Kagamine Rin & Len

Released on December 27, 2007, Rin &amp; Len Kagamine (鏡音リン・レン, Kagamine Rin/Len) is the second installment of the Vocaloid Character Vocal Series developed by Crypton Future Media Ltd. (CFM), male voice (Len) and female voice (Rin). At first, CFM projected a Vocaloid with low-teen girl's voice following Miku Hatsune, but there was a demand for a boy's, so CFM adopted a voice actress who can produce both sounds. The developer says that their family name was from the developing code combining Kagami (鏡, mirror) and Ne (音, sound), i.e., they are the mirror reflections meaning Rin "right" and Len "left." This is, however, NOT an official announcement of CFM. Also CFM had an intension to distribute them as twins, this idea was not adopted, either. Still CFM seems to have no objection to this prevailing knowledge. According to Crypton's official blog, the package includes two voice banks: one for Rin and another for Len, both provided by the seiyū Asami Shimoda. Despite the double voice banks, the package still sells at the same price as Miku Hatsune.

On June 12, 2008, Crypton announced the updated edition, named "act2", would be released in early July 2008. Users who had bought the old version got an expansion disc free of charge. On June 18, 2008, beta demonstration songs using the new version were released on the company's official blog.

The act.2 version is an independent installation, and coexists with the initial software.

鏡音リン・レン カバーアルバム「Prism」 (Kagamine Rin/Len Cover Album 「Prism」)~ 鏡音リン・レン feat. 下田麻美 (Kagamine Rin/Len feat. Asami Shimoda)



 * Release Date: June 10, 2009
 * Number of Discs: 1
 * Label: Universal Japan.
 * Length: 57:22 minutes


 * Track listing
 * Kokoro (Heart/Soul)
 * Daybreak
 * Rival
 * Ganbaro uyo
 * Otenba hime no uta
 * Rin Rin signal
 * Itazura Musume
 * Soundless voice
 * Zenmai shikake no komoriuta
 * South North Story
 * Meltdown
 * Gemini
 * Prism
 * Prism

悪ノ娘 / Aku no Musume (The Daughter of Evil)
Sung by Rin

Music and lyrics by Akuno-P (mothy)

(Original video by Akuno-P)
 * Nicovideo broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast


 * 'Daughter of Evil' tells the story of an evil princess, represented by Rin, who rules over a 'yellow kingdom' with every luxury she could wish for at the expense of her people and has a servant(Len) who looks like her. The story chronicles how the Daughter of Evil falls in love with a man from a "blue kingdom" (Kaito), but he already has been in love with a girl from the "green land" (Miku Hatsune). In a jealous rage, the Daughter of Evil orders to destroy the "green land". While the "green land" burns, the Daughter of Evil says, "Oh my, it's time for a snack". Later, a woman with red armor (Meiko) storms the Daughter of Evil's royal palace. Together with the angry people from all over the land, she seizes the Daughter of Evil, who is then sentenced to death at the guillotine. Before she is beheaded, however, the Daughter of Evil once more says her usual line: "Oh my, it's time for a snack", which may have been Len, who switched with her right before being captured.


 * "Daughter of Evil" has spawned some other Vocaloid parody songs, including Kaito's "Yami no Ou" (Lord of Darkness), a funny and light-hearted story about a vampire who falls in love, "Negi no Musume" (Daughter of Leek) which is another comedy song from Miku's side; Miku Hatsune's "Midori no Musume" (Daughter of Green), telling the story of Daughter of Evil from Miku's side, Meiko's "Midori no Adauchi"/"Fukushuu no Musume" (Daughter of Vengeance), telling the story of Daughter of Evil from Meiko's side, "Ao no Ouji" or "Yoru no Hana" ("Prince of Blue" or "Night Flower")which tells the story from KAITO's side and UTAU's "Uso no Utahime", chronicling the creation of the fan-made vocaloid (and eventual proto-UTAUloid), Kasane Teto.

悪ノ召使 / Aku no Meshitsukai (The Servant of Evil)
Sung by Len

Music and lyrics by Akuno-P (mothy)

(Original video by Akuno-P)
 * Nicovideo broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast


 * 'Servant of Evil' is a parallel story to the 'Daughter of Evil', and tells the events of the song through the eyes of the Daughter of Evil's servant, who is portrayed by Len. Although he is actually her twin, for reasons unexplained, later became her servant while she became the queen. Although the Daughter of Evil is cruel and cold, her servant only sees her soft and innocent side, and serves her devotedly. However, visiting a 'land of green', Len happens to fall in love with a green-haired girl he sees there (Miku Hatsune). When the Daughter of Evil, in her jealousy, orders Len to have her killed, though, Len obeys without hesitation. Later, an uprising army (led by Meiko, a red knight) attack the palace intent on taking the Daughter of Evil's life. Her servant comes up with a plan to save her: they will trade their clothes and switch places. Since they are twins, no one will be able to tell the difference. Sure enough, the army is fooled, and the servant disguised as the queen is beheaded before a crowd, including the grieving queen. However, the servant tells us through the song, he has no regrets and is glad that he could serve his beloved sister until the end. His last wish was if he was reincarnated, he hoped to be twins with his sister again.

リグレットメッセージ (Regret Message)
Sung by Rin

Music and lyrics by Akuno-P (mothy)

(Original video by Akuno-P)
 * Nicovideo broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast


 * The third song in the "Daughter of Evil" series, 'Regret Message', also known as 'Message of Regret', tells of the Daughter of Evil's feelings directly after 'Servant of Evil'. She realizes that it had been her own selfishness that had killed Len. She goes to the beach and throws a message in a bottle into the sea. This sight brings back a past memory when she and Len were together and the legend that if one wrote one's wish on a piece of paper, bottled it, and let it float out to sea, it would become true. The wish Rin made was "If we could be reborn, I want to be with you again", which was apparently also Len's wish before he died.


 * One PV shows Rin being reborn as a VOCALOID2 character and being introduced to Len. This is not to be confused with Kokoro or Kokoro/Kiseki, though some people wonder as it seems to have the same setting as Kokoro, and Rin is in the exact same position when she was created.


 * This song is generally regarded as one of "Evil Series". But Akuno-P answers about it only this way ;
 * "I think that it is good by the interpretation of each person."
 * Therefore, we cannot know the Akuno-P's real intention about whether this song is one of the series or not.

Re_birthday
Sung by Len

Music and lyrics by Akuno-P (mothy)
 * Nicovideo broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast


 * The last song in the "Daughter of Evil" series, Re_birthday tells what happened to Len after he was beheaded. He is alone in a dark room not being able to see, then he hears a voice and starts to remember the evil that he has done. Then his arms are in red handcuffs (representing the bloodshed/Meiko or Miku) and his ankles are in blue chains (representing the tears shed/Kaito). Suddenly Len hears a melody of someone's voice coming from somewhere. He is forgiven his actions in the past, given a new birthday and reborn because of Rin's melody from 'Regret Message'.


 * This song is generally regarded as one of "Evil Series" by audiences. However, actually it is not. It is one of another series of "Zenmai-Jikake no Komoriuta".
 * "Zenmai-jikake no Komoriuta","Hakoniwano Shoujo", and "Re_birthday" are called "Zenmai-jikake no Komoriuta Series"(nursing song of spring-work (clockwork)) by Akuno-P. On the original video of "Re_birthday", one shot of picture which reminds of "Regret Message" appears for an instant. In his blog, Akuno-P declares that 'Re_birthday' is the answering of 'Regret Message'. Thus there is no doubt that 'Re_birthday' and 'Regret Message' form a sub series. Also, in the interlude of Re_birthday, one can hear a remixed version of the chorus of Servant of Evil, suggesting that they are related.

下剋上 / Gekokujou (Rebellion/Revolution)
Sung by Rin and Len

Music and lyrics by Ichigyou-P

(Original video by Ichigyou-P)
 * Nicovideo Broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast


 * In Gekokujou, the Kagamine's sing about supplanting Miku as #1.


 * A fun, upbeat rap song, this is a must for all the hardcore Kagamine fans. Although the main idea involved is the Kagamine "twins" attempt to prove that they surpass Miku, this thought is centered more considerably on Rin. Len instead talks about the 'false' rumors that he is shota and towards the end of the first verse starts to compliment on how his voice was his greatest attribute and talent. Rin, during the second verse, bluntly states that she is sweeter, kinder, and more beautiful than Hatsune Miku.


 * The course of the song is packed with the confidence of the Kagamine "twins", many compliments of their skills and traits, and a considerable amount of thanks to the audiences.

俺のロードローラーだッ/ Ore no Road Roller da! (It's My Road Roller!)
Sung by Rin and Len

Music and lyrics by Meiyokaichou-P (Oyatsu-P)
 * Nicovideo broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast (without subtitles)


 * Another very short variation of this song is where it is mixed with 'Daughter of Evil'. In the PV, Rin rushes in through the middle of the executed, rolls over the guillotine and rescues Len from the fate of a rolling head. A humorous take on the story, yet nonetheless leave many fans wishing that this was the actual ending, instead of Len meeting his horrible demise, dressed as Rin.


 * Though there is a PV like that, the real lyrics have very little (or nothing) to do with the 'Daughter of Evil' series. They talk about Rin and Len's journey from creation at the company that made them (Crypton), to being bought by the consumer.

ココロ / KOKORO (Heart or Soul)
Sung by Rin

Music and lyrics by Toraboruta-P

(Original video by Toraboruta-P)
 * Nicovideo Broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast


 * In Kokoro , Rin is a robot made by a lonely scientist (This could be probably Len). But she is missing something that can't be found in a program: a heart and a mind (kokoro means both heart and mind). Eventually her creator passes away, leaving her alone for several hundred years. Eventually she begins to wonder about the man who created her, and accesses his research. Discovering more and more about the scientist and how hard he worked to create a kokoro for her, the robot is moved and is awakened to a world of new feelings. Overcome with emotion, the robot sings her feelings of sadness and gratitude to the person who created her. However, the kokoro which she found herself was too great for her fake body, and after some time the robot passes away.


 * KOKORO is a popular song on Nicovideo and Youtube, and many covers have been made for it. In one of the most popular and famous of these covers, a spoken dialogue between the scientist and the robot is added at the intro, and it ends with the spoken line: Arigatou, otou-san (Thank you, Father), adding new insight into the story.


 * Main article and detailed infomation: Kokoro

ココロ・キセキ / KOKORO/KISEKI (Heart or Soul/Miracle)
Sung by Len and Rin

Music and lyrics by Jun-P (Zyun)

(Original video by Jun-P)
 * Nicovideo Broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast


 * KOKORO/KISEKI serves as a prologue to KOKORO, telling the story of the scientist who created the robot in KOKORO. The scientist, represented by Len, creates a robot but realizes that she is missing something important: her kokoro. He wishes to share happiness and sadness with her, and so he begins working tirelessly at creating a heart and mind for her. However, as he works the scientist becomes aware of how his life will eventually come to an end. As he begins to lose hope, a miracle (KISEKI) suddenly happens: he recieves a message from the robot from the future, after she has created her own kokoro. Seeing how happy and yet tragic she looks, and realizing that his research was not all for nothing, the scientist obtains peace and passes away in tranquility.


 * In addition to KOKORO and KOKORO/KISEKI there is a version where both songs are mixed together, both stories told at the same time. As the melodies of the two songs were written to complement each other, the final effect is a complete and harmonious experience.

炉心融解 / Roshin Yuukai -Meltdown- (Nuclear Fusion -Meltdown-)
Sung by Rin

Lyrics by kuma

Composed and arranged by iroha(sasaki)

PV by Nagimiso.SYS

Title design by Shirow Miwa

Child Rin's clothing design by URAHANABI
 * Nicovideo broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast


 * A collaboration between multiple artists, this video was #1 on the 68th Weekly Vocaloid Rankings. In the video, Rin jumps into a reactor core/nuclear reactor to purge herself of her sins, including (apparently) choking someone, possibly to death. The little Rin represents the past in her life and all the good things that happened before she commited her many sins.


 * The PV can be literally intepreted as Rin jumping into a nuclear reactor to commit a martyred suicide or figuratively as Rin trying to get rid of her past and leave it behind in order to grow up and become an adult.


 * There was a controversy over the video - it stayed up in the Weekly Vocaloid Rankings because people constantly made dummy accounts and put Meltdown on their MyLists (which is how the Vocaloid Rankings score songs). Though iroha(sasaki) asked the viewers to stop the illegitimate scoring did not end and in retaliation iroha(sasaki) deleted the video and put it up on Nagimiso.SYS's. This disqualified the video from being in the Rankings as the requirements are that the original composer put it up. (It also raised awareness of the cheating behind the Rankings, thus taking many long-lasting regulars such as Hatsune Miku no Shoushitsu, Miku Mikku ni Shite Ageru, and World is Mine off the list altogether.) The new PV put up on Nagimiso.SYS's account features several touched-up areas including a different-looking reactor, new countdown text, and added detail in certain scenes.

のろいのめがね /Noroi no Megane (The Cursed Glasses) ~ Stray girl in her lenses
Sung by Rin

Music and lyrics by Bucchigiri-P

Art by: Yoko Nei

Pixel art by: Joymecha-P

Logo: Sacrow
 * Nicovideo broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast


 * Based heavily upon the RPG's of the 8-bit NES era, The Cursed Glasses thrusts Rin into a strange world. An odd-looking priest appears, proclaiming Rin to be the saviour of the world and gives her the glasses to wear. Too late she finds she cannot take them off and even worse, they distort reality around her. She struggles to comprehend what is going on through her new vision but eventually the strain of wearing the glasses becomes too much to bear and she releases a fit of anger towards the priest. In the last few seconds, she trips and falls, and the glasses fall right off her face. Additional monologue and backing vocals by Kamui Gakupo

Transmit
Sung by Rin

Music and lyrics by Signal-P
 * Nicovideo broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast (without subtitles)


 * This creator of this song is known to have found the best way to tune Rin's voice, by switching the sound banks of Act1 and Act2.  The song is about never giving up hope and eventually reaching your goals, and focusing on believing that your dreams will come true.

SPICE!
Sung by Len

Music and lyrics by Ryuusei-P
 * Nicovideo broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast
 * This song is popular for its portrayal of Len as a young, womanizing man as opposed to his standard stereotype as an innocent boy or as a shota He states that he doesn't understand love and that passion is better yet he grows jealous when he sees Rin with Kaito. Rin Kagamine is shown as his "true love". Other vocaloids such as Miku, Meiko, Luka Megurine (his "playthings") and Kaito (Rin's boyfriend).

Fire Flower
Sung by Len

Music and lyrics by halyosy
 * Nicovideo broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast

Dolls
Sung by Rin

Music and lyrics by Rozenkreuz
 * Nicovideo broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast


 * A doll lives alone after her master is shot by unknown people. She sings alone to him forever and hopes to go to the place where her master has gone, Heaven. Eventually the doll is broken to pieces after many years and goes to heaven where she finally meets her master.



囚人 /Shuujin (Prisoner)
Sung by Len

Composed by Shuujin-P
 * Nico broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast


 * The setting according to the video seems to be in the time of the infamous holocaust during the World War II. Len is one of the many prisoners who were sent to concentration camps. As he does his routine of cleaning the camp, he encounters a beautiful young maiden (Rin). Len is fascinated by her so he decides to write her a letter one day, hoping the she would answer. His prayers being granted, his letter was given a reply. On a daily basis, they would meet for a brief moment and fly a paper plane across the barbed-wire wall. He found joy in his life just by getting letters from her--though he never conveyed his feelings for her.
 * Until a day came when the mysterious girl decided to head off somewhere far and bade farewell to him. (Though there is an explanation as to why she did go away, it was not interpreted until the reply to the song came). As she went away, he kept all her letters and treasured them dearly until one of the Generals and his henchmen decided to torment the young man by making fun of his attachment to the letters. They went as far as to tear the letters which triggered Len's anger and punched the General. In retort, the men decided to put him in the gas chambers to die as a punishment. Had he not taken action, would he still be alive? The answer is a bit ambiguous.
 * In the gas chambers, he struggles to get out with the thought of seeing the girl once more and ask her her name.
 * In the gas chambers, he struggles to get out with the thought of seeing the girl once more and ask her her name.
 * In the gas chambers, he struggles to get out with the thought of seeing the girl once more and ask her her name.

紙飛行機 / Kami Hikooki (Paper Plane)
Sung by Rin

Composed by Shuujin-P
 * Nico broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast


 * This song is the reply to Len's "Prisoner" but in Rin's point of view--the young girl whom Len had fallen for. In the video, Rin is the daughter of one of the Generals' in-charge with the concentration camp on which Len was in. Though aware of what is happening around her, she still sought for the accompany of Len, even with her frail body. She goes to meet with Len and fly him a paper plane--the letter--even though she suffers from a terrible illness which was never clarrified in the story. She eventually falls for him but as soon as she does, her father found out about her affair and forbade her to go out of the hospital and meet the boy. As time goes by, Rin gets weaker and weaker that moving her legs proved to be very difficult for her. She then decides to bid farewell to Len properly so he won't have to search for her or ponder of what happened to her. She makes an excuse that she'll be going somewhere far away, but as soon as she was about to leave, Len tells her that he will wait for her and that he'll treasure each and every letter she gave him. As the story goes on, it is shown that Rin's father was the one who put Len in even more agony by ripping the letters from Rin. He was also the one who gave the order to execute Len.
 * Rin on the other hand, is already paralyzed from the illness that she couldn't even grasp one of Len's letters. However, seeing how devoted Rin has become to Len, the father picked up the letter and placed it in her hand as a final act of kindness to his dying daughter. Rin is shown smiling when she dies,
 * In "heaven" Rin is found in front of the barbed-wire wall, the very same way she stood when she first met Len. It is then shown that on the other side, Len was there, only this time, the wall disappears. With that, they found true happiness by being with each other in their own world.
 * This PV and Prisoner's display Rin and Len as a couple or two people of no blood-relation--which is why many Kagamine fans find it hard to watch with the thought of "Twincest" covering the story.

アドレサンス (Adolescence)
Sung by Rin and Len Music by Signal-P Title/Logo by Sacrow Lyrics by Orange Illustrations by Hiro Tamura


 * NicoVideo Broadcast
 * Youtube Broadcast
 * Adolescence is a song about Rin and Len growing up, and they've come to the age where they can't share the same bed like they have when they were little children. It depicts at the fact that they no longer reflect each other as they each hit adolescence with lyrics such as "Holding hands in the distorted mirror, the length of our fingers no longer match." They both sing about how hard it is to be separated because they're always together. While Rin states throughout the song that she doesn't want Len to leave her, he remains hesitant throughout the song until the end when he states that he will no longer retreat from her.

Trick and Treat
Sung by: Rin and Len Original Music and lyrics by: OSTER-project


 * Nicovideo broadcast
 * YouTube Broadcast


 * "Trick and Treat" is a mild horror song created for Halloween. It is about Rin and Len, tricking and treating Miku, and apparently devouring her. The title of the song refers to the trick of deceiving and punishing of Miku, while the treat is about the various sweets and syrups they take from her.

新世紀/ Shin Seiki (The New Millennium)
Sung by Len

Composed by Shuujin-P
 * Youtube Broadcast
 * NicoVideo Broadcast

In this song, Len plays the role of a young man who is forced to watch all of the horrors and sadness of the world from a glass elevator. Miku Hatsune also appears as the operator of the elevator. Len asks Miku why he's inside the elevator, and she replies "There's really not much difference, your life and the elevator." First, he sees a himself as a little boy with a large gun, accompanied by Rin and Gakupo, in a poor country in the middle of a war. The country has little to no food or water, and the people in it are suffering and dying. Once again, Len asks Miku why he's in the elevator and seeing this sadness, and she simply answers "That's the way life goes."

Soon after, Miku shows Len himself as a businessman in an industrialized city. The city is rich, successful and seemingly content with their military technology and growing laziness. However, someone accidentally pushes a button to fire a nuclear missile at the city. Then, Len clings to Miku's arm, asking her "Why do I have to suffer mental anguish?" and again, she replies "There's really not much difference, your life and the elevator," but this time, she herself takes the form of Len. Suddenly, the elevator starts speeding downwards. Len then opens the elevator for himself to escape and then disintegrates along with the elevator. Next, Len is in limbo, surrounded by the planets, wondering to himself why humanity has doomed itself the way it has. He realizes that the world doesn't want war and suffering, and its people wants peace and harmony. He then creates a new peaceful world.

This song is evidently the last in a 3 part series released later consisting of Utopia, A Faint Wish and Shin Seiki: all of which are composed by Shuujin-P.

The order in which these songs would fall chronologically often confuses fans due to the fact that Shin Seiki was released earlier than both Utopia and A Faint Wish and the somewhat open ending of A Faint Wish which features the Elevator Girl from Shin Seiki as well as the ending for Shin Seiki which is also open ended. (Utopia occurs before A Faint Wish which transitions into Shin Seiki.)

Some fans consider the series to be a cycle, where the Len from Shin Seiki is similar to the Len that narrates Utopia. There is some evidence that does debunk this, somewhat: as Utopia suggests, Rin and Len are a couple. In A Faint Wish and Shin Seiki, Rin and Len are siblings who are reincarnations of the Rin and Len from Utopia.

Another possibility is that Len from Shin Seiki had appeared before the timeline in Utopia due to his actions jumping out of the elevator and changing humanity's past, but no official information has been released on the real ending and is left to interpretation.

恐怖ガーデン/ Kyoufu Gaaden (Fear Garden)
Sung by Rin

Music and lyrics written by Chaa-P
 * Nico broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast

Rin sings about her lovely garden of human arms as the stems and hands of others as the flowers. Near the end of the song Rin sighs and says it's all a lie; she never took the arms and hands of the other Vocaloids, though she giggles and says that maybe she did. A final picture shows Len's arm in a pot.

パラジクロロベンゼン【破壊系洗脳ソング】/ Parajikurorobenzen 【Hakaikei Sennou Song】 (Paradichlorobeznene 【Destructive-type brainwashing song】)
Sung by Len, background vocals by Rin

Music and lyrics written by Owata-P
 * Nico broadcast
 * Youtube broadcast with subtitles

Len sings of the tendency for artists to view their work as bad and become jealous of others' work, which they see as "better". As a result, these artists will usually try to erupt in violence and rage against him/herself and others.

The word "Paradichlorobenzene" is repeated constantly throughout the video, and has little to do with the meaning of the song - in fact the song is said to have no meaning ("Is there any meaning to this song? There is no meaning to this song. Is there any sin in this song? There is no sin in this song.") There are also frames that flash for less than a second that explain details of the chemical (C6H4Cl2, also known as 1,4-Dichlorobenzene or paradichlorobenzene).

The song is the third song of Owata's "Benzene series" (Benzene, Nitrobenzene, and Paradichlorobenzene), and is arguably the most popular in the series. It features an animated PV featuring both Len and Rin and computer graphics. The song also lasted in the Weekly Vocaloid Rankings for ten consecutive weeks, even scoring the first place spot for two weeks in a row.