Overview
"吾輩よ猫であれ" is the debut single of Lyrical Lily, a unit from Bushiroad's D4DJ multimedia franchise that blends pop vocals with DJ-style electronic production. The title is a deliberate twist on Natsume Soseki's century-old novel "I Am a Cat" (吾輩は猫である), where Soseki's famous opening line declares feline identity, Lyrical Lily's version rephrases it as a wish: "Let me be a cat" or "I wish I were a cat." The single was originally released on December 16, 2020, and the track made its way into maimai DX as part of the UNiVERSE PLUS update on April 15, 2022. It was exclusive to the Chinese (CN) arcade region and was ultimately removed from the game on March 13, 2025, making it a discontinued song only accessible to players who downloaded it before its removal. Both the Expert and Master charts were designed by the notes designer はっぴー (Happy). The Master chart sits at level 12 with a constant of 12.2, featuring 558 notes with a notably high Slide-note count of 90, a distinctive trait for a pop-song chart at that difficulty tier.
Videos
Charts
DX
BASIC
3(3)
121 notesDesigner: -|Tap 103Hold 7Slide 3Touch 7Break 1
ADVANCED
6(6)
231 notesDesigner: -|Tap 169Hold 23Slide 10Touch 25Break 4
EXPERT
8+(8.6)
348 notesDesigner: はっぴー|Tap 223Hold 72Slide 22Touch 25Break 6
MASTER
12(12.2)
558 notesDesigner: はっぴー|Tap 377Hold 56Slide 90Touch 27Break 8
Trivia
- 吾輩よ猫であれ was Lyrical Lily's debut single, released on December 16, 2020, before its addition to maimai DX about 16 months later.
- The title reworks Natsume Soseki's 1905 novel 吾輩は猫である (I Am a Cat) by swapping the declarative は (wa) for the volitional よ (yo) and changing である (dearu, 'is') to であれ (deare, 'let it be'), transforming a statement of identity into an expression of longing.
- The song was added to maimai DX UNiVERSE PLUS on April 15, 2022, exclusively for the Chinese (CN) region, and was delisted on March 13, 2025.
- Both the Expert (Lv 8+) and Master (Lv 12) DX charts were created by the notes designer はっぴー (Happy).
- The Master chart (level 12, constant 12.2) contains 90 Slide notes out of 558 total, an unusually high Slide proportion for a pop-genre song at this level.
- Two unlockable titles are associated with the song in maimai DX's collection system: playing 吾輩よ猫であれ and Photon Melodies in the same credit earns the title 'ディグラー' (Digger), and achieving FULL SYNC on the song unlocks '恋は宇宙的！何て宇宙的！' (Love is Cosmic! How Cosmic!).
FAQ
- Who performs the maimai song 吾輩よ猫であれ?
- The song is performed by Lyrical Lily, a unit from Bushiroad's D4DJ multimedia franchise. It was their debut single, originally released on December 16, 2020.
- What does the title 吾輩よ猫であれ mean?
- The title is a playful twist on Natsume Soseki's classic novel 吾輩は猫である (I Am a Cat). Where the novel's title declares 'I am a cat,' Lyrical Lily's version rephrases it as a wish: 'Let me be a cat' or 'I wish to be a cat.'
- When was 吾輩よ猫であれ added to maimai and is it still playable?
- It was added on April 15, 2022, as part of the maimai DX UNiVERSE PLUS update but was exclusive to the Chinese (CN) region. The song was removed from the game on March 13, 2025, and is no longer available to new players.
- What difficulty levels does 吾輩よ猫であれ have in maimai DX?
- The song has four DX chart difficulties: Basic (Lv 3), Advanced (Lv 6), Expert (Lv 8+, constant 8.6), and Master (Lv 12, constant 12.2).
- Who designed the charts for 吾輩よ猫であれ?
- Both the Expert and Master charts were designed by the notes designer はっぴー (Happy).
- Are there unlockable titles tied to 吾輩よ猫であれ in maimai DX?
- Yes. Playing 吾輩よ猫であれ and Photon Melodies in the same credit unlocks the title 'ディグラー' (Digger). Achieving FULL SYNC on the song unlocks the title '恋は宇宙的！何て宇宙的！' (Love is Cosmic! How Cosmic!).
- What is the BPM of 吾輩よ猫であれ?
- The song has a BPM of 136.
