Overview
Garden is a cover of the Sugar Soul J-POP song, performed by May J. and included among the launch titles of the original maimai arcade cabinet in July 2012. The original composition was written by Sugar Soul and Kenji Furuya, with lyrics credited to Sugar Soul, Diggy-MO' (frontman of the group SOUL'd OUT), Clench, Mr. Blistah, and May J. herself, a collaboration rooted in the late-1990s Japanese R&B and hip-hop scene. At 99 BPM and roughly 1:36 in length, the track carries a gentle, mid-tempo melody with lyrics centered on a "garden of love" (愛の庭), weaving imagery of flowers, clouds, wind, and light into a theme of unity and shared peace.
In maimai, Garden has had an unusually eventful chart history for a launch title. Its Master chart originally debuted at level 10 on the original cabinet, was lowered to level 9 in maimai PLUS, and eventually settled at level 8 from maimai GreeN onward, a two-step rebalancing that reflects the early standardization of the series' difficulty scale. None of Garden's four Standard charts carry a credited notes designer. The song's in-game genre classification also shifted over time: it launched under J-POP, was reassigned to POPS from maimai GreeN onward, and now sits in the POPS & アニメ category in the DX era. Garden also appears in the Chinese version of the game (舞萌), making it one of the few songs shared across both regional releases from the very beginning.
Videos
Charts
Trivia
- Garden was one of the songs available at the launch of the original maimai arcade cabinet on July 11, 2012, making it a day-one title in the series.
- The track is a cover by May J., a Japanese R&B and pop singer who has performed theme songs for anime series (Fairy Tail, Blood-C), films, and video games, and is also known as a television personality.
- The original Garden was performed by Sugar Soul, a Japanese R&B/hip-hop group active in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The lyrics were co-written by Diggy-MO', best known as the vocalist and frontman of the popular hip-hop group SOUL'd OUT.
- The Master chart of Garden underwent two difficulty reductions across successive versions: level 10 in the original maimai, level 9 in maimai PLUS, and level 8 from maimai GreeN onward, an unusual degree of rebalancing that reflects the early evolution of the game's difficulty standards.
- No notes designer is credited for any of Garden's Standard charts across any version of maimai, a rarity for later titles but not uncommon among launch-era songs.
- The song's genre label changed between versions: J-POP in maimai and maimai PLUS, then POPS from maimai GreeN through maimai ORANGE, before being categorized under POPS & アニメ in the DX series.
- Garden was also included in the Chinese release of maimai (舞萌), making it one of the launch songs shared across both the Japanese and Chinese regional versions.
- The Japanese lyrics of Garden revolve around the imagery of a 'garden of love' (愛の庭), with references to endless darkness, nameless flowers, wind, rain, and sunlight, evoking a peaceful, communal gathering under nature.
- The song's credits list multiple lyricists, Sugar Soul, Diggy-MO', Clench, Mr. Blistah, and May J., reflecting its origin as a collaborative piece from the Japanese R&B and hip-hop scene.
FAQ
- Who composed Garden in maimai?
- Garden was composed by Sugar Soul and Kenji Furuya. The lyrics were written by Sugar Soul, Diggy-MO', Clench, Mr. Blistah, and May J.
- What version of maimai is Garden from?
- Garden was included at the launch of the original maimai arcade cabinet on July 11, 2012, making it a day-one song in the series.
- Who sings Garden in maimai?
- The version of Garden in maimai is a cover performed by May J., a Japanese R&B and pop singer. The original song was performed by Sugar Soul.
- What difficulty level is Garden's Master chart in maimai?
- Garden's Master chart is currently level 8 in the DX series. It originally debuted at level 10 in the original maimai, was lowered to level 9 in maimai PLUS, and finally settled at level 8 from maimai GreeN onward.
- Is Garden a cover song in maimai?
- Yes, Garden is credited as a cover by May J. The original song was performed by the Japanese R&B/hip-hop group Sugar Soul.
- What are the lyrics of Garden about?
- The Japanese lyrics of Garden center on a 'garden of love' (愛の庭), describing themes of unity, peace, and connection through natural imagery, flowers, clouds, wind, water, and sunlight. Lines like 'One Love' and 'One Peace' reinforce a message of shared harmony.
- Who designed the charts for Garden in maimai?
- No notes designer is credited for any of Garden's Standard charts. The designer fields are blank across all four difficulties (Basic, Advanced, Expert, Master) on every version of the game.
- Does Garden appear in the Chinese version of maimai?
- Yes, Garden was also included in 舞萌, the Chinese release of maimai, as one of the launch songs shared between the Japanese and Chinese versions.
