DD Miku Append - The Sapporo Project

Greetings!

 

I've had this character concept on my mind for a very long time, but I wasn't able to act on it for a while due to lack of funds and knowledge of the Dollfie Dream realm. Now, having been in the hobby for almost a year (and with sufficient funds), I believe it's time I got this project rolling. But first, some background.

 

When I wasn't fanboying over Mariko-sensei and how adorable she is, I was initially disappointed that Volks had not bothered to create Hatsune Miku in DD form, or even just her outfit and twintails. Fortunately, several comrades went ahead and created their own DD versions of Miku, and they all blew me away. When I attended Anime Expo 2013 this past July, I even got to see Obiwanivan's Miku in person, and boy, is she a beauty! It makes me proud when I look at the photos I took of my precious Hanako sitting right next to my absolute favorite Vocaloid diva in DD form.

 

That got me thinking. Why not go ahead and make my own Miku? But I wanted to make my favorite version of Miku in DD form, a version completely unique from the ones I've seen in person, through Flickr, and on Figure.fm. That being said, I ruled out the "standard" Miku and even Racing Miku 2011, despite the fact that I adore that version of her very much.

 

Then Volks announced DD Hatsune Miku a few days ago.

 

Looking at the available photos, the face sculpt did not appeal to me at all, nor did the eyes. She did not fit my vision of Miku, not one bit. I surprised myself at how barely excited I was at Volks finally bringing Miku into the DD realm. Other comrades had already performed this feat with much better results than what Volks came up with. On top of that, my first figure wasn't even a "standard" Miku, and as of today, I am yet to have a single figure of Miku in her default outfit (which will change when figma Hatsune Miku 2.0 is released).

 

And so, today, in honor of Miku-chan's birthday and as an expression of my overflowing adoration for her, I begin my journey to create my own Dollfie Dream Miku Append, an endeavor that I am calling The Sapporo Project.

 

Acquiring the basic components for the body and head is straightforward, and I have a couple places in mind to search for a suitable wig to match Miku Append's flowing, translucent aqua twintails. The challenges I see right now are finding a reputable face-up artist; someone able to do the "01" shoulder detail and whatever other detail would be on the body and head; and finding someone willing and able to craft her outfit, as I do not have the sewing expertise to do it myself.

 

Sure, I could just buy DD Hatsune Miku from Volks and modify her. But I don't want to do that. I feel that making Miku Append myself, piece by piece, is going to be much more rewarding.

 

Right now, I'm investigating head sculpts and skin type and deciding which ones I like best. I'm open to suggestions and pointers, so feel free to comment! And sorry for being so long-winded. >_<

 

Progress

 

As I acquire the necessary parts and clothing items, I'll edit this first post with progress photos. For now, here is a list of what I already have and what I am in the process of getting:

 

Head

Saber Alter II (going to get a re-faceup)

 

Body

DDIII WS from Saber Alter II (with appropriate paint customizations)

 

Eyes

Not yet determined

 

Wig

This one is the right color, but the twintails are a bit short: http://www.dollheart.com/lw000523-p-4870.html#.UsudzeI6IpQ

 

Outfit

Commission; searching for someone willing to undertake such an intricate outfit

 

Project Log:

08/31/2013: The Sapporo Project has begun!

01/07/2014: Saber Alter II head and body secured. En route to base.

01/13/14: Saber Alter II has arrived!

Edited January 14, 2014 by Guest

Happy Birthday, Miku!!!

 

I can understand wanting your own Miku creation. For the most part I like her DD version, but I would have liked her with a smile that is a bit bigger, like on her original Vocaloid box art or even a big smile like the DD version of Amami Haruka.

 

I don't have any specific suggestions at this time but I wish you all the best on your project. Please be sure to post some photos once you have her completed

Happy Birthday, Miku!!!

 

I can understand wanting your own Miku creation. For the most part I like her DD version, but I would have liked her with a smile that is a bit bigger, like on her original Vocaloid box art or even a big smile like the DD version of Amami Haruka.

 

I don't have any specific suggestions at this time but I wish you all the best on your project. Please be sure to post some photos once you have her completed

 

I agree with you about what's not quite right about Volks's Miku. There's no magic to her facial expression like there is in my favorite artists' renditions of Miku. She definitely needs a warm smile and a twinkle in her eyes. And both of those things are going into my Miku Append.

 

Though the part about DD Haruka Amami's smile...I have to disagree with you on that. That open-mouth smile is waaaaaay too creepy for my tastes. Even more so after animagic4u explained the "Home Haruka" reference to me.

 

Thank you, and I will definitely post many photos once Miku Append is complete!

I cannot wait to see her! I love the Miku Append design

Though the part about DD Haruka Amami's smile...I have to disagree with you on that. That open-mouth smile is waaaaaay too creepy for my tastes. Even more so after animagic4u explained the "Home Haruka" reference to me.

 

What is "Home Haraku" reference?

 

Also, the "big smile" I see on Haruka is when I think of the MikiMikuDance models.

didnt some miku clothes maker made a append outfit. think it was cherry something

I cannot wait to see her! I love the Miku Append design

As do I. Miku Append is the best Miku!

 

What is "Home Haraku" reference?

 

Also, the "big smile" I see on Haruka is when I think of the MikiMikuDance models.

"Home Haruka" refers to a Haruka Amami avatar from the PlayStation Network's Home function. Because of how creepy people think her face looks, it has become the subject of plenty of weird videos on YouTube and Nico Nico Douga. Just do a search for "Home Haruka" and you'll find plenty of videos. And yes, many of them use a "Home Haruka" model in MMD.

 

didnt some miku clothes maker made a append outfit. think it was cherry something

I do recall hearing of a group called "Cherry Milk" that has made lots of Miku outfts and outfits of well-known anime characters, but after browsing their site, I couldn't find any Miku Append outfits. You're probably looking at the Racing Miku 2011 and 2012 outfits they made. While I would love to have the 2011 version someday, I'm not entirely sure how they go about making and selling the outfits.

I'd be curious what reference pic(s) you would use. I'm not huge on Miku but my husband is.

 

~Sister Kyoya

...And yes, many of them use a "Home Haruka" model in MMD. ...

 

Ooohh, so that's the "strange girl" I have seen in many MMD videos. The first time I saw her was in かわいい子？(Cute Kids?) with Chibi, Tako Luka, Haku, Ren, and Neru. She shows up Ju-On style

 

Hmm. Maybe I should make a Miku version based on her original MMD model? I still find that version of her really cute and charming. That version was my introduction to Miku before I saw any other artwork.

I'd be curious what reference pic(s) you would use. I'm not huge on Miku but my husband is.

 

~Sister Kyoya

If I listed (or attempted to list) every single Miku Append reference picture I've been using for this project, that list would take up several pages. If you also factored in the list of DD reference pictures I've been using, my reference picture list would be even longer. So, yeah...when it comes to a project, I do lots of research.

 

That being said, I've made some sense of the madness and decided on some favorite references for the various parts of this project. I'll be sure to add others as they come up. All images are linked to their sources.

 

Concept

I intend to stay true to Miku Append's original design as seen in the original box art (image below). This includes the outfit, accessories, and all body details. It's a lot to ask for, but I'm sure I can find someone willing to help me with this part.

 

It's hard for me to put into words exactly why I adore this particular version of Miku, but the aura she has is just so...beautiful...and breathtaking...*fanboy moment*

 

 

And if you have ever heard a song that exclusively uses Miku Append, you'll know what I mean, especially Miku Append Dark, which I believe is her true essence. I'm using the two tracks below as reference material as well. Both use Miku Append Dark and sound absolutely incredible. That, and Tripshots's video for the second track is nothing short of phenomenal.

 

Musical References

• Anger (2012 Remix) - Tripshots feat. 初音ミク -
  
  
• gift nor art - HSP & Tripshots feat. 初音ミク -

 

Head

This is still up in the air right now, since I don't yet know which head sculpt will work best. I've been debating between an 06, an 07, and a re-face-up of Saber Alter. Miku Append is more mature than "standard" Miku, and I want to capture that in the head I choose, but I also still want that magical charm and warm smile Miku has.

 

This particular re-face-up of Saber Lily I spotted on Figure.fm a few years ago is amazing in that it doesn't look like Lily at all. I'm not a fan of the excessive eyebrows, but overall, I can see the Saber sculpt working really well for Miku Append, provided the right kind of face-up. The person who made the post also did her face-up, but there hasn't been any activity from this person in terms of posts since June 2011. If anyone knows if this person is still active in the hobby, I would love to know!

Original post here: http://www.figure.fm/en/post/26177/Angelic+Smile+Divine+Softly+Volks+DD+Saber+Lily.html

 

Body

Initially, I wanted to use a semi-white skin body due to its intermediate appearance between normal and white, but there didn't seem to be any blank semi-white heads on Volks's website. That meant I would have been restricted to heads from the few limited DDs with semi-white bodies: Lucy 2nd, Mariko Student, and KOS-MOS. While I adore Mariko's head sculpt, she evokes a very different aura from Miku Append, so I had to rule her out. As for the other two, I don't care much for them, so I had to strike semi-white off the list.

 

I'm thinking a white skin body would work best with Miku Append, since she does appear paler than "standard" Miku. This would also work perfectly with my plan to use a re-face-up of Saber Alter for her head. The only thing that scares me about that plan right now is the cost, since Sabers are usually pretty pricey.

 

Wig

There's no other option for the wig other than light aqua twintails. If I could really have my way, I'd find a way to make the ends of the twintails translucent, just like the box art.

 

I haven't settled on a particular wig for reference yet, but when I do, I'll include its image here.

 

Those are the main references I have right now, and I'll be adding them to the first post later so people can get a better look at them when viewing this thread.

If you're looking for alter's head, Aquilla is selling hers!

 

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=8121

I find myself really liking Append Miku, I like her facial expression and costume.

I hope your project goes well!

IMHO that reference photo looks more like SWS than WS. Did you see the scans from Volks News 55? It looks like they're releasing all the standard heads (including 07) in all three colors. Maybe that's still an option then.

If you're looking for alter's head, Aquilla is selling hers!

 

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=8121

Thank you Aile! I'll look into it!

 

I find myself really liking Append Miku, I like her facial expression and costume.

I hope your project goes well!

Thank you Talolili! Those are just two of the things that make her my favorite Miku.

 

IMHO that reference photo looks more like SWS than WS. Did you see the scans from Volks News 55? It looks like they're releasing all the standard heads (including 07) in all three colors. Maybe that's still an option then.

It may look like SWS, but it really isn't. The photo was taken in 2011, way before SWS even existed, so I believe the photographer did some nice photo work to get that effect. She's so gorgeous!

 

I don't regularly keep up with news from Volks, but they're releasing all of the standard heads in SWS you say? That's nice to know...but after giving it some thought, I've decided on a re-face-up of Saber Alter for Miku Append. The 06 head looks like a better fit for "standard" Miku, and the sharpness of the 07 head is too pronounced for my tastes. The other heads don't fit Miku Append at all, even the ridiculously cute 04 head. I think Saber Alter's head is going to work nicely.

 

Thanks for the heads-up though! (pun intended)

I am so excited to see this worked out. That's such a beautiful version of Miku. I think if you could get a her a similar faceup to the girl you saw, she would turn out great. I am still caving and buying the Volks Miku, but I see potential with a re-faceup.

 

Please post progress photos of your Miku~!

I am so excited to see this worked out. That's such a beautiful version of Miku. I think if you could get a her a similar faceup to the girl you saw, she would turn out great. I am still caving and buying the Volks Miku, but I see potential with a re-faceup.

 

Please post progress photos of your Miku~!

Thank you vengez! She truly is the most beautiful version of Miku out there~!

 

As I acquire the necessary parts and clothing items, I'll be sure to post progress photos.

Update time!

 

I successfully acquired Saber Alter II from Leonia. That takes care of this project's biggest investment, and things can only go up from here!

 

As always, if you know of some resources that could help me with this project, I'm all ears!

I'm not sure if this will be of any help, but I found this custom Miku Append.

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/yuzurihainori/e/2bf8b80b2c71a04cbbf9e0c02340733e

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/yuzurihainori/e/b19ac1f17d50dcc6181ec53c88fecc58

 

The outfit seems to be made using latex/rubber and some other materials, but it doesn't seem like it's very removable.

Here are some progress photos of the torso.

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/yuzurihainori/e/877ff42c5179d1db82955f7adf15c975

I'm not sure if this will be of any help, but I found this custom Miku Append.

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/yuzurihainori/e/2bf8b80b2c71a04cbbf9e0c02340733e

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/yuzurihainori/e/b19ac1f17d50dcc6181ec53c88fecc58

 

The outfit seems to be made using latex/rubber and some other materials, but it doesn't seem like it's very removable.

Here are some progress photos of the torso.

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/yuzurihainori/e/877ff42c5179d1db82955f7adf15c975

Aww, someone else had the idea too...and the head sculpt doesn't look right to me. ;_;

 

Anyways, enough ranting...

 

Yeah, this isn't much help in terms of the outfit, since I want it to be removable (and cover up the telltale chest joint). I'm sure it can be made just as form-fitting with different materials that don't require it to be permanently stuck on the body. It does help seeing that this person dyed the wig, so at least it proves that wig dying is possible to get the color just right. That, and making the outfit is indeed possible. I just need to find the right person for the commission...

 

Thanks for the reference material.

Have you considered a Leekeworld wig in Pale Turquoise? It's a standard color of theirs.

 

If you look on flickr, there are some comparisons that make it look a lot like the Dollheart wig you like! And here is the standard 'Miku' style with twintails http://www.leekeworld.com/En/Product/p_view.asp?it_code=1782&B_catalog_num=21