The New New Touhou Character Alternate Interpretation Compendium

What about the Watatsukis?

Wiki says they married one of Eirin's grandnephews and a great-grandnephew, respectively. Which doesn't preclude them being descended from Eirin in a more direct since, I suppose.

And wait, if Eirin has grandnephews, that means she has a sibling. So Taka-mi-musuhi-no-kami either had another brain-baby or decided to make the effort. Assuming it's even appropriate to try to apply human understandings of familial relation to a bunch of genderless primordials creating incarnations of abstract concepts.

The Tsukumo sisters are only sisters because they came into being at around the same time and decided they were related. It's like that. Izanami and Izanagi are also siblings who were spontaneously born from the aether at the same time (and then married).

Have to say, I'm really enjoying the interpretation of Eirin as an inscrutable primordial being who doesn't so much share mortal values as play along with them when she chooses to. Kinda like how some works treat Yuuka, except a generation or two older.

So, any final thoughts on the Brain of the Moon, or should we move on to the Bane of the Moon?

Does really know Sakuya or is it just fanon?

Man, I dunno. There's something about Eirin being surprised to see Sakuya in IN, and I think Sakuya knew there were Lunarians living in Eientei before she and Remilia visited? And then ZUN said there was an explanation for that in SSiB and/or CiLR. Problem is, I also remember something about ZUN being particularly drunk during the creation of IN, and he likes to mess with us, so who knows? Besides him, obviously.

My guess is that maybe Eirin was mistaking Sakuya for Konohana-Sakuyahime, goddess of Mount Fuji. Because of the name, perhaps? Or maybe they're both gray-haired knife-flinging psychos.

Hmm, or maybe Kaguya's eternity powers made her aware that someone nearby was using timehax and Eirin investigated and learned about the Lunar Dial, but figured Sakuya would have no reason to ever interfere in Eientei. If you wanted to be mundane.

That makes sense i suppose.

I guess if ZUN really wanted to do something with that little plot bunny, he would have by now.

Anyway, let's leave the Brain of the Moon to her very important work. Coming up will be Hina, Sagume Kishin, and someone fond of dumplings. But first,

Junko

Music: "The Sea Where One's Home Planet Reflects", "Pure Furies ~ Whereabouts of the Heart"

Less a person and more the result of a woman turning herself into the embodiment of her own resentment. She bears a bitter grudge against the inhabitants of the moon, particularly Chang'e, after the moon goddess' husband shot down a sun and killed Junko's son. Junko was able to kill said husband, but in order to complete her vengeance, she worked with a Goddess of Hell to use Junko's power to purify and an army of fairies to besiege the Lunar Capital until an opportunity arose to strike at Chang'e. Instead she ended up battling an interloper from an eastern wonderland.

Relationships:

• Chang'e (HATE)
• Hecatia Lapislazuli (friend and accomplice)
• Clownpiece (unlikely instrument of vengeance)

edited 12th Apr '17 8:05:02 PM by Tacitus

Having a son die sucks but I don't think Chang'e was responsible?

Even if she managed to kill Chang'e (who might even be relieved - life imprisonment as an immortal is so terrible that it was a twilight zone twist) she'd probably look for someone else to vengeance

If she had succeeded would she have come to Gensokyo to kill Eirin and Kaguya? Eirin basically built the moon society that was the target of her umbrage for so long

And then what after that?

Because there would be an after that if she somehow managed to take down the brain of a mansion in the woods

Junko is driven by revengencing and there are no brakes

Maybe she should join a support group with Mokou

Never thought I'd say this, but we finally have a character who makes Mokou look like a reasonable, well-rounded person.

I mean, modern Mokou, not "burn everything and everyone I encounter" Mokou, or "spend three centuries doing nothing" Mokou.

And yeah, it's probably for the best that Junko's current target is an unkillable prisoner. Almost wonder if ZUN's gonna work that into Chang'e's backstory, like she drank the elixir after Junko killed her husband because she feared for her life, and/or the Lunarians are holding her in protective custody because, let's face it, a purified embodiment of vengeance would probably take a while to get bored with a regenerative immortal victim.

I think if she actually killed Chang'e she'd probably just fizzle out and cease to exist. She doesn't seem to have a grudge against anyone else, and actually seems rather nice when you talk to her (if you ignore the part where she tries to kill you). I think she has too much tunnel-vision to even care about anyone else.

Such lust for revenge! I wonder how Junko managed to bring such impurity to the Moon enough to alarm Eirin and the Lunarians?

She brought impurity to the moon by bringing purity to it. Which sounds weird until you get comfortable with the idea that beings of purified lifeforce would by definition be associated with death as well. And I think she and Hecatia got all the fairies up there by...

Uh...

Guess it would depend on when she purified herself. Like if Junko did it after killing Houyi (perhaps after realizing that her remaining target was immortal), then that ought to be safe. But if she purified herself into a spirit of vengeance, killed Houyi, and then decided Chang'e was culpable too, that'd open up the possibility of her moving on to other targets related to her previous victims. Or perhaps all those people who delayed her vengeance. Or all those people who could have helped her fulfill her vengeance but didn't.

Maybe she'd end up doublethinking herself like the fortune teller did to stay in existence.

Junko could try to get her revenge but I wonder what happens afterward? Junko could try to find another way to keep existing.

Yeah, like an Entity of Vengeance for hire. If you have been wronged, if no one else can help, and if you can find her, she might stick your target's name in place of Chang'e's when she says her catchphrase.

Or, y'know, see what Byakuren can do with her. Probably not much, but just enough for Byakuren to feel like she's on to something.

Junko isn't a youkai but she might as well as she is becoming the thing that she hates.

Worse than that, really, since I don't think Chang'e actually killed anyone. I'm not even certain Houyi killed Bofeng on purpose - depending on how the semi-historical narrative and the mythology got blended together, it might have been a case of accidental death by falling sun. If so, Junko would again be more murderous than the people she's after (or the person she's already killed).

Anyhoo, pictures.

I'm still annoyed how often her energy thingies get tagged as "fox tails"
Nothing too out of the ordinary
A smile from Terajin
A moment of calm
A sense of desperation in her gaze
The grudge has landed
A substance abuser
Not sure what she's holding here
Facing the shadows
The sketch in the top left seems the odd one out
Doesn't seem focused
Not sure what's up with her arms
Thaaat's not a healthy smile
Psychotic smirk
Transition
If you like this one, the artist has plenty of other Junko pieces
Power cosmic
Light descending
You have her attention
Rage, unfettered and raw (animated)
Just look how happy she is
Paint the moon red
Stain the moon purple
Per-so-na!
She seems to have made an impression on our friend koto inari
What do you do once you take it?
A toast to victory
Looks almost like traditional media
A tranquil sea
Among the stars
View from above
Buzzing the capital, perhaps
Adorned with flowers
In the water
Realistic and very detailed
What billowing sleeves are for
Fancy AF CD cover
A dark aura
The prodigal daughter returns
This is basically the "blood in" ceremony all major characters have to go through
Plenty of stuff with Hecatia
Ouch
Meet kobito, love kobito
A challenger appears
She loves the bunny
She reaaalllly loves the bunny
Lunarian vuvuzela
I'm worried at some point she'll just try to blow the whole moon to bits
Or this
A whole gallery of Junko faces to choose from
If you want to simplify things a bit

Also, here's Another Lunatic Kingdom by giselebon, which as usual mixes a light art style (for the most part) with some occasionally heavy stuff. Not fun reading, but worth reading all the same.

edited 19th Apr '17 7:17:24 PM by Tacitus

Junko is an example of how purified revenge can be more damaging to the hater rather than the hated just like Mokou.

Junko's pure righteous fury can not be topped. Vengeful spirits cower at her sight...

Mirror Planet
Stormy Heart
Pure Vigour
Seas of the Past
The Wonderful Divine Spirit
Panoramic Scenery
Searching for the Lost Sea
Purity of Wrath
Free from Earthly Vengeance
Crystal Ocean
Purity as White as Snow

Would she be a good Ghost Rider, discuss

She'd probably be the Spirit of Vengeance itself. And hell, we already have a character in Touhou who canonically rides a bike.

COMING SOON!

Byakuren Hijiri in....Youkai Rider: Spirit of Pure Furies.

Then Junko would be rocking the Spectre's green booty shorts?

What intrigues me is the question of whether we'll see Junko again. She's the first villain in like, ever, who doesn't have a place in Gensokyo or an adjacent realm of existence. The only reason we can expect to find her on the moon is her futile revenge quest. And as we've seen with the Watatsukis, if Touhou ever goes back to the moon, there's no guarantee we'll see Junko again.

So is Gensokyo getting full, narratively-speaking? Or if not, what circumstances could lead us to see Junko there?

Well, Hecatia seems to have laid claim to Gensokyo in some sense, so maybe Junko could crash with her.

edited 21st Apr '17 6:39:34 PM by Clarste