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The story
On October 4, King & Prince’s Kaito Takahashi announced his debut solo single “swim?,” revealing that he would perform under the artist name “KAITO.” Many fans welcomed the ambitious project — Takahashi handles the lyrics, composition, and music video himself — but the name “KAITO” is identical to that of a male Vocaloid character that has existed since 2006, sparking confusion and frustration among Vocaloid fans. On 5ch, opinions clashed between those who argued it’s fine since it’s his real name and those who felt that, as the later arrival, he should have shown more consideration — fueling broader interest in this clash between a celebrity’s stage name and an existing character name.
October 4, 2026, 19:00
Kaito Takahashi (27), of the idol group King & Prince, announced on the 4th that he will begin solo activities under the name KAITO. Vocaloid fans are crying out in dismay.
The title of Takahashi’s first single is “swim?” He is reportedly involved in every part of the creative process himself — lyrics, composition, artwork, and the music video. King & Prince fans are thrilled about this solo venture. But the announcement has left one other group crying out in distress: fans of KAITO, the world’s first Japanese male-voice Vocaloid.
Source: tokyo-sports.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Showing up later and copying the name is just dumb
I feel like the newcomer is usually expected to avoid it, though I don't really know
There are plenty of guys named 'Daigo' out there
Actually, maybe Takahashi just didn't know KAITO existed?
Wasn't there already a show nicknamed 'Kinpuri'?
And if both KAITOs are putting out songs, they'll just cannibalize each other and create noise
The Vocaloid's been around for 20 years already, and it's even a registered trademark
Like Danbira Muchо, for one
Fuusuuya too
Are a lot of them from Yoshimoto (talent agency)?
is probably a fine attitude to have
What about EXILE, then?
The agency surely knew that, so they seriously went ahead and pushed this name anyway?
Typical Johnny's (talent agency)
Just garbage
If it's at a level nobody really knows about, I doubt people would care that much
Though I do think stylizing it as 'KaiTo' would've been the smarter move
Sure, it sounds the same, but matching the spelling too is just mean-spirited
Sounds like the three of them signed with an American label
I always figured 'taking on America' was just an excuse for leaving
You could've just stuck with the kanji 'Kaito' (海人) as-is
He probably just gets the song written for him and sings it alone (´･ω･`)
It's co-written, but he's been involved in songwriting with King & Prince too
To begin with, 'Kinpuri' itself is a ripoff of 'KING OF PRISM,' isn't it
Technically, 'Kinpuri' (King & Prince) came first
So then, is this guy more on the side of the three who left?
He's the type who can really dance hard
Not the sparkly idol-type
A 'difference in direction' split is probably coming soon
Background and Key Points of This Debate
The Vocaloid “KAITO” is a male-voice Vocaloid produced by Crypton Future Media. Within the thread, posters claimed things like “it’s been around for 20 years already” and “it’s a registered trademark,” but these are only claims made in the posts themselves and have not been verified as fact by this article. Meanwhile, what complicates the discussion is that Kaito Takahashi’s “Kaito (海人)” is his actual given name — he is using his legal name, not a stage name, directly as his solo moniker. Because it’s a real name, legal problems are unlikely to arise, but when it overlaps with an already widely known existing name, the debate centered on whether the agency should have coordinated in advance out of “consideration.” That was the main point splitting the thread, pitting a “can’t be helped since it’s his real name” camp against an “it’s inconsiderate for the later arrival to copy the name” camp. Note that this article excludes posts that were simply abusive toward Vocaloid or otaku culture in general, as well as posts mocking members’ appearances.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisoku Sokuhō+) thread “[STARTO] King & Prince’s Kaito Takahashi’s ‘Solo Moniker’ Totally Overlaps With Existing Vocaloid ‘KAITO’ — ‘Wouldn’t You Normally Mind That?’ Vocaloid Fans Lament [Ailuropoda melanoleuca★].”
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