- おふろ ♨ タイム -

Since I dropped the monthly Vocaloid ranking, I decided to replace it this time with the Monthly Nico Nico Indies Ranking.



Nico Nico Indies is a small part of the Nico Nico Douga site where people post their original works. The concept that is different from Vocaloid/Utattemita/Ensoushitemita is that the works here are all original and are usually instrumental or sung by people. Of course, while there are many unfamiliar names here, there are VocaloidPs and utaites that participate in this area, too, especially when they collaborate to sing original songs. Oftentimes, original songs from NNI appear also in utattemita, so you might recognize some of them. NNI is also a very slow-moving category, so there are only a few views/participants than what you might be used to.

I'm glad this ranking is just monthly because gathering information on the artists is a bit difficult, especially since I am also a bit new in this area. Since this writeup is to introduce people to NNI, I tried my best to be as descriptive as possible. If you are a fan of anyone mentioned in this ranking please feel free to chip in other information you can share re: the artist!

Since it has almost the same format, this ranking will be arranged just like the utattemita ranking, minus the colorful letters :). This might be a bit tl;dr than most of my rankings, so please be warned! Also, as I said before, this is a slow-moving category, so you will encounter songs here which you might have already heard months ago :).

original nicovideo link

( new upload ranking )

( overall ranking )

Weekly Vocaloid Ranking #171 (January 03 - January 10, 2011)

This week's Vocaloid ranking has a new video size as well as format, and that is why it is late by a day. And I am also late because...of some distractions. Sorry! D: Anyway, this song has very few uploads but most of them are by awesome people worth noting. There is a lot of movement this week, with surprising pushes to the top and returns. The top 3 are indispensably amazing, too.

↑# - the song moved up from a previous top 30 rank
↓# - song moved down from a previous top 30 rank
↵ - song is a re-entry to the top 30 rankings

original nicovideo link

Songs are arranged from 1-30.

( top 30 under the cut )

Re:nG

mylist | website | piapro | KarenT profile | HearJapan profile

Re:nG (Renji) is a Vocaloid producer, an arranger and also an utaite. He has started uploading his works in Nico Nico Douga in 2007 and has been active since then. His first Vocaloid composition in NND, I Had Hatsune Miku Sing a Song Like a Robot Anime OP, was uploaded September 2007. Later on, a full version of the song, entitled WAY was uploaded, too.

He had formed a duo with utaite Re:A (Re:A&Rn:G or "rearrange") where he arranges/composes Re:A's songs. They have released a couple of albums before disbanding in December 2009. At present, Re:nG renamed his circle "solidbeats" and has collaborated with various utaite like Kouhei, Chachako and PAGECO. Aside from being an utaite and a producer/arranger, he is also the voicebank and creator of UTAU Soune Renzi (who was partnered with Soune Ria, voiced by Re:A).

Re:nG has contributed a lot to both utattemita and Vocaloid fandoms, but for the purpose of this post, we will talk more about his Vocaloid works.

You might have known Re:nG's music even without noticing that he composed it because of their sheer popularity. Re:nG does not have a particular genre when it comes to composing and arranging music. He has composed rock, pop and even trance music. His guitar melody is worth noting because while it varies in every song, it always sounds dexterously done and powerful without drowning the other instruments. Although rarely applied, his piano melody is also nice, especially when used as an interlude between rockish guitar-drums tunes.

As of the moment, Re:nG has used mainly Miku in his works, although he has also (albeit rarely) used Gakupo and Hiyama Kiyoteru. He also used MIKI and Kaai Yuki once. Of course, he also composed for his UTAU duo, Soune Renzi and Ria. One thing to note about his Miku is her solid tuning and the way her voice resounds without being sharp on the ears. His Gakupo and Kiyoteru are pretty good, too, without hints of sounding nasal or off as they would often do in other works.

As for his singing, he is a pretty good singer and has covered not only his own works but rearrangements of other works as well. He's noted to sound like Nakai Kazuya in Miku Wiki :D.

sample Vocaloid works
• Anata ni Hana wo, Watashi ni Uta wo (Hatsune Miku)
• Neoromantist (Hatsune Miku)
• jewelfish (Hiyama Kiyoteru)
• Kuchiduke wa Setsuna (Kamui Gakupo)
• Platinum Romance (Miku, MIKI, Yuki)
• WAY (Soune Renzi)

sample original works in collabs with utaite
• whisper (with ichi)
• BRAVE (with Chachako)
• Ash Heart (with Kouhei)

sample covers
• Melt (with Re:A, ryo original)
• Anata ni Hana wo, Watashi ni Uta wo (self-cover)
• IMITATION BLACK (with Ren and Chachako, natsuP original)

nikki says
I first knew Re:nG while I was looking up originals of the songs clear sang and I fell in love with "Symmetry" and "Anata ni Hana wo, Watashi no Uta wo". I love his Kiyoteru works the most, though. It was unfortunate that I knew of his collaboration with Re:A too late (I was too focused on his Vocaloid works), although I really loved Re:A's cover of "le grand bleu" which was included in one of those Utaite Tsunagu collections in the past. As someone who is both a fan of Vocaloids and utaite, I find Re:nG's numerous works and awe-worthy. He's so much like someone who can do anything remarkably, without confining himself to just one community. The way he delves into a lot of things at the same time and connects with people is really inspiring. Wonderful talent aside, I think his attitude towards creating something is admirable.


ETA: Re:nG himself clarified some points of the post specifically his first upload and the correct translation for "Kuchiduke wa Setsuna". Thank you for the corrections mm.

For a proper intro, please read the Miku ranking here. The duet/group/outsider ranking has only 95 songs, which is sad. By outsider, BTW, they mean those Vocaloids who aren't Miku, Len/Rin, KAITO, MEIKO, Luka, GUMI, Gakupo, Miki, Kiyoteru and Yuki as well as UTAU.

So far, this and the annual rankings are the only ones I type in reverse order (from 100-1) so that it'd be more exciting :). If you want me to do the midyear/annual rankings in the traditional way (the 1-xx order), just tell me :).

nicovideo link

(  top 95-1 under the cut )