The New New Touhou Character Alternate Interpretation Compendium

Junko's not too strong for the Watatsuki (Maybe. Don't wanna get into powerlevel discussions). Just that her strategy this time makes it impossible for any Lunarians to fight. Junko's essentially doing biological warfare, filling the moon with fairies, which to Lunarians are the same as clumps of deadly viruses. It doesn't matter how strong you are when even coming in contact with them kills you, or at least makes you die much faster.

The Eagle Ravis aren't defending the moon, either. They're scouting an escape route, not fighting.

The players don't even manage to harm Sagume either, they just pass her test. She has a "defeated" portrait with torn clothes in the game files, but none of the dialog ever calls it.

edited 3rd Jun '17 12:00:11 AM by Clarste

So what's the deal with her ability? Moon rabbits seem to share at least one power, that bunny telepathy, and Reisen's trademark wave-manipulatiion seemed to be a logical development of that. Yet Ringo (and Seiran) don't get anything like that, Ringo's superpower is dumplings for crying out loud. So what gives? Did the Eagle Ravi not get the sort of training Reisen did to develop their latent abilities, even though the ability to bend light might be pretty useful for a recon unit? Was Ringo born with such a specialized ability, or was she given it? And if she was given it, was a power dependent on a supply of consumables a deliberate choice on her masters' part?

Current earworm: "A New Journey"

I don't think Reisen's wavelength manipulation was ever meant to be an offshoot of her rabbit telepathy. Ringo and Seiran are presumably telepathic as well. It's implied that this is the purpose of their ears.

edited 5th Jun '17 5:48:02 PM by Clarste

I don't think their abilities are any different from Kosuzu suddenly developing her super-reading abilities despite being a normal human otherwise.

Or maybe "getting stronger" just means not hungry, and Ringo just likes her dango that much.

I'm not sure that'd be better or worse than developing a supernatural ability based on how much you love one type of food.

Anyhoo, we should probably get ready to move on to everyone's favorite non-Mokou pyromaniac, so if there's any final thoughts on the dumpling-devouring moon monster, now's the time to share them.

Current earworm: "A New Journey"

Ringo:

A member of the Lunarian Special Ops Unit Eagle Ravi. Seemingly laid back. Loves dango so much, she gets stronger by eating them.

Hmm... I wonder if she was using mochi-style dango in her Spell Cards.

Ringo's a lax bunny, doing things at her own pace, but she's a tough cookie should a fight break out.

The big question I have is this - when can we expect Ringo and Seiran to appear in the sequel to the smash hit Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth?

Well, let's not delay Ringo's next snack break any further. Coming up will be Hecatia, Lily White, and something made up of spare parts. But first, hide yo' plates, hide yo' temples, it's

Shikaisen from Ancient Japan Mononobe no Futo

Appearance:

Stage: Blood of Those with Hidden Power ~ The Hall of Dreams' Great Mausoleum
A huge remnant was hidden behind the doors.
Are the divine spirits aware of what lies within?
BGM: "The Hall of Dreams' Great Mausoleum"^note The fifth stage theme. Since we just came barreling through a narrow cave, I decided to write a nice, expansive song to contrast it. It's so stimulating to find such enormous spaces underground, isn't it? I wanted to compose something that would make you feel that kind of excitement.
Theme: "Legend of the Great Gods"^note Mononobe no Futo's theme. Since it's Mononobe-san, the Japanese title is pronounced "Oomiwa Shinwaden". I get the feeling there aren't many games that are themed around the time between the Tumulus periods and Asuka periods. Maybe people just can't picture an image of them? This song was written with only the sound of Asuka in mind. Asukaaaaa!

Spellcard Motif: Boating, Burning, Breaking Crockery
Sample Spellcards: TD, HM, ULiL, ISC
Heaven Sign "Iwafune Ascending to Heaven," Throwing Dishes "Mononobe's Eighty Sake Cups," Blaze Sign "Sakuraiji in Flames," Saint Girl "Oomonoimi's Dinner," Wind Sign "Miwa Plate Storm," Fate "Gate Opening for Catastrophe," "Inferno Reformation," Throwing Dishes "Kawarake Rotary Throw," Bow Sign "Star Dragon Bow," Plate Sign "Okiku Driven to Desperation"

Write-up:
Futo hails from a time of religious strife, when Japanese clans supporting the country's native Shinto faith violently resisted the foreign creed of Buddhism. The Mononobe, who claimed descent from a Shinto god, were part of this resistance... with the exception of Futo, who followed a different faith altogether. Working with the Crown Prince and an accomplice from the rival Soga clan, Futo worked to unite Japan using Buddhism, while she and her fellow schemers studied Taoism to achieve immortality. Their plan was more or less successful, save for the part where Futo and the others' resurrection was delayed over a thousand years by those meddling Buddhists.

Since then, Futo seems to be having some difficulty adjusting to modernity, or at least what passes for modernity in Gensokyo. Her speech is antiquated, she's hostile toward youkai and quick to "save" humans from them whether they need the help or not, and she still has a violently incandescent reaction to Buddhist paraphernalia. As such, Akyuu describes her as the most hermit-like of the Taoists and advises keeping your distance - not because she's hostile or dangerous, but because Futo can be a bit of a nuisance.

Relations

• Toyosatomimi no Miko (Crown Prince)
• Soga no Tojiko (co-conspirator she kinda murdered)

See also the previous compendium

edited 9th Jun '17 12:04:31 PM by Tacitus

Current earworm: "A New Journey"

Should also mention that there's a perception of Futo as the baby of the Taoist bunch, since I guess she's short and spooks easy? Which would make the rest of her behavior all the more disturbing, what with betraying her family and murdering her co-conspirator and setting things on fire that she really didn't need to. Which in turn raises questions about just what kind of people the sanctified crown prince is willing to associate with as she sets up the ideal government.

Current earworm: "A New Journey"

Futo seems more childish and bullheaded rather than just the baby. I could be wrong and it could mostly be fanon.

"We are just like Irregular Data. And that applies to you too, Ri CO. And as for you, Player... your job is to correct Irregular Data."

Futo of the Mononobe Clan:

A devout follower of Miko. Attained immortality through Taoism. Currently getting accustomed to Gensokyan life. Very helpful...to a fault.

Given how Futo's a pyromaniac, it's best if she isn't called upon in case of fires breaking out; she would probably make it worse.

Of the Miko faction, she has the most difficulty adjusting to her new life in Gensokyo. I wonder why.

I guess her problem adjusting comes from lacking her co-conspirator's advantages? Miko was using her power or something to kind of monitor the situation in Gensokyo even before she woke up, if memory serves. And Tojiko has little reason to care about worldly affairs since you know, she's a ghost. But Futo was both out of the loop for over a millennium and gets to experience this brave new world as a semi-immortal, so she's grounded enough to be shocked by a land where tengu sell newspapers in the only human settlement and a local goddess is generating lightning from an underground sun and there's a heretical youkai temple right there in the city and you have to stay the hell away from that sunflower field.

Though when you put it like that, it's easy to see why Gensokyo would be an adjustment for anyone, even if they weren't from the dawn of Japan as we know it.

Alternatively, well, let's think about what Futo did. She betrayed her family, manipulated a religious conflict for her own advantage, tried to set herself up as one of her country's immortal rulers. Not the sort of thing most people would do on a whim, my thinking is that you'd have to have a very definite idea of what you'd get for taking this course of action, and have to want it very badly.

So after doing all that, so she could become an undying aristocratic ruler of a feudal society, Futo instead took a long nap and emerged as just one of a number of remarkable individuals stuck inside a magical bubble within a backwater valley, where there's only one little settlement to rule surrounded by monsters, and she's forced to rub shoulders with one of the hated Buddhists who foiled her plot.

Yeah, it'd be hard to adjust to that reality.

Current earworm: "A New Journey"

Could just bump to bring this back to the front page, or we could do a picdump.

After looking through a chunk of Futo art, I'm wondering how much her characterization depends on her resemblance to Youmu? After all, they're both pale-tressed, not-quite-alive servants of a dignified noblewoman with a bit of whimsy to her, and both are noticeably short. And have a ghost following them around, though in Youmu's case it's more complicated.

Anyway, the pictures:

There she goes
Big blue eyes
Seems content enough
Hiding mouth with long sleeves for "moe" effect
Same gesture, but suggesting deep thought
This has "plucky girl" all over it
The fang of childish overconfidence
Snug and smug
Battle stance
Also, archery
Time to get serious
Presumably Taoism can cure lung cancer
Aside glance
With the power of feng shui or something
Her previous memetic pose
In her element
Gasoline, kerosene
Strike a match, ignite the scene
Things will never be the same
Feel the fury of my flame
Persona!
Turns out Futo was in Koto Inari's earliest works, before they settled on their distinct art style
Might want to remember how fire behaves
Futo riding a giant flaming goldish, because
Context needed, please
Down in the crypt
Down in the basement
Shouldn't Kogasa have hanged her upside-down?
For once Futo isn't the "kid" in the picture
Downpour
Must be summer
Looks almost like traditional media
Nice minimalist piece
A colorful dance
Against a starless sky
Worryingly bright eyes
On a silvery night
Sadly, I don't think there's any fire-lightning Dual Techs
They've got to work up to cell phones
This artist likes this pairing And Miko the cat-thing
A moment in the bamboo
She might not be joking
Posing with her prince
Leading the charge
Bottom of the totem pole
Taoist trio
If you're wondering how her characterization evolved between games
Compare and contrast
If you feel bad for laughing, remember Tojiko
Not so much a religious conflict as it is a case of predatory instincts
Not sure the kappa will make a difference
Presumptuous little tot
Might need to train if she wants to survive the actual hit squads
She's new
An unusual pairing in a distinct art style
Lil' Futo loves sweets
She has a cake
Yamcha'd in three, two...
Boat problems\\ The lunch special
Speaking of lunch
Curious what Tojiko's shirt says
Made me miss Littleshrimp
A deadly game of cat and also cat

Current earworm: "A New Journey"

Futo is an old hermit who is out of place in modern society. Unlike Miko who is att least be able to adapt, Futo doesn't seem to care to much for modern Gensokyo and she is confused about almost everything in the new world.

"We are just like Irregular Data. And that applies to you too, Ri CO. And as for you, Player... your job is to correct Irregular Data."

I read a post by cuc in MoTK forums, which explains that Futo might actually still be a little brat.

Futo's last spellcard in TD, Sacred Virgin "Oomonoimi's Dinner". Basically, Oomonoimi is the name of a god who is served a by a group of children priestesses. Their leader is a daughter of the Mononobe clan. This head priestess is to serve until she's 14 (?) years old, and afterwards she is to stay a virgin for her entire life.

So yeah, Futo is a brat that just entered puberty.

It's been a while since I last read that post though, so I may got some stuff wrong.

Did she Peter Pan herself?

What a fate.

Forever liveblogging the Avengers

Wow, that might explain a lot. Instead of looking forward to a future where she gets to marry some powerful, wealthy nobleman - maybe even a member of the imperial dynasty - Futo gets cast aside for the sake of piety. No wonder she was willing to betray her clan and ditch her religion.

And oh, it is so easy to spin her pyromaniac tendencies as an expression of her sexual frustration. Even though she's renounced Shinto and has no reason to stick to any oath of celibacy.

Current earworm: "A New Journey"

That would also explain her Hopeless Masquerade art, in a way.

that would explain some things about her relationship with Miko.......

"We are just like Irregular Data. And that applies to you too, Ri CO. And as for you, Player... your job is to correct Irregular Data."

Futo shall perform her duties with peerless vigour!

Almighty Funk
Preserve the Holy Land
Divine Commandments
Eternal Blessings of Suffering
Battle of the Gods

Love me some folk music, thanks.

So is Futo really doomed to be an perpetually pubescent pyromaniac? She's immortal-ish in that she can extend her earthly existence indefinitely, but that doesn't mean she's necessarily stuck as she was when she faked her death, yeah? Maybe she could let herself inch closer to the end of the unnatural life until barkeeps stopped asking for ID. Or, heh, talk to Byakuren about some of that body-modification magic. It's amazing what you can learn when you aren't setting things on fire.

On the other hand, she may be at that age and of that mindset that she's so awesome there's no possibility for improvement. A chuunibyou a thousand years early, in other words.

Current earworm: "A New Journey"

Futo as a chunni? That explains so much.

"We are just like Irregular Data. And that applies to you too, Ri CO. And as for you, Player... your job is to correct Irregular Data."

Well...Futo does have a thing for fire, which seems to be a chuuni's favorite element. I can imagine her doing dramatic hand poses too. ...Heh, an ancient chuuni, huh?

With the important distinction that she actually has supernatural powers, thanks to... Taoism, I guess? Presumably if her fire-flinging and boat-surfing came from a Shinto deity, he'd have cut her off after she turned against the religion.

Anyway, it's probably about time to move on to Hecatia, so if you have any final thoughts on this precocious little scamp, go on and share 'em.

Current earworm: "A New Journey"

Moving on then. While Futo goes back to enjoying her immortality, hopefully without setting anyone on fire, we'll look forward to discussing Lily White, Nue, and the girl pulling the strings. But first, a true blast from the past with a modern taste in fashion, it's

Goddess of Hell Hecatia Lapislazuli

Appearance:

Stage: The Trump Card is Always a Bad Move ~ Evil Trinity
BGM: "A Never-Before-Seen World of Nightmares"^note The Extra Stage theme. First the eerie intro, then it flows into the simple and usual Touhou style. It really does have that Extra feel. Nonetheless, is Doremy your foe this time? Or is she your friend?
Theme: "Pandemonic Planet"^note Hecatia Lapislazuli's theme. This is quite a demonic piece of music. I actually thought about making a metal song, but I'm not well-versed in that area and it felt like it wouldn't fit the setting, so I made it like this in the end. My thought process was Hell -> Shinigami -> Death -> Death Metal. Pretty poor idea.

Spellcard Motif: the Earth, the Moon, and the Realms Beyond
Spellcards:' LoLK
Otherworld "Ōmagatoki," Earth "Impurity Within One's Body," Moon "Apollo Reflection Mirror," Otherworld "Hell's Non-Ideal Danmaku," Earth "Rain Falling in Hell," Moon "Lunatic Impact," "Trinitarian Rhapsody," "First and Last Nameless Danmaku"

Write-up:
A goddess of hell, or rather hells - Hecatia governs the specific underworlds for Earth, the moon, and any "Otherworlds" all at the same time thanks to having three bodies. She's also hella strong, someone on a whole different level than anyone in Gensokyo or the Lunar Capital, but fortunately not nearly as evil as some of Hell's denizens. And, as Sanae puts it, a "freaky T-shirt lady."

Hecatia befriended Junko at some point and decided she was, like, to~tally on board with her vendetta against Chang'e, because you see Chang'e's husband shot down Apollo when he fired arrows at all those suns, or whatever. So she loaned Junko a bunch of fairies to go play on the moon and besiege the Lunarians, but just when she was so ready to get some shared revenge on Chang'e, Junko announced she'd been defeated and Hecatia ended up fighting an Earthling instead. Afterward she seems to have taken an interest in Gensokyo and resettled there, though of course she's still present in other places as well.

Relations

• Junko (grudgemate)
• Clownpiece (minion)
• Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu (lower-ranking celestial bureaucrat)

Current earworm: "A New Journey"