Super Sonico

Super Sonico (Japanese: すーぱーそに子) is a virtual character and mascot affiliated with the Japanese video game company Nitroplus. Tsuji Santa created her. Wikidata lists her as a virtual YouTuber. She is known for her pink hair and signature headphones, and for a media franchise that covers music, manga, games, figurines and an anime television series.

Profile

Item	Detail
Debut	October 14, 2006
Agency	Nitroplus
Age (setting)	18
Band (setting)	First Astronomical Velocity (vocals and guitar)
Character designer	Tsuji Santa
Voice (Japanese)	Ayano Yamamoto
Voice (English)	Jessica Nigri

Career

Super Sonico first appeared on October 14, 2006, as the mascot for "Nitro Super Sonico," an annual live music festival run by Nitroplus and held that year at Shiba Park in Minato, Tokyo. Nitroplus was originally known for computer games based on visual novels, but it had held a music festival every year since 2000. The company later turned the character into a media franchise that includes music releases, manga series, computer and video games, figurines and other merchandise.

Her music releases began in 2010 with the single "SUPERORBITAL," the first theme song for the PC game SoniComi. In 2011, she released several singles, including two that raised money for relief after the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The visual novel SoniComi (Communication with Sonico) came out for Microsoft Windows on November 25, 2011. White Fox produced an anime television series based on the character, which aired in Japan from January to March 2014.

Activities

Streaming style

Across her media appearances, Super Sonico is presented as a college student who works as a gravure model and performs as the vocalist and guitarist of the fictional band First Astronomical Velocity. Her bandmates are Suzu Fujimi on bass and Fuuri Watanuki on drums. In the visual novel SoniComi, the player takes the role of her cameraman. Her manga appearances include the four-panel series Super Sonicomic in Enterbrain's Magi-Cu, Super Sonico SoniKoma by Chika Nonohara in Comic Earth Star, and Sonicomi, with art by Imusanjo, in Monthly Comic Blade.

Music and works

SUPERORBITAL (single, November 24, 2010)
Passion Rocket (single, January 19, 2011)
Power (digital single, April 30, 2011)
Advance, BLUE STAR! (single, May 24, 2011)
VISION (single, July 29, 2011)
GALAXY ONE (album, November 11, 2011)
Phantom Vibration! (single, December 29, 2011)
Love & II+ (album, June 27, 2012)
SONICONICOROCK Tribute to VOCALOID (album)

Characteristics

Super Sonico has light pink hair, large red eyes and a pair of headphones that she always wears. Different artists draw her facial features and proportions in different ways, but her headphones and pink hair stay the same. In the setting, she studies marine biology at Musasaka University. She is a heavy sleeper who often needs help waking up, her favorite food is macarons, and her bandmates call her "Nico." Max Factory, FREEing, Orchid Seed, Hobby Japan and other manufacturers have produced a large line of PVC figurines of her, including Nendoroid and Figma versions.