Keiichiro Shibuya / Hatsune Miku: The End - Vocaloid Opera (2012)

THE END is an opera birthed out of the collaboration between trend setting spirited young individuals including musician and artist Keiichiro Shibuya, director and script writer Toshiki Okada, and illustrator YKBX. This production does not feature any humans, and replacing all familiar elements of the non-existent singers and orchestras are aria and recitative by Hatsune Miku and Vocaloid, with a story told by computer made music and visuals. This production tests taking the traditional tragic structure of an opera asking “What is death?” and “What is an end?” and puts Hatsune Miku as the mediator to reread it in a modern way. Also much talked about is Hatsune Miku’s opera wardrobe, which was designed by Louis Vuitton’s artistic director Marc Jacobs and his studio team.