In the Japanese social media scene, today is a truly interesting day. It’s an intersection of two very different fandoms, who come together once a year for an offbeat celebration.
On one hand, March 9th is the unofficial “Miku Day”. Its origins aren’t too different from the unofficial Star Wars Day in the west. And yes, it’s founded in puns.
Star Wars Day arose due to the way May 4th can be read as “May The Fourth,” which led to “May The Fourth Be With You.” March 9th, or “3/9”, can similarly be read as “Mi(tsu)-Ku.” Some refer to the day as “Miku’s Giving Day,” due to the fact that “3/9” can also be read as “San-kyuu” (“Thank you”).
And, as one would expect, it’s a day where fans post their favorite Hatsune Miku fan art for all to see. Social media, and image service like Pixiv are flooded with countless gorgeous pieces, which range from cartoony chibis, to delicately detailed masterpieces. We’ve posted a few of our favorites below.
Today is also the unofficial “Zaku Day” where, like Miku Day, Gundam fans publish their favorite Zaku fan stuff. This could be anything, from fan art, to model displays. We’ve provided a few stand-outs below for you to check out.
When Miku Day and Zaku Day come together, worlds collide, and things get incredibly interesting. This day, affectionately called “Miku Zaku Day,” brings out truly offbeat fan art, which place Miku into a number of offbeat incarnations. Sometimes, she’s a new Mobile Suit, others, she’s taking over for Red Comet Char Aznable as leader of the Zeon forces. And others, she’s just riding a Zaku piggyback, for no reason whatsoever. It’s quirky, and it’s hard to imagine the Digital Diva taking on these roles. Still, the fans make it work.
We’ve posted a few of our favorite pieces below. If there’s anything we missed, or a piece that you think we should check out, let us know in the comments!
Samantha Ferreira is Anime Herald’s founder and editor-in-chief. A Rhode Island native, Samantha has been an anime fan since 1992, and an active member of the anime press since 2002, when she began working as a reviewer for Anime Dream. She launched Anime Herald in 2010, and continues to oversee its operations to this day. Outside of journalism, Samantha actively studies the history of the North American anime fandom and industry, with a particular focus on the 2000s anime boom and bust. She’s a huge fan of all things Sakura Wars, and maintains series fansite Combat Revue Review when she has free time available. When not in the Anime Herald Discord, Samantha can typically be found on Bluesky.
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