The New New Touhou Character Alternate Interpretation Compendium

See, this turned out writeup length, but has quoteblocks all over it, so I dunno what to do with it. rewrite the entire thing without quoteblocks and working that into the body of the text? Is it worth the effort? Who knows?

This would also help explain why Reimu knows so little about her own shrine. Considering the extremely young age she started living alone (something like 10-11, I figure), she may have had little instruction in the traditional Hakurei Shrine arts, making them a sort of 'lost secret art'.

Or a tengu had a friendly wrestling match. Confident, naturally Sanae would accept after all her success in spellcarding. Then a half second later she's crying uncle from a pin. Well, it'd probably be a more subtle "Don't forget your place", come to think of it. Like Yukari did in SSIB to 'welcome' Eirin.

Thing is, just like everyone in the modern world ^note Akyuu doesn't buy this excuse, seeing it as stupidity, but what does she know?, Sanae knows about as much about how a car runs as any other person who isn't a mechanic ("Uh... fuel goes into the engine and the engine makes the wheels go?" Or maybe she's really smart and knows that the fuel is vaporized before injection, and that what drives the pistons and therefore the wheels is a series of precisely times small explosions as the vaporized fuel is detonated. But you know what? Even knowing that won't tell you how to build a car). She likewise doesn't know the details of how cell phones work, or how to build a computer, or anything like that.

She probably paid attention in chemistry enough to know that 75% KNO 3 15% charcoal 10% sulfur is shortcut to awesome... but probably doesn't know where to -find- nitrate. And explaining what it is to someone with 0 knowledge of chemistry is impossible. Sanae is a scientist, not an engineer. She may know the theory behind how things work, but doesn't know how to make things work. Which means she is a repository of utterly, completely useless knowledge RE: the modern world's trappings. She's extremely similar to Rinnosuke in this regard, actually.

They're pretty simple, really. Perform a ritual, get an effect. Bigger effects need bigger rituals. The complication comes in when she realized that the rituals themselves could do things (like function as an attack). It make sher magic... fractal, kinda. Spells within spells. So she basically casts a spell using magic. Ok, I phrased that really badly. More metaphor: Sanae builds tiny little robots that then build her a bigger robot to actually do what she wants... which may be building an even bigger robot. Or she shapes a rock into a hammer by throwing it at someone who's annoying her until all the sharp edges wear off. Or she fires off lightning bolts in such a way that for a brief time, the air they were fired through acts as a simple computer. I think the last one gets across the difficulty of layering things like this best.

I can't imagine its something the goddesses are especially proud of. Suwako's probably not eager to brag about the time she got soundly defeated by Kanako, and Kanako's probably not proud of the time her new 'believers' nearly died out because Suwako wasn't on the scene. So, you know... "She never asked." And if she's not widely versed on tradition, she may just think its normal that there are 2 gods, and those couple 1-god shrines she may have seen around are the oddity.

She manipulates wind! Air! see! I don't know where I was going with that.

Vessel of the Gods

You know, for some reason this comment brought to mind Okuu as being a suitable vessel for the gods exactly because she's a ditz. And just like Okuu is derpy, but is also crazy-focused/knowledgeable when talking about whatever the god in her head is telling her (nuclear fusion, managing the geyser center), Sanae's derpy, but also crazy focused/knowledgeable when talking about what her goddesses fill up her empty-ish head with (cold fusion, her riposte RE: drunken Reimu in one of the recent WAH Hs.)

So Sanae's a great shrine maiden because she's a ditz, just like Okuu's a great vessel for Yatagarasu for the same reason. It's just a thought I had... but it's growing on me.

Like, We know she's not great at history (whipping out a textbook for a major historical figure), but we've assumed she's great at science from demonstrating knowledge of cold fusion early WAHH chapter. And yet, later we see her demonstrate a solid understanding of history, using it to jab at Reimu in WAHH ch19. Yet we also know it wasn't her idea. She didn't have that knowledge, but she learned it (and quite a lot of it) in very short order. She'll probably forget it in a few days to make room for whatever Kanako or Suwako need her head to hold next, but I think that's her true talent.

So i think maybe she's not a science geek ^note Though she is an Otaku. Not related.. She's just a really, -really- good at cramming. And her goddesses realize this, and use her as a sort of... tool. A scythe to gather faith that needs occasional resharpening and adjusting. Perhaps her Arahitogami ^note I'm never gonna spell that from memory, am I? status is a result of her goddesses faith rubbing off on her from their constant interactions. The metaphorical sweat that covers the scythe... or perhaps just grain left on it. Either way, the goddesses are cleaning up their act and leaving a bit less on the blade nowadays.

Left to her own devices, she's hardly impressive at all... just an outsider in Gensokyo, where being an outsider is almost a death sentence. But because of her intimate connections to her goddesses, she's become important. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement, of course; Without a blade like a scythe, it's awful difficult to harvest grain, and a scythe without someone tending it is just a stick with metal pointy bits that will eventually rust and rot to nothing.

What I like most about her is her verve/vigor/gusto/whatever. She is energetic to the extreme, and I really enjoy her over-the-top sorts of reactions. Maybe its because she realizes she's in an anime/manga/whatever, and is so going to milk that for every bit its worth, but what can I say? I like it.

Also, I like the fandom's depictions of 'beautiful Sanae' or 'sexy Sanae' more than of any other character, but heck if I know why.

That "do I have to?" face in WAHH 19 will be with me forever.

Sanae's still in my top 3, it seems.

edited 25th Dec '13 5:22:54 PM by Antimatter625

One thing I really like seeing in doujins for some reason: Sanae singing. I know one of the M-1 videos did it briefly between acts, but I can't remember where.

edited 22nd Dec '13 8:45:43 AM by Prime32

I dunno. While I don't expect her to be at physics major level of knowledge, I do think that Sanae is at least knowledgable of science more so than other things. And yes, I do think this does go alongside her being a big ol nerd. Why not figure out how to do that kinda thing you see in the sci fi animes, you know? She needs Kanako to fill her in on the details of the more complex schemes, but she at least grasps the concepts.

I guess the comparison with Okuu is like...Okuu is a birdbrain, while Sanae is a teenager. Okuu has to be "filled", while Sanae has to be taught. If that makes sense.

Also, Akyuu does comment on how she is one of the very few outsiders who began adjusting to Gensoukyou instead of either leaving or dying. (indeed, Akyuu refers to her as "preciously rare") So no, she isn't just a normal outsider in Gensoukyou. She is (slowly) making herself part of the setting.

A doujin plot I'd like to see sometime: Before she comes to Gensokyo Sanae is struggling under the weight of homework, shrine duties and so on, so she tries using her god-powers to split her spirit. It works well for a while, but then her duplicate starts acting weird, running off, meeting people from school without her knowledge, etc. At first Sanae thinks she's accidentally created an Evil Twin, but it turns out that, since she was created to relieve Sanae's stress, Sanae-2 just has all of her normal insecurities turned up to 11; she even dyes her hair brown to feel normal. Then they recombine and Kanako+Suwako hug her while saying they'll always be there for her.

edited 22nd Dec '13 9:05:50 AM by Prime32

"Anyway, we're leaving forever."
"What?"
"Oh, you can come but you'll have to leave behind the only world you ever knew and/or your indeterminate parents."
"Um"
"THE TIME FOR CHOOSING IS NOW"

One question I heard in the other thread about how Sanae's personality have two different factes. In Mo F, Sanae was behaving like a typical shrine maiden in one route whereas in another route she behaved like the Sanae we knew. Do you guys think that being Reimu's foil, that she can behave like her shrine maiden persona when necessary?

edited 22nd Dec '13 9:39:45 AM by GAP

It seems to depend on which of her gods gave her orders that day.

Also I sort of assumed that Sanae is an orphan.

edited 22nd Dec '13 9:46:07 AM by Prime32

Yeah, this is supported in UFO. Kanako commands Sanae to be on serious business mode, while Suwako is more "do whatever".

Sure... but like most teenagers, anything you stuff in that head's just gonna fall right out in short order.

Right. I was positing that without her goddesses, she'd be nothing more than normal outsider. Instead, she fits right in because Kanako and Suwako are there to guide and develop her. Without them, she wouldn't be remarkable at all; its using their miracles that even made her an arahitogami in the first place.

She's obviously a person beyond merely being a tool for her goddesses ('please no more alcohol'), but its her connection with them that makes her special.

RE: her parents, "recently-orphaned" is pretty much the only way for it to go down without either her parents or goddesses being jerks.

That raises the question of how hard it is to get through the Border from the inside, for which I have no answer. I'm not sure if godliness in itself would help in that regard, but there is the fact that Sanae was worshiped in the Earthrealm, and her (goddesses') shrine recently moved from there, so there could be a magical trail of breadcrumbs for her to follow back.

At the risk of getting angsty, not necessarily. If princesses have difficulty finding an "equal" to be properly friends with, might not deities have it even harder? Then there's the mecha-loving science nerd angle that may have led to her sitting by herself in high school. Maybe Gensokyo was a chance for Sanae to finally meet people her age who wouldn't be weirded out by her abilities or interests.

That's an interesting fact I didn't know. For a fish out of water she sure hit the ground running, eh? Got some smarts underneath those occasions of ditziness.

Kind of Marisa-ish, come to think of it. Exult in your special powers, side with the muggles whenever something goes down, realize that if you go too far in either direction you'll lose the status of the other half.

Memorize the formulae for calculating inertia and crap, rely on a calculator for even the simplest of sums.

Reimu's hugely important to the setting but detached and occasionally jaded, Marisa's... Marisa, so Sanae combines a degree of naivete or innocence with enthusiasm and a keen interest. All the inputs there are positive, even if the outcome isn't always the same.

...Is that the Patchy-bot from Mega Mari?

More than zero?

It's kind of a back-from-the-brink, eucatastrophic theme, innit? Very much the leitmotif of a heroine, unlike all but one of Marisa's. Probably why the aforelinked Super Touhou Wars saved it for when Sanae pulls out the big guns.

You could stick a bold title on that "Sanae is a Tool" section, it's a pretty interesting ACI.

I'll agree about Kanako being embarrassed, but will throw Suwako a bone and speculate that even though she probably found the whole "defeat but I still need you" thing hilarious, she's nice enough not to discuss the matter until her roommate is ready to.

She has the advantage of being someone Gensokyo was practically made for. I'm sure a deified miko has less adjustments to make than some college intern at Mitsubishi who Yukari kidnapped because he has a nice ass.

edited 22nd Dec '13 10:56:05 PM by Tacitus

her theme when fought as a boss

hilarious

edited 23rd Dec '13 6:23:46 AM by Prime32

Her profiles make note of her wanting to connect more with the humans of Gensoukyou and her fears of becoming like the "youkai like humans" who live at the foot of the mountain.

Those exist apparently.

Also, again, she seems pretty proud of her humanity.

I think Marisa and Reimu count as "youkai-like humans", and in the latest chapter of FS Akyuu referred to them as coming down into town, which implies to me that they live closer to the foothills than the village is. So I'm pretty sure that line is just talking about Marisa and Reimu.

In a generation people will be talking about the youkai priestess at the youkai shrine up in the hills near the border. Reimu will sally forth in search of this rival enemy temple, and end up terribly embarrassed.

Man, even as an enemy she still sounds heroic. And yet, such astoundingly poor judgment! Also, great Genjii reference.

Sanae picdump part one!

There she is
She's the one in the middle
A non-alphes style parody
Costume examination
The new girl
The said miko face
Haircut
Happy New Year
From a cute pool
Feel the green!
Can't decide which is creepier
Don't recall the Nue fight being this epic
Oh, hey Komachi
Star power
Thisun's all over YouTube
Surprised
Petal storm
Tunes
Golden eyes
The skies
Baby!
Upset baby
Kindergarten
Meet the family
Maybe Kanako's shimenawa is a counterweight...
The goddess, the girl
Not sure what's going on here
Feed the frog
Once upon a time... also, if you haven't yet read the comic this image is from, it's the pool below it
Bad end
Fraternizing with a delinquent
Has Kogasa learned the way of the frog?
Moving into fanon Alice's territory
Uncommon Stimulation
A rare pairing
Feel vaguely dirty for witnessing
Chillin' with her contemporary counterpart
And Swackers makes three
One way to win an argument
Smoochies
Meanwhile, in the High School AU
Smackdown!
Fun in a reed mat
Fun with a robot
Just as a warning, the video this stance comes from has some seriously Deranged Animation, so mind that YouTube link in the comments section
Not sure which divine ability this falls under
Even the frog
The wind itself

edited 23rd Dec '13 11:56:30 PM by Tacitus

Dat haircut Sanae. Very nice. Not a ponytail, but still, very nice.

DEATHBLOW!

Sanae's gonna unleash her rage!

"I am the wind. The name...Sanae."

Sanae, do a futon roll! Wait, that won't work.

"Would you like some tea?"
"Uh, no, I'm f-fine, rea-"
"OH YES YOU DO!"

Most people look at Mokou with a mixture of fear and hate. It's safe to say Sanae understands the true Mokou.

Poor Sanae. The incoming demerit will be on her permanent record. Why'd she follow them!? Forced? Coax? Being a good girl all the time was too tiring?

Aw, that's pretty cute. Which is why...

Moving to Gensokyo was for the best.

Poor Sanae. She worked tirelessly around the clock, trying to maintain the faith of the shrine. But the combination of being weird to her peers and the general ignorance of the masses all but ensured the death of the shrine gods. But chin up, Sanae. Kana and Suwa appreciate your efforts. They can fade away knowing that at least you were by their side until the end. The bonds you share with them is eternal. Like family.

Sanae better wise up in the next few games because if this keeps up, that scenario may actually happen.

edited 24th Dec '13 12:22:32 PM by GAP

Akyuu suspects Sanae is losing a lot of her own faith (and therefore at 'risk' of becoming a 'normal' human, rather than an arahitogami. Kanako and Suwako seem to be doing fairly well, faith-wise (I figure their sources of faith are probably something like 70% kappa, 15% tengu, 10% human, 5% misc.)

It sure puts a whole new spin on the whole "They live on within your heart/as long as you remember them." phrase often used to console people grieving over death. Since, you know... they would be.

I kinda wonder just what Sanae's duties entail. Almost certainly maintaining the shrine (and the branch shrine in the human village). She's also seems a skilled spokesperson, so I kind of imagine her rubbing elbows with villagers or youkai of the mountain to ingratiate herself and therefore her goddesses to them. Also managing festivals and events (possibly even including the Kappa bazaar, or some other exchange-of-information event among the kappa.)

It's another day, and Sanae will do her best to gather some faith!

Unbreakable Faith.
Transient Drive.
Orchestral Faith.
Transient Power,
Western Transience.
Pray on the road.
Memories of the Past.
Precious Memories of the Scene.
Eternal Wind.
Calming Faith.
Old School Faith.
Faith of Determination.
Transient Prayer.
Primal Adventure.
The Girl's Midori Days.
Retrospective.

edited 25th Dec '13 12:57:18 PM by Diamite

I didn't interpret Akyuu describing Sanae's lack of faith as her losing faith, but rather as, at least in Gensoukyou, she isn't gathering any faith personally at all. She is basically Kanako and Suwako's spokesman, and they are getting most of the accumulated faith. Sanae is getting enough to maintain her "living god" status, but yeah. Akyuu also suggests that this might also be due to having the split the faith three ways.

Yeah, that makes sense for her shrine maiden duties being basically advertising and keeping good with everyone. Which is something I can see her do well at. She is a friendly and energetic person, and hey! Miracles!

Well, it's more situation of she's not 'feeding' herself enough to keep her godhood, so she's at risk of losing it, basically. That's the vibe I was getting.

I dunno. I read it as "it's faint, barely there, etc" but not anything about whether it is growing or decreasing. Shrug.

Does...Sanae appear in the first Mahou Shoujo Taisen game? Been playing it with the English patch, so far pretty nice, and Akyu's database is really, really useful(Now I know who Akyu is). In the game Aya(Yay she appears :D) is looking for 'the other Shrine maiden' which I'm assuming is Sanae.

...I'm not familiar with a 'Mahou Shoujo Taisen' fangame, but Sanae is in Gensou Shoujo Taisen. She doesn't come off very well

Sorry, Gensou Shoujo Taisen, I keep mixing the names ;_;

And welp, hope I get her unit soon enough.