History Webcomic / NextSoundOfTheFuture

* ColourCodedSpeech: Each character gets their own unique colour based on their Vocaloid model for their text boxes to be in.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Shine absolutely adores Mikus and especially Tech, having a PosterGalleryBedroom full of Miku merchandise, reacting excitedly when Dr. Yuki shows her that she got a picture with Tech, and being ecstatic when she finally does meet her. [[spoiler: This makes her disappointment when she realizes that Roll is watching the Hatsupress episode of O-Len's show the first sign that Tech's disparaging words towards her in the previous chapter severely damaged her impression of her.]]

* DevastatingRemark: [[spoiler: Shine, an aspiring IdolSinger who struggles with feelings of inferiority because of having a disability that prevents her from singing, gets told by her favourite IdolSinger Tech that being unable to sing makes her worthless. Shine spends the rest of the day in a haze and can't stop thinking about what she said, [[BrokenPedestal no longer admiring her the way she used to]]. Even though Shine doesn't think Tech meant to hurt her that badly since she couldn't have possibly known that she can't sing, she can't figure out what else Tech could've meant by saying that.]]

* EasySexChange: Downplayed. Body mods are common among androids, including things like breast modifications, so physical transition is easy as long as one can afford it. However, voice modification is illegal, so a Vocaloid would have to voice train to alter their voice.

* FailureMontage: After Shine's voice box starts malfunctioning, there's a montage of her screwing up her singing classes and trying to practice more during the night, only to get berated for her failure induced mistakes during her dancing classes.

** Gumiya's mental and physical health suffered when he was repeatedly rejected during job interviews because of people not wanting to hire a singing robot trying to get a human stem job.

* MischievousBodyLanguage: Shine narrows her eyes and grins mischievously when she stalks and secretly takes a picture of Princess with the intention of selling the photos to the press.

* MutualEnvy: A Miku, Rin, and Len are jealous of Luka because she was programmed to be bilingual, but she's also jealous of them because they get to hang out with their English counterparts when they go overseas.

* OnlyOneName: Megpoids' given names are just "Gumi" with no last name.

** Chapter 8 is titled after "The Secret About That Girl" by Creator/{{Eve}}, the title representing how the chapter is thematically about how celebrities hide their true selves behind their public personas but still receive admiration from their fans.

* DeliberatelyMonochrome: The comic is entirely in black and white besides characters' shading and dialogue boxes, which puts the focus on them over the backgrounds.

* FailureMontage: After Shine's voice box starts malfunctioning, there's a montage of her screwing up her singing classes and trying to practice more during the night, only to get berated for her failure induced mistakes during her dancing classes.

* EliteFour: Hatsupress, the iconic first four Miku units who were responsible for putting Hatsune Miku in the cultural consciousness and for thousands more to be created due to their popularity.

* ShowWithinAShow: "OMAKASE!!! Len-kun!!!" Is a fictional talk show that Gumiya is a fan of and that Roll uses for her information gathering. A specific episode of the show featuring Hatsupress is shown to give exposition about some of their history.

* TheTalkShowWithHostName: O-Len's talk show is named “OMAKASE!!! Len-kun!!!” (Leave it up to Len!).

** O-Len’s talk show title is displayed as "OMAKASE!!! Len-kun!!!" with the English translation in parentheses, "leave it up to Len!".

* AccidentalCelebrity: [[spoiler: Shine’s always dreamed of being famous, but she doesn’t expect it to happen by a popular Youtuber filming her falling off a bridge and posting it on social media, earning her the attention of celebrity talk show host O-Len.]]

* PopularityCycle: Even though Vocaloids can stay the same age forever, they still face the threat of being replaced if their idol agencies don't believe they're performing adequately. One of Shine's theories for Tech's retirement is that she was replaced by a newer model, [[spoiler: and Tech herself believes that no matter how hard a Vocaloid works they’ll inevitably be discarded]].

* SureLetsGoWithThat: In chapter 8, Shine goes along with Roll’s assumption that her disappointment at the true character of someone she knew is about an online friend, [[spoiler: even though she’s actually talking about Tech]].
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: In chapter 2, when Shine realizes she can't afford an idol magazine, she justifies her decision to not purchase it by going on a tangent about how she definitely doesn't want to be an idol or anything, she's just curious about them like all Mikus are! Her desire to be an idol is part of the premise.

* SpeechBubbles: Hakase has differently shaped speech bubbles than the other characters, being boxy rather than round. According to WordOfGod, this is because Hakase is speaking Japanese with an English voicebank.

* TemptingFate: At the end of Chapter 1.1, after Shine's equipment falls in the harbor, she outwardly exclaims that there's no way things can get any worse, just as she herself gets knocked over the side of the bridge.

* BilingualBonus: The text where Tech asks Shine if her name is pronounced the same as the Japanese word for “die” is in Japanese instead of English.

* GoroawaseNumber: The basis for most of the Vocaloids’ codenames are Japanese number puns based on the last 4 digits of their serial codes.

''NEXT!!! Sound of the Future'' is a Music/{{Vocaloid}} [[Main/FanWebcomics fancomic]] created by ricedeity.

!!NEXT!! Sound of the Future contains examples of:

* BrutalHonesty:
** Roll does not mince her words when telling Shine what a bad idea it is for her to try to be an idol, calling her clumsy, unlucky, and even suggesting she would lose her agency money.
** In chapter 7, [[spoiler: Tech discourages Shine from being an idol by pointing out the cruelty of the fans and the agencies who demand flawless performances from their idols. Tech even calls her worthless, wanting her to understand just how difficult being an idol would be for [[BornUnlucky someone like her]]]].

* MovingRightThrough: When Shine reunites with Roll and Gumiya in chapter 4, Gumiya gets on the ground and sticks his arms out to hug her as Shine has moves passed him to beg Roll to unlock her door.

* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Gumiya challenges Shine's insecurity over whether she's good enough to be an idol by telling her that she inspires him.
* YouAreNotAlone: In chapter 5, Shine doubts if she can be idol because she feels like she's not likeable enough, using her lack of close personal relationships as proof. When she's about to give up on her dream, she asks her neighbor Gumiya to help her get a job as a waitress. Instead, he reveals to her that he himself used to be an idol, and that when he quit to become an accountant it was Shine's act of kindness towards him when she gave him her umbrella on a rainy day that encouraged him to not give up on his dreams. He reassures to her that she had a profound influence on his life whether she realized it or not, and vows to be her first fan if she does become an idol.

* HiddenEyes:[[spoiler: In Shine and Tech's argument about whether Shine should be an idol]] in chapter 7.2, both characters are shown with their eyes in shadows or cut off by the frame at points to highlight their intense feelings.

* MyCard: Hakase gives Shine their buisness card when offering to [[spoiler: fix her voicebox]].

* EasySexChange: Downplayed. Body mods are fairly common among androids, including things like breast modifications, so physical transition is fairly easy as long as one can afford it. However, voice modification is illegal, so a Vocaloid would have to voice train to alter their voice.

** In chapter 7, [[spoiler: Tech discourages Shine from being an idol]] by pointing out the cruelty of the fans and the agencies who demand flawless performances from their idols. Tech even calls her worthless, wanting her to understand just how difficult being an idol would be for [[BornUnlucky someone like her]]]].

* AmbiguouslyRelated: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in the afterword of chapter 4 in regards to counterpart Kagamine Rins and Lens. They have the same last names, are designed to be the same age, and look very similar, but the official description is that they are “two halves of the same soul” rather than being twins. However, because they end up spending a lot of time together during training, many of them do end up seeing each other as siblings.
* AmusingInjuries: Downplayed when Shine is knocked off a bridge in the first chapter. Her being knocked over is played mostly for comedy, but she is realistically shown to have gone to the doctor's afterwards and does face some physical repercussions, like when she falls alseep later in the chapter due to her extreme fatigue. However, she is still much better off than a real human would be.
* AndroidsArePeopleToo: A major theme of the setting (though it hasn't really been touched on in the comic itself yet) is the tension between humans and androids, as the humans are still trying to get used to not seeing androids as servile tools without any free will and the androids are grappling with their own identities. [[spoiler: This is delved into in chapter 7.2 by Tech, who feels that being an android only gives idol agencies more reason to not treat them with respect]].
* ArcNumber: The number 4. There were four first press Mikus, Shine's serial code contains the number 4 (which is also the basis for her codename), Shine used to carry four umbrellas in her coat (which resulted in Gumiya nicknaming her "4-umbrella-chan"), and updates are almost always released on days ending in 4.
* ArtShift: In chapter 5, there's a panel where Hatsupress are drawn as silhouettes inside of golden frames with 39FS getting a full body shot where she's drawn in a noticeably different art style to show how revered she is as a Miku.

* BaitAndSwitchComment: In chapter 7, when Hakase tells Shine that [[spoiler: the solution for her faulty voicebox will cause her voice to eventually stop working entirely in six years]], Shine starts out being framed in a way that makes her seem disturbed about this information... Until she finishes her sentence by saying how she's not worried about it at all.

** In chapter 5, this is combined with a CrushFilter when Shine has sparkles around her from Gumiya's pov, showing how he's falling in love with her.
** Shine's adoration towards Tech is demonstrated in chapter 7 with the sparkles around Tech's head when she reassures Shine that she's okay with Shine recognizing her.

* BoobBasedGag: The afterword of chapter 5 has a joke where a Meiko got a breast mod so large that she can't even tie her own shoelaces.
* BornAsAnAdult: Vocaloids are created based on whatever age their canon self is supposed to be, including adult Vocaloids.

** Roll does not mince her words when telling Shine what a bad idea it is for her to try and become an idol, calling her clumsy, unlucky, and even suggesting she would lose her agency money.
** [[spoiler: Tech does the same in chapter 7.2, discouraging Shine from being an idol by pointing out the cruelty of the fans and the agencies who demand flawless performances from their idols. Tech even goes as far as to call Shine worthless, wanting her to understand just how difficult it would be for someone like her to succeed]].
* BuxomBeautyStandard: Roll considers Shine's big boobs to be her only physical trait that would make her stand out as an idol, and Shine gives Princess' big breasts as a reason why her pictures will sell for a lot, showing how larger chests are seen as more desirable in the idol world. This is probably why breast mods are so popular.
* CelebrityLie: Shine pretends to be idol influencer Princess' friend so she can confirm whether Roll's tip that she frequently visits a specific coffee shop is true.

* ColorCodedCharacters: The comic is mostly in black and white except for characters’ shading and dialogue boxes, both of which are coloured with each character’s signature colour. Each Vocaloid model is associated with a specific colour and the characters of that model each have a unique shade.
** Hatsune Miku androids, such as Shine and Tech, are teal.
** Kagamine Rin androids, such as Roll, are orange.
** Megpoid androids, such as Gumiya and Hakase, are green.
* ComplimentBackfire: In chapter 7.2, Shine lets Tech know that she was so inspired by Tech's encouragement that she decided to try becoming an idol again. [[spoiler: Tech then launches into a rant about how much she hates the idol industry and doesn't think Shine should ever try and become part of it]].
* CrazyPrepared: Shine hates rain so much that she used to carry multiple umbrellas around with her just in case of it. This ended up proving useful on the day she and Gumiya first met, where she noticed him outside in a rainstorm without an umbrella and was able to give him one.
* CrushFilter: It becomes clear that Gumiya is starting to fall in love with Shine when he sees her with an added sparkle effect after she gives him her umbrella.
* DCupDistress: {{Discussed}} in the afterword of chapter 5, where Gumiya and Roll remark that although breast mods are popular, only rich Vocaloids can get huge boobs due to the stress they cause on average body, which means a Vocaloid would have to fork over a lot of cash for other body mods to make having them practical.

** Hakase gets a similar shot with her face in shadow besides the glimmer of her goggles in chapter 7 when she tells Shine not to go in one of the rooms in her laboratory.
* DespairEventHorizon: Shine completely gave up on being an idol when her classmates turned on her because they didn’t believe that she genuinely had difficulty singing and blamed her for it.
* EarlyBirdCameo: During the afterword of chapter 2, Gumiya and Roll are used as examples of how naming conventions work for Vocaloids before the two are properly introduced in chapter 4.

** Vocaloids who have problems with their voiceboxes not only face a significant barrier to fulfilling their intended purpose as singing idols, but are also largely barred from legally being able to fix them due to their voiceboxes being copyrighted.

* FateDrivesUsTogether: By the 7th chapter, Shine has already ran into Tech by sheer coincidence three times: Once after meeting her at the convenience store she works at after having just had a conversation where she called Tech her favorite idol, again after Shine falls asleep and wakes up just as Tech is leaving the store, and again when she runs into her at a crosswalk after thinking about potentially going to see her. While it's yet to be seen if this will lead to romance, at the very least these repeated meetings make it clear that Tech is important to Shine's overall character arc.
* FellAsleepStandingUp: Shine is so exhausted after falling into the water that she falls asleep while still in position to spy on Tech.
* FictionalDisability: Sometimes android voice boxes have loose components, which can make it difficult for them to stay on pitch (which is a big deal for beings in which singing is a major selling point). Shine has this problem, which is why she believes she can’t be an idol.
* FirstEpisodeTwist: The fact that Shine is physically unable to sing is revealed at the end of chapter 2 and was not shown in any pre-release material. After being revealed in the story it is even included in the official series description.
* FlashbackEcho: When Tech asks Shine if she would be satisfied with the kind of life where she is merely an observer to the idols she admires so much, Shine has a flashback to her teacher asking her the same thing.
* FlashyProtagonistsBlandExtras: One-off human characters like the high school girls from chapter 2 and the barista from chapter 6 don’t get a signature colour (their shading and dialogue boxes are grey instead) and have blank, featureless faces. All of the Vocaloids, meanwhile, have distinct eye shapes and unique colours.

* GogglesDoNothing: The signature outfit for Megpoid units features a pair of goggles that are presumably there for style rather than function.

* HalfIdenticalTwins: Counterpart Kagamine Lens and Rins are a boy and a girl who are made in pairs, each with extremely similar facial features, to the point where many of them could pass for the other with a different hairstyle. Only qualifies [[AmbiguouslyRelated if they see each other as twins]], though.
* HiddenEyes: Used prominently [[spoiler: in Shine and Tech's argument about whether Shine should be an idol]] in chapter 7.2, where both characters are shown with their eyes in shadows or cut off by the frame at various points to highlight the intense emotional distress they're in.

* HypocriticalHumor: Shine refuses to search for money under a vending machine to afford a train ticket because she believes it would be shameful right as the narration points out she does plenty of shameful things in her day-to-day life.

* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: Each of the chapter titles are named after songs featuring Vocaloids.
* TheIdolsBlessing: When Shine meets her favorite IdolSinger Tech in chapter 2, she expresses to her that while she admires idols she feels like she could never be one. Tech then tells her that she should always pursue her dreams and chase happiness, which inspires Shine to become an idol like she used to dream of. [[spoiler: This is then subverted in chapter 7 when it turns out Tech's speech wasn't referring to being an idol at all. She actually hates the idol industry and doesn't think Shine should ever be apart of it, telling Shine right to her face that her dream is impractical]].
* IdolSinger: Vocaloids are manufactured to become singing idols; they are put through mandatory idol training with dancing and singing classes for the purpose of getting scouted by an agency. The entire series revolves around examining what it means to be an idol and the challenges that come with being one, using RidiculouslyHumanRobots as a metaphor to show how idols are essentially marketable products who sometimes aren't even seen as real people.
* ImYourBiggestFan: Once Shine confirms that the V2 Miku she met at the convenience store was actually her favourite idol Tech, she wastes no time in gushing to her about how much she loves her music and finds her inspiring, even though Shine hadn't even been born yet when Tech retired. Tech is surprised but grateful that someone so young would admire her.
* JerkassHasAPoint: Roll tells Shine that she shouldn't be an idol in her usual BrutallyHonest way, pointing out that she has no useful connections to any idols, is notoriously unlucky, and doesn't have any way to stand out from the hundreds of other Mikus in the industry. Although Shine initially argues against her, she does agree with Roll's suggestion for her to try and get a famous Miku's contact information, and later confesses to Gumiya that she feels like Roll was probably right about her not being suited to being an idol.
* LateArrivalSpoiler: Shine's singing bug was kept hidden in all prerelease material and was only revealed in the comic itself in chapter 2. After TheReveal happened in the story it was included in the official series description, so any new readers will know right from the beginning.
* MeetCute: The way that Gumiya and Shine first met. Gumiya was alone outside while it was pouring down rain, then Shine approached him to offer him her umbrella. Initially, Gumiya thought she was nice enough to give up her umbrella for a stranger, until she pulled out another umbrella from her coat and told him she always carries a bunch of umbrellas on her all the time. The sheer ridiculousness of her actions cheered him up, and he treasured the memory of that day ever since, even though Shine finds it deeply embarrassing.

** Some humans are unaware that there are multiples of each Vocaloid and as a result assume that every Vocaloid of the same type is the same person. This happens to Shine in chapter 2.2 where a human girl treats her like a celebrity because she thinks that Shine is the one and only Hatsune Miku.

** Shine has a heartwarming moment with Tech in the 2nd chapter when Tech tells her she really enjoyed talking to her. Being complimented by her favourite idol makes Shine say that that was one of her best days ever... Until the mood immediately shifts when she says she was just kidding and that she was actually having one of her worst.
** PlayedForDrama in chapter 7.2. Shine and Tech's conversation starts out pleasant, with Shine gushing to Tech about how much she loves her music, and Tech seeming happy to have run into Shine again. [[spoiler: Until Shine says that Tech made her want to become an idol, which immediately makes Tech become much colder towards her. This rapidly leads to Tech launching into a full-on angry rant about how much she hates the idol industry and how foolish Shine is for wanting to be one, emotionally devastating her. The sudden shift in mood is used to highlight just how traumatized Tech really is from her former career]].
* MovingRightThrough: When Shine reunites with Roll and Gumiya in chapter 4, there's a panel showing Gumiya on the ground sticking his arms out to hug her as Shine has moved right passed him to beg Roll to unlock her door.

* NonUniformUniform: The classic Miku look consists of twintails, a short skirt, thigh-high boots, and a tie. Most of the top Mikus shown can be seen wearing variations of this look that show off their individual personalities. Though, interestingly, Shine’s outfits don’t really resemble the Miku uniform at all, which carries certain implications about the way she feels about being a Miku.
* NoSympathy: Shine’s classmates when she becomes unable to sing well. Hasami tells her point-blank that her classmates won’t pity her. Somewhat justified because due to Shine’s previous laziness and joking around they think it’s probably her own fault.

** Shine's serial code is "4N01". While the 4N part is what composes her codename "Shine", the 01 part happens to be the same as the numbers in [[Music/HatsuneMiku Hatsune Miku's]] real life codename, [=CV01=].
** V2's serial code is "39FS", with the 39 being commonly associated with Hatsune Miku in real life due to being [[GoroawaseNumber pronounced as "Miku" in Japanese]].

* OlderThanTheyLook: An odd example where both this and YoungerThanTheyLook is in effect. Vocaloids are created to be a specific age and don't physically age naturally even if they mentally do, meaning that many androids may be mentally older than they look while being chronologically younger than they look. For example, Dr. Yuki looks like a little girl but is mentally old enough to work as a doctor, with her childish appearance making it difficult for her to be taken seriously.
* OldShame: Shine is generally embarrassed by how she used to behave, to the point where she requests that Gumiya forgets the memory of how they first met (in which she gave him her umbrella then casually pulled another one out of her coat since she carried multiple ones on her at all times).
* OneSteveLimit: Downplayed. Every Vocaloid of the same type has the same given name (so every Hatsune Miku android is given the name Miku, for example) but most of them have code names based off of their serial number to be able to tell each other apart. Within the story characters are interchangeably referred to with their codenames or given names depending on who’s speaking. There are also Vocaloids who have regular nicknames instead of code names and others who changed their given names.
* OnlyOneName: Megpoids' given names are just "Gumi" with no last name, unlike the other Vocaloid types seen.

* OutOfJobIntoThePlot: Shine losing her paparazzi equipment in the first chapter requires her to find a new way to make money, which is the catalyst for her deciding to try and become an idol again after she gave up on it years ago. The rest of the series then focuses on Shine's aspiring idol career and the challenges she faces in her pursuit of it.
* PursueTheDreamJob: Shine regains her motivation to become an idol like she used to dream of instead of a paparazzi after she finds out [[spoiler: her faulty voice box can actually be fixed]], although she still experiences doubt about whether she's really capable of being one.

* RevealShot: A Megpoid that appears to just be a friendly stranger offering comfort in the middle of the night to Shine offers her their scarf. [[spoiler: Once they remove it, Shine stumbles back in shock as the Megpoid lowers their goggles and shows off the staples on their neck, revealing themself to be Hakase]].
* RidiculouslyHumanRobots: The all-android cast eat, sleep, drink, and have mostly similar physical appearances to humans. According to WordOfGod, androids InUniverse have an UncannyValley effect that makes them stand out from average humans, but due to the {{Animesque}} art style this isn’t noticeable within the comic itself.
* RomanticRain: PlayedForLaughs in chapter 5. When Shine gives Gumiya her umbrella during a rainy day, he sees her with a CrushFilter while imagining her getting soaked by the rain due to her generosity, at least until he realizes that she simply had [[CrazyPrepared multiple umbrellas on her person due to hating the rain]]. The comedy of the situation is exactly what ends up making him fall in love with her.
* ScaryShinyGlasses: Hakase's goggles are illuminated in contrast with her shadowed face when she tells Shine to absolutely not go in the room next to the bathroom at her lab, which is unnerving enough to Shine that she makes sure to listen.
* SharedIdentity: Vocaloids of the same model do not merely share the same name, they also all contribute to a shared image. While this can be a benefit for popular models like Mikus who can get clout purely off of association with famous idols, it can also stifle their ability to express individuality and result in [[AmalgamatedIndividual their work being credited to the collective whole rather than the individual]].

* SpeechBubbles: Hakase has differently shaped speech bubbles than the other characters, being slightly boxy rather than round. According to WordOfGod, this is because Hakase is speaking Japanese with an English voicebank.

* SternTeacher: Shine’s teacher from training, who often admonished her for not taking things seriously.
* SuddenlyShouting: In chapter 5, Gumiya and Shine were having a nice conversation at normal volume until Gumiya shows Shine an umbrella that she gave him when they met. Shine's recollection of the significance of the umbrella makes her shout out loud enough to startle Gumiya.
* SwitchingPOV: While most of the story is told from Shine's perspective, there are sometimes glimpses into other characters' points of view.
** At the end of chapter 4, there is a brief scene showing Tech returning home and thinking about her interaction with Shine.
** In chapter 5, there are some insights into Gumiya's thoughts both during his flashback to his first meeting with Shine and again at the end of the chapter. This is mostly used as a way to show to the audience that he has a crush on her, since Shine is ObliviousToLove.

* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: In chapter 2, when Shine realizes she can't afford an idol magazine, she justifies her decision to not purchase it by going on a tangent about how she definitely doesn't want to be an idol or anything like that, she's just curious about them like all Mikus are, really!

* TeenIdol: There are many Vocaloids designed as teenagers (such as Mikus, Rins, and Lens) and although they can get age mods to become adults, plenty of them stay as teenagers throughout their idol careers.
* TemptingFate: At the end of Chapter 1.1, after Shine's equipment falls in the harbor, she outward exclaims that there's no way things can get any worse, just as she herself gets knocked over the side of the bridge.

** Chapter 1 is titled after "The First Sound" by malo, which conveys that it's the first chapter both through the title and the fact that it's one of Hatsune Miku's first hit songs.
** Chapter 2 is titled after "White Letter" by [=GonGoss=], another early Miku song for the chapter where Shine meets one of the first Miku units ever created, Tech.
** Chapter 3 is titled after "Alkali Underachiever" by Kairiki Bear, a Miku song representing Shine's feelings of inferiority caused by her troubled past.
** Chapter 4 is titled after "Flight Girl" by [=NayutalieN=], which conveys the lighter tone of the chapter where Shine is finally starting to commit herself to becoming an idol.
** Chapter 5 is titled after "I Want To Be Your Heart" by [=YurryCanon=], the first song featuring Gumi for a chapter focused on Megpoid unit Gumiya. The lyrics of the song connect to Gumiya's desire to be there for Shine after she helped him in the past, with there even being a line about holding an umbrella for someone, which directly connects to how they first met.
** Chapter 6 is titled after "Roki" by Mikito-P, a song featuring Kagamine Rin for a Roll focused chapter. The upbeat lyrics match the chapter's relative lack of drama.
** Chapter 7 is titled after "Two-Faced Lovers" by Wowaka, a song featuring Miku for a chapter that ends with Miku units Shine and Tech meeting again and [[spoiler: having a dispute over whether Shine should pursue her dream to be an idol]].
* TwoGirlsAndAGuy: Shine, Roll, and Gumiya fit into this dynamic. The three of them are the main trio of the cast, with Shine as TheProtagonist who's [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl feminine style contrasts with the more tomboyish Roll]]. Gumiya, meanwhile, is a NiceGuy who is JustFriends with Shine even though he secretly harbors a crush on her.
* WhamLine: At the end of chapter 2, after Shine runs away from a human who thought she was famous, she encounters a kind stranger who sympathizes with her, offers her their scarf, and sits down with her for what seems like will be a nice chat... until they casually reveal that they know that Shine can't sing. Shine then backs away in surprise, leading to a flashback sequence that reveals the real reason why Shine isn't an idol.

* WingdingEyes: Characters will sometimes have spirals for pupils when they're panicked.
** In chapter 5.1, when Shine has the dreadful realization that she has no idea how to be an idol, there is a closeup of her face where she has spirals in her eyes.

* WorldOfTechnicolorHair: The Vocaloid characters have hair colours spanning all across the rainbow. Justified since they’re androids. They might have even been designed like this on purpose to distinguish them from human idols who mostly have normal hair colours.
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Gumiya challenges Shine's insecurity over whether she's good enough to be an idol by telling her that in his opinion she is suited to be an idol because of how much she inspired him in the past.
* YouAreNotAlone: In chapter 5, Shine doubts her ability to become an idol because she feels like she's not likeable enough to be one, using her lack of close personal relationships as proof. When she's about to truly give up on her dream, she asks her neighbor Gumiya to help her get a job as a waitress. Instead, he reveals to her that he himself used to be an idol, and that when he quit to become an accountant it was Shine's act of kindness towards him when she gave him her umbrella on a rainy day that encouraged him to not give up on his dreams. He reassures to her that she had a profound influence on his life whether she realized it or not, and vows to be her first fan if she does become an idol.
* YouAreNumber6: Due to being androids, the Vocaloids all have unique serial codes to differentiate each other from their fellow units. In the story, most of them get referred to by their given names as dictated by their models or special nicknames (called "codenames") based off their serial codes instead due to the dehumanizing implications. Usually when characters get called by their serial codes it's alongside their codenames, such as the members of Hatsupress in the afterword of chapter 6 ([=X0T9=] "Tech", 777G "Lucky", and [=BE4S=] "Bell") and on the character profiles (4N01 "Shine", 1M4Y "Princess", 6RU9-R "Roll", etc.).

* YouMustBeCold: Hakase offers Shine their scarf due to the cold.

* YouAreNotAlone: When Shine starts to doubt if someone like her, who has few if any important people in her life, can become an idol, Gumiya reassures her that he greatly values her presence in his life and would be her first fan if she did become an idol.

* YouAreNumber6: The Vocaloids all have unique serial codes, although they are rarely referred to by them due to the dehumanizing implications.

* ArcNumber: The number 4. There were four first press Mikus, Shine's serial code contains the number 4 (which is also the basis for her codename), and updates are almost always released on days ending in 4.

* CelebrityResemblance: Even though individual Vocaloids have unique appearances, they still have a similar general look to each other, which means most non-celebrity Vocaloids resemble famous Vocaloids of the same type as them. This leads to Shine getting mistaken for the famous Miku who sang "Melt" and a possibly different Miku who sang "Love is War" when she forgot to hide her twintails in chapter 2.

** Every chapter is titled after different Vocaloid songs. A playlist of each song used for a chapter title can be found [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYtxXdR3v7ODVWM_4aGjVOzxr0ZYm5bhY here]].

* OutOfJobIntoThePlot: Shine losing her paparazzi equipment in the first chapter requires her to find a new way to make money, which is the catalyst for her deciding to try and become being an idol again after she gave up on it years ago. The rest of the series thus becomes about Shine's aspiring idol career and the challenges she faces in her pursuit of it.

* HorribleHollywood: In Tech's view, behind the glittering stage of idols lies overworked talents who can't express their feelings or individuality due to the pressure from their agencies and fans, who are then immediately discarded as if they're worthless when they're no longer seen as having value.

* TheIdolsBlessing: When Shine meets her favorite IdolSinger Tech in chapter 2, she expresses to her that while she admires idols she feels like she could never be one and is fine merely admiring them. Tech then tells her that she should always pursue her dreams and chase happiness, which inspires Shine to become an idol like she used to dream of. [[spoiler: This is then subverted in chapter 7 when it turns out Tech's speech wasn't referring to being an idol at all. She actually hates the idol industry and doesn't think Shine should ever be apart of it, telling Shine right to her face that her dream is impractical]].

* OlderThanTheyLook: An odd example where both this and YoungerThanTheyLook is in effect. Vocaloids are created to be a specific age and don't physically age naturally even if they mentally do, meaning that many androids may be mentally older than they look while being chronologically younger than they look.

* RidiculouslyHumanRobots: The all-android cast eat, sleep, drink, and look pretty much indistinguishable from humans.