"MetaBirthday" Debriefing [Living in the Metaverse]

To all of humanity. We are living in the metaverse.

"MetaBirthday" is a project that uses the power of music to convey the existence of "Metaverse Natives" and the potential for a "new evolution of humanity" to the physical world. It has become the largest project to date for "Virtual Bishoujo Nem," where the singing voices of those living in the metaverse resonate and overlap, ultimately shaking the physical world itself. In this article, I have summarized the entire six-month project as a "debriefing" (final results report). With love to everyone who was involved.

The trigger was "I want to convey it"

Social VR is currently attracting a lot of attention as a "metaverse," a new living space for humanity in the digital realm, but the reality is that it is still almost unknown to the general public that there are users who are already using the metaverse at a level that can be called "living" there and are demonstrating a new culture. In my book, "Metaverse Evolution Theory (Gijutsu-Hyohron Co., Ltd.)," I call these users "Metaverse Natives."

Since the metaverse became a boom last year, I have been interviewed by various media outlets and have given lectures to the general public, but everyone says in unison, "I didn't know there were people already living in the metaverse!" and they are surprised.While the word "metaverse" takes on a life of its own, nothing has been conveyed about the people living there. Really, surprisingly, nothing at all is known. Can't we change that situation? I want to convey that another world is already there, that unique people are living there, and that a rich culture is being born one after another! That feeling was the beginning of everything.

2022/5/8 Suddenly, a song is sent

One day, six months ago, a song was suddenly sent to me by metaverse composer Kapruit! It was still an unfinished version, but the quality was already overwhelming! And the melody was somewhat wild yet fun, shaking the soul! The legend started here...!

And, while listening to this song, I happened to be walking in front of Akihabara Station when it hit me! This is "it"...!!!

Since when...? Did I start waiting for project requests...?

Since when exactly? Did I become able to respond without hesitation to rough requests to talk about the metaverse in a nice way?

That's not it, is it!

The ultimate virtual bishoujo I sought was!!!

To convey it with all my heart and soul, especially to those who don't know the metaverse!

6/26 Emergency planning meeting convened!

I convened an emergency planning meeting within the metaverse "VRChat"! For now, I grabbed a composer, an associate professor, and a former newspaper reporter who happened to be walking around there and had a heated discussion.

The theme of the project was decided to be "Metaverse Natives" and "Human Evolution in the Metaverse"!

A grand project has begun to hijack the Akihabara Onoden giant screen and convey the existence of people living in the metaverse to people in the physical world!

The title was decided to be "MetaBirthday" by combining "Metaverse" and "Birthday"! May the metaverse be a place where you can be reborn as a new self and where anyone can celebrate a new birthday.

7/8 Unprecedented crowdfunding started!

Strike while the iron is hot! I immediatelylaunched the crowdfunding "I want to open a door to the metaverse on the Akihabara giant screen"!

At the time, I thought, "Wow, wouldn't it be amazing if we could get it aired for a whole week!?" but...

7/30 "30-day" vision airing confirmed!

We received support from a staggering 91 people! Far exceeding my expectations, we reached 454% of our target amount!A one-month vision airing has been confirmed!

39 sets of lyrics gathered for the songwriting contest!

Furthermore, to deliver the existence and soul-stirring cries of the "Metaverse Natives" to people in the physical world, we held a "Songwriting Contest" where all the natives could decide on the best lyrics!

An incredible 39 masterpieces were submitted! We sang all the entries during a live stream and thought about the lyrics together while receiving comments!

7/30 Chosen: Lyrics by Eru Kusaba!

The Grand Prix goes to entry number 27! We decided to adopt the lyrics by Eru Kusaba! The chorus melody is catchy, pleasant, and easy to sing. It's a straightforward and memorable lyric that drags humanity into the metaverse and celebrates a new "birthday" in the paradise that is the metaverse! It's indescribably delicious...!!! Like breathing in the air of paradise... Truly fairy mist (mist)...!!!

Costume "Metaverse Day Dress" production!

Since Eru Kusaba understands the worldview of the lyrics better than anyone, I had her design and create a special costume, the "Metaverse Day Dress," inspired by the "Metaverse Natives"! This costume was not only used in the MV, but later distributed for free so anyone could wear it!

Evolving costume! We also had her design an evolved form inspired by "evolved new humans" in the metaverse!

MV recording inside the metaverse!

Is filming an MV in the metaverse a life-or-death struggle!? The recording, which took place in the next-generation metaverse "Neos VR," became an intense test of physical endurance! I laugh every time I watch this making-of video lol

I had the "Neos VR Dressing Force" create a real-time transformation gimmick for the costume! It was so much fun to build the gimmick while chatting away inside the metaverse! We didn't use any video processing; we filmed it while actually transforming inside the metaverse!

8/30 MV "Metaverse Day" announcement!

The completed MV is finally released! At the same time, we announced the dates for the vision airing! It turned into a transcendent video where primitive heartbeats and the future intersect, so you absolutely must watch it! I also sang my heart out (〃ω〃)

Click here for the karaoke version! Please try singing it!

10/1–31 One-month MV airing on the giant screen!

And finally, we aired "Metaverse Day" for one month on the giant Onoden screen in front of Akihabara Station!Reach them! Our feelings as we live in the metaverse!

It was such a strange feeling to have my own singing voice, which is supposed to be that of a voice-changed beautiful girl, playing in the real world—and right in front of Akihabara Station at that... It was moving! I realized once again that there is no longer a boundary between physical reality and the metaverse.

In the end, thanks to various miracles, the vision was screened for a “four-month” period until January 31, 2023.

We also credited the many people who supported us through crowdfunding on the vision.

And then...

Can you believe it!?

Triggered by the vision screening, various companies and metaverse residents who empathized with the project offered their cooperation, and a massive event involving various locations in Akihabara began!

“Metaverse Day Experience Event” held at the Akihabara PC specialty store TSUKUMO!

We held a “Metaverse Day” experience event at the Akihabara PC specialty store TSUKUMO! With the cooperation of HTC VIVE, people were able to experience the next-generation metaverse “Neos VR” using the latest VR equipment—a super event that lets you enter the world of the music video currently being screened in front of the station! It was a huge success, and many people experienced the world of the metaverse!

A special “Evolution Theory” corner appeared at Akihabara Shosen Book Tower!

The long-established Akihabara bookstore, Shosen Book Tower, created a special corner for my metaverse guidebook, “Metaverse Evolution Theory”! They screened the full version of the music video on a display and sold special editions of the book that included my hand-signed postcards! People who became interested through the music video or the experience event picked up this book, and they can understand the world of the metaverse!

A campaign to win “Evolution Theory” and VR equipment via tweets!

Furthermore, with the cooperation of Media Do and HTC VIVE, they also held a campaign where you could win signed copies of “Metaverse Evolution Theory” and VR equipment by tweeting! I hope this will be the trigger for new users to make their metaverse debut!

Did I just hijack Akihabara!?

So, even though I'm an individual VTuber, did I just hijack Akihabara!?

This project is... this is on a level beyond just an individual VTuber!?

October 4: 52 entries of “Life in the Metaverse” gathered for the Cover Contest!

Furthermore! We distributed the audio and costumes for free! Let's all sing and convey it to the ends of the world! We started the “Metaverse Day” Cover Contest.

52 works were gathered! It became a collection of works where you can get a panoramic view of the “lives of metaverse natives,” gathering the individual thoughts of those living in the metaverse.

October 8: 234 total votes! Did a voice-changer sugar couple win the contest by a landslide!?

And then, the final vote with all viewers participating: the “Metaverse Day General Election”! There were a staggering 234 votes cast.

The one who conquered the fierce battle was... Entry Number 38! The close voice-changer sugar couple “Nazumoko” with their “Tried a duet as a sugar couple”!!! It was a double top win, taking both the “Cover Contest Grand Prize” and “1st Place in the Viewer General Election.” Are they both bishoujo-skinned!? It’s hard to believe they are using voice changers; their cute yet clear singing voices and superb singing techniques! And the various memories and emotions exchanged between the two...! It’s like a condensation of one side of the current metaverse world, it must have fallen from the heavens...!!! Truly a drop of an angel...!!!

This is seriously incredible, I want all of humanity to hear this...!!!

Every single work was a masterpiece, overflowing with each creator's passion for the metaverse!

We received so many comments from all sorts of people, including those who learned about the existence of “those who live in the metaverse” for the first time through this event!

11/12 Metaverse Natives' Feast! “Metaverse Day Party” Held!

On 11/12, the final festival of the Metaverse Day Project! We held the “Metaverse Natives' Feast! Metaverse Day Party”! It was held in “cluster,” a metaverse you can join via smartphone even without a VR headset! Participation was free! The performers were 8 “metaverse natives” from 7 groups who excelled in the contest...!

Every stage performance gave me goosebumps, and it became the best live event where each person's way of life shone through. The total number of visitors to the special stage was 714! Thank you so much! Living in the metaverse! What is the “miracle” that occurred in resonance with the excitement of the metaverse...!? It is the evolving “stage”!

We also received many comments from people who learned about us through our vision or trial sessions and came to the metaverse for the first time! They said they were moved!

We released the album “Metaverse Day Cake,” packed with the feelings of all the performers! It is an evolving album.

---That is the miracle that happened to me over the past six months! By connecting with various people in the world of the metaverse, I, a mere stray independent VTuber, was able to achieve things I could never have done on my own—a miracle.

I wonder if I was able to change the world even a little?

I have received many messages saying that “Metaverse Day” was the catalyst for people to learn about those who live in the metaverse. Many people came to the metaverse for the first time because of the live event. The project is a huge success! To everyone who was involved! Thank you so much! I realized once again that just living in this early-stage metaverse is actually an incredible thing, and it will surely have great significance for humanity in the future.

From here on out, I will continue to convey what I see in this metaverse world and what I think is wonderful, to the best of my ability, little by little, with all my might.Living in the metaverse!

Let's meet again somewhere in the metaverse!

Virtual Bishoujo Nem

(Regarding the fact that I don't feel like I'll ever be able to do a project that surpasses this one lol)