The New Touhou Character Alternate Interpretation Compendium!

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[[quoteright:]]Appearance:

Ability:
Can call thunder. Presumably this includes lightning too.

History:
A 1400 year old ghost. For reference, she's the Yuyuko style of ghost meaning she's semi-tangible and can eat stuff. Soga is the daughter of the prestigious Soga family, an offshoot of the imperial family that can claim direct relations to Amaterasu herself. During her life, the Soga were in the Pro-Buddhist faction of Japan, and often feuded with the Mononobe. Despite this background, Tojiko herself seemed to have no problem serving Prince Miko alongside Mononobe no Futo, the daughter of her family's sworn enemy, and indeed they eventually develop a not-bad relationship of helping each other out. However, when the time came for Miko and Futo to undergo the resurrection ritual that would ensure their immortality, it was decided by Futo to let Tojiko just die instead. Surprisingly, Tojiko had no problem with this and was in fact glad to throw away her mortal body, which she had considered a burden. Now, she and Futo hate Buddhism together.

Relations:

• Toyosatomimi no Miko: Lord
• Mononobe no Futo: Fellow Vassal, Friend?

edited 5th Oct '11 10:46:30 AM by Clarste

...I don't understand why the picture is on the left. Also, I'd like to note that it's unclear if Tojiko studied Taoism or not, although personally I think it'd be kind of weird if she didn't. Why else would she have magic powers?

She has magic powers because she is a ghoooaaaaast!

Regarding the picture: That probably has to do with you not closing the "quoteright" tag! Also it's adorable.

It's also notable that while she's a Yuyuko style ghost, she does not, in fact, have legs, but two fluffy old ghost tails.

Also also, people speculate that she's based on a "consort" of the guy Miko is based on, so the two are often depicted as being married.

edited 5th Oct '11 10:54:29 AM by Fawriel

Tojiko. The so-called Mima expy by people grasping at straws.

She has feet tails. And a really silly hat that is historical and was probably dignified at the time but seriously, it looks silly by modern standards and even by Gensokyo standards.

Her outfit is nice enough but nothing really special. Orin already did the greenish dress and did it better. For the sake of the silly, I'll say that Tojiko is one of Touhou's few barefoot characters along with Shizuha, Tewi, and sometimes Cirno.

Mostly notable for being the most fleshed out mid-boss character that's not also a stage boss. A fleshed out ghost. You enjoy having a name and backstory, Tojiko? You enjoying it? Gonna go laugh at the Kisumes and Momijis and Midbosses Commonly Called Daiyousei and Koakuma? Yeah, you're special.

Was part of that whole "staged war" thing so I guess she's as evil or dickish as the other Taoists.

Also, her hair is sensible.

Ability to control thunder. I totally thought of Iku when I read that.

Personally, I'm most interested in the idea of Futo refusing to cast the resurrection ritual on her. It's kind of weird to tell your friend that you could give them immortality but it's really too much of a bother so could you just die a natural death and stop bugging me about it?

Although I assume that there's some kind of Taoist magic binding her corpse in such a way that she gets to stay a ghost. Akyuu's entry on the subject implies that either something weird is up with the corpse or the ghost has a strong obsession such that they don't even realize they're dead. Since the latter isn't true, I assume something weird is up with the corpse.

Well, now we have two electric types for the inferior versions of Touhoumon that stick with the standard types.

edited 5th Oct '11 11:00:52 AM by Clarste

And yet, some of her patterns are lightning shaped.

Yes, yes, where there's thunder there's lightning but if you're going to give her lightning via thunder, just give her lightning.

What about Kasen's raijuu thingy. Shouldn't that count?

Also, I can't really parse Tojiko's profile. She was denied resurrection because of her association with Futo? Does that mean Futo denied her the resurrection or that her associating with her screwed up the attempts in some way? I'd assume the first based on the following line but I dunno.

edited 5th Oct '11 11:05:16 AM by Bocaj

I blame this on the English language distinguishing between the sound and the visual effect when all anyone really cares about is the bolt. I'm pretty sure the kanji used can refer to the bolt directly, so it's lightning. It's just the dictionary says thunder so I wrote thunder, along with the Touhouwiki.

You just wait until thunder rattles your window while the actual lightning bolt harmlessly strikes miles away and tell me that all anybody cares about is the bolt.

As for the "denial" of resurrection it seems to be someone making a choice to refuse it, as opposed to it just fizzling out for no reason. There's no subject in the sentence though, which makes it sort of awkward in English. The following line implies that it was Futo doing the refusal though, which I assumed to be the case in my profile blurb.

Anyone in the fantasy-writing business.

edited 5th Oct '11 11:10:25 AM by Clarste

Anyone in the fantasy writing business?

edited 5th Oct '11 11:13:47 AM by Bocaj

In Pokemon, Thunder is an electric-type attack, and as we've established Tojiko is a Pokemon (Ghost-Electric). I rest my case.

edited 5th Oct '11 11:17:21 AM by Clarste

She is not a pokemon. She says stuff that's not just her name.

My case is just as silly as yours and is also resting.

The Soga clan were Buddhists, weren't they? If they were Buddhists, surely they would be reincarnated after they died, right?

But Tojiko forsook her Buddhism, and so she lost the right to reincarnate. This is my theory.

Her soul couldn't rest because of her powerful love for Miko!

Oh!

Oh, be still, my heart!

Are you claiming that as a reason for her being a ghost, or for her being denied resurrection? The former makes little sense, since that would imply that every non-Buddhist in the world would hang around forever as a tangible ghost. The latter also makes little sense since the whole point of resurrecting is to avoid truly dying in the first place.

Also, I'm pretty sure you reincarnate regardless of whether or not you're a Buddhist. Or rather, you reincarnate until you're a true Buddhist because the whole point of Buddhism is to escape the cycle of reincarnation. Buddhists don't want to reincarnate. That's the punishment people get for not being enlightened.

edited 5th Oct '11 11:26:55 AM by Clarste

Never knew you were such a romantic, Faw.

edited 5th Oct '11 11:28:16 AM by Metaflare

I'm romantic like shit, man.

Ah, Miko's waifu, huh?

Regarding that whole bit about Futo and Tojiko's clans being at each others throats- perhaps it's a case of Screw Destiny, with the two liking each other enough for them to make an exception, especially since they both were Miko's vassals?

Having no talent at danmaku- which does Miko use first; the Summon Futo spell card or Summon Tojiko spell card?

Just as I thought. I wonder, Clarste, does it worry you that you are becoming predictable?

edited 5th Oct '11 11:31:06 AM by asterism

They're the same spellcard

edited 5th Oct '11 11:31:12 AM by Metaflare

And she does absolutely nothing during it. How lazy, Miko.

To expound on my theory. It seems to me that dying is a sort of 'Return to Go' thing for Buddhists. Since they failed to reach enlightenment, they get to have another shot at it. Tojiko forsook this right and so has to spend eternity all unenlightened and footless.

edited 5th Oct '11 11:34:12 AM by asterism

It just occurred to me that the true reason for Tojiko's ghostliness is, in fact, entirely unromantic.

She literally forgot to die.

More seriously, I wonder if the spell that made Miko and Futo immortal had a weirdly specific requirement- like, only a master and servant pair, or some mystical mumbo-jumbo, like a yin-yang balancing act or some such.

Nothing as romantic as that. Miko didn't want to use untested magic on herself, so she experimented on Futo first. Maybe Tojiko had already died or something.