Music / Kagerou Project

The Kagerou Project is a series of Vocaloid songs by producer Jin (Shizen no teki-P).

The songs in the series are the following:

• Songs originally released on Nico Nico Douga
  • Jinzou Enemy (Artificial Enemy)
  • Mekakushi Chord (Blindfold Chord)
  • Kagerou Daze (Heat-haze Daze)
    • The PV by Wannyanpuu^note this isn't canon
  • Headphone Actor
  • Souzou/Kuusou Forest (Imagination/Fantasy Forest)^note this song was initially titled Souzou Forest in the original upload, however, it was changed to Kuusou Forest for the album.
  • Konoha no Sekai Jijou (Konoha's State of the World)
  • Kisaragi Attention
  • Children Record
  • Yobanashi Deceive (Night Tales Deceive)
  • Lost Time Memory
  • Ayano no Koufuku Riron (Ayano's Happiness Theory)
  • Otsukimi Recital (Moon-Viewing Recital)
  • Yuukei Yesterday (Sunset Yesterday)
  • Outer Science
  • Summer Time Record
  • Shissou Word (Never Lost Word)^note Released December 29 2017
  • Additional Memory^note released September 14, 2018
• Album-exclusive songs
  • Dead and Seek
  • Shinigami Record (Reaper Record)
  • Ene no Dennou Kikou (Ene's Cybernetic Journey)
  • Toumei Answer (Transparent Answer)
  • Gunjou Rain (Ultramarine Rain)
  • Shounen Brave (Brave Boy)
  • Marry no Kakuu Sekai (Marry's Fictional World)
  • Imaginary Reload
  • My Funny Weekend
  • Lost Day Hour
  • Remind Blue
  • Wasurette Shimatta Sekai no Owari ni (Fireworks in the Summer End)

So far, Jin has released 3 albums (Mekakucity Actors, Mekakucity Days & Mekakucity Records) and a single (Children Record). The third album, Mekakucity Records, was released on May 29 and mostly concludes the song series. A fourth album was released after the major songs had been produced, titled Mekakucity Reload, in November 2018.

All of these songs connect to each other to tell the story of a town and a select number of its inhabitants who seem to have special abilities concerning their eyes. These songs, coupled with the novel and the information that Jin releases come together and are collectively known as the Kagerou Project. Everything can be a little difficult to understand, so if you need any help with that there are guides to the series here (outdated, chronicles up to "Summer Time Record" and the third light novel) and here.

Now has a character page.

Please only list down tropes relating to the music here. If it refers to the series as a whole or the light novel and manga adaptation, please list them down on their respective pages.

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Kagerou Project contains examples of:

• Art Evolution: It's very slight and a little hard to catch, but in the six months between "Children Record" and 'Yobanashi Deceive", Sidu's art style changed from round-ish and slightly deranged stylization for each character to body builds more fitting for their ages that's more anatomically correct (though still somewhat deranged).
• Call-Back: As seen here, plenty of scenes in "Otsukimi Recital" are reminiscent of "Kisaragi Attention". Fitting, since both are Momo's songs.
  • "Otsukimi Recital" even begins with a short interlude from "Kisaragi Attention's" chorus.
• Cute Monster Girl: Marry.
• Domed Hometown: The Reveal of the song, "Headphone Actor".
• Dragged into Drag: In 1:20 of Moon-viewing Recital, Hibiya has it done to him for a photo with Momo, both in maid uniforms, as a Freeze-Frame Bonus.
• Early-Installment Weirdness: The first three songs produced used Hatsune Miku for the vocals, while most of the later songs used IA. "Jinzou Enemy" and "Mekakushi Chord" were also electronic songs, while "Kagerou Daze" and all following songs were rock.
• Evil Gloating: "Outer Science" in a nutshell.
• Expressive Hair: Marry's hair tends to start moving and waving around much like snakes whenever she feels growing excitement or happiness.
  • Takane's pigtails fly upward when she'd either annoyed or flustered (or both) by Haruka in the "Yuukei Yesterday" video.
• End of the World as We Know It: "Headphone Actor" starts out with the announcement that the world would end within the next 24 hours, and the rest of the song details the ensuing pandemonium as the main character makes a mad sprint to the city limits.
• Face-Revealing Turn: Ayano during the "Lost Time Memory" PV. She turns toward Shintaro and opens her eyes to reveal that they are glowing red, and therefore, that she has obtained an eye power. It even comes during a Dramatic Pause in the song.
• Forced to Watch:
  • Poor, poor Marry during "Outer Science"...
  • "Konoha's State of the World" is basically this trope in song form, as he's powerless to prevent the deaths of Hibiya and Hiyori during "Kagerou Daze", instead having to watch it over and over.
• Freeze-Frame Bonus: In 1:20 of Moon-viewing Recital, Hibiya is Dragged into Drag for a photo with Momo, both in maid uniforms, in a split-second flash.
• "Groundhog Day" Loop: Implied in "Kagerou Daze", "Konoha's State of the World" and "Outer Science".
• Hikikomori: Marry was raised as one.
  • After Ayano commits suicide, Shintaro doesn't leave his house for two years.
• Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: There are three variations to the song titles: Most songs in the series tend to be titled (Japanese word)(English word)^note These songs are mostly akin to that of character songs as they discuss more character-specific parts of the story, some are completely Japanese^note Konoha's State of the World & Ene's Cybernetic Journey; they're in a (song's main character) no (something relevant to the song) pattern—roughly translates to something along the lines of (song's main character)'s (something relevant to the song). They tend to talk about plot driving events, and others are completely English names ^note Headphone Actor, Dead and Seek, Lost Time Memory, Outer Science and Additional Memory; These are extremely plot relevant songs..
  • Odd Name Out: "Children Record" somewhat breaks this pattern, but this is probably because it's more of an "opening song".
• "I Am Becoming" Song:
  • "Shounen Brave" for Seto, about how his meeting with Marry taught him that bravery can mean reaching out to others.
  • "Ene's Cybernetic Journey" for Ene, about how her journey through the world of computers changed her.
  • "Never Lost Word" for Kido, about her wanting to move past her fears and open up to her true companions.
• Idol Singer: Momo from "Kisaragi Attention" is an extremely straight example. She seems to be an idol singer almost exclusively from her ability to draw people's attention with her "eye-captivating" ability, resulting in her isolation from her peers. She gains a good set of friends after meeting the Blindfold Gang members.
• Image Song: Very prominent, as there is one for almost each of the main characters depicted.
• Ironic Echo: In "Kagerou Daze", Hibiya throws himself in the way of a truck in an attempt to end the "Groundhog Day" Loop he was trapped in. In the PV for "Outer Science", Kuro Konoha throws Hibiya into an oncoming truck, killing him for good.
• Licensed Game: Several of the songs have been prominently featured in official Vocaloid video games.
  • "Kagerou Daze" was adapted for SEGA's Project DIVA F 2nd. It notably makes a few references to the famous Wannyanpuu PV and is regarded by fans as one of the most unique tracks in the game.
  • Marvelous' IA/VT Colorful features a vast majority of the main series songs released up to that point, only excluding all Hatsune Miku songs, "Otsukimi Recital", and "Outer Science".
  • Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage! features an official Cover Version of "Yobanashi Deceive", starring Kagamine Len and Vivid BAD SQUAD's Akito and Toya.
• Mama Bear: Shion in "Fantasy Forest" and "Ultramarine Rain". Sadly, she dies as a result of protecting Marry.
• Mind Screw:
  • "Headphone Actor" starts with Takane finding out the world is going to end and hearing her own voice contacting her to tell her how to survive. It gets stranger from there.
  • "Ene's Cybernetic Journey". Storywise, it covers the year between when Takane left the Kagerou Daze and when she reunited with Shintaro, which it conveys via a string of cryptic statements, bizarre digressions, and internet-related imagery.
• Pensieve Flashback: The PV of Shounen Brave.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Used very prominently in "Children Record", but also seen in "Imagination Forest" and perhaps "Kisaragi Attention," though the nature of Momo's power was not particularly dangerous.
• Revisiting the Roots: "Never Lost Word" and "Additional Memory", along with the rest of Mekakucity Reload, altogether use Hatsune Miku for vocals, while the majority of prior songs were made with IA. The gesture resembles the early days of the project when Miku was used for the first handful of songs.
• Sleep Cute: Hibiya and Hiyori near the end of "Konoha's State of the World".
• Spell My Name With An S: Is it Kagerou Days or Kagerou Daze? Most have taken to the former and official merchandise lists it as the latter, but it still isn't totally clear on what everyone should use. It's the same problem with Lost Time Memory and Loss Time Memory.
• Stand Alone Song: "Toumei Answer" and to some extent, "Kagerou Daze."
• Stepford Smiler: Ayano is a type A.
  • Kano's a type A as well.
• This Is Gonna Suck: In Wannyanpuu's "Kagerou Daze" PV, just before she's impaled during the second verse, you can see Hiyori frown and clutch her hands against her chest. Given The Reveal that she was also aware of the time-loop at the end of the song, she probably knew what horrible death she was about to experience.
• Power Trio: Kano, Kido, and Seto- The three original members of Mekakushi Dan.
• Villain Song: "Dead and Seek" and "Outer Science" are both sung from the perspective of the Big Bad. The former is about his unethical experiments, and the latter is mocking the heroes for thinking they can resist him.
• Year Inside, Hour Outside: In "Kagerou Daze", It's revealed that Hibiya had been trapped in the "Groundhog Day" Loop for decades.

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