The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku

The only way to accurately describe this book is by saying that it's what a light novel looks like to someone whose only seen titles and covers of light novels. Basically: bad, bizarre, ironically hilarious, and a huge waste of time. The other day I was playing "Danganropa: Ultra Despair Girls", and at one point of the game you pick up a book titled "If You Are Not Careful With My Little Sister's Sixth Sense The World May End So We Must Be Very Cautious In How We Treat Her". One of the main characters then goes on about how light novels are bottom ofthe barrel literature, and how she would never think about reading one. This is the scene that compelled me to write this. It reminded me so much of this book I had dropped a month ago and erased from my memory, not because of the blue hair waifu bait on the front, but because everything about the book seemed like a parody. I would've powered through and finished it for this review if I didn't feel like I was harming my well being by doing so. I felt like another brain cell dissolved with every word I read. It literally gave me a headache, which is an achievement on it's own. Everything about this book is so bizarre in the most light novel way you can imagine. I'm not sure what compelled the author to write this. I'm starting to think it was written by a computer made for the sole purpose of milking Miku's title. The only way I would recommend this to anyone is if you can get a good laugh out of content like this. It was so bad in a way that made it kind of funny, and if you're already going as far as reading this whole 304 page disaster, you're probably looking for a good laugh out of it. Never again will I pick this up off of a Barnes & Noble shelf. Save yourself.

Surely I can't be the only one who got clickbaited into reading this thinking it's some sort of obscure crossover with Haruhi, right? Let me start with saying that I'm not a fan of Miku and not really interested in vocaloids in general. I've heard like 3 or 5 song (and the one this novel is based on wasn't among them) and that's it, so I was going into this practically blind. If you're a Miku fan, maybe you will enjoy this more than I did. And maybe not. While reading The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku, it felt like it wasn't written to be a literary work,it felt like it was written as a product. A stock of paper with Miku's face slapped on it to ensure the sales. The plot is bland and boring. First half of the book is just completely uninteresting slice of life-y of boy who got to the guide of real life to an android because of some convenient testing of his personality that was done unknown to him. I imagine his lack of character si done on purpose to ease the self-inserting into a Miku dating fantasy. It really says a lot when the least one-dimensional character in the story is Hatsune Miku. Then, about half way through the novel the author probably realized that the story sucks ass and is boring as hell, so he tweaked the genres and changed the story without any sort of foreshadowing. From this point on, the novel no longer reads like a boring slice of life story. It now reads as a boring action movie for young kids. The plot is stupid and riddled with coincidences (it's so handy that the dj friend also happens to be a genius hacker thanks to which the gang of good guys can enter the building of the bad guys). The villain is laughable and the finale leaves no impression. The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku is truly a soulless product from start to the end. Also, some small pet peeves: 1) Considering how the protagonist and Miku are introduced to everyone as cousins as part of the cover, why is everyone so quick to assume they are dating or want to be in a relationship? Did the author forget the cover he wrote himself for those characters and which the other characters were supposed to believe? 2) There's a weird amount of "bruh she's only 16 that would be illegal" comments through the mouths of the characters in this novel. It feels so much out of the place I wonder if wasn't added just as a part of localization of the English release. With how unnatural it feels in the overall flow of the novel I also have to wonder if it was done because of desperate attempt to claim a moral high ground, or it the age was mentioned so much because of its fetishization. For an afterword, after I've finished the novel, I went to listen to this song to get the "full experience". It's actually awful. I couldn't make it past half of it as it was giving me a headache. My rating of this novel may be 4/10, but I'm giving 1/10 to the song.

This was my first Light novel and I'm glad I read it. Adapting an entire novel from one 4 minute song sounds like it would be rushed but it's not. Besides Miku we get introduced to some other great characters that really bring the story together. If you are a Vocaloid fan I would definitely recommend checking it out. Story: there are some great moments that were absolutely amazing. And there are times where it made me cry. The story really go's deep in to what the original song was about and I really like that. Art: even though there it is a Light novel there isat least one picture per chapter that gives you an image on what is going on. Characters: the cast of characters are enjoyable and I love how they interact with Miku. I feel like the story comes together we'll because of the characters. Enjoyment: I felt all kinds of emotions that I haven't felt while reading a novel. It is fairly easy to read and a lot of the chapters are very enjoyable. Especially because I know the song. But I feel like it would still be enjoyable if you haven't listened to it.