History FandomSpecificPlot / Touhou

* ''{{VideoGame/Touhou}}'' has innumerable doujins/fanfics detailing the BackStory of the characters, since not many characters have one to begin with, and even if they do, it's still pretty vague. By far the two most common recipients are Rumia (so popular that any fan referring to [[SuperpoweredEvilSide "EX-Rumia"]] is immediately understood) and Sakuya (serial killer, former monster hunter ([[VideoGame/{{Castlevania}} Belmont]] lineage optional), or Lunarian being the three main theories). ''FanFic/TouhouTonari'', ''Fanfic/OsanaReimu'' and its sequel ''Reireimu'', and ''Though the Wind Cries'' are good examples of this.
* Explaining what happened to [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome the PC-98 characters]], especially [[EnsembleDarkhorse Mima]], is widespread in the fandom.
* Detailing the ''future'' of characters is common, as amongst the [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld incredibly long-lived youkai]] there are a few humans that will [[WeAreAsMayflies die relatively soon]]. Reimu, Marisa, and especially Sakuya (again) are the targets, though Sanae became increasingly popular after her arrival.
* The "Outsider Fic" subgenre, where somebody (often an AuthorAvatar, but may also be any kind of original character) somehow ends up within Gensokyo, either by accidentally/purposefully slipping through the Hakurei border (which, according to canon, is common), or by Yukari (in a sub-subgenre increasingly known as "Gappy Fics"). As a result, FishOutOfWater antics ensue as they get acquainted with this FantasyKitchenSink, and the outsider must either learn to live in this new land or find a way back home. Occasionally, they'll arrive just as an incident begins and they're forced to take part in it for one reason or another, teaming up with the canon characters. A fine example of this is [=ChibiChen=]'s ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8475931/1/Mind-the-gap Mind The Gap]]''.
* There is the SoBadItsGood subgenre of "[[SelfInsertFic Gappy]] Stu Fics," wherein an AuthorAvatar is gapped into Gensokyo by Yukari, makes friends with several of the residents, becomes super strong after training with Reimu and Marisa, and beats up a bad guy in one of the worst incidents to ever hit Gensokyo. These fics [[KudzuPlot start hundreds of subplots]] due to LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, but never answer them [[TheChrisCarterEffect before the readers just give up]]. This subgenre was [[DeconstructionFic taken apart]] by ''WebAnimation/DiamondInTheRoughTouhou'', showing the shallowness of these self-insert characters while addressing how dangerous Gensokyo can really be.
* Several doujins have Sumireko meeting with Sanae, who is overjoyed at meeting a fellow high-school-aged girl like herself ([[WhatAreRecords sometimes with the technology gap between the 80s/90s vs 10s showing up]]).
* The (mis)adventures of Team 9, an entirely fan-made CastHerd consisting of [[TheDitz child-like]] "low level" youkai (Cirno, Daiyousei, Rumia and Mystia), seems to be required for every significant story, even if only as a background detail. Indeed, the [[NonIndicativeFirstEpisode Non Indicative First Chapter]] of ''FanFic/ImperfectMetamorphosis'', and ultimately the entire story, is based around them.
* "One or more characters get turned into children" is an oddly common plot.
* Since the setting already [[DuelsDecideEverything relies on a system of formal duels to settle disputes]], a common ExcusePlot (particularly for fangames) is "Yukari got bored and changed the system, so now the duels take the form of mahjong/soccer/etc.". This in turn actually ''is'' the basis of ''VideoGame/TouhouSoccer''.
* The four great Fandom-Specific Explanations of ''Touhou'' are summed up by a well-known [[MemeticMutation meme]], namely [[http://i.imgur.com/ndxvVz0.png this doujin panel]]. (Which has actually been altered from the original, which just had the first three lines.) Plus one more memetic response.
** [[AWizardDidIt Magic]]: Magic in ''Touhou'' is not [[MagicAIsMagicA overly defined]], so it can be used to justify whatever needs to be justified.
** [[MadScientist Eirin's shady new drug]]: Eirin's tendency to make unusual concoctions of dubious pharmaceutical benefit and bizarre effect is often used to justify strange happenings. ''Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth'', [[BrokenBase generally]] considered canon, uses this one. And then becomes an irrefutably AscendedMeme when ''Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom'' uses this as ''a game mechanic''. [[note]]Eirin creates a medicine that ''allows you to see into the short-term future.'' This game has a "checkpoint" mechanic that re-starts you at set stage intervals every time you die; thus, in-story, every time you "die", you were actually seeing a version of the future in which you fail, and every time you complete a section without dying, it was the ''only'' actual attempt, influenced by your "visions".[[/note]] Bonus points for Eirin sending out [[ButtMonkey Reisen]] to deliver the medicine to Reimu, Marisa, and Sanae and convince them to drink it prior to the start of the story. [[note]]And then sending Reisen off to deal with the invasion in her place.[[/note]]
** [[RealityWarper Yukari is fooling around again]]: Yukari is extremely powerful, extremely lazy, and extremely capricious; the plots just write themselves.
** [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly It's a Moriya Shrine conspiracy]]: After their introduction in ''Mountain of Faith'', the next three "main" games in the series (''Subterranean Animism'', ''Unidentified Fantastic Object'', and ''Ten Desires'') were either directly or indirectly caused by the Moriya trio's (more specifically Kanako's) attempts to gather more faith from the population. Suffice to say, fanon took it and ran with it.
** [[MemeticMutation Templates like that are forbidden]]: Marisa says this in response to the above list. In more comedic stories, this has occasionally been used as an actual excuse for the plot.
----

* ''{{VideoGame/Touhou}}'' has innumerable doujins/fanfics detailing the BackStory of the characters, since not many characters have one to begin with, and even if they do, it's still pretty vague. By far the two most common recipients are Rumia (so popular that any fan referring to [[SuperpoweredEvilSide "EX-Rumia"]] is immediately understood) and Sakuya (serial killer, former monster hunter ([[VideoGame/{{Castlevania}} Belmont]] lineage optional), or Lunarian being the three main theories). ''FanFic/TouhouTonari'' and ''Though the Wind Cries'' are good examples of this.

* ''{{VideoGame/Touhou}}'' has innumerable doujins/fanfics detailing the BackStory of the characters, since not many characters have one to begin with, and even if they do it's still pretty vague. By far the two most common recipients are Rumia (so popular that any fan referring to [[SuperpoweredEvilSide "EX-Rumia"]] is immediately understood) and Sakuya (serial killer, former monster hunter ([[VideoGame/{{Castlevania}} Belmont]] lineage optional), or Lunarian being the three main theories).
** ''FanFic/TouhouTonari'' and ''Though the Wind Cries'' are good examples of this.
* Explaining what happened to [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome the PC-98 characters]], especially [[EnsembleDarkhorse Mima]], is similarly widespread.
* Detailing the ''future'' of characters is also common, as amongst the [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld incredibly long-lived youkai]] there are a few humans that will [[WeAreAsMayflies die relatively soon]]. Reimu, Marisa, and especially Sakuya (again) are the targets, though Sanae became increasingly popular after her arrival.

** There is also the SoBadItsGood subgenre of "[[SelfInsertFic Gappy]] Stu Fics," wherein an AuthorAvatar is gapped into Gensokyo by Yukari, makes friends with several of the residents, becomes super strong after training with Reimu and Marisa, and beats up a bad guy in one of the worst incidents to ever hit Gensokyo. These fics [[KudzuPlot start hundreds of subplots]] due to LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, but never answer them [[TheChrisCarterEffect before the readers just give up]]. This subgenre was [[DeconstructionFic taken apart]] by ''WebAnimation/DiamondInTheRoughTouhou'', showing the shallowness of these self-insert characters while addressing how dangerous Gensokyo can really be.
** The plot of ''Urban Legend in Limbo'' turns out to be one of these, where newcomer Sumireko Usami tries to break through the Hakurei Barrier in order to interact with Gensokyo's residents. However, it's {{Deconstructed}} in that her actions threaten to completely destroy the Barrier, and once she actually gets in, she gets fed up with the constant Danmaku fights with everyone, who were by the end mostly in cahoots with [[spoiler:Kasen]] in a plan to get her to cease and desist. [[spoiler:She ends up trying to [[DrivenToSuicide commit suicide]]. [[TakingYouWithMe And take the barrier with her]] while she's at it.]] [[spoiler:''And'' the Lunar Capital snuck their own power stone in what's most likely an attempt to connect the Lunar Capital with Gensokyo.]]
** Speaking of Sumireko, several doujins have her meeting with Sanae, who is overjoyed at meeting a fellow high-school-aged girl like herself ([[WhatAreRecords sometimes with the technology gap between the 80s/90s vs 10s showing up]]).

* "One or more characters get turned into children" is also an oddly common plot.
* Since the setting already [[DuelsDecideEverything relies on a system of formal duels to settle disputes]], a common ExcusePlot (particularly for fangames) is "Yukari got bored and changed the system, so now the duels take the form of mahjong/soccer/etc.".
** This in turn actually ''is'' the basis of ''VideoGame/TouhouSoccer''.
* The four great Fandom-Specific Explanations of ''Touhou'' are summed up by a well-known [[MemeticMutation meme]], namely [[http://i.imgur.com/ndxvVz0.png this doujin panel]]. (Which has actually been altered from the original, which just had the first three lines.)

** [[MemeticMutation Templates like that are forbidden]]: Marisa says this in response to the above list. In more comedic stories, this has occasionally been used as an actual excuse for the plot.

** Speaking of Usami, several doujins have her meeting with Sanae, who is overjoyed at meeting a fellow high-school-aged girl like herself ([[WhatAreRecords sometimes with the technology gap between the 80s/90s vs 10s showing up]]).

** There is also the SoBadItsGood subgenre of "[[SelfInsertFic Gappy]] [[MartyStu Stu]] Fics," wherein an AuthorAvatar is gapped into Gensokyo by Yukari, makes friends with several of the residents, becomes super strong after training with Reimu and Marisa, and beats up a bad guy in one of the worst incidents to ever hit Gensokyo. These fics [[KudzuPlot start hundreds of subplots]] due to LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, but never answer them [[TheChrisCarterEffect before the readers just give up]]. This subgenre was [[DeconstructionFic taken apart]] by ''WebAnimation/DiamondInTheRoughTouhou'', showing the shallowness of these self-insert characters while addressing how dangerous Gensokyo can really be.

* The (mis)adventures of Team 9, an entirely fan-made CastHerd consisting of [[TheDitz child-like]] "low level" youkai, seems to be required for every significant story, even if only as a background detail. Indeed, the [[NonIndicativeFirstEpisode Non Indicative First Chapter]] of ''FanFic/ImperfectMetamorphosis'', and ultimately the entire story, is based around them.

* Detailing the ''future'' of characters is also common, as amongst the [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld incredibly long-lived youkai]] there are a few humans that will [[WeAreAsMayflies die relatively soon]]. Reimu, Marisa and especially Sakuya (again) are the targets, though Sanae became increasingly popular after her arrival.

** The plot of ''Urban Legend in Limbo'' turns out to be one of these, where newcomer Sumireko Usami tries to break through the Hakurei Barrier in order to interact with Gensokyo's residents. However, it's {{Deconstructed}} in that her actions threaten to completely destroy the Barrier, and once she actually gets in, she gets fed up with the constant Danmaku fights with everyone, who were by the end mostly in cahoots with [[spoiler:Kasen]] in a plan to get her to cease and desist. [[spoiler:She ends up trying to [[DrivenToSuicide commit suicide]]. [[TakingYouWithMe And take the barrier with her]] while she's at it.]] [[spoiler: AND the Lunar Capital snuck their own power stone in what's most likely an attempt to connect the Lunar Capital with Gensokyo.]]

** This in turn actually IS the basis of ''VideoGame/TouhouSoccer''.

** [[AWizardDidIt Magic]]: Magic in ''Touhou'' is not [[MagicAIsMagicA overly defined]], so it can be used to justify whatever need be justified.
** [[MadScientist Eirin's shady new drug]]: Eirin's tendency to make unusual concoctions of dubious pharmaceutical benefit and bizarre effect is often used to justify strange happenings. ''Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth'', [[BrokenBase generally]] considered canon, uses this one. And then becomes an irrefutably AscendedMeme when ''Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom'' uses this as ''a game mechanic''. *[[note]]Eirin creates a medicine that ''allows you to see into the short-term future.'' This game has a "checkpoint" mechanic that re-starts you at set stage intervals every time you die; thus, in-story, every time you "die", you were actually seeing a version of the future in which you fail, and every time you complete a section without dying, it was the ONLY actual attempt, influenced by your "visions".[[/note]]* Bonus points for Eirin sending out [[ButtMonkey Reisen]] to deliver the medicine to Reimu, Marisa and Sanae and convince them to drink it prior to the start of the story. *[[note]]And then sending Reisen off to deal with the invasion in her place.[[/note]]*

** [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly It's a Moriya Shrine conspiracy]]: After their introduction in ''Mountain of Faith'', the next three "main" games in the series (''Subterranean Animism'', ''Unidentified Fantastic Object'', and ''Ten Desires'') were either directly or indirectly caused by the Moriya trio's (more specifically Kanako's) attempts to gather more faith from the population. Suffice to say fanon took it and ran with it.

* ''{{VideoGame/Touhou}}'' has innumerable doujins/fanfics detailing the BackStory of the characters, since not many characters have one to begin with, and even if they do it's still pretty vague. By far the two most common recipients are Rumia (so popular that any fan referring to [[SuperpoweredEvilSide "EX-Rumia"]] is immediately understood) and Sakuya (serial killer, former monster hunter, or Lunarian being the three main theories).

** There is also the SoBadItsGood subgenre of "[[SelfInsertFic Gappy]] [[MartyStu Stu]] Fics," wherein an AuthorAvatar is gapped into Gensokyo by Yukari, makes friends with several of the residents, becomes super strong after training with Reimu and Marisa, and beats up a bad guy in one of the worst incidents to ever hit Gensokyo. These fics [[KudzuPlot start hundreds of subplots]] due to LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, but never answer them [[TheChrisCarterEffect before the readers just give up]]. This subgenre was [[DeconstructionFic taken apart]] by ''Fanfic/DiamondInTheRough'', showing the shallowness of these self-insert characters while addressing how dangerous Gensokyo can really be.

** The plot of ''Urban Legend in Limbo'' turns out to be one of these, where newcomer Sumireko Usami tries to break through the Hakurei Barrier in order to interact with Gensokyo's residents. However, it's {{Deconstructed}} in that her actions threaten to completely destroy the Barrier, once she actually gets in, she gets fed up with the constant Danmaku fights with everyone [[spoiler: and the Lunar Capital snuck their own power stone in what's most likely an attempt to connect the Lunar Capital with Gensokyo.]]

** [[MadScientist Eirin's shady new drug]]: Eirin's tendency to make unusual concoctions of dubious pharmaceutical benefit and bizarre effect is often used to justify strange happenings. ''Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth'', [[BrokenBase generally]] considered canon, uses this one.

* The four great Fandom-Specific Explanations of ''Touhou'' are summed up by a well-known [[MemeticMutation meme]], namely [[http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/6487/1227762377713zd9.png this doujin panel]]. (Which has actually been altered from the original, which just had the first three lines.)

** The plot of ''Urban Legend in Limbo'' turns out to be one of these, where newcomer Sumireko Usami tries to break through the Hakurei Barrier in order to interact with Gensokyo's residents. However, it's {{Deconstructed}} in that her actions threaten to completely destroy the Barrier [[spoiler: and the Lunar Capital snuck their own power stone in what's most likely an attempt to connect the Lunar Capital with Gensokyo.]]

** The plot of ''Urban Legend in Limbo'' turns out to be one of these, where newcomer Sumirenko Usami tries to break through the Hakurei Barrier in order to interact with Gensokyo's residents. However, it's {{Deconstructed}} in that her actions threaten to completely destroy the Barrier [[spoiler: and the Lunar Capital snuck their own power stone in what's most likely an attempt to connect the Lunar Capital with Gensokyo.]]

** [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly It's a Moriya Shrine conspiracy]]: After their introduction in ''Mountain of Faith'', every single "main" game in the series (''Subterranean Animism'', ''Unidentified Fantastic Object'', and ''Ten Desires'') was either directly or indirectly caused by the Moriya trio's (more specifically Kanako's) attempts to gather more faith from the population. Suffice to say fanon took it and ran with it.

** This in turn actually IS the basis of TouhouSoccer.

* The "Outsider Fic" subgenre, where somebody (often an AuthorAvatar, but may also be any kind of original character) somehow ends up within Gensokyo, either by accidentally/purposefully slipping through the Hakurei border (which, according to canon, is common), or by Yukari (in a sub-subgenre increasingly known as "Gappy Fics"). As a result, FishOutOfWater antics ensue as they get aquainted with this FantasyKitchenSink, and the outsider must either learn to live in this new land or find a way back home. Occasionally, they'll arrive just as an incident begins and they're forced to take part in it for one reason or another, teaming up with the canon characters. A fine example of this is [=ChibiChen=]'s ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8475931/1/Mind-the-gap Mind The Gap]]''.
** There is also the SoBadItsGood subgenre of "[[SelfInsertFic Gappy]] [[MartyStu Stu]] Fics," wherein an AuthorAvatar is gapped into Gensokyo by Yukari, makes friends with several of the residents, becomes super strong after training with Reimu and Marisa, and beats up a bad guy in one of the worst incidents to ever hit Gensokyo. These fics [[KudzuPlot start hundreds of subplots]] due to LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, but never answers them [[TheChrisCarterEffect before the readers just give up]]. This subgenre was [[DeconstructionFic taken apart]] by ''Fanfic/DiamondInTheRough'', showing the shallowness of these self-insert characters while addressing how dangerous Gensokyo can really be.

** [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly It's a Moriya Shrine conspiracy]]: After their introduction ''Mountain of Faith'', every single "main" game in the series (''Subterranean Animism'', ''Unidentified Fantastic Object'', and ''Ten Desires'') was either directly or indirectly caused by the Moriya trio's (more specifically Kanako's) attempts to gather more faith from the population. Suffice to say fanon took it and ran with it.

* The four great Fandom-Specific Explanations of ''Touhou'' are summed up by a well-known [[MemeticMutation meme]], namely [[http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/6487/1227762377713zd9.png this doujin panel]].

* There is a sub-genre in ''Touhou'' fandom that can be called "Outsider fic", with someone (either a character from another fandom, an original character or a self-insert) falling into [[FantasyKitchenSink Gensoukyou]] and meeting various characters, either amicably or otherwise. Notably, this is entirely plausible, as the barrier that seals Gensoukyou in its own reality is nowhere near as impermeable as it should be (and some of the "accidents" might actually be deliberate abductions).

** [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly It's a Moriya Shrine conspiracy]]: After their introduction ''Mountain of Faith'', every single "main" game in the series (''Subterranean Animism'', ''Unidentified Fantastic Object'', and ''Ten Desires'') was either directly or indirectly caused by the Moriya trio's (more specifically Kanako's) attempts to gather more faith from the population. Suffice to say fanon took it and ran with it.

** ''FanFic/TouhTonari'' and ''Though the Wind Cries'' are good examples of this.

* ''{{VideoGame/Touhou}}'' has innumerable doujins/fanfics detailing the BackStory of the characters, since not many characters have one to begin with, and even if they do it's still pretty vague. By far the two most common recipients are Rumia (so popular that any fan refering to [[SuperpoweredEvilSide "EX-Rumia"]] is immediately understood) and Sakuya (serial killer, former monster hunter, or Lunarian being the three main theories).