Miscellaneous Questions Thread (LOOK HERE OR DIE)

[Myschi]

This should help.

Thanks much for the link. I checked it once before and couldn't remember which site had it!

Also, this may have been answered elsewhere or just be sitting around in a thread of its own, but...

What's a good, reliable, non-Japanese-fluent place to order stuff? Like swag and the games and whatnot? I've tried Palet Mail, but they seem to be lacking in some stuff (mainly doujin CDs, from what I've seen. Then again, with the older stuff, it may be hard to find it at all, but.). So, yeah. Any recommendations are welcome (Oh, and I did read the topic about the kind sort'a fellow who happens to be able to pick that stuff up for us, so I'll keep him in mind).

I'll shut up, honest! And I'll stop being so long-winded. Maybe.

[Tengukami]

Try NForza's "Buy Stuff from Japan" thread in Renko's.

[OkashiiKisei]

CAUTION: Great Fairy Wars extra stage spoilers coming up!

Spoiler:

So...how long has Marisa been capable of flying without her broom? (link) (Skip to 5:00)

Sure, Marisa could dash through the air in the fighters, but she always seemed to rely on her broom to actually fly. However, Marisa floated around on her own during her 'Magic Sign [Magical R360]' spellcard in Hisoutensoku. Has Marisa recently learned to fly without her broom? Or was she always capable of flying without a broom? Does the broom grant an extra speed boost or something like that? Did Marisa just use it for the witch theme and/or lulz? Marisa used (an attack similar to) 'Magic Sign [Stardust Reverie]'/'Comet [Blazing Star]' without a broom in Great Fairy Wars, so that might disclose 'the broom gives extra speed' theory...

[Tiamat]

One of Akyu's footnotes in Flandre's section in regards to Flandre's unworking-wings mentions that ANYONE can fly (Specifically, "Don't worry.  We all can fly.".  It seems to be a pretty common ability in Gensokyo to pretty much any of its residents, normal humans included (the way Akyu words it, I'm not sure you even need to be a human magician to be able to fly)

Presumably Marisa's broomstick just... does... something extra.  Or maybe it's an aesthetic choice.  Dunno.

[MTSranger]

Marisa doesn't need her broomstick to fly.
She just does it cuz she is a witch and witches fly with them (i.e. no real reason at all).
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I read that explanation somewhere in one of the comics. My memory is bad tho

[Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin]

I don't remember a specific source either, but yeah, that's basically my belief about it.

[Lord Phantasm Satori]

apparently marisas broom is used to steal things. it has a mind of its own.

[Shizzo]

Considering her speed in the games, I guess she uses her broom to fly faster than without using anything at all.

[game2011]

Did the latest game help boost the Three Mischievous Fairy's popularity (more fan arts)?  Or are they already very popular to begin with?  I'm under the assumption that characters who appear in the Window games are more popular than those who appear in the books and PC-98 games combined.

[Dizzy H. "Muffin" Muffin]

It's been like three days, it's way too early to tell.

[Kyaksa]

Can some-one explain to me the "spell Sign" of Remilia, Yuyuko and Flandre means and what's it's name.....

[Sabino]

Can some-one explain to me the "spell Sign" of Remilia, Yuyuko and Flandre means and what's it's name.....

Do you mean the _____sign thing that comes before the spell name?
If so, for Flandre it's "Taboo", "Forbidden bullet", ?Secret bullet", and "QED" (Quod Erat Demonstrandum) ...or something along the lines of these.
Can you specify which game you're referring to for Remilia and Yuyuko?

Also, the wiki would probably have these info too.

[Kyaksa]

No... I mean the red circle with a star or something similar... Does it have a name? if it does what's it's meaning.

Anyway if it doesn't... just say it. >.> I would look it up but I'm not sure if "Spell Sign" would mean anything and Umineko V-V Says it would probably be herbur(sp?)... but of course... it could just be a made up "Spell Sign (circle)"

[Kyaksa]

Also... When I speak of Yuyuko... I'm not talking about the fan... I am talking a "spell sign" you see before and after when you fight her

[MTSranger]

You mean the spell circle?

[Kyaksa]

more or less

[Forte Blackadder]

Those are pretty much the magic circles they use when casting magic.  They don't have names, but like an ID of their owner, see a magic circle and you know who's casting what.

The spell signs varies from spells, and the size depends on how much magic the caster pours in. A grand, ancient spell may have the circle of their own, but usually it will change due to the caster's attribute.

[Kyaksa]

OM G where did you find those??? D8... they're beautiful

Anyway thank you for your answer!

[日巫子]

Does anyone know anything about the hashihime youkai?

[Forte Blackadder]

Hashihime was once a woman whose husband was unfaithful, she died and turned into a youkai which kills couples out of jealousy.
She usually is seen near the bridge because the Japanese love making out having a date there. (kind of romantic, I suppose they think)

[ArteShy]

Maybe you must use energy to fly without broom or flying stuff, so Marisa just doesn't want to waste her energy.

[Sabino]

Does anyone know anything about the hashihime youkai?

Hashihime was once a woman whose husband was unfaithful, she died and turned into a youkai which kills couples out of jealousy.
She usually is seen near the bridge because the Japanese love making out having a date there. (kind of romantic, I suppose they think)

There's also is a theory that state that "it's a bridge because the word bridge sounds similar to love" (橋 Hashi and 愛し　Aishi)
From that, it's said that if you speak good about other bridges or sing (a song/poem) about a women when you're crossing a bridge, you'd get cursed by the Hashihime.
After she killed her unfaithful husband, she killed all his family and relatives, then went off killing anyone that came by the bridge.
Because of that, she's also depicted as both a God and an Oni (A guardian god of the bridge and a human that became an Oni in her deep envy.)
They said that when she killed a man she took the form of a beautiful women, and when she killed a women, a handsome man.

Although she's told of frighteningly in the fables, she's depicted as a lovely women in the old songs that sing about her... So, Parsee...

[OkashiiKisei]

Another question: As far as I know, to make spellcards you need to write incantations and signs on the card to imbue them with power and to 'program' what the danmaku pattern will be like. I assume these incantations are all written in kanji, katakana and other forms of Japanese language, with maybe some individuals possibly using Chinese or Latin (Meiling and Patchouli respectively). Some may even use ancient languages not known by man, like demon language in Koakuma's case and angel language in Tenshi's case. In short, you need to write something down on the spellcard to make it usable.

But how in the world can Mystia have spellcards then? According to Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red she can't read, let alone write. How did she make hers then? Or was Aya just being a bitch and Mystia can read after all?

In fact, where do youkai learn to talk and read anyway?

[Forte Blackadder]

Spell Signs need no characters. You can use signs, like your signature, or a circle, a square, a leaf, a chuck norris, a whatever-shape-you-like.

[Sabino]

Another question: As far as I know, to make spellcards you need to write incantations and signs on the card to imbue them with power and to 'program' what the danmaku pattern will be like. I assume these incantations are all written in kanji, katakana and other forms of Japanese language, with maybe some individuals possibly using Chinese or Latin (Meiling and Patchouli respectively). Some may even use ancient languages not known by man, like demon language in Koakuma's case and angel language in Tenshi's case. In short, you need to write something down on the spellcard to make it usable.

Exert from Wikipedia from earlier on in the thread

スペルカードルール
Spell card rule

基本的に、あらかじめ技の名前と命名しておいた名前の意味を体現した技をいくつか考えておき、それぞれの技名を契約書形式で記した契約書を任意の枚数所持しておくことになる。この契約書を「スペルカード」と呼び、カードが使われることが多いが、必ずしもカードである必要はない。技の名前が重要であり[3]、読みより名前の字が重要とされる [4]。

Basically, one thinks of the name of the technique and the thinks of an attack that express the name of the technique. They can then carry any arbitrary amount of cards that act as pacts on the technique. This pact is called the "Spell card" and although cards are most often used, there is no need for it to be cards. The name of the technique is very important and the characters used for it is more important than how its read.

Also, exert from Nicopedia that I just translated now

スペルカード自体の能力
The actual power of spell cards

カード名を宣言して発動するのがスペルカードのルールであるが、このカード自体には何の力もない。つまり他人のスペルカードを所持し、宣言したところでなにも起こらない。そもそもカードを宣言して放たれる弾幕は全て個人の能力によるものであるため、カードが無くてもその弾幕を再現することは可能。
むしろもっと難易度の高い（というより絶対に避けられない）弾幕を放つことも出来る。しかしルールではっきりと禁止されている訳ではないが、避けられない攻撃を放つことは普通は皆しない。
Declaring its name and activating it is the spell card rule, but the actual card has no power at all. Thus, even if one was to posses another's spell card nothing would happen when that card is declared. In the first place the danmaku released by declaring it is all by the power of the card's maker, thus one can reproduce the same danamku without the card.
More ever, without the spell card, one can shoot more difficult (or unavoidable) danmaku. But most do not use attacks that are unavoidable, even if it's only vaguely stated in the rules.

よくスペルカードは必殺技や切り札のように思われているが、結局のところただの宣言用の紙である。
なお、カード宣言したと相手が分かればいいため、実は技名を叫ぶ必要もない。
In conclusion, spell cards are often thought like deathblows or trump cards, but in reality they are only paper used for declaration.
Furthermore,  there is no need to shout the name or anything, as long as the opponent knows of the declaration.

What can be derived from the above two statements:
1. Spell cards don't need to be "cards"
2. As long as they can create/reproduce danmaku, anyone -even you!- can create a spell card.

Next up will be the "make it yourself! Spell Card" corner, get your pencils, artistic talents, and danmaku ready!

Sources:
Wikipedia - Spell Cards
Nicopedia, definition of Spell Cards & Thread about Spell Cards

[OkashiiKisei]

Okay...so the cards are nothing more than post-its to remind you what the attack's name is, and the card themselves hold no power, only the name?

The explanation brings up two more questions:

- The power of the spellcard is based on the power of the user and the name of the card. But how come you don't need to shout out the name then? The power lies in the name, right? And how can the enemy know you declared if you haven't shouted out the name? Is there a flash or a symbol or something to warn the opponent that you declared?
- Is it required that you think of the name first and then the attack? If, for example, I designed an attack, but I don't have a name for it yet, I can't make a spellcard out of it? And will it be weaker if the name doesn't fit or properly express the attack? And will it be more powerful if it is written with characters with multiple meanings?

It looks hard to start with a name and then design the attack. Mostly people design the attack first and then give it an appropriate name.

[Azure Lazuline]

I think things like that are just left up to your imagination. "The power lies in the name" is most likely false, though. Nonspells don't have names, but they can be quite powerful too. I think the names are just for memory/convenience purposes. Also, shouting out the name is definitely an option, but if you can find some other way to tell the opponent a spellcard is coming (by creating a flash, or visibly charging up energy), that's fine too.

[Kyaksa]

D,8... I was just wondering do you know a doujinshi with Mima, Komachi, the Yama featuring Reimu, Marisa and Suika? I downloaded it a long time ago and now Idk where to find it.

[Forte Blackadder]

- The power of the spellcard is based on the power of the user and the name of the card. But how come you don't need to shout out the name then? The power lies in the name, right? And how can the enemy know you declared if you haven't shouted out the name? Is there a flash or a symbol or something to warn the opponent that you declared?

Only in Harry Potter

- Is it required that you think of the name first and then the attack? If, for example, I designed an attack, but I don't have a name for it yet, I can't make a spellcard out of it? And will it be weaker if the name doesn't fit or properly express the attack? And will it be more powerful if it is written with characters with multiple meanings?

Like a pet, you should have a name for one, just in case you have too many and don't remember what is what (Wood Magic 1, Wood Magic 2,... ?) and one magic will be cooler with one cool name. Master Spark would not as badass if you call it "My Laser" but it doesn't mean it's less powerful.

[日巫子]

Sariel's an Angel of Death, but what does an Angel of Death do, exactly?