University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, Columbia University, Brown University

“Join the school choir – it will boost your team spirit; Learn how to folk dance – it cultivates your femininity; Study abroad – you will have better chances of finding a profitable job…” Growing up, I have been bombarded by incessant preaching about what I should become, forced into paths carved by my parents’ expectations. Oftentimes, I felt frustrated and disoriented – it seemed that my destiny had been predetermined, and I was hell-bent on escaping from it. The two-dimensional animated world had long been my safe haven: Miku Hatsune sings and dances perfectly for her millions of fans with…