Magical Mirai 2021 is an annual event organized by Crypton Future Media, featuring live concerts, art exhibitions, and merchandise sales related to the popular vocal synthesizer software, Hatsune Miku. One of the highlights of this event is the release of special limited edition merchandise, including Nendoroid figures. Nendoroids are a line of collectible figures produced by Good Smile Company, known for their chibi-style design and interchangeable parts. These figures are highly sought after by fans of various anime, manga, and game franchises. The Magical Mirai 2021 Nendoroid collection features a range of characters from different Crypton Future Media properties, such as Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin, Kagamine Len, and Megurine Luka. Each figure comes with multiple facial expressions and accessories, allowing collectors to customize and display them in different poses.
Milwaukee's Racing Sausages Started A Trend At Major League Ballparks
Nearly two-thirds of Major League Baseball teams have had some form of mascot race. It all began with the Milwaukee Brewers' Racing Sausages in the early 1990s.
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Now we're going to hear the origin story of one of baseball's weirder traditions. It was born over a quarter century ago, when the Milwaukee Brewers debuted their racing sausages. Today, nearly two-thirds of baseball teams have their own racing mascots. Joy Powers of member station WUWM in Milwaukee has the story.
JOY POWERS, BYLINE: In the early '90s, the Milwaukee Brewers' Racing Sausages were cartoon characters that raced in a video on the Jumbotron. Like other fans, graphic designer Michael Dillon would cheer along for his favorite sausage in the animated race. But that wasn't enough for him, so he pitched his idea to a Brewers executive.
MICHAEL DILLON: I said you should have them run in. I lobbied really hard. I'll make them. I'll run in them. You won't have to do anything. I'll bring them there.
POWERS: And so he did just that. Armed with foam core and his design expertise, he created the first three costumes based on the cartoon. In 1993, he put on his homemade brat costume and lined up alongside his competitors, Polish and Italian.
DILLON: Absolutely no one knew that this was going to happen, except possibly some grounds people. The Brewers themselves, the umpire didn't know. They started that sausage race on the Jumbotron, and then the cartoon stopped and went blank, and the gate swung open, and the crowd went insane.
POWERS: The special event became a regular part of the game a year later. In most mascot races, a group of costumed people lumber around a baseball field, seeing who can remain upright long enough to win. They're a silly distraction. And for some fans, like Diana Cook, they might as well not be there.
DIANA COOK: Given that I haven't really noticed that there are, like, mascot races, I don't place much value on them.
POWERS: But many others do. The races include caricatures of presidents in D.C., a tool race in Atlanta and the grand pierogi race in Pittsburgh. And many of these spinoffs originate in Milwaukee, too. The Olympus Group is a mascot manufacturer based in the city, which designs costumes for teams around the country. Mary Ribecky is one of the designers.
MARY RIBECKY: For Major League, we also do the Kansas City Royal hot dogs. But when you get into the minor leagues, that's where - all kinds of crazy things. We're racing jalapeno peppers, blue cheese hot wing and a celery stick. It's a lot of fun.
POWERS: But for designer Michael Dillon, these other races just don't measure up.
DILLON: They got the running pierogis, which is, like, running dumplings, really. I mean, the running presidential heads look ridiculous. I don't know if they still have the one where, like, there's a tooth and a toothbrush and toothpaste running. You know, it's just not fun. I mean, I'm not going to root for a tooth.
POWERS: This from a guy who cheers on a bratwurst wearing lederhosen. In the 25 years since the racing sausages became a staple of Brewers home games, the mascot race has become a tradition for baseball fans everywhere. And as fans cheer on Toothy in the Comfort Dental Tooth Trot, Michael Dillon can take pride in knowing he's partly to blame for this iconic piece of baseball Americana.
For NPR News, I'm Joy Powers, in Milwaukee.
(SOUNDBITE OF A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS' "I RAN (SO FAR AWAY)")
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Off to the Races
This photograph captures the heat of competition, as Rickey Henderson takes the inside lane and looks to gallop away from Rollie Fingers and Dennis Eckersley during the seventh-inning stretch of the game between the Oakland Athletics and Boston Red Sox at O.co Coliseum on May 13, 2015. Each home game in Oakland features the three mascots trotting down the third base line before they round the on-base circle and bolt down the final stretch toward the finish.
Why should the ballplayers have all of the glory?
Mascots of Rickey Henderson, Dennis Eckersley and Rollie Fingers run in the Oakland Athletics’ Hall of Fame race during the game between the Athletics and the Boston Red Sox at O.co Coliseum on May 13, 2015, in Oakland, Calif. (Jean Fruth / National Baseball Hall of Fame)
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The three larger-than-life Oakland Hall of Famers are just some of the more recent characters to join the mascot race phenomenon that has taken over Major League Baseball. Fingers, Eckersley, and Henderson joined the company of pierogis, sea creatures, hardware tools, soft drinks, hot sauce packets, U.S. presidents, and, of course, the famous Milwaukee sausages who all race around ballparks for the amusement and entertainment of fans.
While it is all fun and games, for the most part, these casts of characters have truly broken the mold of the traditional mascot. While they still spend plenty of time hovering in the stands and posing for silly photos, mascots across baseball have become more physically active than ever in how they entertain spectators.
Oakland’s inaugural Hall of Fame race was held on August 3, 2013, and was won by none other than the speedy Rickey Henderson. While it may seem like a no-brainer to put your money on the all-time stolen base leader, it turns out that baseball statistics mean very little when it comes to three people sprinting 250 yards in 10-foot-tall, 50-pound costumes. The mascots combat physical exhaustion, lack of visibility, profuse sweating, rowdy hecklers, and most importantly, the fear and embarrassment of toppling over.
Life as a racing mascot may not always be the easiest, but nothing can match the glory of outlasting your fellow mascots and being the one to claim victory.
The flamboyant costume from the popular Phillie Phanatic mascot is on display in the Museum's Sacred Ground exhibit which details the ballpark and fan experience. B-123-2002 (Milo Stewart, Jr. / National Baseball Hall of Fame)
Mascot
A sports mascot is a character (usually wearing a costume, though sometimes a live animal or person in minimal costume) who is designed to interact with and entertain fans at games and other team events. In earlier days of baseball, teams often used small children as their mascots.
The era of cartoon-like mascots took off at the end of the 1970s, when the San Diego Chicken became a national star, and a number of now iconic mascots were introduced in short order, notably the Phillie Phanatic, the Pirate Parrot and Youppi! Others have followed, not all so successful. However, there are older mascots still around, such as Mr. Met, who has been around as long as the team he encourages. Mascots are also highly popular in Japan and in the minor leagues.
A popular attraction at many ballparks is a mascot race. This takes the form of a race between characters, normally four, dressed in silly costumes reflecting local culture. The race usually takes place between innings, and fans can make friendly wagers on the winner - although they should know that not everything is on the up-and-up. These races are usually closer to what happens in a cartoon race, with participants tripping each other, running in the wrong direction, and so on. The first of these was the sausage race at Milwaukee Brewers games at Miller Park, soon followed by the "Great Pierogi Race" at Pittsburgh Pirates games at PNC Park (a pierogi being a dumpling of Eastern European origin that is popular in Western Pennsylvania and other places). The Washington Nationals have the Racing Presidents and the San Diego Padres feature four characters from the cult comedy "Anchorman" racing one other at Petco Park. The Nationals even stage the race in spring training games, where "second-tier" presidents, not quite ready for prime time, get to race.
This typical American tradition was brought to Europe for the first time during the two-game series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees at London Olympic Stadium on June 29-30, 2019. As neither team regularly features such a race at its games, four mascots were specially designed for the occasion, supposedly reflecting British history and culture: they were King Henry VIII, Winston Churchill, rock singer Freddie Mercury, and in a piece of brilliant absurdity, the Loch Ness Monster. Freddie won the initial race.
In the minor leagues, mascots often race around the bases against little kids selected from the attendance. Somehow, the mascots always seem to lose those races, no matter how young and slow their opponents are. Tripping on one's own shoelaces or being distracted by shiny objects seem to be common problems that hamper these mascots' sporting performance.
One of the unforeseen results of the coronavirus pandemic was that, according to the health and safety protocols, even though mascots were still allowed "under no circumstances are mascots permitted on the field of play or in any other Restricted Area on game days." Given most of the characters' routines involved being on the field or interacting with now absent fans, it sort of cramped their style, although some of them unleashed their creavity despite the circumstances. The Phillie Phanatic made it a point to perform outlandish physical comedy routines while interacting with some of the cardboard fans in the stands, just within camera range, while the Atlanta Braves mascot, Blooper, put on lavish costumes to perform slow-burn gags out in the deserted stands of his home ballpark.
Each figure comes with multiple facial expressions and accessories, allowing collectors to customize and display them in different poses. The Nendoroid figures from Magical Mirai 2021 are often limited in quantity and exclusive to the event, making them highly desirable for fans and collectors. They are usually sold through pre-orders or at the event itself, with a limited stock available for purchase online after the event.
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For a partial list of mascots, see this list
These Nendoroids not only serve as a physical representation of the characters but also allow fans to express their love and support for the Magical Mirai event and the vocaloid music community. The release of these limited edition figures adds excitement and anticipation to the event, creating a sense of community among fans and collectors who share the same passion for Hatsune Miku and her friends. In conclusion, the Magical Mirai 2021 Nendoroids are highly sought after collectible figures that are released exclusively during the annual event. They embody the spirit of the event and serve as a physical representation of the characters from the vocaloid music community. These limited edition figures add an extra layer of excitement and community engagement to the Magical Mirai experience..
Reviews for "The Most Anticipated Magical Mirai 2021 Nendoroid Releases"
1. Sarah - ★☆☆☆☆
I was really disappointed with the Magical Mirai 2021 Nendoroid. The quality of the figure was poor, with obvious paint smudges and uneven lines. The joints were loose and the limbs kept falling off. Also, the accessories that came with the figure were flimsy and easily broke. Overall, I expected better craftsmanship for the price and this purchase was a waste of money.
2. John - ★★☆☆☆
I found the Magical Mirai 2021 Nendoroid to be quite underwhelming. The design of the figure itself was fine, but the paint job was sloppy and not up to the usual Nendoroid standards. The accessories were limited, and the ones that were included didn't fit properly on the figure. Additionally, the figure felt fragile, with joints that were too stiff and easily prone to breakage. Overall, it didn't meet my expectations and I regret purchasing it.
3. Emily - ★★☆☆☆
I wasn't impressed with the Magical Mirai 2021 Nendoroid. The figure looked nice from a distance, but upon closer inspection, the details were lacking. The paint job had noticeable imperfections, and the facial expression wasn't as lively as I had hoped. The stand that came with the figure was flimsy and didn't hold the figure securely, making it difficult to display. The overall quality just didn't match the price I paid for it.
4. Michael - ★☆☆☆☆
The Magical Mirai 2021 Nendoroid was a major letdown. The figure felt cheaply made and lacked the attention to detail I've come to expect from Nendoroid products. The joints were stiff and didn't offer much flexibility, limiting the posing options. The paint application was sloppy, with visible smudges and uneven coloring. It's a shame because I was really looking forward to adding this to my collection, but it ended up being a disappointment.