There was a point in time several years ago where if I had mentioned "Servant of Evil" or "Regret Message" on an anime forum of any kind, I could be confident that a majority of people there would at least be vaguely aware of what I was referencing. I mulled over this as I considered that it's been a full decade since those songs first came out. These songs have long since passed their height of popularity, and they aren't being circulated anymore. So if you've never seen these songs before, I'd love to introduce you to one of my favorite Vocaloid projects ever.

I'm also going to discuss Gero's compositions since I feel that they all have value as well. Their retooled sound and animations are much cleaner, and for some people, they may prefer them over the original pieces.

The Daughter of Evil

The first song in the series, "The Daughter of Evil", is sung by Kagamine Rin, and details the tragic life of a young Queen, Rillaine. Rillaine and her twin brother Allen are separated as children, but Allen later returns as Rillaine's loyal servant. Rillaine grows into a tyrannical queen and eventually pays for her sins.

This song is nothing special honestly, every verse is just the same few notes repeated over and over. Compared to some of the Vocaloid compositions that we see today, it's just not that complex, and not particularly engaging to listen to. On the other hand, it does still have a fun atmosphere to it, and conveys the story effectively. It is certainly worth watching for the sake of grasping the full narrative of the "Story of Evil".

Jazz Waltz Version

Gero's Jazz Waltz version slows down the song quite significantly and retools the vocals to match the new style. As with all of Gero's versions, new, cleaner art was also made for the sake of the video. The visual story-telling is much more clear in this version, but it also doesn't really get Rillaine's evil nature across as well as the original if you ask me.

The Servant of Evil

In the second song, "The Servant of Evil", we see the story portrayed from the perspective of Allen, played by Kagamine Len. He constantly emphasizes his love for his sister, Rillaine. His loyalty and adoration causes him to walk down a path paved in blood, but regardless, he continues to protect her to the very end.

This song is far more pleasant to listen to compared to "The Daughter of Evil" in my opinion. There is a greater variety in the melodies present, and they are often manipulated slightly to suit the tone of the story, so it never feels too repetitive. I still think its emotional climax is as good now as I did back then.

Classical Version

The classical composition of this song isn't a significant change from the original. It's a bit slower, and the chorus swells a little more, but that's about it. The slower pacing and increased amount of downtime does allow the music video more space to work though. The video is comprised of panning shots on still frames and some minimal animation. It's not sakuga or anything, but it's about as good as the average low-tier anime production. Worth one watch, but I like the original more.

Regret Message

The third song in the "Story of Evil" series takes place after "Servant of Evil", and is sung by Kagamine Rin. Rillaine has taken up residence in an abandoned seaside shack after witnessing her brother's execution. She remembers a story that Allen had once told her about writing a wish in a bottle and throwing it into the sea to have it granted.

Oh boy. This is the crowning jewel of the of the "Story of Evil". While the first two songs were still respectable by themselves, "Regret Message" is the song that sticks in my mind, the one I can still recite off by heart even though I haven't heard the song in years, and the one that still breaks my heart every time I hear it. It sounds great, the video that goes with it is brilliant (don't ask me why the only version of it is in 240p though), and it's the perfect way to conclude this heart-breaking story.

Ballad Version (sung by Rin)

Ballad Version (sung by Gero)

Gero's rendition of "Regret Message" is also very well-conceived. As the entire point of the song is to be emotionally evocative, a ballad is a smart choice for how to reinterpret the song. I like how one of the bridges in the song referred back to "The Servant of Evil" since they're so closely tied to one another. It does have that problem that all of Gero's versions do in that it's just too long. It drags on when it's really not necessary. The original was succinct, and powerful because of it.

The music video for it is well-made for the most part. I'm not a fan of the CGI ocean animation, but what can you do on a limited budget? Also, Gero gave a lovely performance of "Regret Message" himself which I remember being my favorite version back in the day.

Overall

If you ask me, the "Story of Evil" still holds up today. Maybe the songs are a little simple, but they still reflect the story well and haven't lost any of their emotional weight over the years. I know I haven't talked about the 9 other songs that are technically in the series. But really, if the song doesn't centralize around the story of Rillaine and Allen, then it's not relevant as far as I'm concerned.

As for Gero's works, I appreciate what they do, and I do think they hold up quite nicely as independent works of art, but when I try to compare them to the originals, I can't quite say that I'd rather watch to nor listen to Gero's versions over them.

This Vocaloid project was one of the reasons that I became as much of an anime fan as I did, and I only hope that my efforts will mean that people will remember it for decades more.