Overview
Just Be Friends is a VOCALOID original song by producer Dixie Flatline, featuring the voice of Megurine Luka (巡音ルカ). First released on the compilation album EXIT TUNES PRESENTS Vocaloanthems (2010), it became a breakthrough hit for Dixie Flatline, his first song to reach one million views. The track is a melancholic breakup ballad built around a looping piano motif and a gently driving beat, with Luka's vocals delivering the regret-tinged refrain "Just be friends. All we gotta do. Just be friends. It's time to say goodbye."
The song was added to maimai MURASAKi on June 6th, 2017, as part of the niconico & VOCALOID genre. Its in-game movie uses footage from Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Arcade, and the jacket artwork is a screenshot taken from that same video. Over the course of maimai DX version updates, the chart levels have been adjusted several times, the Expert chart climbed from its original level 9 to the current 10+, and the Master chart rose from 11+ to 12+, reflecting community consensus on their true difficulty. The Expert chart was designed by はっぴー (Happy), and the Master chart by Revo@LC, both known in the maimai charter scene for their distinct pattern-philosophy approaches.
Videos
Charts
Trivia
- Dixie Flatline's artist name is taken from a character in William Gibson's cyberpunk novel Neuromancer.
- Just Be Friends was the first song by Dixie Flatline to reach one million views on Nico Nico Douga, marking his mainstream breakthrough in the VOCALOID community.
- The song uses Megurine Luka as its vocalist, and her clear, slightly breathy tone fits the track's theme of reluctant farewell.
- In maimai, the song's background movie is sourced from Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Arcade, rather than an original animation created for the rhythm game.
- The in-game jacket for maimai is a screenshot from the Project DIVA Arcade video, while the CHUNITHM version received a unique jacket illustrated by Closure (SEGA).
- The Expert chart (designed by はっぴー) and Master chart (designed by Revo@LC) have both been re-leveled upward across multiple maimai DX versions as the player base discovered their true difficulty, Expert went from 9 to 10+, Master from 11+ to 12+.
- The Master chart at level 12+ (constant 12.8) contains 812 total notes with a notably high Slide count of 107, making it a density-heavy chart for its BPM of 128.
- Just Be Friends also appears in CHUNITHM STAR and later CHUNITHM SUPER STAR PLUS, where it was initially available as part of a limited Virtual Singer collaboration event before becoming default.
- Dixie Flatline is known for blending electronica, ballads, hip-hop rap, and R&B elements, Just Be Friends sits in his ballad style with subtle hip-hop rhythmic inflections in the verses.
- The full song length in maimai is 2 minutes and 25 seconds, a trimmed version of the original full track.
FAQ
- Who composed Just Be Friends?
- Dixie Flatline composed, arranged, and wrote the lyrics for Just Be Friends. It is a VOCALOID original song featuring Megurine Luka (巡音ルカ) as the vocalist.
- When was Just Be Friends added to maimai?
- Just Be Friends was added to maimai with the MURASAKi version on June 6th, 2017, classified under the niconico & VOCALOID genre.
- What are the current chart levels for Just Be Friends in maimai?
- As of the latest maimai DX version, the chart levels are: Basic 4, Advanced 7+, Expert 10+, and Master 12+. Both the Expert and Master charts have been rebalanced upward since their original release.
- Who designed the Expert and Master charts for Just Be Friends?
- The Expert chart was designed by はっぴー and the Master chart was designed by Revo@LC.
- What video is used for Just Be Friends in maimai?
- maimai uses footage from Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Arcade as the song's background movie. The jacket artwork is a screenshot taken from that same Project DIVA Arcade video.
- What album is Just Be Friends from?
- Just Be Friends was originally released on the compilation album EXIT TUNES PRESENTS Vocaloanthems (2010) before becoming a widely played VOCALOID classic.
- Does Just Be Friends appear in other rhythm games?
- Yes, Just Be Friends also appears in CHUNITHM STAR and CHUNITHM SUPER STAR PLUS, where it was initially a limited-time Virtual Singer collaboration unlock before becoming permanently available.
- What does the title Just Be Friends mean?
- The title and lyrics describe the painful decision to end a romantic relationship, with the repeated refrain 'Just be friends' functioning as both a farewell and an attempt to redefine the connection.
