If you’ve checked out Twitter anytime recently, you might’ve caught a glimpse of Project Voltage, The Pokémon Company’s ongoing art and music collaboration with the Vocaloid teen idol Hatsune Miku. So far Voltage has released 18 illustrations (one for every type of Pokémon) imagining Miku as different kinds of trainers, and as of this week, it’s continuing the project by debuting 18 original songs from various artists.
The just-released first song, “Volt Tackle,” is hyperactive pop rock from Vocaloid producer DECO*27, who has been making music featuring Miku since 2008. The music video links pigtailed Miku to electric-type ball of sun Pikachu, who crackles around very punny lyrics about shocking someone into love: “Yeah, you! I wanchu, wanchu more! Zzzzzzzzzap!” the English captions say.
Its music video alternates between illustrations by frequent DECO*27 collaborator omutatsu, who draws Miku as a devastated little girl with a Pikachu-shaped bandaid on her cheek (a physical manifestation of her interior wounds!), and Pikachu itself as the stubby ray of light that bolts her back to her feet.
By the end of the song, Miku is more determined than ever. “All your shooing can’t harm me, I’m in invincible mode!” she beeps while guitars wail. “This love zip zap zooms and the chu chu chu’s just won’t stop / You give me whiplash when you put on your aversion sash / […] Aiming my Volt Tackle to the middle of your heart / It’s not very effective…Why not!? Come on!!”
Pikachu grimaces in an illustration, and you can see lightning reflected in Miku’s eyes. I’m getting kind of scared, and I’m disappointed that the song presents multi-hyphenate Miku as no more than a lovesick school girl. You should let this love go, Miku, there are other fish in the Poké Ball.
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International pocket monster fans can keep up with Project Voltage on Twitter (or X), but only those located in Japan can access its official website. Time to bust out that VPN?