In the year of 2011, newspaper articles were showing the same story over and over in my city. Like the major otaku I am, I use and absolutely love Vocaloid. I was very interested and happy when I saw the topic for the first time in our city's newspaper articles; Vocaloid. Apparently there was a 14 year old girl named "Charlotte" living somewhere a few cities from me, who was a mute, she had a tumor in her brain, not allowing her speak or make many sounds. It was possible the tumor was curable though. But oddly; she used the Vocaloid/Talkloid program, using Megurine Luka English to speak. She began to become attached to Luka, using her for both singing and talking to herself. Her mother heard her having a conversation to herself/Luka. It was written in the paper as well.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Aren't you going to help me?"
"Help at what?"
"To make me sound like you."
"Have you forgotten I am a program?"
"Oh right. Hah hah hah."
This was the first time the mother listened to one of the conversations, soon the conversations multiplied itself, she'd have 5 conversations with herself/Luka a day.
"Luka, can we talk?"
"Of course we can, you can always count on me, I seem to be the only one who understands you."
"That's why I like you Luka, you are both very pretty and sound great. If only I had a voice like you."
"Don't sound so sad, you carry those traits!"
The mother claimed that after 3 months, Charlotte no longer used Luka to sing or to speak to other people. She used Luka to praise herself, and weeks after, the conversations sounded more realistic, like talking to a real person according to the mother.
"Luka, talk to me... I'm scared."
"Why are you scared, Charlotte?"
"I don't want to leave you, you're the only person that understands me."
"It's fine Charlotte, I don't want to leave you either!"
"Luka why can't you go to school with me, and help me?"
"I'm busy remember?"
It was chaos, it was like Charlotte had completely forgot the Luka was a program, she controlled Luka, how could she have missed it? Her very own thoughts were Luka's thoughts! The mother grew more wary and worried as Luka started talking Charlotte out of suicide more often. She had to find a way to stop it, was Luka really Charlotte's only way to keep her mental stability? Or was she just something that was harming Charlotte? Charlotte was the one who got herself into this. The mother decided to save Charlotte. At night, she decided to use the Talkloid program. She made Luka practice the phrases:
"I'm not real."
"I'm just a program."
"Charlotte, you need to move on with life and experience it as much as you can, I am only here to give you a voice."
After Luka successfully repeated the phrases, the mother made her repeat them again, this time taping it on audio. She downloaded the audio, now in Charlotte's laptop. The next morning, Charlotte checked her laptop of course, there was a new file under her Vocaloid program reading: "Message from Luka" without hesitation, Charlotte immediately chose the file. The audio of Luka repeating the phrases from the other night played. The mother opened the door, to see that Charlotte looked... rather confused and surprised, like she didn't know that Luka was a program. After the audio finished, there was an awkward moment of silence. The mother now felt guilty. She was about to start comforting her daughter by saying "Honey, I'm sorry." But was cut off when Charlotte turned her head, face red and tears escaping her eyes, opened her mouth and spoke. For the first time in years, she spoke, saying a simple small word; "Why?" Now, she had a tumor, but it was possible it could be cured. Was she really cured now? The mother gasped, feeling guilt, sorrow, and happiness at once. Charlotte turned around, her screen was on her e-mail account now. She was sending something to Yamaha's e-mail address. Her mother watched. Out of the blue, Charlotte had it. She hit the record audio button and screamed, screamed as loud as she can. After she was done, the mother looked at her; horrified. The audio was saved on the message, a text next to it: "I'd like to donate my voice."
I know this isn't the way Vocaloids are made, I'm sure Charlotte did too. But she sent it anyway. Charlotte was quiet again, she didn't change her clothes, nor even take her book bag, she walked off to school. No car. No bike. The mother tried to stop her, but she pushed her away. She arrived incredibly late at school, she refused to learn or move that day according to a teacher. 12:56 PM, she walked down the hallway, where the janitor was taking things from the janitor's closet. She walked in the closet, without a care, pushed the janitor to a side, and drank a bottle of bleach. She died. According to the janitor, she was mouthing: "Luka you liar." 2 weeks after the mother told the sad tale of the girl without a voice, the mother also committed suicide. She took drugs and died in the bathroom at 2:46 PM.
One year later, 2 new Vocaloids from Yamaha were released. One being Hibiki Lui. There was a rumor in schools that Hibiki Lui, was a representative of Charlotte. It could have been possible that Yamaha had received Charlotte's email, and even maybe heard her story. Hibiki is supposed to mean echo or resonance, perhaps this represents how Charlotte's thoughts were echoed by Luka. Hibiki's progress was later rumored to be abandoned, lost. He has no voice. Like Charlotte, he can not speak or sing. He only has fan made voices, who speak and sing for him. Then again, this is only a rumor and is not denied or clarified. I am simply rewriting this story I read in the newspaper, I know it's not enough information. There are still a lot of questions unanswered, I seriously can't answer them either. Was Luka like a crutch for Charlotte? How did Charlotte heal? Did Luka help her? Is Hibiki really based off of Charlotte? Who was Charlotte mad at when she died? Luka or her mother? I really don't have enough information to answer these either. Maybe fate determined them to be left unanswered, because there might be a much deeper meaning.