The New Touhou Character Alternate Interpretation Compendium!

Headcanon: Weakening the border to the Netherworld. Yukari split it wide open, but only was even able to because Sariel went down.

Also, on this train of thought, Remilia's such a persistant and annoying Hanger-on because she was rivals with Elis. Suika and Kasen likewise because Konngara was an enemy of the four devas. Yuugen Magan was clearly a manifestation of Yukari/her gaps, so she's never letting Reimu live that down*

Mima, of course, continues to cause problems for at least 4 more games. Beating Kikuri left her LOL-poor and unable to convince anyone of anything with words. And of course beating up her own guardian Shingyouku didn't do much to endear her to it.

I write some fanfiction. Satori's Tale is done... but I'm not.

Huh. Perhaps one reason we haven't seen the god of the Hakurei Shrine is that s/he is hiding cause they don't want to get associated with Reimu.

Nope. Reimu found out that the deity was the one who set her up for that fail and so she committed deicide in an adventure that remains undocumented for obvious reasons. That in turn got Yukari's attention and led to her current gig.

The god still exists. We just don't see it because Reimu.

It does get referred to every now and then though.

Anyway, Kikuri. I have to say that "giant moon-coin with a girl engraved on it" is a rather interesting design for a boss.

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But what's the moon angle? Why does Hell need a moon? If a certain evil spirit grows more powerful when the moon is right, isn't it dangerous to stick one down there? Or is Kikuri a bizarro moon that dampens the power of those confined to hell?

The game she both awakened her miko powers and trashed her shrine's defense system/training program. The game she set a dangerous precedent of solving her problems with violence. The game she rampaged through another world and made some powerful enemies. The game that set patterns and put in motion events that would have consequences later.

A well-behaved angel wouldn't, sure, but Sariel has a certain "fallen" vibe to it.

Or the deity knows Reimu well enough to predict the obvious outcome of a meeting, and would prefer not to get shot.

Kikuri is the bronze moon. While the normal moon shines a pure silver, you may recall that bronze is an alloy, and therefore by definition impure. Thus, it doesn't provide the same sort of powerboost, and may even prevent spirits/youkai from gaining strength... so yeah, that last guess might make some sense.

Well, yeah. Its blessing is youkai extermination... and it already knows that Reimu can't tell/doesn't care about the difference between youkai and gods, so it's just going to hide over here very quietly and hope it doesn't starve to death like that nice new neighbor that Reimu made and ruthlessly killed with neglect.

I write some fanfiction. Satori's Tale is done... but I'm not.

Damn metallurgaphiles! There's nothing wrong with mixing metals to get a stronger alloy!

Forever liveblogging the Avengers

Hey now, I'm not saying Alloys are worse. Just that they aren't pure. Which counts for a lot when you're talking about supernatural stuff. And counts at least triple when discussing Japanese mythology in particular.

Steel may be a vastly superior metal to iron, but have you ever tried running a nymph through with a steel blade? It just doesn't work. Cold Iron or bust.

I'm sure this is somehow the work of the Lunarians discriminating against moons of alternate compositions.

edited 23rd May '13 6:34:49 AM by Antimatter625

I write some fanfiction. Satori's Tale is done... but I'm not.

... Why are you stabbing nymphs?

Forever liveblogging the Avengers

Antimatter, is there something you need to tell us?

Also, Kikuri is the moon because Hell needs to regulate a day/night cycle in order to keep productivity up.

So on top of being one of the wardens of Hell, one of the Ministry's primary mediators, and the god of finance, Kikuri is also the moon.

Poor thing is overworked...and Reimu slinging a yin-yang in her face can't help.

edited 23rd May '13 6:48:26 AM by Otherarrow

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Because they don't bruise easily? Or do you mean why am I attacking them? In which case...

Only that I'm fighting to give Kyouko her job back. In theory.

I wonder who the sun is, then. Actually, it may -also- be her. Like, she has two sides, and she flips in order to change day to night. We see her moon side, but only because it was night?

I write some fanfiction. Satori's Tale is done... but I'm not.

If you're talking about Echo... she doesn't have a body to stab.

Forever liveblogging the Avengers

That would explain a lot... I guess I can probably let this one go, then, huh?

I write some fanfiction. Satori's Tale is done... but I'm not.

Behold! My glorious bronze ass! (audible gleam)

So if the moon's the sun's "opposite," would Kikuri's Brazen Backside be some sort of disruptive agent? Fomenting strife among hell's inmates during the day to keep them from working together and breaking out, then she flips around and drains their power as the moon during night.

Or maybe she's just a spirit in a sphere and everyone's been completely misinterpreting ZUN's art for years. I mean, Mima appears in a circle, but nobody's suggesting she's a medallion.

There's just a bit of Kikuri fanart.

• Alphes style
• Not a happy camper
• Golden girl
• Out and about

Bah, that's no fun.

Though I do like the earlier idea that she rowdys them up during the day, then weakens them during the night. I am not sure what this would accomplish though aside from keeping them from escaping.

Also, it doesn't have to be her backside. I think it's been established that she can move around on the coin.

edited 24th May '13 8:04:35 AM by Otherarrow

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C'mon, wouldn't it be ironic if the Hellish Moon mooned someone to make the sun? Or is that more weird than ironic?

On the topic of sowing confusion, know who the Greek goddess of discord was? Eris. Now, who did we start discussing on page 925? Was Mima the only one who broke out of Hell that day, or did an innocent devil of discord flee to Makai shortly before the events of HRtP?

Yes, this is all based on one character's potential to complement an assumed ability of another character based on the mythological reference of one name and a mispronunciation of the other.

Reimu smacking a yin yang in her face is why all the shenanigans keep happening to her. Always dealing with chaos.

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So Marketing is telling me that discs are out. The current fad? Androgynous, fog-footed sword-wielders.

Astral Knight Konngara

Appearance:

Themes: "Swordsman of a Distant Star" (original)*

, "Eternal Shrine Maiden"*

This melody had quite an impact on me. Even now, I'll find myself playing it when I compose music.

(stage theme)

Signature Attack:
Sword Lines that shoot Sword Beams

Write-up:
The HRtP boss with the most fanart, due to what may be jutting out of the boss' forehead. Konngara is encountered in Hell's Silent Shrine, and this is where fact ends and the speculation begins.

While we could wonder about Konngara's possible motive for attacking the Hakurei Shrine, the most obvious question is what exactly Konngara is supposed to be, since "Astral Knight" sounds more like a job description than a Monster Manual entry. The most popular theory is that the red thing on Konngara's face is a horn, making Konngara an oni, thus encouraging interactions with known oni Suika and Yuugi as well as honorary oni Kasen. On the other hand, the lack of anything solid from Konngara's thighs on down suggests a ghostly origin, and a few red pixels can be interpreted as a drop of blood running down Konngara's forehead from the spike driven into the knight's skull.

Still other Touhou scholars have analyzed Konngara's name as a religious reference, making the astral knight a god's attendant if not an outright deity. Additionally, Konngara looks suspiciously similar to SoEW's Meira, with the side effect of appearing rather handsome for a woman, hence the lack of gender pronouns in this write-up. Throw in the fact that the battle with Konngara is preceded by a reprise of Reimu's unofficial ur-theme and you've got a veritable bundle of mysteries that aren't going to be resolved any time soon.

Relationships:

• Meira (looksortalike)
• Suika Ibuki, Yuugi Hoshiguma, Kasen Ibaraki (fellow horned humanoids?)
• Reimu Hakurei (why the music?)

edited 26th May '13 9:09:33 PM by Tacitus

Hell, horn, overwhelming power... yeah, she's a kishin. No particular reason to believe that she was one of the shitennou, though

Oh, and are we going to do Wakasagihime, Sekibanki, and Kagerou here, or wait for the next compendium?

And Kokoro... ;_;

But I was thinking they'd be best off left for the next one? I dunno, we might close this one with them, but... well, we'll see.

As for Konngara, there's that amusing comic that has her as one of the 4 devas. this one

Personally, I subscribe to her being a ghost, more. Hell is where you'd find that sort of thing, after all (Of course, it's also where you'd find oni... >_>)

I write some fanfiction. Satori's Tale is done... but I'm not.

I was thinking the DDC girls would be viable because their game is already translated (and they're not connected to any later characters). But HM translation is barely beginning

Of Note

Konnagara is an Astral Knight. Whether that makes her serve a higher power or is just supposed to sound cool is unknown.

Konngara is often depicted to be an Oni because of the horn on her head. There is even a fan theory that Konngara could very well be one of the big four of the mountain. Because of this, she sometimes paired with Suika Ibuki, Yuugi Hoshiguma, and/or Kasen Ibaraki An alternate theory claims that the "horn" on her head is actually a metal spike stuck in it, based on how it appears to have a drop of blood dripping from it.

Another theory suggests she's a Yaksha which are quasi-deities of a generally tutelary & benevolent character, but also sometime are malevolent, hence why one might banished to Hell. This may be supported by her emotion changing from friendly to malevolent during the fight.

"Konngara" is a numerical value, equivalent to 10 to the power of 112. There is no official kana of Konngara, but may also be written as 矜羯羅 and may be a reference to an attendant of the Fudoo Myoo-oo, the Japanese name for the Wisdom King Acala (Ācalanātha in Sanskrit), in Shingon Buddhism. Fudoo Myoo-oo is a violent figure, who burns away material desire with his flames. He is often depicted with fire and a sword, and attendants "Konngara Dōji" and "Seitaka Dōji", who are sometimes considered part of Fudoo Myoo-oo's "Eight Great Youths".

Music & Overview

I really like the intro on this theme. It does give a feeling that your opponent is from another world. The fast paced bridge is also pretty good. I guess if I have any problem with this song it's that the parts of the songs transition together, but seem radically different. The loop on this theme is really noticeable. Personally, I like the remix better than the original. Konngara, in my opinion, would be a pretty forgettable opponent without that spike in her head. Is there any way to see when the most Konngara fanart was being produced. I can't help but feel it would line up with the releases of SA and WAHH. The knowledge that there are four devas when we have three oni just makes filling out that last spot really tempting. I can't help but feel like Konngara is a far more interesting character when we assume she isn't an oni however. What is Konngara? Is she a malevolent Yaksha banished to Hell, a talented fighter who died from a spike through the skull and seeks revenge, or a swordsman from distant star come to dispense the law of the Astral Knights? Of course, being an oni is always another option, but is being an oni really all that interesting? Konngara is distinct from the rest of TH 1's cast because while there is very little to go off of to give her a character that can be said to match canon, there is much to extrapolate from to create an interesting interpretation. Whatever Konngara really is, there is one thing for certain: she is something very interesting.

edited 30th May '13 4:54:53 PM by Horselesshorseman

I have no horse, and I must ride. I accomplish unlockments.

Konngara is an Astral Knight who shoots bullets out of her sword. She is found at the end of Reimu's hell journey.

Reimu probably started it.

According to the Touhou Wiki, "Konngara" means two things, a really big number and the name of one of the attendants of the Buddhist god Fudoo-Myoo, who is a violent guy who burns away desire.

Going by this later bit, my speculation is that, like Kikuri, Konngara works for the Ministry of Right and Wrong, but unlike Kikuri, she didn't come across Reimu by chance: she was sent to deal with the shrine maiden causing a ruckus and slinging her yinyang in everyone's faces. In other words, Konngara was sent to beat Reimu up and stop her rampage.

Going with the theory that Konngara is a Yaksha, she is probably peaceful and benevolent when off duty, but downright scary when it's time to smite some Reimus.

edited 27th May '13 8:17:39 AM by Otherarrow

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C'mon, Touhou Wiki, how do you have a redirect for kishin but no link to it on Konngara's page? Also, c'mon ZUN, you put a kishin in WaHH but pass on the chance to explode some heads by bringing back a PC-98 character?

Sure, it may be a stretch to decide Konngara was a Deva - excuse me, one of the Big Four of the Mountain - unless we can find something linking her to Torakuma-doji or Kanakuma-doji. On the other hand, if she was a kishin, and got sent to check on Kasen, it would be hilariously awkward.

Oh yeah, that's the other thing to note - Konngara's unique in that her sprite's animated, her head and arm move around and her expression changes. It's actually kinda creepy.

So the Konngara-as-yaksha theory would explain why she wrecked Reimu's place (evil!), if not why she went back to Hell afterwards. But why would Konngara the kishin go after Reimu?

But she only started her rampage after her shrine got ransacked... or should we be at all surprised that Reimu had already raised some hell before Touhou 1?

Or maybe we could work in the Fudoo-Myoo angle and say that Konngara's spanking was an attempt to burn away Reimu's desire. Think it worked?

Don't see why not. It's not a Kasen situation where we'll be periodically getting more information about the character from an ongoing comic, in these cases all we'd miss out by doing things "early" would be information from DDC's ending. And fan stuff.

"Hey..."
"Uh... hi."
"I'm just gonna go report that you're doing fine, then?"
"Um... thank you?"

Oh wow... Konngara even slashes with her sword.

Kinda wish I had more to say about Konngara, but... I just don't for some reason. Ummm.. Maybe her ghostly nature and swordsmanship could tie her into The Konpaku family somewhere?

I write some fanfiction. Satori's Tale is done... but I'm not.