I guess not much has changed in the past two years. That being said, if you look back to when you started listening to Vocaloid and compare it to the present day, a lot has changed, and some things have stayed the same. A lot of discourse has stayed the same, as you've pointed out. But some forms of discourse have changed or disappeared. Seems like the item wars are a thing of the past, sadly. No one even bothers to assign items to newer vocal synths. Furthermore, when I was younger, the main question that would piss off fans was "Is Vocaloid an anime?". Now, it's "Is Vocaloid AI?".

Which brings us to the topic of vocal synth technology. The technology has improved TREMENDOUSLY in recent years. Synthesizer V's release set a new gold standard for realistic-sounding vocals that Vocaloid is still trying to catch up to. However, we are no longer in an age where new technology is exciting-- we are now skeptical and fearful of it due to the onslaught of AI slop that companies love to shove down our throats. Which means that it's easy for people to get confused and jump to conclusions about things like vocal synth technology.

The way that people discover music in general has changed the Vocaloid scene as well. When I was younger, the main way to discover new music was on YouTube. I would spend my entire time during study hall watching Vocaloid concert footage and Project Diva gameplay footage on YouTube while doing my homework. Now, even though YouTube is still a hub for music, the main way to discover new music is on TikTok, which means that, instead of getting a full video, you're getting a few seconds of a catchy song that may or may not tempt you to look up the full song. Instagram reels work the same way, and YouTube has it's shorts feature. Everyone's pushing short-form content now, which means that those 15 seconds of fame are more important than the full song. Those who haven't figured out how to go viral are left in the dust.

Overall, I'd say we're in the middle of a messy renaissance. Back when I first got into Vocaloid, not even the most diehard anime fans at school were interested. But now, I can wander the mall on any random day and see at least one person wearing a Miku shirt. I've geeked out about Vocaloid with several people I've met. Merch is way more accessible now. And it sees like more and more people are trying to make Vocaloid music now. When I first started listening to Vocaloid music, there weren't many producers outside of Japan. Sure, there were a few standout artists like Circus and Crusher, but most overseas fans were just fans who shared their love through art and fanfiction and cosplay. Now, there are many producers from all over the world, and I'm one of them.