New Vocaloid Character Mayu Introduced

Music label, EXIT TUNES (previously released Vocaloid related CDs and albums in the past for Crypton Future Media and INTERNET Co.,Ltd Vocaloids. ) recently announced their own Vocaloid character, MAYU, at it’s 10th anniversary EXIT TUNES ACADEMY event in Saitama.

Mayu is an upcoming Vocaloid3 character. A teaser website has been released for the new vocaloid character which currently offers wallpaper downloads for computers and smartphones as well as icons. The website also has usage guidelines and a link to Mayu’s official Twitter account. Mouseover Mayu’s face and she shows you her “yandere” expression.

Behind the original design and illustration of Mayu is Hidari, who has worked with EXIT TUNES on album covers, as well as providing original character visual concepts for Fractale. (a sci-fi shonen anime television series)

Mayu showing her “yandere” face.

DJ UTO, head of EXIT TUNES, and Hidari introduced Mayu as a yandere junior high school girl, seperating her from the other Vocaloid characters who are portrayed as kind and gentle. Fans online have noted about her appearance, that she has a hat with a speaker attached and earrings styled like Bluetooth headsets, as well as the buttons on her dress resembling amplifier buttons and knobs. There are also speculations that the rabbit doll she holds is an Animaloid as it has a microphone at the top of it’s head. From the reflection of her images, she looks like she is using the toy rabbit as a mircophone. It is also noted that she is carrying an axe with a red bow, in line with her yandere characteristics.

With exception of the original illustration and logo, fans are allowed to use Mayu’s image and name for derivative works such as goods and merchandise for free without needing to apply for copyright permission from Exit Tunes. Individuals and doujin circles can freely use her as long as distribution is limited in scope or is one of the “noted distribution methods,” regardless of whether the created product is being sold or not. Furthermore, commercial entities can freely use the voice without prior approval from EXIT TUNES.

The noted ways one could use the character includes of car decals (itasha), playing cards, candy, key chains, plastic protectors, cases, games, cosplay, cosplayer photographs, coasters, stickers, handphone straps, towels, tumblers, leaflets, T-shirts, doujinshi, stuffed toys, computers, music sheets, figures, hats, posters, computer mice, mouse pads, mugs, robots, CDs, DVDs, augmented reality, virtual reality, and MikuMikuDance models.

The promotional music video for Mayu’s first song “Kami Uta” (feat. 164, composed by DJ UTO), which Hidari had a hand in, was screened at the EXIT TUNES ACADEMY event. The song will be released on an upcoming Mayumi Morinaga CD. According to fans who have attended the event, Exit Tunes is planning something for summer Comiket. The announcement video played during the even was also known to be uploaded along with an announcement tweet by Exit Tunes and then deleted. In it consists of a portion of MAYU singing 164′s Ama no Jaku (originally a GUMI song).

No information has been released yet on who will voice Mayu. Additional information about Mayu will be announced at a later date.

Source : 4Gamer, Hatsune Miku Miku, Vocaloidism