Overview
絵の上手かった友達 ("My Old Friend Who Was Good At Drawing") is a Vocaloid song by prolific producer Pinocchio-P (ピノキオピー), featuring Hatsune Miku. Originally released on Pinocchio-P's 2014 album しぼう (Shibou), the track was added to the maimai rhythm game series as part of the niconico & VOCALOID genre in maimai PiNK on April 7, 2016.
The song stands out for its unusually introspective and emotionally complex lyrics. Set against a gentle, melancholic arrangement at 128 BPM, the narrative follows a boy and a girl at dusk, centering on themes of lost friendship and gender identity, the Japanese lyrics reference 性別のズれ (gender discrepancy), a topic rarely addressed directly in Vocaloid music of this era. The narrator recalls a friend who excelled at drawing, the imaginary worlds they created together, and the regret of words left unsaid. The music video was directed by Morii Kenshirou (森井ケンシロウ).
In maimai, the song received four Standard charts. The Expert chart (level 8+, designed by mai-Star) and Master chart (level 12, designed by はっぴー) offer distinct challenge progressions. The Master chart underwent several level revisions across maimai versions, debuting at 10+ in PiNK, it was gradually re-rated upward through 11 and 11+ before settling at 12 in the maimai DX series. The song was removed from the maimai DX arcade lineup beginning with UNiVERSE PLUS in September 2021, and was also absent from Asian and Chinese regional releases. In Asian English localizations, the song was displayed as "My Old Friend Who Was Good At Drawing" by PinocchioP.
Videos
Charts
Trivia
- The song was composed, arranged, and written entirely by Pinocchio-P (ピノキオピー), a Vocaloid producer known for tracks such as Melody and Nobody Makes Sense. Vocals are provided by Hatsune Miku.
- It originally appeared on Pinocchio-P's third album しぼう (Shibou, meaning 'Death'), released in 2014, a contrast between the album's morbid title and the song's tender, nostalgic tone.
- The official music video was directed by Morii Kenshirou (森井ケンシロウ), an animator recognized for his work on numerous Vocaloid PVs.
- The lyrics contain the line 性別のズれ (gender discrepancy), making this one of the few Vocaloid tracks in maimai's roster to explicitly engage with gender identity themes, woven into a broader story of regret and lost connection.
- The Master chart's difficulty level changed multiple times over the song's lifespan: 10+ in maimai PiNK, 10 in PiNK PLUS, 11 from MURASAKi through MiLK PLUS, 11+ in FiNALE, and finally 12 in the maimai DX series.
- 絵の上手かった友達 was removed from Japanese maimai DX cabinets with the UNiVERSE PLUS update on September 16, 2021, and was also cut from Asian and Chinese regional versions of the game.
- In Asian English localizations, the song was retitled 'My Old Friend Who Was Good At Drawing' and the artist was listed as 'PinocchioP.'
- The song does not appear in any other music game outside the maimai series.
- The Expert chart (level 8+, constant 8.6) was designed by mai-Star, and the Master chart (level 12, constant 12.0) was designed by はっぴー (Happy).
FAQ
- Who composed 絵の上手かった友達?
- The song was composed, arranged, and written by Pinocchio-P (ピノキオピー), with vocals provided by Hatsune Miku.
- What is 絵の上手かった友達 about?
- The lyrics tell a bittersweet story about a boy and a girl at twilight, touching on themes of lost friendship, gender identity (性別のズれ), and nostalgia for a friend who was skilled at drawing imaginary worlds.
- When was 絵の上手かった友達 added to maimai?
- It was added to maimai PiNK on April 7, 2016, as part of the niconico & VOCALOID genre.
- Was 絵の上手かった友達 removed from maimai?
- Yes, the song was removed from Japanese maimai DX cabinets with the UNiVERSE PLUS update on September 16, 2021, and was also excluded from Asian and Chinese regional versions.
- What is the English title of 絵の上手かった友達?
- In Asian English localizations of maimai, the title was displayed as 'My Old Friend Who Was Good At Drawing' by PinocchioP.
- What album is 絵の上手かった友達 from?
- The song was originally released on Pinocchio-P's 2014 album しぼう (Shibou).
- Who designed the Expert and Master charts for 絵の上手かった友達?
- The Expert chart was designed by mai-Star, and the Master chart was designed by はっぴー (Happy).
- How difficult is the Master chart for 絵の上手かった友達?
- The Master chart is rated level 12 with a difficulty constant of 12.0, featuring 676 notes (576 Tap, 12 Hold, 82 Slide, 6 Break). It was originally rated lower at 10+ on debut and was gradually re-rated upward across maimai versions.
