage was 700 yen. In the end, the Neru-related incident and that company had nothing to do with each other, it was just a coincidence (a different company with the same name happened to trigger an IP trap that was set up to catch 2channel posting attempts). And by pure chance, the reply number of the very first post where I drew and uploaded Neru was also 700.
Another one: I have a written memorandum with CFM regarding Akita Neru’s copyright. It’s a document where we confirm that Hatsune Miku is the original work and Neru is a derivative work. The date we finalized that agreement happened to be April 1, 2008, April Fools’ Day, which is also the day Kasane Teto was born.
And lastly, my own birthday is August 31, the same as Hatsune Miku’s.
No.18794
>>18793will make sure that the next post ending in 700 here is also a neru post
No.18795
>>18733Yes. I’ve told my parents and my siblings. My younger sister is probably the one who understands it the most. Other relatives mostly just know about it in a general way. My paternal grandfather also knew when he was alive, and even though he didn’t really understand the details, he was happy for me.
As for people I know in real life, only a very small number of friends know, and most of them aren’t people I’m in touch with anymore. My coworkers seem to know Neru exists, but they don’t know that I’m her creator.
>>18739I do remember there being some early Neru songs about trains, but I don’t know the reason behind it.
No.18797
I know it's late and this Q&A is about to end but I'm curious if you've ever made music, since Vocaloid is music-driven despite being more recognizable for its characters.
No.18804
Unfortunately, we’ve reached the time limit, so I’d like to stop accepting new questions as of now.
It may take me a little while, but from here on I’ll start answering the questions that have already been posted.
Thank you everyone for staying with me late into the night, or all the way until early morning!
No.18809
>>18743No, I don’t think that necessarily has to be the case.
It can leave a stronger impression on people, but at the same time it’s a double-edged sword that may hurt someone. I was lucky to be surrounded by kind people, but since that won’t be true in every case, I can’t recommend it.
>>18744🙊
>>18745Aside from Neru-related ones, I’ve been enjoying these:
https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm45968077https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm45973981https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm45968187https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm45972179 No.18811
>>18746If it leads to this kind of creativity, then maybe bootlegs aren’t nothing but bad.
Even if it wasn’t the form I originally intended, she was “born” into this world as a figure, and in that way she’s contributing to people’s imagination and creative work.
Turning something that’s often seen as negative into something positive through the power of creation, that’s one of the truly wonderful aspects of the creative chain.
No.18816
>>18752It would depend on the proposal.
If they understood my basic stance so far, that I want people to be able to nurture their own imagined version of Neru, and if they were willing to explore a way to make a product without undermining that, then I think there could be room to consider it.
But at the very least, it wouldn’t be as simple as just putting Neru on the package and hiring whatever voice actor they suggest.
>>18754Aside from the ones I already mentioned in another reply, these are some more I’ve been enjoying. I still haven’t even gotten through all the songs from Vocacolle yet, but honestly, I’m surprised I’ve already found this many I really like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbm1nn9yoSchttps://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm45967953https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm45964915https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm45967256https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm45951702https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm45971012https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm45973617https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm45957440 No.18819
>>18755Actually, Neru had both a classic flip phone and a smartphone starting back in 2007. I was using the same smartphone at the time, too.
>>18757I already have a Bluesky account.
I’m not using it very actively, though.
>>18759😂
>>18760I can’t promise anything, but I do want to give her a new outfit.
>>18764It’s a big milestone, so I’d like to do something, but I don’t have any specific plans yet…
No.18821
>>18767>>18768👍
>>18771You mean the one by JMTA-project, right?
I don’t usually comment much on tuning or fan-made voicebanks, but I was impressed by how well it captures the different sides and images of Neru.
No.18822
>>18774The data itself is safely preserved on the new host. It’s a bit complicated, though. Over the years, some blog entries and even some of the comments include wording that could be seen as problematic by today’s standards.
In today’s online environment, where even old information can become a target for criticism, keeping everything publicly available exactly as it was comes with risks. Of course, I understand that long-time fans may want to see it all, and personally I would like to preserve it as historical material as much as possible.
As a second-best approach, I’m planning to repost, bit by bit, the parts that I believe are safe to publish as an archive on the official site.
No.18824
>>18778Thank you!
>>18783In my imagination, if it’s just 24 hours, Neru would probably say she doesn’t really mind either one. If it were longer, she’d choose Teto. She’d refuel with a baguette, and then use Teto’s twindrills to drill a hole in the wall and try to escape.
>>18785I was involved to some extent through supervision, but I’m not sure which specific parts you mean, so I can’t say whether those particular changes were my decision or not. Sorry.
>>18786Happy birthday! 🎉
Since everyone has their own image of Akita Neru, please feel free to portray the Neru you enjoy creating, in whatever way feels right to you.
No.18832
>>18787I don’t have any plans to make figures myself.
If you mean official products in general, I’d say there’s always a possibility, depending on the support and demand from fans.
>>18797I’ve made a very basic MIDI track once, but it was back when I was around middle school, and it was only that one time.
No.18836
I believe I’ve answered the questions, but I’m sorry if I missed anything.
With that, I’d like to bring this second Q&A to a close.
Thank you everyone!