If there is to be another Inaba style 4-koma...

[Fightest]

We're discussing 4koma. The concept is just about Touhou going Miami Vice.

Oh absolutely. Touhou Miami Vice is interesting already, but constrained into 4-koma format it becomes distilled awesome

[game2011]

I was hoping that we would discuss about canonical materials, but whatever...  Go on with the current discussion if you really like it.

[Tiamat]

I'd like a UFO 4koma.  The general story would be about Muramasa riding ships all around Gensokyo doing Missionary work for Byakuren, reaching out to all those poor oppressed youkai and/or trying to foster in a new age of humans and youkais being friends for all.  Of course, some youkai aren't particularly fond of this idea (that time they tried to convert Yuka ended up being particularly disastrous).  Coming along would be Nazrin (usually for some unrelated task for Shou, or just to see if she can find some treasure to help fund the temple), Kogasa (who isn't really a member of Byakuren's temple at all but hopes to get new inspirations on how to surprise Gensokyo's unsurprisable humans), and Nue (who's really just tagging along because playing pranks on Murasa is funny).  Shou is also Murasa's rival and the two are constantly trying to prove themselves better than the other.

Murasa also typically tries to get donations (along with Nazrin's treasure hunting) for Byakurin's shrine.  They need the money because Murasa keeps ship-wrecking all the ships Byakuren gives her (flying ships aren't cheap, you know).

At the end of one chapter, she crashes a ship into Tenshi because Tenshi's being annoying.

At another point, they need to use Kogasa as a sail for their sail boat.

It kicks off another story arc where Kogasa's umbrella gets blown away in the wind.  In the interest of helping a poor grief-stricken youkai, Byakuren asks Nazrin to help Kogasa find her body.  Nazin then orders all her mice to retrieve and bring back every umbrella they find.  The mice return with Yuka and Yukari's umbrellas.  ...followed by a VERY angry Yuka and Yukari.

Byakuren (with a teary eyed Kogasa next to her):  Perhaps you should narrow down your search.

Nazrin (to her mice):  Okay, gang!  This time I want you to find the ugliest hideous most disgusting umbrella ever!  If the umbrella you find doesn't make you want to kill yourself just because your eyes can't unsee the horrible abomination that they've seen, then that umbrella isn't ugly enough!

Kogasa:  WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!  (Kogasa's cry knocks a surprised Byakuren and Nazrin down)

Byakuren wants to help with ushering in the era where everone is friends.  That doesn't mean it's going to be easy, though.

Byakuren is looking through some papers:  It's getting hard to keep track of the temple's finances. Shou, can you go over this?

Shou (looking through the papers):  Let's see... ship repairs and maintenance expense, groceries, Tewi tax, medicines, blankets, Tewi tax, advertising costs, Tewi tax, Tewi tax...

(later)

Kogasa:  Whatch'ya doing?

Shou:  Be very very quiet.  We're hunting rabbits.



Ichirin:  Tewi tax!?  I thought we were a tax-free non-profit organization!

[Tengukami]

Oh absolutely. Touhou Miami Vice is interesting already, but constrained into 4-koma format it becomes distilled awesome

I didn't see this as 4koma Touhou Miami Vice so much as a fine blend of many different cop memes.

Which reminds me, we also need a hot-shot rookie with something to prove.

[Alfred F. Jones]

Which reminds me, we also need a hot-shot rookie with something to prove.

Would Kogasa suffice?

[Tengukami]

That definitely suits her to a T.

[Fightest]

Shame my sense of planned comedy is nonexistent. Still, worth a try:
[fakeedit] Isn't Chen supposed to be the hot-shot rookie?

Panel 1: CHEN is behind the steering wheel of a car. Aggressive car noises all around - vrrrroooom, screeeeeee. Also speed lines.

Panel 2: Title card, in loud, explosive font: CHEN, GPD's Finest, Hottest Cop.

Panel 3: RAN is standing outside the car CHEN is in. She is looking extremely unamused. CHEN is at the steering wheel, making vrrrrroooom, screeeeee noises. The car is parked.

...leading to two options for Panel 4:

Panel 4a: RAN is pointing, still unamused, for CHEN to leave the car. CHEN is walking away from the car, head hung low.

Panel 4b: Title card, in loud, explosive font: RAN, GPD's Goddamn Babysitter, Seriously, Why Do I Always Get Them, Chief?

[OkashiiKisei]

Shame my sense of planned comedy is nonexistent. Still, worth a try:
[fakeedit] Isn't Chen supposed to be the hot-shot rookie?

Panel 1: CHEN is behind the steering wheel of a car. Aggressive car noises all around - vrrrroooom, screeeeeee. Also speed lines.

Panel 2: Title card, in loud, explosive font: CHEN, GPD's Finest, Hottest Cop.

Panel 3: RAN is standing outside the car CHEN is in. She is looking extremely unamused. CHEN is at the steering wheel, making vrrrrroooom, screeeeee noises. The car is parked.

...leading to two options for Panel 4:

Panel 4a: RAN is pointing, still unamused, for CHEN to leave the car. CHEN is walking away from the car, head hung low.

Panel 4b: Title card, in loud, explosive font: RAN, GPD's Goddamn Babysitter, Seriously, Why Do I Always Get Them, Chief?

4b wins.

[Kinzo the Astro Curious]

Shame my sense of planned comedy is nonexistent. Still, worth a try:
[fakeedit] Isn't Chen supposed to be the hot-shot rookie?

Panel 1: CHEN is behind the steering wheel of a car. Aggressive car noises all around - vrrrroooom, screeeeeee. Also speed lines.

Panel 2: Title card, in loud, explosive font: CHEN, GPD's Finest, Hottest Cop.

Panel 3: RAN is standing outside the car CHEN is in. She is looking extremely unamused. CHEN is at the steering wheel, making vrrrrroooom, screeeeee noises. The car is parked.

...leading to one options for Panel 4:

Panel 4a: CHEN presses the horn.

Honk Honk!

Fixed that for you. 

[Fightest]

Fixed that for you. 

Dunno, I'm leaning towards 4b myself as well.

[Tengukami]

The 'honk honk' made me shout-laugh, but I really like 4a. It uses image more than text.

Now we just need an artiste ...

[Fightest]

The 'honk honk' made me shout-laugh

I don't get it

[edit] Here, 5-minute shitscribble of first panel:

[Kinzo the Astro Curious]

I don't get it

You need some Bkub in your life! Here!

Where does the police light go by the way? I expecting a sam and max hit the road style police car lol

[Fightest]

You need some Bkub in your life! Here!

Where does the police light go by the way? I expecting a sam and max hit the road style police car lol

Yeah, I figured it'd be bkub, but I do feel we should use our own jokes. Won't do to start off with someone else's, eh? Also, yeah, not sure where the police light goes. Probably on the dash.

[Tengukami]

Of course it goes on the dash. How else are you going to have a dramatic moment where they're both sitting in the car, sipping cheap take-away coffee, then a car speeds past, and they look at each other, sigh, and one of them says, "So much for the coffee break" and reaches into the glove box to put thr siren on the dash?

[Fightest]

Of course it goes on the dash. How else are you going to have a dramatic moment where they're both sitting in the car, sipping cheap take-away coffee, then a car speeds past, and they look at each other, sigh, and one of them says, "So much for the coffee break" and reaches into the glove box to put thr siren on the dash?

I was thinking originally of Chen for this, but Ran's otherwise inflappable personality makes this all the funnier: Ran tends to toss her coffee out the window if something urgent comes up. It doesn't matter where she is - in her car, at home, in the Chief's office twelve stories up - something happens, out goes that coffee.

In the above situation, the third panel is thus a view of CHEN, dripping with hot coffee, RAN's cup dangling on one ear. CHEN is close to tears.

[Tengukami]

We really need an artist for this, Fightest. It's like we grew up with the same cop shows.

[Fightest]

We really need an artist for this, Fightest. It's like we grew up with the same cop shows.

I only watched the cop movies, to be fair, and even then, the relatively modern ones - Lethal Weapon, Rush Hour, Hot Fuzz, the new Starsky and Hutch. Still though, I feel I really get the genre. After a little bit of introspection, I realised why - the formula of "close buddies, kicking ass and taking names whilst wisecracking and completely blase about their situation" is quite common in one of my favourite TV shows, Stargate SG-1.

Also Swat Kats, now that I think about it.

Anyway, I can't think of a panel 4 for that scene. Maybe a joke at Chen's expense? Or go for mood whiplash? Like:

RAN, smiling gently, is hugging the teary-eyed CHEN, who is sobbing and still dripping with coffee. The background is all RAINBOWS and SPARKLES. The scene is very ADORABLE.

[Kinzo the Astro Curious]

Also Swat Kats, now that I think about it.

*Brofist with brosplosions* That was so easily my fave cartoon growing up. Although tbh, mainly because they built a fucking jet fighter in a fucking junkyard. That equaled automatic awesome to me.

Infact that show probably is what influenced me to want to be a mad inventor kinda guy. I got told once "you dream is to probably live in a scrapyard and build shit from all the junk" ... I couldn't deny it. And swatkats is probably the cause as well. I even thought that artist guy in iron giant was awesome - because he did just that. Infact. I'd live where he does.

er... OT.

anyway, on topic, Get an artist you two and make it!

[OkashiiKisei]

Anyway, I can't think of a panel 4 for that scene. Maybe a joke at Chen's expense? Or go for mood whiplash? Like:

RAN, smiling gently, is hugging the teary-eyed CHEN, who is sobbing and still dripping with coffee. The background is all RAINBOWS and SPARKLES. The scene is very ADORABLE.

I think the joke/punchline SHOULD be sad Chen with coffee spilled all over her. Adding a hugging Ran lowers the funniness of the joke. Wait for the hugging until the later parts.

Panel 1: Keine briefs Ran on the nest mission.
Panel 2: Ran accepts mission, and to make her point she throws the still-full coffee mug out on the window.
Panel 3: Ex-Keine: Goddamnit, Ran, that's the fifth one this week! You're going to hurt someone if you keep doing that!
              Ran: Why should I care? Anybody who gets hit probably isn't important anyway.
Panel 4: Pan over to sad, coffee dripping Chen.

[Fightest]

I think the joke/punchline SHOULD be sad Chen with coffee spilled all over her. Adding a hugging Ran lowers the funniness of the joke. Wait for the hugging until the later parts.

Panel 1: Keine briefs Ran on the next mission.
Panel 2: Ran accepts mission, and to make her point she throws the still-full coffee mug out on the window.
Panel 3: Ex-Keine: Goddamnit, Ran, that's the fifth one this week! You're going to hurt someone if you keep doing that!
              Ran: Why should I care? Anybody who gets hit probably isn't important anyway.
Panel 4: Pan over to sad, coffee dripping Chen.

You've got a point and a great set of panels! Then we can make it into a little running joke, referenced next time when they're in the car:

Panel 1: RAN and CHEN are in their car, sipping coffee from paper cups. RAN spots a speeding car.
Panel 2: Close-up of RAN's hand, tossing coffee cup, still full of coffee.
Panel 3: RAN puts on aviator sunglasses and puts the siren on the dash. Speech bubble: "So much for the coffee break."
Panel 4: View of sad, coffee-dripping CHEN from slightly behind RAN, so we see RAN's head with those little surprise lines coming off it.

And we can later cover Chen in all sorts of fun beverages! Milkshakes, mojitos, shaved ice, cup ramen... The possibilities are endless.

[Kinzo the Astro Curious]

And we can later cover Chen in all sorts of fun beverages! Milkshakes, mojitos, shaved ice, cup ramen... The possibilities are endless.

Sexually suggestive tag on danbooru  :V

[hyorinryu]

Meh, personally I'd want that Tengu hierarchy elaborated on. Also, I wonder what the relationship between the tengus and teh kappa are like.

[Tengukami]

Also, I wonder what the relationship between the tengus and teh kappa are like.

Canonically, they get along very well. PMiSS says that they live in parallel societies on Youkai Mountain, and are on good terms with each other.

[Tiamat]

I think ZUN was waiting for Suwako/Kanako to come in before really bringing Tengu/Kappa society into the storyline.  The main reason being Suwako/Kanako gives the mountain youkai the thing that they were previously lacking when it comes to Gensokyo's power struggle (mainly, their own "incident resolver" like Reimu or Sakuya, and their own "god haxx0r" like Yukari or... er, well, Flandre I guess, though I'll admit it's not like Flandre has really done much in the storyline yet.  Then again, on a whole, the SDM kinda seems to mainly be involved in things for the lolz)

At any rate, the power struggle seems built up enough now that I'm fully expecting a more climactic plot for it to be shown in either a fighting game, phantasmagoria, or an SSiB style manga (although it's possible that ZUN will do it in a normal Touhou shooting game.  I don't think it'd suit that format, though).  A comedic 4-Koma manga, should it take place, would likely be after that (...which IIRC was the case with Inaba of the Moon and the Earth, too, really)

[Fightest]

So here's the next question for Subterranean Vice: how do we establish the dark-as-hell backstory? Absurdly depressing This-Is-Not-Funny-At-All mood-whiplash 4komas? A total format change? Something else?

[Tengukami]

All hard-boiled cops have an ex-wife. One who is always asking why the alimony check is late, who on her occasional visits will smirk and shake her head, musing, "You still put work ahead of everything else, don't you?", followed by some thinly-veiled flirtatious exchange of barbs. The rookie is the one with the sobbing, ever-dishwashing wife.

[Halca]

Can I help?

[Fightest]

All hard-boiled cops have an ex-wife. One who is always asking why the alimony check is late, who on her occasional visits will smirk and shake her head, musing, "You still put work ahead of everything else, don't you?", followed by some thinly-veiled flirtatious exchange of barbs. The rookie is the one with the sobbing, ever-dishwashing wife.

Well, in the context of Touhous, who will these wives be, then?

Can I help?

I don't know, can you help? What've you got for us, chief? :V

[Halca]

Should I like draw something to prove my powers? XDD