Kasane Teto
{{Short description|Vocalbank on UTAU and SynthV}}
{{Redirect|Teto}}
{{family name hatnote|Kasane|lang=Japanese}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Sources exist|date=June 2024}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2024}}
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{{Use British English|date=June 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Kasane Teto
| logo = Tetologo roma.png
| screenshot = Teto Kasane illustration.png
| screenshot size = 155px
| caption =
| author =
| developer = {{unbulleted list|TwinDrill|AH-Software Co. Ltd.}}
| released = {{Start date and age|2008|4|1|df=yes}}
| latest release version = Kasane Teto AI ver 104
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2024|4|4|df=yes}}
| latest preview version =
| latest preview date =
| programming language =
| engines = UTAU, Synthesizer V AI, VOICEPEAK
| operating system =
| platform =
| language = {{unbulleted list|Japanese|English}}
| genre = Singing voice synthesizer
| license = Proprietary
| website = {{URL|kasaneteto.jp}}
}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Kasane Teto
| first_major = UTAU
| designer = {{nihongo|Sen|線}}
| voice = Oyamano Mayo
| full_name = {{nihongo krt|Kasane Teto|重音テト}}
| image =
| gender = Chimera{{ref label|gender|a|none}}
}}
Kasane Teto ({{langx|ja|重音テト}}, {{IPA|ja|kasane teto|pron}}) is a virtual singer software (known as a voicebank) created on the Japanese textboard 2channel for April Fools' Day, 2008.{{Cite web |url=https://kasaneteto.jp/about/|script-title=ja:重音テトとは? |title=Kasane Teto to wa?|language=ja|trans-title=What is Kasane Teto?|publisher=Twindrill|access-date=June 16, 2024}} Although the software was initially created as a hoax and did not exist, it later was actually produced and made compatible with singing voice synthesis software UTAU, allowing it to sing. Teto was introduced as a "diva born from a hoax".{{Cite web|last=Takigawa|first=Kyoko|url=https://www.j-cast.com/2023/04/27460462.html?p=all|script-title=ja:嘘から生まれた歌姫 ｢重音テト｣ パロディが ｢本物｣の商業ソフトになるまで...歩んだ15年|title=Uso kara Umareta Utahime ｢Kasane Teto｣ Parodi ga「Honmono」no Shōgyō Shifuto made ... Ayunda Jūgonen|language=ja|trans-title=Born from a lie, the past 15 years have seen "Kasane Teto" shift from being a fake parody of a diva to being commercial software|date=27 April 2023 |publisher=J-Cast, Inc|access-date=16 June 2024}}
Kasane Teto was also released as a voice model in 2021 for TALQu, a deep learning-based free speech software, and in 2023 for Synthesizer V AI, a commercial singing voice synthesis software.{{Cite web |title=TALQu Voice Model Data |url=https://kasaneteto.jp/talqu/ |publisher=Twindrill|access-date=16 June 2024}}{{Cite web |author=|url=https://www.ah-soft.com/press/synth-v/20230403.html|script-title=ja:誕生から15年, 多くの方に愛されたあのキャラクターがAI歌声データベースに! ｢Synthesizer V AI 重音テト｣ 2023年4月27日発売 |title=Tanjō kara Jūgonen, Ooku no Kata ga Aisareta Ano Kyrakuta ga AI Detabesu ni! ｢Synthesizer V AI Kasane Teto｣ Nisennijūnen Shigatsu Nijunananichi Hatsubai |language=ja|trans-title=Born 15 years ago and loved by many, character「Synthesizer AI Kasane Teto｣ added to Vocaloid Database: goes on sale on 27 April 2023.|date=3 April 2023|publisher=AHS Co. Ltd|access-date=16 June 2024}} On 1 April 2025, AH-Software announced an adaptation of Kasane Teto's voice for their VOICEPEAK text-to-speech software.{{Cite web |author=|url=https://www.ah-soft.com/press/voice/20250401.html|script-title=ja:大人気キャラクターがトークソフトで登場！ 入力文字読み上げソフト『VOICEPEAK 重音テト』4/24発売！|title=Daininki kyarakutā ga tōku sofuto de tōjō! Nyūryoku moji yomiage sofuto 'VOICEPEAK Kasane Teto' 4/24 hatsubai!|language=ja|trans-title=Popular character appears in voice software! Text-to-speech software 'VOICEPEAK Kasane Teto' to be released on April 24!|date=1 April 2025|publisher=AHS Co. Ltd|access-date=1 April 2025}}
Character
Kasane Teto is officially stated to be 31 years old. However, because of the young, girlish appearance and voice that her original UTAU design has, many fans have long since perceived or interpreted her age to be in her teens.{{Cite web |title=KASANE TETO Official Site Q&A|url=https://kasaneteto.jp/about_qa3.html|access-date=2024-12-02 |website=Internet Archive Wayback Machine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325062252/https://kasaneteto.jp/about_qa3.html |archive-date=25 March 2023 }} In her earliest design, she was 159.5 centimetres tall and weighed 47 kilograms. She is listed as liking baguettes (and frequently depicted with them in fanart) and being a tsundere.{{Cite web |title=重音テト・オフィシャルサイト |url=https://kasaneteto.jp/about/ |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=重音テト・オフィシャルサイト |language=ja}}
Kasane Teto’s character design portrays her as a youthful girl with reddish hair styled in curly pigtails (commonly called "drills"). She typically wears a uniform-style outfit with a red and black color scheme, which has become a recognizable part of her image.
Her personality is generally portrayed as mischievous.
History
= Creation =
Kasane Teto's origins come from 2channel, a Japanese bulletin board.
In 2008, a group of users devised a plan to make a fake Vocaloid character. Character names, hairstyles, genders, ages, likes, dislikes, special skills, and other traits were randomly selected from among the suggestions of 2channel users and consolidated into a single character, which would be shown as a prank for April Fools' Day. On 6 April 2008 she appeared for the first time on video, and on 13 April 2008, the first voicebank for Teto was released, with Oyamano Mayo as the voice provider. The first song using her voice was released on 1 June 2008.{{cite news |title=Japan’s Vocaloid Scene: Top Trend for the First Half of 2024 Is 'Room for Interpretation' |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/japan-vocaloid-scene-top-trend-2024-mid-year-room-for-interpretation-1235775210/ |work=Billboard |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |date=2024-09-13}}
The rights holders who provided the character design and voice of Kasane Teto established the circle "TWINDRILL" in 2009 to promote and manage the character. Although Kasane Teto was a parody character of Crypton Future Media's series of Vocaloid singers, Twindrill organised the rights and established a cooperative relationship with Crypton from 2009 to 2010. Since 2010, Crypton has been the point of contact for commercial use.
= 2010s and 2020s =
Teto continued to make an impact on the Vocaloid community with many songs being released.
In 2012, a DLC pack for Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F featured her.{{Cite web |last=Sahdev |first=Ishaan |date=6 November 2012|title=Hatsune Miku: Project Diva f DLC Adds "Unofficial" Vocaloids Neru, Haku And Teto |url=https://www.siliconera.com/hatsune-miku-project-diva-f-dlc-adds-unofficial-vocaloids-neru-haku-and-teto/ |access-date=15 June 2024|website=Siliconera |language=en-US}}
In 2013, she appeared for Hatsune Miku's act in the Sapporo Snow Festival 2013.{{cite web|last=Loo|first=Egan|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2013-02-03/snow-miku-revealed-for-sapporo-snow-festival-2013|title=Snow Miku Revealed for Sapporo Snow Festival 2013|date=3 February 2013|website=Anime News Network|access-date=15 June 2024}}
= Synthesizer V =
For the 15th anniversary of Teto on 1 April 2023, Japanese software developer AH-Software announced they would be partnering with Twindrill and Crypton Future Media to produce a "Synthesizer V AI" voice database for the character, its first full commercial release. For the occasion, a significant redesign was made, giving Teto a new outfit to stand apart from being a Hatsune Miku parody. The deep learning technology in Synthesizer V made use of singing from the voice provider rather than concatenative phoneme samples like UTAU. This allowed for cleaner, more natural synthesis and various features such as "Vocal Modes" for expression and the ability to sing in any language that Synthesizer V AI supports via "cross-lingual synthesis". Synthesizer V AI Kasane Teto was released on 27 April 2023 and has received frequent updates.{{Cite web |last=Bueno |first=Daniel |date=4 April 2023 |title=Kasane Teto Synthesizer V Vocaloid Voice Arrives in April |url=https://www.siliconera.com/kasane-teto-synthesizer-v-vocaloid-voice-arrives-in-april/ |access-date=15 June 2024|website=Siliconera |language=en-US}} A limited "lite" voice database for the same software would come soon after on 8 May 2023, available for free download.
= VOICEPEAK =
For Teto's 17th anniversary on 1 April 2025, AH-Software announced an adaptation of Kasane Teto's voice for their VOICEPEAK Japanese text-to-speech software, scheduled to be released shortly after on 24 April 2025.
= Voicebanks =
Reception
Despite not being a Vocaloid character, Kasane Teto gained popularity among Vocaloid and UTAU fans.{{Citation |url=https://www.cyzo.com/2008/05/post_539_entry.html|script-title=ja:日経新聞 社説でJASRACを皮肉る|title=Nikkei Shimbun Shasetsu de JASRAC wo Hinikuru|language=ja|trans-title=Nikkei Shimbun editorial satorises JASRAC|date=6 May 2008|work=Daily Cyzo|access-date=17 June 2024}} Within six months, more than 500 videos with "Kasane Teto" tag were published on Niconico, and the song "嘘の歌姫(Uso no utahime/A Fake Diva)" featuring Kasane Teto reached 100,000 views and was put into the Vocaloid Hall of Fame.{{Cite web|url=https://kasaneteto.jp/history/|script-title=ja:歴史･年表|title=Rekishi･Nepyō|language=ja|trans-title=History/Chronology|publisher=Twindrill|access-date=16 June 2024}}
=Songs=
=Other media=
Kasane Teto has appeared in many different media, such as in Sega's music game franchise Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA, becoming a promotional character for Hokkaido Broadcasting, having Nendoroid and other plastic figures from Good Smile Company, performing with Nakamura Shidō II on the Kabuki stage, and having novel adaptations.
Notes
References
{{reflist}}
{{Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Internet characters introduced in 2008