Overview
Sky High [Reborn] is a rearranged version of Sky High, the EXPERT course theme from SEGA's 1993 arcade racing classic Daytona USA, a track originally composed by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi. The arrangement was handled by Hiroshi Okubo of Bandai Namco Studios, a veteran sound creator best known for his work on the Ridge Racer series, and features vocals by Chizuru Miura. It belongs to maimai's [Reborn] series, a collection of tracks in which iconic SEGA game music was reimagined by prominent composers from across the Japanese game industry.
Okubo's arrangement departs substantially from Mitsuyoshi's original: where the source track is driven by bold brass and a powerful male vocal performance, Sky High [Reborn] is built around a piano foundation with layered female choruses, giving it a polished, airy character that matches its title's imagery of wide blue skies. This cross-company collaboration traces back to a 2012 PS Vita Ridge Racer DLC for which Okubo arranged a track featuring Mitsuyoshi on vocals, a project that established the working relationship and paved the way for this maimai commission.
Videos
Charts
STD
BASIC
5(5)
135 notesDesigner: -|Tap 123Hold 2Slide 6Break 4
ADVANCED
8(8)
285 notesDesigner: -|Tap 251Hold 19Slide 6Break 9
EXPERT
10+(10.6)
340 notesDesigner: 譜面-100号|Tap 244Hold 79Slide 15Break 2
MASTER
12+(12.7)
428 notesDesigner: mai-Star|Tap 316Hold 73Slide 36Break 3
Re:MASTER
12+(12.7)
611 notesDesigner: Techno Kitchen|Tap 475Hold 43Slide 64Break 29
Trivia
- Sky High [Reborn] was added to maimai PLUS on February 20th, 2013, and later received a Standard Re:Master chart on October 30th, 2020 to celebrate the release of the maimai ALL PERFECT COLLECTiON soundtrack album.
- The Re:Master chart was initially announced under the placeholder title "? [Reborn]" before its official name was confirmed.
- Unlike the original Sky High, which features only English lyrics, the [Reborn] arrangement includes both English and Japanese lyrics.
- The arrangement represents a cross-company collaboration between SEGA (Daytona USA) and Bandai Namco Studios, facilitated by a prior joint project, a Ridge Racer DLC for PS Vita that also paired Okubo as arranger with Mitsuyoshi as vocalist.
- The full-length version of the arrangement, titled "Sky High [Reborn] (Full Ver.)", appears on the maimai SEGA Sounds Vol.3 soundtrack album.
- The song's in-game jacket was updated in maimai でらっくす Splash to add the song title text onto the artwork.
- In early maimai versions (GreeN PLUS and older, including the Chinese version 舞萌), the artist credit used "NBSI" instead of "BNGI".
- The track's in-game genre has shifted across maimai versions: it debuted as ANIME & GAME, later cycled through GAME, SEGA, and ORIGINAL, and has settled on GAME & VARIETY since maimai でらっくす PLUS.
- Arranger Hiroshi Okubo has stated in a comment that he aimed to evoke the feeling of high blue skies from the original game while crafting a deliberately different sonic color from the source track.
- The vocalist Chizuru Miura provides the female chorus work that defines the arrangement's character, a notable contrast to Takenobu Mitsuyoshi's original male vocal delivery.
FAQ
- Who arranged Sky High [Reborn] for maimai?
- The arrangement was created by Hiroshi Okubo of Bandai Namco Studios, a veteran sound creator known for his work on the Ridge Racer series. The original Sky High was composed by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi for SEGA's Daytona USA.
- What is the [Reborn] series in maimai?
- The [Reborn] series in maimai features classic SEGA game music rearranged by well-known composers from across the Japanese game industry. Sky High [Reborn] is the Daytona USA entry in this series.
- When was the Re:Master chart for Sky High [Reborn] added?
- The Standard Re:Master chart was added on October 30th, 2020, during the maimai でらっくす Splash version, as part of the maimai ALL PERFECT COLLECTiON release celebration.
- Who designed the Sky High [Reborn] charts?
- The Expert chart was designed by 譜面-100号, the Master chart by mai-Star, and the Re:Master chart by Techno Kitchen. The Basic and Advanced charts do not have credited designers.
- How does Sky High [Reborn] differ from the original Daytona USA version?
- The original Sky High features bold brass instrumentation and a male vocal performance by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi with English-only lyrics. Okubo's arrangement uses a piano foundation with female vocals by Chizuru Miura and includes both English and Japanese lyrics, creating a smoother, more polished sound.
- What was the original context for the Hiroshi Okubo and Takenobu Mitsuyoshi collaboration?
- Okubo and Mitsuyoshi first collaborated on a PS Vita Ridge Racer DLC in 2012, where Okubo arranged a track and Mitsuyoshi provided vocals. That project established the partnership that later led to the Sky High [Reborn] commission for maimai.
- Which maimai version first included Sky High [Reborn]?
- Sky High [Reborn] was added to maimai PLUS on February 20th, 2013, making it one of the earlier licensed arrangements in the series.
External Links
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