Overview
PON PON PON is the debut single of Japanese singer and fashion icon Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ), released on July 20, 2011, and later included on her debut album もしもし原宿 (Moshi Moshi Harajuku) and the follow-up ぱみゅぱみゅレボリューション (Pamyu Pamyu Revolution). The track was produced by Yasutaka Nakata (中田ヤスタカ), the electronic-music producer widely known for his work with Perfume and his duo capsule. Nakata's signature blend of buoyant synth-pop, off-kilter beats, and candy-coated production defined Kyary's sound from the very start.
In the music-game world, PON PON PON enjoyed cross-company reach, it appeared in Bandai Namco's Taiko no Tatsujin and was previously playable in Konami's jubeat copious APPEND and Dance Evolution ARCADE. It landed in maimai at the game's very launch on July 11, 2012, making it one of the oldest tracks in the series. A distinctive quirk carried through all future maimai updates: PON PON PON was always the default song highlighted on the music selection screen when starting a fresh session, whether or not a player inserted a card. The song was removed from arcade distribution on March 19, 2015, and is no longer available in standard releases, though it persists in certain regional or offline builds.
The music video, directed by Jun Tajima (田島潤) with choreography by air:man, costumes by Kumiko Iijima (飯島久美子), and art decoration by Sebastian Masuda (増田セバスチャン), founder of the Harajuku boutique 6%DOKIDOKI, became a viral sensation that helped define the visual aesthetic of 2010s kawaii culture abroad. The chart set in maimai is modest in difficulty (Basic through Master at levels 4–9), and neither the Expert nor Master chart credits a named notes designer, a common trait for launch-era maimai content.
Videos
Charts
Trivia
- PON PON PON was Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's debut single, released July 20, 2011. It later appeared on her debut album もしもし原宿 (Moshi Moshi Harajuku) and her second album ぱみゅぱみゅレボリューション (Pamyu Pamyu Revolution).
- The song was produced, composed, arranged, and written by Yasutaka Nakata (中田ヤスタカ), the Japanese electronic producer behind Perfume and capsule, who went on to produce Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's entire studio-album catalog.
- The music video was directed by Jun Tajima (田島潤) with choreography by air:man, costumes by Kumiko Iijima (飯島久美子), and art decoration by Sebastian Masuda (増田セバスチャン), the founder of the Harajuku fashion label 6%DOKIDOKI.
- PON PON PON was added to maimai at the game's launch on July 11, 2012, and was removed from standard arcade distribution on March 19, 2015.
- In maimai, PON PON PON always appears as the default selected song when starting a new session, regardless of whether a player card is used.
- The Expert and Master charts in the original maimai do not credit a named notes designer, both are listed as (無し), meaning 'none', which was common for launch-window maimai charts.
- Beyond maimai, PON PON PON appeared in Bandai Namco's Taiko no Tatsujin and was historically playable in Konami's jubeat copious APPEND and Dance Evolution ARCADE.
- In Asian English versions of maimai and 舞萌 (the China version), the artist credit was romanized as 'Kyary Pamyu Pamyu', whereas the original Japanese arcade release used きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ［PV］.
- The genre classification for PON PON PON changed over maimai's lifetime: it was categorized as J-POP in maimai and PLUS, became POPS from GreeN through ORANGE, and is listed under POPS＆アニメ in the DX-era genre system.
- At 1:41 in length, PON PON PON is one of the shorter songs in maimai's library, typical of pop singles from the era.
FAQ
- Who composed the song PON PON PON?
- PON PON PON was composed, arranged, and written by Japanese electronic-music producer Yasutaka Nakata (中田ヤスタカ), best known for his work with Perfume and his duo capsule.
- When was PON PON PON added to maimai and when was it removed?
- PON PON PON was part of maimai's launch lineup on July 11, 2012, and was removed from standard arcade distribution on March 19, 2015.
- What difficulty levels does PON PON PON have in maimai?
- PON PON PON has four Standard difficulties: Basic at Level 4, Advanced at Level 7, Expert at Level 8, and Master at Level 9. No DX (Deluxe) chart was ever added.
- Who designed the maimai charts for PON PON PON?
- None of the four charts credit a specific notes designer. The Expert and Master charts are explicitly marked as (無し), 'none', which was typical for launch-era maimai content before the game began routinely listing chart creators.
- Why is PON PON PON always selected by default in maimai?
- PON PON PON is hardcoded as the default song highlighted on the music selection screen when a new game begins, whether or not the player inserts a card. This behavior persisted through all updates before the song's removal.
- What other rhythm games feature PON PON PON?
- Beyond maimai, PON PON PON appeared in Bandai Namco's Taiko no Tatsujin and was previously available in Konami's jubeat copious APPEND and Dance Evolution ARCADE.
- Is PON PON PON still playable in maimai today?
- No. PON PON PON was removed from standard maimai arcade releases on March 19, 2015. It may still be accessible in certain regional versions (such as 舞萌 in China) or offline test builds, but it is not present in current mainstream maimai DX cabinets.
