What do you consider 'cliché' for an utau backgroundstory

[lcitkat]

I recently read Lorra's background story,and began thinking what type of story would be pushing the edge? What is cliché?

 

[Kiyoteru]

The way I see it, UTAUs are essentially voicebanks+OCs (or OCs+voicebanks if you prefer. They can be voicebank only, but if it's OC only it's no longer an UTAU.)

When trying to write a backstory, I'd just recommend looking up some writing tips for character creation.

 

[수연 <Suyeon>]

IDK, I think giving an UTAU a back story in and of itself is cliche - esp. if they were never an actual OC {used in actual writing/comics/other mediums by the creator} in the first place and the avatar is just a visual representation of the voice. I don't think people in this day and age even pay attention to back story, orientation, or other artistically limiting characteristics (and the ones that actually do may wind up not really wanting to use the voice if it's too canonically strict). If you make a back story, run it through the Mary Sue Litmus test. Keep it no more than a paragraph or 2 (no one wants to read a novel).

 

[smeen]

I disagree with everybody wow.

I don't think a back story for an UTAU can be cliché. Because to be perfectly honest, they aren't made for writing anyway.

Would be different if you would let them star in a three-part novel that would be followed by four movies and a shitload of bad fanfiction and one of those fanfics gets turned into their own series.

 

[oteto]

If its a backstory you like, who cares about cliche.....

 

[MillyAqualine]

Honestly, I do myself give cliché stories to my UTAUs... But at the same time, it's really the way I'd see their avatars, and how they appeard to me (though for Kei it has always confusing and unconsistent so OTL)... However, I don't have the heart to erase their BG stories, or to modify them one more time (yeah, Iris was supposed to be just a post-girl, then a mermaid due to another Iris in a very tiny MM fanfiction project which never aw the light of the day before jsut coming back to the post-girl idea and granting her the power of levitation)

And as previously said, anyway some people tend to not pay attention to those when they use the voicebanks in original works or covers/art/etc

Finally, what can be REALLY cliché ? Because now in our epoca, nearly everything has been already done at least once or twice, so even "unique" stories can turn to contain cliché parts (like let's say, the recurring themes evolving about love, war, male-female equality, WHYAREWEALIVE, fulfilling one's dreams... Or even the common backgrounds such as schools, temples, hospitals, space, ocean...)

 

[samth1815]

Even if it isn't used for many UTAUs, the whole "is from a distant future where music no longer exists" story will seem cliche since that's how people think of Miku.

 

[songzombie]

I agree with Tsukine Sayuri, pretty much!
And because characterised UTAUs are essentially OC's with voicebanks, I don't think any individual story is cliche in itself because UTAU backstories have such a wide range.
This is more generic than cliche but: "character used to be human, but somehow turned into a robot and began singing for a special reason". It's a bit uncreative and for me it perpetuates the idea that all synthesized voices are "singing robots", when most are more like voices with avatars.
Alternately, I've yet to see many UTAUs with stories like Miku, who literally only has one line of information and it's more like flavour text than anything meaningful about her (it makes me imagine her as a school girl who stumbles upon old songs from the past on her computer and makes it her hobby).

 

[lcitkat]

IDK, I think giving an UTAU a back story in and of itself is cliche - esp. if they were never an actual OC {used in actual writing/comics/other mediums by the creator} in the first place and the avatar is just a visual representation of the voice. I don’t think people in this day and age even pay attention to back story, orientation, or other artistically limiting characteristics (and the ones that actually do may wind up not really wanting to use the voice if it’s too canonically strict). If you make a back story, run it through the Mary Sue Litmus test. Keep it no more than a paragraph or 2 (no one wants to read a novel).

Rule number one when making a character ( for me,anyway) is making sure it stays out of Mary sue territory. You need to know your character’s good and bad points. As for orientation,I never really thought about it untill I saw someone’s utau listed as homosexual,I dont’t have a problem with that but I never knew that so many people made their utau straight so that any their orientation has to be listed.

 

[smeen]

Well, about sexual orientation... Unlisted doesn't mean straight, but you should always talk about it when you want to do a shipping thing because what if the owner gets uncomfortable? Even if you don't think they should feel that way, you know.

I also just think you shouldn't have to list orientation anywhere but then again I'm from a country more free than America so what do I know?

 

[Terindie]

In general, I'm pretty iffy on backstories for UTAU. Generally because I see a lot of cliches involving death and despair and yadda yadda.
Well made personalities, though, turn me on to a voicebank. It just bridges the gap between "software" and "someone's pride & joy".

 

[nirereru]

The only thing I think is cliché is if you give your UTAU a super dark past and say they lost *insert paragraph of names here*.

 

[MystSaphyr]

Personally, I don't mind backstories (well-written ones) so long as the UTAU creator doesn't say that "all covers must adhere to my UTAU's backstory/personality" or something.

Like, UTAUs are first and foremost made for singing, so keep them open for that I guess?

Then again I also really like AUs and I've been planning on making either a comic or game with various UTAUs which means... at least within the realm of that project, they'll have to have backstories to be interesting characters.

 

[lcitkat]

Well, about sexual orientation... Unlisted doesn't mean straight, but you should always talk about it when you want to do a shipping thing because what if the owner gets uncomfortable? Even if you don't think they should feel that way, you know.

I also just think you shouldn't have to list orientation anywhere but then again I'm from a country more free than America so what do I know?

I don't think that orientation should be listed either,but it does get annoying when an utau sings about their loved one and billions of comments being "OMG IS HE GAY LOL XD" so somewhere I understand that the creator lists it on their bio. It's a very confusing topic