Overview
アルカリレットウセイ (Arukari Rettousei) is a Vocaloid song by producer Kairiki Bear (かいりきベア) featuring Hatsune Miku, originally created as the character theme of Ririka (魔法少女リリカ) for the competitive smartphone game #COMPASS (コンパス). It joined the maimai series during the MiLK era on March 20, 2018, and has since appeared across SEGA's broader rhythm game ecosystem including CHUNITHM and オンゲキ.
The title is a layered wordplay: アルカリ (alkali/alkaline) combined with レットウセイ, a phonetic play on 劣等生 (inferior student), a term that appears directly in the lyrics. The song's refrain, "ルルカリリカルラ リラルララ," and its emotionally charged verses explore themes of self-doubt, loneliness, and the desperate wish to be accepted ("嫌いにならないで", please don't hate me). Kairiki Bear's signature style of pairing dark, introspective lyrical content with driving, melodic production is on full display, making the track a standout in their Vocaloid catalog.
In maimai, the song's difficulty ratings have been revised upward across multiple versions, reflecting its enduring challenge. The MASTER chart, designed by 玉子豆腐 (Tamagodoufu), carries a level constant of 12.7, near the ceiling of the 12+ bracket, with 583 notes and a dense slide-heavy layout. The EXPERT chart by はっぴー (Happy) sits at 10.6, offering a demanding gate into the song's higher-level patterns. A self-remix, アルカリレットウセイ -TearDrop Flavor-, appears on Kairiki Bear's album ダーリンシンドローム, and the maimai version uses a shortened 2:05 edit of the original track.
Videos
Charts
Trivia
- アルカリレットウセイ serves as the character theme of Ririka (魔法少女リリカ), a playable hero in the competitive smartphone game #COMPASS (コンパス).
- The song was added to maimai MiLK on March 20, 2018, and later crossed over into CHUNITHM STAR PLUS (March 2018) and オンゲキ R.E.D. PLUS (June 2021).
- A self-remix titled アルカリレットウセイ -TearDrop Flavor- is included on Kairiki Bear's album ダーリンシンドローム (Darling Syndrome).
- The maimai version is a shortened 2:05 edit; the full version used in CHUNITHM and オンゲキ runs 2:21.
- In Asian English releases of maimai, the title is romanized as Arukari Rettousei and the artist as Kairiki Bear.
- The music video was created by the artist (ﾉω･､).
- The title is a pun combining アルカリ (alkali) with レットウセイ, a phonetic play on 劣等生 (inferior student), a phrase that appears in the song's lyrics.
- The MASTER chart (designed by 玉子豆腐) has a level constant of 12.7, placing it among the higher-tier songs in the 12+ difficulty range.
- The song's difficulty has been revised multiple times: originally rated Basic 4 / Advanced 6 / Expert 9 / Master 11 in MiLK, it has gradually increased through the DX era to its present ratings of 6 / 7 / 10+ / 12+.
- The EXPERT chart (designed by はっぴー) and MASTER chart (designed by 玉子豆腐) are both pre-DX Standard charts with no Touch notes, carrying forward the original MiLK note composition.
FAQ
- Who composed アルカリレットウセイ?
- アルカリレットウセイ was composed, arranged, and written by Kairiki Bear (かいりきベア), with vocals by Hatsune Miku.
- Which maimai version added アルカリレットウセイ?
- The song was added to maimai MiLK on March 20, 2018, and remains available in all regions (Japan, International, USA, and China).
- What is the meaning behind the title アルカリレットウセイ?
- The title is a wordplay combining アルカリ (alkali/alkaline) with レットウセイ, a phonetic play on 劣等生 (inferior student). The lyrics directly reference this with the line '無個性 劣等生 聞きたくないよ' (I don't want to hear 'plain, inferior student'), tying into the song's themes of self-doubt and a yearning for acceptance.
- What difficulty levels does アルカリレットウセイ have in maimai?
- The song has four Standard chart difficulties: Basic (Lv6), Advanced (Lv7), Expert (Lv10+, constant 10.6), and Master (Lv12+, constant 12.7). No Re:Master chart exists for this song.
- Who designed the charts for アルカリレットウセイ?
- The EXPERT chart was designed by はっぴー (Happy), and the MASTER chart was designed by 玉子豆腐 (Tamagodoufu).
- What is the connection between アルカリレットウセイ and #COMPASS?
- アルカリレットウセイ was originally created as the character theme of Ririka (魔法少女リリカ) for the competitive smartphone game #COMPASS (コンパス). It later appeared in SEGA's rhythm games including maimai, CHUNITHM, and オンゲキ.
- Has the difficulty of アルカリレットウセイ changed over time in maimai?
- Yes, significantly. Originally rated Basic 4 / Advanced 6 / Expert 9 / Master 11 in MiLK, it was gradually increased through the DX era to its current ratings of Basic 6 / Advanced 7 / Expert 10+ / Master 12+, reflecting its sustained challenge and player feedback.
- Does アルカリレットウセイ have a remix or alternate version?
- Yes. A self-remix titled アルカリレットウセイ -TearDrop Flavor- appears on Kairiki Bear's album ダーリンシンドローム (Darling Syndrome). Additionally, the maimai version is a shortened 2:05 edit, while the full 2:21 version is used in CHUNITHM and オンゲキ.
