Overview
PANDORA PARADOXXX is a maimai original composition by 削除 (Sakuzyo), released on May 10, 2019 as the climactic final reward of the PANDORA BOXXX event in maimai FiNALE. Sakuzyo himself described the track on Twitter as "complex music with a chaotic and dramatic story," a characterization borne out by its relentless stream of irregular time signatures and BPM shifts that sweep between 150 and 225 across the song's two-and-a-half-minute runtime. The music video, produced by Taiyo Yamamoto, is notable for its visual callback to the series itself: the emblems of every maimai version from the original through FiNALE appear in sequence, grounding the song as a summation of the arcade line up to that point.
Videos
Charts
STD
BASIC
7+(7.6)
307 notesDesigner: -|Tap 257Hold 29Slide 15Break 6
ADVANCED
11(11)
568 notesDesigner: -|Tap 482Hold 63Slide 10Break 13
EXPERT
13+(13.9)
855 notesDesigner: 譜面-100号|Tap 613Hold 72Slide 121Break 49
MASTER
14+(14.9)
1309 notesDesigner: PANDORA BOXXX|Tap 1017Hold 98Slide 117Break 77
Re:MASTER
15(15)
1342 notesDesigner: PANDORA PARADOXXX|Tap 1165Hold 72Slide 90Break 15
Trivia
- The selection of PANDORA PARADOXXX through the PANDORA BOXXX event triggers an approximately 14-second cinematic video before the chart begins, during which the jacket is obscured by the FiNALE emblem and only the BPM is displayed.
- In the PANDORA BOXXX selection screen, the song title is rendered in stylized lettering as PΛNDΘRΛ PΛRΛDΘXXX, using Greek-style characters.
- The MASTER and Re:MASTER chart credits are the name of the event (PANDORA BOXXX) and the song title itself, rather than individual designer pseudonyms. The KALEIDXSCOPE fanbook later revealed that Safata designed the MASTER chart and Happy designed the Re:MASTER chart, describing their process as each creating a 'limit-breaking' chart and selecting the more balanced one for MASTER and the more entertainment-driven one for Re:MASTER.
- The Re:MASTER chart was the first Level 15 in maimai history. It debuted as Level 14 in FiNALE and was raised to 15 when maimai でらっくす PLUS introduced the expanded 15-level scale. It remained the only Level 15 until 系ぎて (Tsunagite) was added in maimai DX BUDDiES.
- No one managed to unlock PANDORA PARADOXXX on the first day of the PANDORA BOXXX event, a phenomenon that had not occurred since Panopticon. The Re:MASTER chart proved even more demanding; the first player to unlock it did so at LIFE50 on the unlock gauge.
- At the time of its release, the Re:MASTER chart held the highest note count (1,342) among all non-宴会場 (banquet) charts in maimai, a record that stood until Latent Kingdom (1,371 notes) was added.
- The song's MV depicts the evolution of the maimai version emblem across each major iteration, from the original through to MURASAKi, MiLK, and finally FiNALE, linking the track visually to the entire history of the series up to that point.
- The Re:MASTER chart was effectively barred from competitive play in the first three KING of Performai national finals as a self-selectable song. In the 4th tournament it became selectable but only during the final match under rules that prevented duplicate picks. Paradoxically, in the 5th tournament's grand finals, it was chosen by the organizers as the designated tiebreaker when players' self-selections overlapped.
- A sequel titled AFTER PANDORA was later released in maimai ALL PERFECT COLLECTiON, picking up the narrative threads of this song. It was also added to maimai DX PRiSM PLUS and the KALEIDXSCOPE area as its third track in July 2025, approximately six years after the original.
- The song's BPM is listed as 150, but sections ramp up to 225 during the final stretch. Combined with frequent meter changes, including 5/8, 12/16, and 15/8, this makes the piece one of the most rhythmically complex original tracks in the maimai library.
- PANDORA PARADOXXX also appears in CHUNITHM X-VERSE-X as a 15+ chart, making it one of the highest-difficulty crossover songs across the Performai game series.
FAQ
- Who composed PANDORA PARADOXXX?
- PANDORA PARADOXXX was composed and arranged by 削除 (Sakuzyo, real name Mitsuki Yoshida), a prolific Japanese doujin and rhythm-game composer known for tracks such as Altale, Error, and the FREEDOM DiVE series.
- What version of maimai introduced PANDORA PARADOXXX?
- The song was added to maimai FiNALE on May 10, 2019, as the final unlockable track of the PANDORA BOXXX event. It became available by default starting with maimai でらっくす.
- What is the BPM of PANDORA PARADOXXX?
- The base BPM is 150, with sections accelerating to 200 and ultimately 225 during the final passage. The song also features frequent time signature changes including 5/8, 12/16, 15/8, and 6/8.
- What difficulty level is the Re:MASTER chart of PANDORA PARADOXXX?
- The Re:MASTER chart carries a level of 15 with a difficulty constant of 15.0. It was the first Level 15 in maimai history, originally debuted at Level 14 in FiNALE and elevated to 15 with the でらっくす PLUS revision.
- Who designed the charts for PANDORA PARADOXXX?
- The Expert chart was designed by 譜面-100号 (Fumen -100 gou). The MASTER and Re:MASTER charts were credited as PANDORA BOXXX and PANDORA PARADOXXX respectively, though the KALEIDXSCOPE fanbook later confirmed these were created by Safata (MASTER) and Happy (Re:MASTER).
- Does PANDORA PARADOXXX have a sequel?
- Yes. A sequel titled AFTER PANDORA was released in maimai ALL PERFECT COLLECTiON and later appeared in maimai DX PRiSM PLUS and the KALEIDXSCOPE area as its third track, added on July 13, 2025.
- How was PANDORA PARADOXXX originally unlocked?
- The song was the final reward of the PANDORA BOXXX event. Players had to collect six BOXXX emblems (requiring a minimum of seven credits) and successfully clear the event song to unlock PANDORA PARADOXXX and its Re:MASTER chart. Failure meant starting the emblem collection from scratch.
- What makes the Re:MASTER chart of PANDORA PARADOXXX so notable?
- Besides being the first Level 15 in the series, the Re:MASTER chart is infamous for its physically demanding patterns, including a clockwise 24-note rolling section followed by a counter-clockwise variant with short holds, and a closing 137-note burst at BPM 225. It was deliberately designed by Happy to push the arcade cabinet's input system to its limits, requiring players to use both the buttons and touch screen in unconventional ways.
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