I did my best documenting my journey into this washing machine-looking arcade game.

Ever since Madekuji-san taught me how to play maimai DX in Cebu (of all places!) last February, it has become my go-to hobby. Maybe it’s because of the top-load washing machine jokes. Maybe it was because of the memes posted on Music Game Hell.

Maybe it was because of the VTuber content it has, mostly from KAF, Patra Suou, NIJISANJI JP, HIMEHINA, Omega Sisters, etc. Yeah, I got really hooked.

Timeline

  • February 22-23, 2025: First time playing in Cebu
  • May 24, 2025: I met with MaDe again to play one more session. That’s where I got convinced to get an aime card 1 to save my scores and track game progress.
  • July 5, 2025: Finally bought an aime card as I started to record some of my sessions and post on YouTube.
  • August 10, 2025: After playing Basic charts, maimai told me to play an Advanced chart in order to get maimiles 2.
  • August 17, 2025: Got my first All Perfect play – Drivessover by Taishi.
  • August 23, 2025: Attended by first maimai tournament, where I helped Maxbeat Philippines document photos.
  • August 30, 2025: Visited Timezone Glorietta for the first time in a long while to play a session. This happened to be the final Saturday of the arcade before it gets renovated alongside the mall itself.
  • September 6, 2025: Got my first S+ on Expert chart – ハム太郎とっとこうた (Hamtaro tottoko uta). Sadly this was not saved because internet got cut off before the session ends (it was closing time and the arcade had to wrap up for the day). I decided to try the Class mode (段位認定, Dan mode) 3 afterwards.
  • September 16, 2025: Successfully played with three of my friends in 2 cabinets. Each of us had a single song choice.
  • October 5-6, 2025: Played maimai all weekend as a late-birthday celebration, alongside a major cosplay event at SMX Manila. That was the first time I went all-out as I want to reach 9,000 DX points 4.
  • October 07, 2025: Finally understood how to play Friend Matching (オトモダチ対戦) 5 works.

My favorite maimai songs

  1. 系ぎて (Tsunagite) by rintaro soma has to be first on the list. No matter how much I choke 6, I just enjoy this song.
  2. Overjoy ★ OVERDOSE!! motivated me enough to clear it on a Full Combo. I played this chart around 4 times on Advanced to reach SSS rating 7 8.
  3. Signature was a song I got easily hooked into while I was trying to raise my DX score. At 128 BPM, it was slow enough for my stamina to keep up.
  4. Virtual to LIVE, which I understood as the NIJISANJI anthem, is another favorite. I’d love to play the Expert chart soon.
  5. I’ve heard Takenobu Mitsuyoshi’s covers on maimai charts, but ハム太郎とっとこうた was the one that led me to know more about the guy.
  6. crazy (about you) by kamome sano is a CHUNITHM original song that made its way to maimai International version sometime around September this year.
  7. M@GICAL☆CURE! LOVE ♥ SHOT! by SAWTOWNE, aka Miku Miku Beam, made its way into my Facebook news feed before I played it on maimai.
  8. Feel The Luv by EmoCosine was the first Perfect Challenge 9 song I cleared. I played this on Basic first, and afterwards I was confident in clearing it on Advanced.
  9. I’ve known [ソーラン☆節] (Soran Bushi) before maimai as well, thanks to Amane Kanata. Things have gone full circle and now Kanata is the vocals for CiRCLE CAMPAiGN, featured on the latest maimai installment, maimai CiRCLE.
  10. Believe the Rainbow actually had quite a colorful history. I played this 3 times.
  11. As a bonus – Don’t Fight The Music. One of my good friends introduced me to this song as a meme of sorts, but this O.N.G.E.K.I. original slaps.

Why did I got hooked into playing maimai?

I… actually was looking for Bibbidiba on maimai (the first time I played it, it was not yet released). I ended up playing CHUNITHM with my aime card first, just to play the hit Hoshimachi Suisei song.

I have a full exposition of my journey into the game, posted alongside my July 6 session:

[M]aimai is a good example of multi-level marketing. Imagine, a friend invites you over to play an arcade game that’s basically whack-a-mole but with music on what looks like a side-load washing machine.

Friend assures you during tutorial that things will be fine. You play two sets and can’t get enough of it. friend nudges you to get an aime card soon.

Fast forward to July, you bought an aime card and start loading up on game tokens. [M]aimai here [Quantum and Q Power Station] is around 50 pesos per game, so the two of you will spend [that amount] for a single session.

Maimai is a frequently-updated rhythm game that adds new stuff on [I assume] a monthly basis. That helps in keeping people hooked. On top of the several memes that the Music Game Hell pages on X/Twitter and Facebook share. On top of the 727 meme when you see it 10.

My benefit in sticking to maimai and going ham with the basics is to play all the VTuber songs. Then the Vocaloid songs. Then the [Pops & Anime] songs. Then you listen to the music as others play their session, some of them are monsters rooting to open the gates of Xaleid_scopiX 11. Suddenly, you are hearing a maimai song that you like for the first time.

You decided to play it on Basic, around levels 4 to 6. Lucky if it’s a level 2 chart, and luckier if you know your rhythm as you tap those 8 buttons on the side, as well as the touch screen.

You decide to join the local maimai community despite the reality that you are one hell of an introverted awkward goof. You hopped into several Quantum branches so much, you forgot you’re not expecting to hop around. You spend 50 to 200 pesos to satiate your maimai thirst.

Then you see those missions you need to complete and try your best to [do so]. Then you can’t live even for a week without playing maimai. You’re running on maimai-induced dopamine.

What makes me love maimai is the fact that I get to save memories of my sessions - keepsakes, to be exact. I have [maimai stuff somewhere in my photo album] to see how I’ve grown loving playing this game.

The thing is, it’s my first time to get serious in an arcade game. It started with VTuber music, and now I am rooting to raise my deluxe rating to 4k this weekend. You can also say it’s a good exercise to check on your stamina and hand-eye coordination.

If maimai was a multi-level marketing strategy, I’d say it’s on par with those energy supplements. It doesn’t make you rich in cash, but it [makes you happy].

After that post, I ended up getting motivated to raise my DX score – from 1,000, to 2,000, to 4,000 and now (after 147 plays) to 9,000.

Tracking the places where I played

In the Philippines, maimai DX is available in places all over Metro Manila, and some are available as far as Baguio, Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro. I’ve just kept track of the places where I play the game.

  1. “Use the aime card to play so you can enjoy more in maimai!” https://maimai.sega.com/play/ ↩︎

  2. “As a reward for completing the weekly missions, you will receive ‘maimile’ that you can use in the game!” https://maimai.sega.com/play/newfunction2/ ↩︎

  3. “Within the ‘段位認定’, you can play 4 requested songs continuously!” https://maimai.sega.com/play/newfunction3/ ↩︎

  4. “‘DX RATING’ is a total calculation from ‘New SONG RATING’ ‘BEST SONG RATING’.” https://maimai.sega.com/play/newfunction2/ ↩︎

  5. “Win as many matches as you can and aim for a higher class!” https://maimai.sega.com/play/newfunction2/ ↩︎

  6. Choke, i.e. getting caught off-guard, missing a step, and ending up messing the whole play. In most cases I just touch the sides of the screen not caring if I got the note right or not. ↩︎

  7. “Make sure you have achieved 80% or more to clear a song!” https://maimai.sega.com/play/howto/ ↩︎

  8. Reach a 100.5% score in order to get an SSS+ rating. All Perfect+ rating is at 101%. ↩︎

  9. ‘PERFECT CHALLENGE’ ends when the LIFE becomes 0! Focus on the game and try as hard as you can! https://maimai.sega.com/play/newfunction3/ ↩︎

  10. “727, also refered to as WYSI, abbreviation of WHEN YOU SEE IT, is an internet meme within the osu! community.” https://osugame.fandom.com/wiki/727 ↩︎

  11. “If you find a gate and key hidden somewhere in maimai world, a new ‘KALEIDXSCOPE’ mode will appear.” https://maimai.sega.com/play/newfunction2/ ↩︎