Wiki Wednesday #69 - 重言シズミ / Shizumi Omoi
editor's note: I talk a lot about the second design, "R". But, because it's inappropriate for the character as described in the bio, I'm not posting it. If you're curious, just go to her Wiki page to see it. Wiki page is linked in the download section.
It's always strange to me when UTAUs have huge differences in designs for each append. Different clothes, I can get, though I wouldn't do myself. Character references are character references for the entire character, not just a subset of it. But, this all started with Miku and how different append design was from her normal design.
As long as the original design is recognizable to the append design, there isn't much issue. Even things like skin tone can be changed slightly with the explanation of "there was a difference in the amount of UV radiation that they were exposed to in that time frame." I mean, humans can put on different outfits, wigs, and all that stuff... But there's a difference in cartoons I guess? If a human puts on a wig and colored contacts, they're still the same human with many features that make them unique. In simplified anime styles, the only thing separating many different characters are eye color and hair color. It's just like, do what you like y'all. I just am not on the train.
Who is Omoi Shizumi?
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| official icon packaged with bank |
So, in the bit up top, I explained why I don't get different designs being used simultaneously for the same UTAU. Like, don't get me wrong, redesigning it and asking everyone to forget the old one is dope. People change their minds and aesthetics. And, again, changing stuff that can easily be changed on a real human is pretty cool too. Unless you're like me and own two shirts that you cycle between, you probably dress differently for different situations.
But here, the redesign actually fundamentally changes the character. (Actually, quick note. I'm really grateful the original design wasn't fully replaced, because the new one is entirely inappropriate for a sixteen year old. I wasn't going to put that on my blog.) Shizumi is blind and uses her hair monster to see. In he new design, she does have an eye visible. The only argument that doesn't completely change the character is that she has horrific cataracts and can't see anything anyway.
Fun fact about her. When her hair is wet, the monster just... stops existing until it is dry again. Which is concerning because the hair monster is capable of speech and thought.
So, here's my fan theory. The age on the site was a mistake. "R" Shizumi is twenty years old. "OG" Shizumi was a poor little orphan, probably six or eight years old, who was blind when she came into contact with her hair monster and he became part of her. She lived in a state of fear that the monster would hurt her, but he never did. Once she reached sixteen, he was just part of her and she never would think about hurting him.
"R" Shizumi is "OG", years later. She learned that the monster was... well... kind of a monster after a horrific incident. In the "R" design, her hair is doing... nothing... and the shine does imply that it is damp at the very least. She can't get rid of him, so she just keeps her hair wet at all times to suppress him. Her clothes are more revealing because she's homeless... and how do attractive, homeless women survive? So yeah. I made all that up, but I didn't have much to go off of.
How are Shizumi Omoi's banks?
Shizumi has two banks: VCV and R. Both are one pitch VCV banks. And the designs make no sense when you see which is applied to which. VCV is strong and loud, whereas R is a whisper voice. But R is, well like, a broken woman of the night (okay that's just headcanon, but the voice provider definitely won't see this and correct me) and OG is a little girl with a meat cleaver.... Okay, now I get it. Everyone is gangster when they have a meat cleaver, meaning OG is more willing to scream at you. okay.
VCV comes with no frq files for some reason. The OTOs are weirdly well done in some places, and so bad that they screw up the timing in others. Now, I'm not always (mostly never...) a fan of yelling voices, but this is one of the yelling voices I absolutely adore. Instead of sounding angry, it sounds so happy and excited!
R has uniform OTOs, but the values are so low. What do I mean by that? Well, imagine this is the sound "===>". You want to put the overlap in the middle like so "=|==>" so that when you blend the previous sound into the VC of the VCV, they are at similar volumes. When you place it like this "===|>", you're likely to put it at a place that is not at the same volume as the sample before it, making it a little less smooth. Do I want this baby to sound her best? Yes. Will I take the time to fix it? naw.
The voice isn't nearly as whispery as I expected from listening to the samples, but it's still very sweet and cute! Her "i ru" feels really weird and under-pronounced, but the fact that I have to pick one specific sample to illustrate the problems... It means there aren't many problems at all.
Where can I download Omoi Shizumi?
Okay, so, I'm going to be honest. I let Japanese users get by with a lot, whereas I would basically refuse to cover an overseas UTAU if they did the same thing. It's hypocritical, but it's also just an understanding that if we canceled every problematic Japanese UTAU... There would be very, very few Japanese UTAUs with young, peppy voices. If you go to download this UTAU, it's best to pretend the site doesn't exist and just get it from the UTAU Wiki page. There's indecent images on the distribution page on the website. Nothing illegal, just something that Americans would object to, but Japanese people would think of as normal and fine. If you draw Shizumi to look older, then this UTAU is really nice. But... the design isn't very acceptable as it is.
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