No.9260[View All]
Hello, 39chan—nice to meet you. I’m Smith Hioka.
Thanks for having me for this live Q&A session today.
If you already know Akita Neru—a derivative “fanloid” character in the Hatsune Miku world—you may know me as her creator.
And if you’re thinking, “Akita Neru? Who’s that?” or “THE YELLOW ONE THAT DOESN’T APPEAR IN MESMERIZER,” this is a great chance to get to know her. You’ll likely pick up something new, so feel free to join in.
How this will work:
I’ll take questions in two blocks, Part 1 and Part 2, with a 1-hour break in between.
Please check the image for the schedule, and make sure you’re viewing the right time zone for where you live.
The Q&A will be in English. I’m not a native speaker, so I’ll answer via AI translation—thanks in advance for your patience with any odd phrasing.
Questions & basic rules:
As long as it doesn’t violate 39chan’s rules, most questions are welcome. I won’t be able to answer everything, and I appreciate your understanding.
To keep things moving, please limit to one question per post.
For questions that aren’t off-limits but need deeper thought, I may post a fuller answer later on my X (formerly Twitter) account. If I do, I’ll check with you first about sharing it.
All right—ask away!
96 posts and 16 image replies omitted. Click reply to view. No.9369
>>9304I’ve mentioned them on a discord server before—I’ll repost that below.
They ended up pushed into the margins of history, largely due to my own limitations.
In the 2000s, I could only stand by and watch as many beloved characters born in online communities declined—facing various obstacles and a lack of understanding—until they were eventually forgotten.
When Akita Neru unexpectedly drew significant attention, I became determined not to let that same sadness repeat itself. Out of an excess of caution, I poured all my energy into her, leaving myself with no capacity to properly care for the others I had created. In the process, I ended up neglecting and ultimately sacrificing them.
I did try to bring them back a few times, but by then the right moment for their return had already passed. At the very least, I felt they were no longer something I could handle.
Ironically, part of their unpublished backstory includes that they resent their father...
No.9370
>>9369>dicksword Oh god, the wordfilter
No.9374
My last question, which is the Akita Neru song that you consider the most representative of her? Thank you for create Neru, she's my favorite character ever. I admire you so much!!!
No.9375
>>9305As for Nero, I only defined a very limited set of details when I first designed him, so I plan to pull everything together later. I may have even forgotten some bits, so I can’t give a clear answer right now.
>>9306Hi, Lynx! Thank you for sharing this. If any part of Neru’s influence has helped spark your creativity, that makes me genuinely happy—as someone who cares deeply about the chain of creation. Thank you so much!
No.9377
Starting now, we’re on a one-hour break. I’m catching up on replies, so please hold off on new questions until we resume. Thanks for your cooperation.
No.9378
>>9377Thanks
No.9379
>>9361>>9369thanks for your replies, hioka! and your backstory for the otaki is very interesting!
No.9397
>>9308To be precise:
In 2008 I signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Crypton Future Media (CFM) regarding the copyright status of Akita Neru. That MOU affirms—on both sides—that Neru is a derivative work of Hatsune Miku.
Without getting into the details, this arrangement lets us preserve the freedom of fan-made secondary creation while also enabling commercial use of Akita Neru. Thanks to it, things like single-day event licenses for garage-kit/sculpture events, merchandising (plushies, figures, etc.), and appearances in games have been possible. Without the MOU, these would not have happened.
CFM also handles the licensing/contact window, which meaningfully reduces my personal workload. And of course, any commercialization requires mutual consent from both parties.
If I don’t agree, CFM cannot issue permission to use Akita Neru on its own—and the reverse is also true.
>>9309Hmm… I’m not sure exactly what she’d play, but percussion comes to mind.
No.9398
Welcome back
No.9399
>>9310I never could have imagined this when I first drew Neru. On social media I often see people talk about her as a “childhood memory.” Childhood memories are powerful and vivid; knowing that Akita Neru is etched into a part of that is the greatest joy for me. I was also genuinely surprised by how many of those comments came from outside Japan.
Back in 2007, I was convinced that Hatsune Miku’s arrival would change the world of music, but I didn’t expect the impact to last this long—or that even Neru would spread worldwide.
Neru’s reach has less to do with her being “my work” and far more to do with the power of the fans.
Last year, when Mesmerizer helped drive a surge in Neru’s overseas fandom, it strengthened my resolve to do what I can to make sure fan-driven creativity isn’t held back.
No.9403
>>9312The biggest difference is that today both the leading artists and the broader fanbase are a Vocaloid-native generation. In 2008, of course, no one could say “Miku existed when I first became aware of the world.”
There were commercial works back then, but the market for Vocaloid music was nowhere near today’s scale, so it’s natural that production quality and professionalism feel different now. If you look only at the most visible content, it’s easy to conclude the scene has “professionalized,” and I understand why that can create friction or a sense of being shut out for some people.
However, if you zoom out, the base has widened and the scene has grown so large that no single vantage point can capture it. This may be close to what you’re sensing: with just a small shift in perspective, you can see there’s still plenty of room for beginners in music production (DTM/DAW) and amateur creators—whether you join purely for personal enjoyment or aim high.
Above all, I feel the community is healthy because it keeps renewing itself: there are always newcomers, and it’s easy for people who once stepped away to come back. That’s a very good thing.
No.9405
>>9317I’ve answered a similar question above—please check that reply.
>>9320Unfortunately, there’s nothing like that at the moment. If something like that did come up, I’d say yes in a heartbeat.
No.9407
>>9401 I missed the preorder :(
No.9408
>>9322>>9323>>9325But Neru doesn't sing in Triple Baka. You'd have her on stage beeping with her phone the entire song.
No.9410
>>9408She will beep and hit Miku with a leek
No.9413
>>9326“School Club Girl” was inspired by how some girls at my high school would customize their outfits on their own. The skirt and tracksuit colors are also based on what we had at my school. That said, these looks were technically outside the prescribed way to wear the uniform.
As for “Aborigine,” around that time I was interested in traditional/folk clothing, and the design reflects a broad, non-specific image of traditional attire.
>>9328👋
>>9330Do you mean this illustration? It’s not really a new design—it’s a refined version of a character design sheet I drew a long time ago. Most of my older drawings are, well, old, so I made a three-view reference sheet that people can use when creating fan art. It’s mostly done and already colored, and I plan to release it on November 1, Neru’s birthday.
No.9414
>>9331Whatever the lineup, seeing vocal combinations I hadn’t imagined is always a fun experience. Of course, I love the classic duets too!
>>9332?
No.9415
Hi, this isn't a question but I wanted to thank you for visiting /leek/
I hope we can see you again
No.9416
>>9338I do like yellow now thanks to Neru, but my original favorites were black, indigo, and olive drab—and I still like those too.
>>9339To be honest, I’m not very familiar with Project SEKAI—I only installed the app the other day. Once I’ve played it a bit, I plan to watch the movie.
No.9418
>>9342To be honest, I’m not very familiar with TS (gender-swap/gender-bent) characters in the Vocaloid scene. Even a quick look shows lots of subtle distinctions in that genre, and I’ve hesitated to comment while only half-informed, as that could be disrespectful.
>>9343That’s an interesting take. I’ve always viewed Neru and Miku as entirely separate, so it’s fascinating to hear that perspective—and I think it’s good that each person’s own image of Neru can grow in its own way.
No.9419
>>9416 Woah, thanks for responding to every single one of my questions!
No.9420
Hioka what is your favorite version of Neru's voice, such as Lower-pitched Rin and Higher-pitched Miku etc.?
No.9421
We’ve reached the scheduled end time, so we’ll stop accepting new questions here. That said, I don’t have any plans today, so I’ll keep answering as many of the questions already posted as I can.
No.9424
Thanks for your time and thoughtful responses! Have a good day.
No.9425
Thank you Hioka
No.9427
>>9344Sorry—I’m honestly not very familiar with them...😔
>>9346All I can say is that it’s unlikely anything will materialize right away.
That said, it’s important to keep gathering information so we don’t miss any opportunities.
(Hmm… well… I won’t press that any further.)
No.9430
>>9347From another angle, what we call “misinformation” can also be the seed of ideas that didn’t exist before.
If a character’s settings are locked down so tightly that any deviation is forbidden—that may work for a corporate IP that constantly pushes out powerful official content, but for a character like Neru, who spreads through derivative creation, getting trapped in fixed ideas would make further growth difficult.
Akita Neru has always been entrusted to each person’s imagination. Whether she speaks or sings (or doesn’t), I think flexible interpretations are healthy. As generations of major creators and fans turn over, a character’s image naturally changes. In fact, even a widely accepted personality can be flipped by a single, striking work.
Relative to the earliest “canon,” that might look “wrong.” But measured against creativity that moves a lot of people, it’s a minor detail. If anything, I hope people draw inspiration even from the “wrong info” and transform it into interesting work.
No.9439
>>9349Neru doesn’t have an official voicebank, so there aren’t any Neru-specific rules about what her “voice” can or can’t say. If you’re tuning and using another voicebank with her, just follow that voicebank’s own terms and guidelines.
Balancing free expression with legal responsibility is tricky. When a company releases a product, it has to consider potential liability for anything the product might cause; selling something commercially always carries litigation risk. The flip side is that, by clearly stating the scope of responsibility, a company lets users operate safely so long as they stay within those terms.
Voicebanks with few or no restrictions—much freer than corporate products—are also valuable. But that doesn’t mean there’s no responsibility. If a legal or moral problem arises, responsibility may fall on the user and, in some cases, reach the developer. Total lack of limits inherently leaves room for many kinds of issues, and a major incident could even jeopardize the voicebank’s continued existence.
Each approach has trade-offs, but the good news is that users today have many choices. You can pick the voicebank that fits the situation and express yourself accordingly.
No.9450
>>9350Speaking only for myself, I do think it’s possible—under certain conditions.
The key is that the character is born from, or becomes tied to, some larger “event.”
Neru emerged out of a major controversy in 2007 where several issues intertwined; looking back at her origins is like reading a historical archive of that moment.
Haku embodies a universal experience that still hasn’t changed today: a beginner in music production hitting a wall and feeling defeated.
Teto’s very birth was a kind of “festival,” and because both the illustrator and the CV were minors, a sort of “twin-drill” two-pillar setup naturally formed—one of the factors that helped propel her later rise.
The fact that all three came out of 2channel shows that, at the time, 2ch still had the power to act as a center of creativity. In any form, what matters is linking a character to an incident that many people find compelling.
That said, timing and luck matter—a lot. It isn’t something you can manufacture on command. If someone wants to create a character on the scale of Neru, Haku, or Teto, I’d say: keep your eyes on many streams of information and learn to spot opportunities. After that, it’s largely up to luck.
>>9351It might be a translation issue, but I’m not sure what exactly you mean by “stoic.” If you don’t mind, could you clarify what you’re referring to?
No.9453
>>9359As for Nero, I plan to compile the details later, but I need to go back and verify my older notes—so I’ll refrain from making any premature statements here.
>>9362I do listen to Western music, but I’m not really familiar with genres. I tend to just listen casually and think “that’s a nice song,” then move on—so I sometimes don’t even know who the artist is. And if it drops off my list/history, even I can’t track it down again…
That said, I do like Daft Punk!
No.9454
>>9450>I’m not sure what exactly you mean by "stoic."I'm not the one who asked but i believe what they're trying to say is why Neru is so expressionless, indifferent, etc
>what matters is linking a character to an incident that many people find compelling.Oddly enough something similar is happening here with a character that's being created to make fun of censorship. But I don't think 39chan is nearly as big or influential as 2channel.
No.9458
>>9364That’s a tough question—because pretty much every culture interests me. I can’t narrow it down to just one.
I find human history itself—the force that has shaped every culture—deeply fascinating. And all of them inevitably connect somewhere along the way.
>>9374It’s hard to narrow it down to just one, but in terms of showing different sides of her, I’d single out three songs as especially representative: “Triple Baka,” “Kemono no Uta,” and “Gocha Gocha Urusee!”.
No.9460
>>9388Thank you for loving Akita Neru! I’m really happy to hear that.
The more you look into Neru, the more fascinating she becomes—but that also means she can be pretty hard to get into for people new to Vocaloid culture.
Those who get past that hurdle tend to be very dedicated, and in my experience they stay fans for years.
Your friend’s Neru is lovely—and it has a strong Touhou vibe. 😂
（Yuyuko Saigyouji?）
No.9461
>>9401I’m not sure I could say I have “a lot,” but I do have a fair amount.
There aren’t many official items, but I received many as samples, and I bought the ones I especially wanted myself.
I also have some doujin merch and a few doujinshi (self-published books).
I didn’t have much money back then, but if more Neru merch comes out, I’d love to buy plenty.
No.9463
>>9415Thank you too!
>>9417Yes, He helped a lot with this Q&A as well. The Nerucat is cute.
No.9464
>>9420I get that question a lot, but I think each has its own appeal.
No.9465
>>9428🙏
>>9454Got it. I’m guessing that impression comes from some work where Neru looks expressionless or indifferent (maybe “Toripuru Ryuunen” or “Zako”?). How she comes across depends on the creator depicting her and the viewer’s own sensibilities, so there isn’t a fixed answer—meaning I can’t really say.
>But I don't think 39chan is nearly as big or influential as 2channel.Speaking of influence, Neru’s initial reception wasn’t big either. The thread I posted in back then wasn’t the main one; it was a slower-moving place. After that I made a blog and kept sharing information as best I could. It may help to build outlets for information outside the board, allow flexible interpretations, and make it easy for people to create derivative works.
No.9466
I think I’ve managed to answer most of the questions.
If I missed your post or couldn’t give a proper reply, I’m sorry.
>>9425moth, thank you for giving me this opportunity!
This really is the end.