Who composed the original melody of YA･DA･YO [Reborn]?

The original melody comes from the final boss theme of Sega's Fantasy Zone (1986), composed by Hiroshi Kawaguchi (credited as Hiro).

Who arranged YA･DA･YO [Reborn] for maimai?

The arrangement was created by Yuzo Koshiro (古代祐三), a legendary game music composer known for Streets of Rage, Etrian Odyssey, and many other Sega titles.

What does YA･DA･YO mean?

YA･DA･YO (やだよ) is a casual Japanese phrase meaning 'No way!' or 'I don't want to!', it was used as the song's title and hook at Yuzo Koshiro's request, with the rapper asked to sprinkle the phrase throughout the track.

Who performs the vocals on YA･DA･YO [Reborn]?

The rap vocals are performed by Keith WildChild Middleton, who was asked by Yuzo Koshiro to incorporate the Japanese phrase 'YADAYO' into the English-language rap.

When was YA･DA･YO [Reborn] added to maimai?

It was added to maimai PLUS on February 20, 2013, as part of the [Reborn] series of classic Sega music arrangements.

When was the Re:MASTER chart for YA･DA･YO [Reborn] added?

The Re:MASTER chart was added on November 20, 2025, with the launch of maimai でらっくす CiRCLE, over 12 years after the song's original debut. In Asian regions it arrived on March 27, 2026.

Who designed the charts for YA･DA･YO [Reborn]?

The Expert and Master charts were designed by 譜面-100号, while the Re:MASTER chart was designed by Safata.Hz. The Basic and Advanced charts have no credited designer.

What BPM is YA･DA･YO [Reborn]?

The song runs at a steady 105 BPM throughout.

How many notes are in the Re:MASTER chart of YA･DA･YO [Reborn]?

The Re:MASTER chart totals 666 notes: 512 Taps, 48 Holds, 54 Slides, and 52 Breaks, the highest note count of any chart for this song.

YA･DA･YO [Reborn], maimai PLUS Song (Yuzo Koshiro's Fantasy Zone R...

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Overview

YA･DA･YO [Reborn] is a funk-driven rap arrangement of the final boss theme from Sega's 1986 arcade shooter Fantasy Zone, created by legendary composer Yuzo Koshiro (古代祐三) for the maimai PLUS arcade rhythm game. The original melody was composed by Hiroshi Kawaguchi (Hiro), whose work on Space Harrier first sparked Koshiro's passion for game music during his student years, a debt Koshiro has openly acknowledged. Koshiro's arrangement takes the memorable Fantasy Zone final boss theme in an unexpected direction: a rap track featuring Keith WildChild Middleton on vocals, with the Japanese phrase "YA･DA･YO" (roughly "no way" or "I don't want to") woven throughout at Koshiro's specific request. Rather than a modern electronic sound, Koshiro deliberately aimed for a 90s record-sampling aesthetic, and tucked in a hidden easter egg for longtime fans, the stage boss BGM from Fantasy Zone appears in the latter half of the arrangement. Added to maimai PLUS on February 20, 2013, YA･DA･YO [Reborn] is part of the [Reborn] series, a collection of classic Sega game music boldly rearranged by prominent composers. Its in-game genre classification shifted multiple times across maimai versions before settling under GAME & VARIETY. The jacket artwork was updated starting with maimai でらっくす Splash to include the song title text. Over twelve years after its debut, a Re:MASTER chart by Safata.Hz was added in maimai でらっくす CiRCLE on November 20, 2025, featuring 666 total notes, the highest note count on any chart for this song. The Expert and Master charts, designed by 譜面-100号, are noted for the Expert difficulty's irregular off-beat rhythms in the first half giving way to unexpectedly dense 8th-note streams.

Videos

Re:MASTER chart

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Master chart

Open

Expert chart

Open

Charts

STD

BASIC

4(4)

106 notesDesigner: -|Tap 88Hold 10Slide 4Break 4

YouTube

ADVANCED

8+(8.6)

246 notesDesigner: -|Tap 225Hold 6Slide 11Break 4

YouTube

EXPERT

13(13)

534 notesDesigner: 譜面-100号|Tap 515Hold 1Slide 8Break 10

View chart YouTube

MASTER

13(13.4)

513 notesDesigner: 譜面-100号|Tap 473Hold 16Slide 10Break 14

View chart YouTube

Re:MASTER

14(14.4)

666 notesDesigner: Safata.Hz|Tap 512Hold 48Slide 54Break 52

View chart YouTube

Trivia

YA･DA･YO [Reborn] belongs to the [Reborn] series on maimai, where famous composers created bold new arrangements of classic Sega game music.
The original Fantasy Zone final boss theme was composed by Hiroshi Kawaguchi (credited as Hiro), who also composed Space Harrier, the game that inspired a young Yuzo Koshiro to pursue game music composition.
Koshiro specifically requested that rapper Keith WildChild Middleton sprinkle the Japanese phrase 'YA･DA･YO' throughout the lyrics, though the rap's overall lyrical content diverges from the original song's 'hidden' lyrics.
The arrangement includes a musical easter egg: the stage boss BGM from Fantasy Zone appears in the latter half of the track, a detail Koshiro pointed out in his artist comment for series veterans to catch.
Koshiro deliberately produced the track with a 90s record-sampling texture rather than a modern electro sound, reflecting his fondness for that era's production aesthetic.
YA･DA･YO [Reborn]'s in-game genre changed multiple times across maimai versions: ANIME & GAME (PLUS) → GAME (GreeN–ORANGE+) → SEGA (PiNK–FiNALE) → ORIGINAL (でらっくす) → GAME & VARIETY (でらっくす PLUS onward).
The jacket artwork was updated in maimai でらっくす Splash to add the song title text; earlier versions used textless artwork.
The Re:MASTER chart, added over 12 years after the song's original release, totals exactly 666 notes (512 Tap, 48 Hold, 54 Slide, 52 Break), the highest note count across all charts for this song.
In the Asian version of maimai, the Re:MASTER chart was added on March 27, 2026, several months after the Japanese version's November 20, 2025 addition.
A full-length version titled 'YA･DA･YO [Reborn] (Full Ver.)' appears on the maimai SEGA Sounds Vol.3 soundtrack album.
The Expert chart is known among players for its unusual structure: irregular off-beat (hane-rhythm) patterns in the first half, followed by dense 8th-note streams at a density rare for an Expert-difficulty chart.

FAQ

Who composed the original melody of YA･DA･YO [Reborn]?: The original melody comes from the final boss theme of Sega's Fantasy Zone (1986), composed by Hiroshi Kawaguchi (credited as Hiro).
Who arranged YA･DA･YO [Reborn] for maimai?: The arrangement was created by Yuzo Koshiro (古代祐三), a legendary game music composer known for Streets of Rage, Etrian Odyssey, and many other Sega titles.
What does YA･DA･YO mean?: YA･DA･YO (やだよ) is a casual Japanese phrase meaning 'No way!' or 'I don't want to!', it was used as the song's title and hook at Yuzo Koshiro's request, with the rapper asked to sprinkle the phrase throughout the track.
Who performs the vocals on YA･DA･YO [Reborn]?: The rap vocals are performed by Keith WildChild Middleton, who was asked by Yuzo Koshiro to incorporate the Japanese phrase 'YADAYO' into the English-language rap.
When was YA･DA･YO [Reborn] added to maimai?: It was added to maimai PLUS on February 20, 2013, as part of the [Reborn] series of classic Sega music arrangements.
When was the Re:MASTER chart for YA･DA･YO [Reborn] added?: The Re:MASTER chart was added on November 20, 2025, with the launch of maimai でらっくす CiRCLE, over 12 years after the song's original debut. In Asian regions it arrived on March 27, 2026.
Who designed the charts for YA･DA･YO [Reborn]?: The Expert and Master charts were designed by 譜面-100号, while the Re:MASTER chart was designed by Safata.Hz. The Basic and Advanced charts have no credited designer.
What BPM is YA･DA･YO [Reborn]?: The song runs at a steady 105 BPM throughout.
How many notes are in the Re:MASTER chart of YA･DA･YO [Reborn]?: The Re:MASTER chart totals 666 notes: 512 Taps, 48 Holds, 54 Slides, and 52 Breaks, the highest note count of any chart for this song.