FanficRecs Timeskipper's review
I also read it out of curiosity, and got hooked up immediately. As I like to put it, the Taker Foxx brand can be identified from miles away, and it's always fresh and enticing. The characterisation is probably one of the best I've ever seen, and the plot is convoluted but not at the point where it's impossible to keep track of it, and, last but not the least, Taker Foxx has the rare skill of knowing when the story is becoming TOO dark, and so far he's always managed to balance the darkness and the despair with humor and hope. In short, IM lacks nothing a real novel should have. While there 'are' a few things that tick me off (Yukari has been so far a VERY dislikeable character, and her characterisation seems a bit... off to me, plus I don't like the idea of her being some sort of authority in Gensokyo, creating a police force or putting people in important positions), they are actually very few and easy to overlook. I definitely advise everyone, even those not familiar with Touhou like myself, to read it. Oh, and have I forgot to mention that I totally loved Rin Satsuki and felt sorry for her tragic past and shitty present?
FanficRecs sohzq's review
I found it to be untrue to the spirit of the Touhou series in general. Everyone knows that they resolve disputes through danmaku, danmaku! Not through arguing, emotional tension and slapping each other! The fic is just far too dark for me, especially since Touhou mostly lacks real villains as a whole.
FanficRecs Rena the Archmage's review
This is, without a doubt, one of the best things of its genre I've ever read, Touhou or otherwise. The characters and relationships develop very naturally, and Taker takes his sweet time letting it all unfold. Though the story isn't filled with action-packed, epic chapters throughout, the early chapters do much to hook the reader in, sinking its claws in and compelling them to read through the long haul. Even in its quieter moments, the story is rife with gambit after gambit several new or forgotten-about characters, and... well... Read for yourself. Words fail me when describing a story of this caliber.
FanficRecs Zudak's review
An amazing interpretation and my personal favorite. The author has decided to employ a few common fanon characterizations that normally irk me rather badly, but gets away with it because every single character is so goddamn well-written. The atmosphere is definitely on the darker side of things but the tone is not too unbearably bleak and there's always an undercurrent of hope and humor. Highly recommended.
FanficRecs Lunaoh's review
This is by far one of the best Touhou fics out there. The prose and characterization are highly enjoyable and the plot is great too. My only complaint is that there isn't enough of it: every chapter leaves me waiting for more.
FanficRecs GuyYouMetOnline's review
This story is excellent, although it should be noted that this is not a comedic fic. Not that I'm complaining, since it's easily the best fanfic I've ever read. In particular, the characters are all portrayed extremely well, especially Rin, who happens to be the second fictional character ever that I've truly cared about. My only complaint so far is the unambiguous evil of Ex-Rumia, especially since without her there'd be no true 'bad guy' in the story. It's clear who the protagonists are, but aside from Ex-Rumia, there's no clear villian (although Yukari's starting to come close), but even that works all right, and I have no other complaints. I highly recommend this fic; just don't go in expecting much lighthearted fun.
FanficRecs Makuta9999's review
In the words of the author on the original site it was put up, 'Team nine fucks up. Hilarity Ensues.' Includes severe Mood Whiplash at the end of the first chapter, and by the end of the third it goes into Dark Fic territory, though with the occasional funny moment. It also uses the unused character from EoSD, but not in the way that you might originally think.
FanficRecs Grimmycoffee's review
Not to my taste
It's just... well, it makes sense that the author has to change and bastardize some characters for the sake of the story, but with how many characters are there in Touhou this just becomes painful (especially when it happens to your favorite characters). Some characters become same-y with them being a simple complaining bastards that don't have any context other than that, and they're not enjoyable to listen to.
The OCs are kinda, well, they're not bad but I just want to skimp over them after a while with how many they are and they're not exactly interesting enough to gain my attention.