#touhou koumakyou | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

laplaces-lovecraftian-dick · 2 months

Text

re: arcs in touhou

this is a personal way of packaging the events of touhou for convenience. literature not explicitly mentioned, I'd place in the corresponding release chronology.

1. PC-98

We all now by now that pc-98 canon is deemed mostly canon unless contradicted. It is also quite outdated and left for much of interpretation. Either way.

- Reiiden, (The) Highly Responsive to Prayers. What do we know? Reimu can seriously kick some ass. Also, joyful spherical creature.

- Fuumaroku, (the) Story of Eastern Wonderland. What do we have? Mima was apparently unsealed from Hell, and it's established that the Hakurei is famous for better or worse. Moreover the "true powers" of the orbs are quite curious.

- Yumejikuu, (The) Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream. What do we have? Professor Yumemi Okazaki from a world that resembles the foundation of the Hifuuture. Also some insight into the whimsy of this world.

- Gensoukyou, Lotus Land Story. There isn't that much other than the name (!!!), Yuuka, and the existence of a dream world.

- Kaikidan, Mystic Square. There is once again not that much lore other than Makai having more of a structure and Alice appearing for the first time. Perhaps the mention that Yuuka doesn't use magic is of vague interest (and so would be Mima's words about being a god if she hadn't disappeared).

2. Spellcard Arc

Immediately following the Vampire Incident (which in and of itself is quite interesting for a variety of reasons) we get to watch as Gensokyo becomes used to this new system. This is an arc for Exposition.

- Koumakyou, (the) Embodiment of Scarlet Devil. We get it, Remilia wants to show off. We are introduced to Patchouli and Flandre, who are for now important to the lore.

- Youyoumu, Perfect Cherry Blossom. Of importance, we expand upon the fact that Gensokyo has History and that it has Connections to other worlds, at least one of which seems to be manageable by Yukari Yakumo (whom we also meet here and we get some interesting interactions with Reimu). We also see Alice again, and this implies a possible connection to Makai somewhere.

- Suimusou, Immaterial and Missing Power. We meet Suika, who has a great deal of importance as an oni, as Yukari's friend, and as one of the four that once controlled the mountain.

- Eiyashou, Imperishable Night. Oh, where to even start. We get more insight on Yukari through Stage 3, we learn of the Human Village (protected by a hakutaku, mind you), we learn about the Lunarians, and we learn about Mokou. This is Chekhov's gun, I dare say.

- Kaeizuka, Phantasmagoria of Flower View. Clearly there's not really a Major Incident per se, but we do get insight on Reimu's duties, the nature of Gensokyo, how Yuuka has become relatively quiet, and we get insight from Yukari through Seasonal Dream Vision.

- Bunkachou, Shoot the Bullet. Here, I'd also place the literature of this era as more exposition with fun bits of lore.

- Hourai Doll ~ Dolls in Pseudo Paradise, Night Trip to Rendaino ~ Ghostly Field Club, Changing Dreams in the Age of Science ~ Changeability of Strange Dream, East-West Tokaido ~ Retrospective 53 Minutes, and Celestial Wizardry ~ Magical Astronomy. Boy oh boy do we have a fun ride learning about the Hifuuture and our dear protagonists, Maeriberii "Maribel" "Merry" Hearn and Renko Usami. This is of great importance for Yukari and Gensokyo lore later on, plus it's a good segue into the more philosophical arc next.

(yes I know DiPP isn't strictly Hifuu but!)

3. Religious Arc

- Bougetsushou. This expands on Lunarian lore, which is especially important when we try to understand Yukari Yakumo and Gensokyo, and it complements well the established setting in the first half of Hifuu. We also get insight on Patchouli's magic-science unification, more on religious setting (as seen in Yorihime and maybe Yuyuko loopholeing the concept of purity), and more on History such as Mokou's past and Eirin's growth.

- Fuujinroku, Mountain of Faith. Well, other than welcoming a more divine side into Touhou, we establish properly the dynamics of the Youkai Mountain, especially the tengu's presence. Moreover, we meet Kanako and Suwako, who are living proof of gensokyo's concept of adaptation and self-definition, as well as of gensokyo's sustainable balance. Sanae is also a good way to expand on the relationship with the Outside World.

- Hisouten, Scarlet Weather Rhapsody. We are introduced to Tenshi and the philosophy of the Celestials, and also we see Yukari having a bit of an obvious interest in keeping the shrine as is.

- Chireiden, Subterranean Animism. We learn about Former Hell, continue to see Yukari and Suika being suspiciously helpful, meet Yuugi, and continue the trainwreck caused by Kanako's arrival.

- Seirensen, Undefined Fantastic Object. Makai returns! Byakuren is here! With her arrival, the Trainwreck continues, there is a vague connection to the Blood Pools via Murasa, and we get to see the side of mythology about humans and youkai (as seen with Byakuren's approach to it, and Ichirin existing).

- Hisoutensoku, Unthinkable Natural Law; Bunkachou, Double Spoiler; Sangetsusei, Great Fairy Wars. Naturally, we must see Gensokyo adapting to it's new state of affairs as things change and forces tug at it.

- Shinreibyou, Ten Desires. Much more lore regarding History and self-definition as seen in Miko; also, we meet Mamizou, who can somewhat play with the Hakurei Barrier.

- Shinkirou, Hopeless Masquerade. The Trainwreck comes to a close as Kokoro puts an end to the religious wars. This event (by which I mean a tsukumogami and a satori accidentally solving everything with some nudges along the way) show the way Gensokyo works: nothing truly Bad can happen to it.

- Suzunaan, Forbidden Scrollery. This further shows that there are forces at play which ensure the balance of Gensokyo. More on that in other official literature.

4. Gensokyo Arc

We are back to seeing the nature of this fantasy land through a much larger scope. Gensokyo has been established as a setting and as a concept, so now we get to see it in full action.

- Ruins of Torifune ~ Trojan Green Asteroid, Izanagi Object ~ Neo-traditionalism of Japan, Swallow stone Naturalis Historia ~ Dr. Latency's Freak Report, Old Testament Tavern ~ Dateless Bar "Old Adam". What a better way to start this era than through the moment in Hifuu where the Renko-Merry dynamic takes a turn, and Merry's true colors start to show more clearly?

- Kishinjou, Double Dealing Character. An independent incident, really; we are given a refreshment as to what a Gensokyo Incident feels like. No intervention from any other worlds, simply put. It's quickly resolved, as expected, and even quicker does the world adapt. (Insert ISC here).

- Shinpiroku, Urban Legend in Limbo. Much to discuss! From a new Outsider in the form of Sumireko Usami, to the scale that an incident can reach when there are other worlds at play! Especially, the Moon and an Outside World that ever so slightly drifts from what Sanae knew and into what Merry will know. Also, we get a proper game appearance for Kasen, which means...

- Ibarakasen, Wild and Horned Hermit. Sure, the story began much earlier, but it's worth nothing a few things here and now, such as the insight we get on being a hermit, a sage, and an oni all from the same person: Kasen, another prime example of self-definition. Also, a fun little peek at Hell and Heaven.

- Kanjuden, Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom. Well, among many other things, this brings us Hecatia, who offers good insight on the dynamic of connected worlds, which we have been seeing quite a lot of; as well as a comparison between the rigid Lunarian culture, the unique lawlessness of Hell, and the adaptable Gensokyo.

- Hyouibana, Antimony of Common Flowers. Well, with this incident we get to see more of Kasen and Yukari's current dynamic, their relation to Reimu, and two very important points shown through the Yorigamis: anyone can cause an incident (which, we kinda already knew, but bear with me), and the Dream World takes importance. Tenshi can freely desire to reshape the world into something better (albeit through odd means), is that not reminiscent of Reimu's desire?

- Tenkuushou, Hidden Star in Four Seasons. What was that about anyone crafting an incident? Oh yeah, another sage appears, and makes incision on the nature of Gensokyo. There is also, albeit not as directly, insight into self-definition in Okina, who embodies so many concepts.

- Hifuu Nightmare Diary, Violet Detector. More Sumireko shenanigans that showcase the adaptability of Gensokyo and the meddling of the sages when things are tricky. Moreover, the importance of the Dream World for Gensokyo is highlighted: both in universe, as the Yukaribel story grows, and out of universe, for the very conception of Gensoukyou involved a dream world.

- Kikeijuu, Wily Beast and Weakest Creature. Woop woop, there's no time to keep musing about sages and dreams, Hell is here! Is this a consequence of Hecatia and Okina's quarrel? No, it was actually the Beasts. However, we do get to see a curious phenomenon involving Keiki and the human spirits.

- Gouyoku Ibun, Submerged Hell of Sunken Sorrow. Once again, the sages meddle when things are tricky. There's also something to be said about their wisdom - are they not very clever with Flandre's power? They must've quickly learnt in order to devise such a plan - Kasen learnt to solve the Urban Legend Incident, Yukari learnt to solve the Perfect Possession Incident, surely Okina can do the same. And yet... perhaps, and just perhaps, the knowledge was always there. The Vampire Incident was long ago, and Gensokyo is fundamentally an accepting place. Had they wanted to, they could've kicked the Scarlets out, and yet. This is how they built Gensokyo. This is how they work with it. But let's move on - more Beast lore, and we utilize obscure mythology to our advantage.

This, we have already seen. Vampire lore is not exactly commonplace, so they didn't know how to deal with them. Oni lore was forgotten, therefore Suika and Kasen were tricky to deal with. The sages are masters of self-definition through their mythology. The entirety of shinpiroku and hyouibana was based on working with the mythology of the incident. More on this later.

- Kouryuudou, Unconnected Marketeers. Another instance of "anyone can create an incident if they try hard enough," of "redefining oneself" with Chimata and not too unlike what Kanako herself showed, and of Reimu finding more about her own power.

- Bulletphilia-tachi no Yami-Ichiba, 100th Black Market. Whimsical instance of Gensokyo adapts. Somehow, it always does, for better or worse.

- Juuouen, Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost. Whuh-oh! This was the for worse! Now, the beast incident brewing in the background crashes into the ever fluctuating Gensokyo. Thankfully, even the other worlds have their own measures to remain stable, just like Gensokyo does. This means both through the dutiful shrine maiden and through this strange innate balance (Aunn saves the day! Okina will surely claim it was all according to plan). Everything passes.

5. The Future.

Who knows? Predicting touhou is famously not the best of ideas. However, I'm confident there will be constants: this is a place to determine oneself, and this is a place that will persevere.

On a more specific note, I imagine that Chireikiden, Cheating Detective Satori will bring an interesting plot, whether it be a conclusion to the arc or the beginning of a new one. We recently tackled Hell, so it may be the former option.

It seems to be shaping up a lore reveal regarding the Hakurei and Gensokyo's creation. Perhaps, there will be more on its connection to other worlds, specifically the dream world. The importance of change. The nature of the shrine. The balance established by the sages, of those who embrace otherness as seen in Hifuu, in DiPP, in Forbidden Scrollery.

#touhou #touhou project #gensokyo meta #goodness gracious who do i even tag #reimu hakurei #yukari yakumo #kasen ibaraki #okina matara #and many many others

38 notes · View notes

dizzyhslightlyvoided · 6 months

Text

List of Touhou games by whether the title refers to the final boss

Touhou Reiiden (Wondrous Tale) ~ Highly Responsive to Prayers (1): no. Japanese title is just "this is a story", English title doesn't mean anything.

Touhou Fuumaroku (Demon-Sealing Record) ~ Story of Eastern Wonderland (2): no. The English title is just "this is a story"; the Japanese title refers to the actions of the protagonist.

Touhou Yumejikuu (Dream Spacetime) ~ Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream (3): not really. Both titles make a vague gesture towards the origins of the final bosses, but nothing concrete about the final boss herself.

Touhou Gensokyo ~ Lotus Land Story (4): no. Refers to itself and to nothing.

Touhou Kaikidan (Bizarre Romantic Story) ~ Mystic Square (5): no. Honestly not clear what either title referring to.

Touhou Koumakyou (Scarlet Devil Land) ~ The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil (6): no in the Japanese title, as it refers to the setting; yes in English, as the final boss is the Scarlet Devil (and, presumably, the embodiment of herself).

Touhou Youyoumu (Ghostly Dream) ~ Perfect Cherry Blossom (7): no in the Japanese title, arguably yes in the English title if you treat the Saigyou Ayakashi itself as "the final boss" for that last timeout-spellcard thing; otherwise no.

Touhou Suimusou (Gathering Reverie) ~ Immaterial and Missing Power (7.5): no in the Japanese title, as it refers to the Incident itself; arguably yes in the English title, as the final boss spends the majority of the game both immaterial and missing, and she is also the power itself.

Touhou Eiyashou (Eternal Night Vignette) ~ Imperishable Night (8): no. The imperishable/eternal night is caused by the protagonists as a response to the actual Incident.

Touhou Kaeizuka (Flower Reflecting Mound) ~ Phantasmagoria of Flower View (9): no in both cases; it refers to the Incident itself, without referring to the final boss per se (she's actually unrelated to the Incident since it's basically a natural phenomenon).

Touhou Bunkachou (Word Flower Album) ~ Shoot the Bullet (9.5): no. There isn't really a final boss per se, and both titles refer to the actions of the protagonist.

Touhou Fuujinroku (Wind God Chronicles) ~ Mountain of Faith (10): not really in the Japanese title -- the closest thing to a "wind god" is the stage 5 boss; in the English title, refers to the Incident more or less, since it's about gods coming to the mountain.

Touhou Hisouten (Scarlet Perception Heaven) ~ Scarlet Weather Rhapsody (10.5): refers to the Incident in both titles, without necessarily meaning the final boss herself.

Touhou Chireiden (Earth Spirit Palace) ~ Subterranean Animism (11): no. The Japanese title isn't even the location of the final boss, and the English title is just a reference to the overall setting.

Touhou Seirensen (Star Lotus Ship) ~ Undefined Fantastic Object (12): no. Generally speaking, both titles refer to an object connected to the final boss, but not the final boss herself.

Touhou Hisoutensoku ~ Choudokyuu Ginyoru no Nazo o Oe (Unperceiving of Natural Law ~ Chase the Enigma of the Gargantuan Guignol) (12.3): no. While it does refer to something specific ingame, nobody actually fights it, and each of the stories has a different final boss.

Double Spoiler ~ Touhou Bunkachou (Word Flower Album) (12.5): sort of in the English title, as the two protagonists are each other's final bosses; no in the Japanese title, as with Shoot the Bullet.

Yousei Daisensou (Great Fairy Wars) ~ Touhou Sangetsusei (Three Fairies) (12.8): refers to the Incident in the first part (insofar as a bunch of fairies getting into a scuffle can be considered "an Incident" rather than "a slightly unusual Tuesday", but I'm going for consistent terminology here), and technically yes in the case of the second part.

Touhou Shinreibyou (Divine Spirit Mausoleum) ~ Ten Desires (13): no in the Japanese title, which refers to the setting of the back half of the game; not really in the English title, which merely references an ability of the final boss but not the final boss herself.

Touhou Shinkirou (Heart Elegant Tower) ~ Hopeless Masquerade (13.5): no in the Japanese title, as there isn't even a tower, and basically yes in the English title.

Touhou Kishinjou (Shining Needle Castle) ~ Double Dealing Character (14): no in the Japanese title, which refers to the location of the final boss; in the English title, refers to the incident-causer, who is the stage 5 boss rather than the final boss.

Danmaku Amanojaku ~ Impossible Spell Card (14.3): no. The Japanese title refers to the player character (who is in fact the Double-Dealing Character of the previous game), and the English title refers to what you fight. There isn't really a final boss per se IIRC.

Touhou Shinpiroku (Deep Secret Record) ~ Urban Legend in Limbo (14.5): no in the Japanese title, as it refers to itself and to nothing, and refers to the Incident itself in the English title.

Touhou Kanjuden (Ultramarine Orb Tale) ~ Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom (15): no. The Japanese title refers to an element of Urban Legend in Limbo, and the English title refers to the location of stage four.

Touhou Hyouibana (Spirit Possession Bloom) ~ Antinomy of Common Flowers (15.5): refers to the Incident without necessarily meaning the final boss, in both the English and Japanese titles.

Touhou Tenkuushou (Heavenly Jade Dipper) ~ Hidden Star in Four Seasons (16): sort of in the Japanese title, which refers to a visual motif of the final boss, and yes in the English title.

Hifuu Nightmare Diary ~ Violet Detector (16.5): no. Refers to the actions of the protagonist in the first part, and the protagonist herself in the second part.

Touhou Kikeijuu (Oni-Shaped Beast) ~ Wily Beast and Weakest Creature (17): in both titles, refers to the incident-causer, who is not the final boss.

Touhou Gouyoku Ibun (Strange Tale of Avarice) ~ Sunken Fossil World (17.5): no. The Japanese title is "this is a story", the English title refers to the setting.

Touhou Kouryuudou (Rainbow Dragon Cave) ~ Unconnected Marketeers (18): no. The Japanese title refers to the location of stage four, and as for the English title, the last few bosses are very much connected.

Bulletphilia-tachi no Yami-Ichiba (Bulletphiles' Black Market) ~ 100th Black Market (18.5): no. Refers to the general setup.

Touhou Juuouen (Beast King Garden) ~ Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost (19): no. The Japanese title refers to the general setting, and the English title refers to a concept.

#shenanigans #touhou #final boss #long post

25 notes · View notes

ofthenoseclan · 11 months

Note

This is kinda vague for a Touhou question but who is the girl with the rainbow wings?? They look like shards and they’re so pretty I love her design sm

that's flandre scarlet! she's one of the most famous characters in the series, so i'm not surprised you've seen her a lot. weirdly enough though, she's not as important in canon material as her prominence in fandom and internet culture seems to suggest.

her first appearance was in the sixth game in the project, touhou koumakyou ~ the embodiment of scarlet devil., which is undeniably the most popular game in the franchise. this is partly because it's the first game in the series to run on windows systems, and the earliest one to still be in print. not to mention it has arguably become the earliest "relevant" installment in terms of canon, since the plots of games released before it have largely been ignored, in what can be retroactively called a soft reboot of sorts, although it wasn't planned to be at first. in this game, flandre is the extra stage boss encounter, and so she's the final, hardest boss you can fight.

as far as personality goes, flandre is a very trope-y character by modern standards. she's a 500 year old vampire who is extremely dangerous, but behaves like a little child. she's very naive and earnest, wanting nothing more than someone to play with. however, she doesn't know her own limits, and her "playing" is a bit too much for most people to handle if they encounter her. so, to keep from too much damage being dealt in gensoukyou, she stays kept in the basement of her sister remilia's mansion (which, for the record, she seems perfectly content with).

flandre is one of those characters who is, pardon the pun, flanderized in fandom constantly. while in canon, she's not much more than a regular-if-rambunctious child emotionally, the fandom had a habit of, for lack of a better word, yandere-fying her—especially back in the 2000s; less so nowadays. she was often depicted as a crazed lunatic, with tendencies of going on a rampage in a lust for blood. if you couldn't tell, i despise this interpretation, and it tarnished her reputation to me somewhat. nowadays i can look past it, but for a long time it was hard not to, since there wasn't much to her character in canon materials to appreciate, leaving her fanon representation to drown them out in contrast.

character inspiration wise, flandre is... a vampire. yeah, that's about it. i don't really enjoy koumakyou's cast very much, partly due to how little depth there is to their inspiration. there's not a lot of subtext to koumakyou's plot; it's closer to most other shmups of its ilk in that the plot in this era of the series is more of a set-piece to justify the gameplay, and this extends to the game's cast as well. most of koumakyou's characters get more meat to them as they return in later spinoff materials, but as for flandre, well...

following her debut, she would not show up again. for a long time. aside from a single short article in the spinoff book touhou bunkachou ~ bohemian archive in japanese red., and a dialogue-less boss encounter for one or two short stages in touhou bunkachou ~ shoot the bullet., she all but vanished from the series entirely. she had zero speaking lines for 14 years. despite this, she remained one of, if not the single most popular character in the fanbase, due to the aforementioned fan interpretations of her, along with her prominence in memes like ran ran ruu.

this lack of appearances has changed recently, though. out of nowhere in 2020, she made a minor appearance in an ongoing manga, touhou chireikiden hansoku tantei satori, and then about 2 years after this she appeared in the action game spinoff, touhou gouyoku ibun ~ suibotsushita chinshuu jigoku, as a playable protagonist of all things! needless to say, she's had a bit of a resurgence, some time after her prominence has finally begun to fade away a fair bit in fandom. its made me change my opinion of her quite a bit, since, hey, now she actually has something to offer as a character! im genuinely looking forward to seeing what more of her zun might be thinking of including in the future, if he continues this trend.

while we're on positives, her design: man, it rocks. i'm sure her iconic character design is a huge factor in why she caught on in the fanbase for so long. the wings and her lævateinn lance make for an unmistakable silhouette. even if her design doesn't borrow much inspiration from any specific legends of vampires or whatnot, it still makes itself memorable with just its iconography, to the point where she's instantly recognizable even to people who don't know her name. people may rag on zun's art for his poor anatomy (which he has drastically improved on over the years, i might add), but he is undeniably a master of character design. i'll defend him on this front any day.

overall, flandre isn't someone i'm super attached to, but i can't deny her importance to the franchise overall, and i'm slowly growing on her as her relevance to the series has reemerged in recent years. shine on, you crazy 16 diamonds.

#touhou #blub #hydrophone

9 notes · View notes