History ShoutOut / Touhou

* Many, ''many'' references to ''Literature/AliceInWonderland''. Just to give you an idea, Alice Marigold is heavily designed after the main character (in case her name didn't tip you off enough).

* The plot of ''Hopeless Masquerade'' is a WholePlotReference to Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena, where people (youkai) are given power by the resident of an upside-down floating castle to "start a revolution", but their benefactor's actual goals are far more selfish.

** Remilia asking Marisa "Can you count the number of times you've eaten bread?" is a reference to a line uttered by Dio in ''Phantom Blood'', who asks the exact same question as a ButForMeItWasTuesday speech after Zeppeli demands to know how many humans he's drained just to heal a minor scar.[[note]]Marisa does remember how many times she's eaten bread... thirteen times. She prefers Japanese food.[[/note]]

* The plot of ''Hopeless Masqueradr'' is a WholePlotReference to Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena, where people (youkai) are given power by the resident of an upside-down floating castle to "start a revolution", but their benefactor's actual goals are far more selfish.

* Raiko states in ''Double Dealing Character'' that people in the Outside World call skilled drummers {{VideoGame/Taiko Drum Master}}s. And then you realize that Touhou songs have appeared in TDM games in the past.

* Raiko states in ''Double Dealing Character'' that people in the Outside World call skilled drummers {{VideoGame/Taiko Drum Masters}}. And then you realize that Touhou songs have appeared in TDM games in the past.

* ''Alernative Facts in Eastern Utopia'' contains an ad spoofing [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hells_of_Beppu Hells of Beppu]].

** Remilia asking Marisa "Do you remember how many times you've eaten bread?" is a reference to a line uttered by Dio in ''Phantom Blood'', who asks the exact same question as a ButForMeItWasTuesday speech after Zeppeli demands to know how many humans he's drained just to heal a minor scar.[[note]]Marisa does remember how many times she's eaten bread... thirteen times. She prefers Japanese food.[[/note]]

** [[ThePowerOfTheSun Utsuho Reiuji's]] [[http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/File:Utsuho_Similarities.png sprite animations greatly resemble those of Souther]].

* Many, ''many'' references to ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'', including a character named Alice.

** Sakuya has several homages to Dio Brando, the overall BigBad of ''[=JoJo=]'', including her time-stop powers (specifically "The World", which is the name of Dio's [[FightingSpirit Stand]]) and knife-throwing skills. ''Scarlet Weather Rhapsody'' takes it a step further by giving her attack animations inspired by Dio's from the Capcom fighting game ''VideoGame/JojosBizarreAdventureHeritageForTheFuture''.

* Nue, the Extra Stage boss of the above game, has a spell card that uses UsefulNotes/PlayStation buttons, and references [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nue the Nue of legend]].

* Makai in ''Mystic Square'' is basically one big ShoutOut to ''Literature/ParadiseLost''.

* From ''Hopeless Masquerade'':
** Miko's powerbar image in ''Hopeless Masquerade'' is a [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/reaction-guys-gaijin-4koma modified gaijin 4koma]].
** Nitori's Last Word is a homage to [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Snake's]] Final Smash in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Brawl''. Its name also references the [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Scope]], which, coincidentally, is an item in the ''Smash'' series.
** One of Ichirin's alternate color schemes resembles [[LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex Index's]] outfit.
** All three of [[spoiler:Disguised Mamizou]]'s spell cards are references to ''Genpei Toumaden''.[[note]]One is "Reimu" dropping Yin-yang orbs in the same manner as the Buddha enemy in that game. Another is "Byakuren" throwing animal likenesses as the Lute player enemy of the same game. The last one is a giant "Miko" waving her shaku in a similar way to the final boss' showing off before the last battle.[[/note]]
* From ''Double Dealing Character'':
** Sukuna's second-to-last spellcard on Normal is called "[[Manga/AttackOnTitan Shingeki no Kobito]]".
** Seija's pose. [[Creator/StudioShaft Shaft]] [[http://i.imgur.com/4dqAX.jpg head tilt]], anyone?
** The plot of the game itself: [[Anime/RevolutionaryGirlUtena people (youkai) are given power by the resident of an upside-down floating castle to "start a revolution", but their benefactor's actual goals are far more selfish.]]

* In ''The Grimoire of Marisa'', she questions if riding keystones works like [[Manga/DragonBall The Flying Nimbus]].

* in ''The Grimoire of Marisa'', she questions if riding keystones works like [[Manga/DragonBall The Flying Nimbus]].

* One of Kogasa's spell cards is named "Rainbow Sign "[[Film/TheWizardOfOz Over The Rainbow]]"" She also has two spells cards titled "Umbrella Sign [[VideoGame/BubbleBobble "Parasol Star Symphony"" and "Parasol Star Memories", respectively]].

* Stage 6 of ''UFO'' has rows of fairies that move in a zig-zag pattern and fire bullets straight downwards, as a reference to ''Space Invaders''.

** Nitori's Last Word is a homage to [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Snake's]] Final Smash in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Brawl''.

* ''Symposium of Post-mysticism'' reveals that Kogasa got a babysitting job because she thinks [[Literature/MaryPoppins all babysitters fly through the sky using an umbrella]].

* In ''Phantasmagoria of Flower View'', most times when you defeat an enemy, the game will call them a DEAD PARROT. [[Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus Hmmm, I wonder what that could be a shout-out to...]]

* Three different characters[[note]]Flandre, ..., ...[[/note]] have references to the works of Creator/AgathaChristie.

* "Symposium of Post-mysticism" reveals that Kogasa got a babysitting job because she thinks [[Literature/MaryPoppins all babysitters fly through the sky using an umbrella]].

* The soundtrack CD for ''Urban Legend in Limbo'' is called "[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets Sumireko Usami and the Clubroom of Secrets]]".

* In the same title, there's also a Shout Out to [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]].

* The entire plot of the current game ''Hidden Star in Four Seasons'' is pretty much a WholePlotReference and {{Homage}} to ''VideoGame/LenEn'''s first game ''Evanescent Existence'', right down to the respective culprits of the incident kick-starting the whole event by secretly pitting the main characters against other characters, while also secretly finding a worthy successor as a protector of their respective {{Fantasy Kitchen Sink}}s. The game also implements a flash bomb system, similar to those from ''Earthen Miraculous Sword'' onwards.

* The entire plot of the current game ''Hidden Star in Four Seasons'' is pretty much a WholePlotReference and {{Homage}} to ''VideoGame/LenEn'''s first game ''Evanescent Existence'', right down to the respective culprits of the incident kick-starting the whole event by secretly pitting the main characters against other characters, while also secretly finding a worthy successor as a protector of their respective {{Fantasy Kitchen Sink}}s. The game also implements a flash bomb system, similar to those from ''Earthen Miraculous Sword'' onwards.

** Remilia asking Marisa "Do you remember how many times you've eaten bread?" is a line uttered by Dio in ''Phantom Blood'', as a ButForMeItWasTuesday speech after Zeppeli demands to know how many humans he's drained just to heal a minor scar.[[note]]Marisa does remember how many times she's eaten bread... thirteen times. She prefers Japanese food.[[/note]]

** Many of the characters having [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway vague or seemingly useless abilities]] that [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower can be dangerous when used effectively]], which is also a recurring theme in ''[=JoJo=]''.
** The name of the series itself may be a ''[=JoJo=]'' reference -- an alternate reading of the kanji in "Touhou" is "Higashikata", the surname of Part 4's protagonist, Josuke.
* Three different characters have references to the works of Creator/AgathaChristie.

* In ''Phantasmagoria of Flower View'', most times when you defeat an enemy, the game will call them a DEAD PARROT. [[Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus Hmmm, I wonder what that could be a shout out to...]]

* There are references to ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' in the fighting games, most notably ''Hisoutensoku''. If Reimu's ultimate spellcard "Fantasy Heaven" ("''Musou Tensei''" in Japanese, which happens to be a [[NamesTheSame homonym]] for Kenshiro's ultimate technique, "Unconscious Transmigration of Souls", also pronounced "''Musou Tensei''") is successfully activated in the third round of a match, the background music will change to [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8-SrmzsrkE a mashup remix]] of Mystic Oriental Love Consultation and the Fatal KO theme from the ''Fist Of The North Star'' fighting games. Fitting because said spellcard is a guaranteed knock out unless [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCkhBwipem0 the opponent gets very lucky]] (no, it is NOT a OneHitKill).

** Nitori's Last Word is a homage to to [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Snake]]'s final smash in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Brawl''.

** All three of [[spoiler:Disguised Mamizou]]'s spell cards are references to ''Genpei Toumaden''[[note]]One is "Reimu" dropping Yin-yang orbs in the same manner as the Buddha enemy in that game. Another is "Byakuren" throwing animal likenesses as the Lute player enemy of the same game. The last one is a giant "Miko" waving her shaku in a similar way to the final boss' showing off before the last battle.[[/note]]

* The entire plot of the current game ''Hidden Star in Four Seasons'' is pretty much a WholePlotReference and {{Homage}} to ''VideoGame/LenEn'''s first game ''Evanescent Existence'', right down to the respective culprits of the incident kickstarting the whole event by secretly pitting the main characters againts other characters, while also secretly finding a worthy successor as a protector of their respective {{Fantasy Kitchen Sink}}s. The game also implements a flash bomb system, similar to those from ''Earthen Miraculous Sword'' onwards.

* The entire plot the current game ''Hidden Star in Four Seasons'' is pretty much a WholePlotReference and {{Homage}} to ''VideoGame/LenEn'''s first game ''Evanescent Existence'', right down to the respective culprits of the incident kickstarting the whole event by secretly pitting the main characters againts other characters, while also secretly finding a worthy successor as a protector of their respective {{Fantasy Kitchen Sink}}s. The game also implements a flash bomb system, similar to those from ''Earthen Miraculous Sword'' onwards.

* The entry for therianthropes in ''Perfect Memento in Strict Sense'' mentions "being doused with water" as one of the potential causes for transformation, much like how transformations in ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' work. In a footnote, some of the animals it mentions are cats, pandas, and piglets, which are what Shampoo, Genma, and Ryōga transform into.

* In ''Urban Legend in Limbo'', if Reisen beats herself in VS or Arcade, she will comment on the similarity of the Kune-kune to the [[Literature/TheMoomins Hattifnatter]].

* The description for one of Eirin's spellcards refer to "the wheelchair man" and the song "Future Universe of Wheelchair", both being references to Creator/StephenHawking.

** "She didn't even spill one drop of sake!" during the fight with Yuugi is an homage to Part 1 ''Phantom Blood'', where Hamon master Will A. Zeppeli has tests Johnathan's skills by having him fight a vampire while holding a glass of wine, instructing him not to spill a single drop.

* ZUN is an admitted fanboy of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' and as such there are ''lots'' of shout outs to that series. For example, Sakuya has several homages to Dio Brando, the overall BigBad of ''[=JoJo=]'', including her time-stop powers (specifically "The World", which is the name of Dio's [[FightingSpirit Stand]]) and knife-throwing skills. ''Scarlet Weather Rhapsody'' takes it a step further by giving her attack animations inspired by Dio's from the Capcom fighting game ''VideoGame/JojosBizarreAdventureHeritageForTheFuture''.