Author Topic: New Touhou Print Book Announced: "東方文果真報 Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia"  (Read 53010 times)



A new Touhou Print book got announced in the latest Strange Creators of Outer World Volume (Which hasn't been translated yet).

It is said that it will be similar to Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red. (I.E. Newspaper articles.) This has not been verified yet.

Release date is March 30th.

(Source is Hungry Bookworm's tumblr blog. She knows Japanese and is mostly a reliable source.)
« Last Edit: September 07, 2017, 11:48:51 PM by the old guy »
My old avatars: Old ass turtle, Unzan - Second and Current Avatar by the talented Aoshi-shi

cuc

  • *
  • Probably won't respond 'til this mess is sorted o?

The book is already open for pre-order at Amazon.



The tagline in the image above is "I wonder what kind of book it is..."

The main title 東方文果真報 is probably pronounced "Tōhō Bunka Shinpō".

Explanation:
The previous Aya-themed book and games were named after her notebook 文花帖 Bunka-chō.

chō here is an old-fashioned word for notebooks, often used in titles. For example, detective stories set in Edo era are often called 捕物帖 torimono-chō, "[the thief-taker's] memoirs of arrests".

The common word bunka 文化 means "culture"; Aya replaced the second kanji with 花 "flower", turning it into "flowers of culture/literature/writing".

Now for the new book here, the second kanji in bunka has been replaced by 果 "fruit; end; consequence".

Aya's given name is written 文; Hatate's given name is not written in kanji, but her name kanji is actually embedded in the title of her own newspaper, which is 果.

Therefore the 文果 part of the title, in addition to meaning "fruits of culture/literature/writing", also signifies both Aya and Hatate. (It is also a real female given name, usually pronounced "Ayaka".)

On the other hand, 真報 shinpō is a play on 新報 "new report", often used in the titles of Meiji-era newspapers such as Fukuzawa Yukichi's "Current Events", replacing 新 "new" with 真 "true" for the trendy "alternative facts" theme.

On the whole, the title can be translated as "Aya and Hatate's True Report of the East".
« Last Edit: March 02, 2017, 03:08:45 AM by cuc »
Touhou Fantasy News: twitter

Leon゠Helsing

  • 0 - The Fool
  • Pave your own path
>alternative facts
oh shit we gettin' political commentary in here :V

cuc

  • *
  • Probably won't respond 'til this mess is sorted o?
>alternative facts
oh shit we gettin' political commentary in here :V
Touhou has had political commentary since at least Imperishable Night. If you use a broader definition, ZUN dedicating his music CD to people who were flying away from Japan was also political. It's an unavoidable part of sincere creative expression, though Touhou fans may not always notice them due to unfamiliarity with the subject. It's now in your face becomes the spotlight has turned towards America :) . The actual content of the book probably will still focus on Japanese topics though.

To be specific, he has actually been voicing his concern for the political situation in America in recent podcasts. And because God shares ZUN's sense of black humor, he had to announce the most frivolous thing, an official EoSD skin for LINE when the vote-counting was beginning to indicate a Trump victory:
Quote
ZUN: This is coinciding with what seems will be the election of Mr. Trump, but before releasing the second sticker set, we have made some LINE skins. The first skin is for Touhou Koumakyou. Be sure to change your image if your favorite color is scarlet.
« Last Edit: March 02, 2017, 03:39:21 AM by cuc »
Touhou Fantasy News: twitter

Lebon14

  • 椛ちゃん、助けてぇぇぇぇぇ!
Dat subtitle. Hahahaha. It's Zun's way to make fun of Trump.

Touhou has had political commentary since at least Imperishable Night. If you use a broader definition, ZUN dedicating his music CD to people who were flying away from Japan was also political. It's an unavoidable part of sincere creative expression, though Touhou fans may not always notice them due to unfamiliarity with the subject.

To be specific, he has actually been voicing his concern for the political situation in America in recent podcasts.
That's awesome. I officially like ZUN even more now. Can you please give me some examples of his political statements?
« Last Edit: March 02, 2017, 04:43:13 AM by the old guy »
My old avatars: Old ass turtle, Unzan - Second and Current Avatar by the talented Aoshi-shi

Paz legalces

  • Namusan
  • Howdy, I am Potato
    • Touhou Project FB
Dat subtitle. Hahahaha. It's Zun's way to make fun of Trump.
...since both side of the political faction throws that term around at each other (and both sides are just as guilty of it as the other), it's really could be interpret as making fun of either sides
Let's interpret Zun as neutral at least to avoid potential flame
« Last Edit: March 02, 2017, 11:35:24 AM by Paz legalces »

I can't wait for this book to come out on the 30th of March. I wonder what topics it will feature this time....

And how much fanon will be destroyed this time.

D-T

Ideally, all of it, imo

Maple

  • Mukyuu!
And how much fanon will be destroyed this time.

Let's be more specific with that.

Uh, now i realize i'm not as close to the fanon as before but let's see, uhh...

Junko's "Are you watching Chang'e?!"-obsessed personality; she being a close ("mother"-like) person to Clownpiece.

How close are Junko and Hecatia.

How close are Ringo and Seiran.

Benben and Yatsuhashi something something (considering they are some of the most ignored characters). Like, giving them a less vaguely-defined personality.

How close are Raiko and the Tsukumo sisters.

Add something to Wakasagihime's, Sekibanki's, and Kagerou's collective relationship.

How active Seija is (eg. making petty pranks on everyone).

Sagume's frequent slips of tongue (already known to be purely fanon, just to make it more clear in this book).

Doremy's amount of work (or how much she [mis]uses her skills)


Add more, let's see how many can we predict.

Less on destroying fanon, i want to see more about the lunarians and their day-to-day lives. Wonder if we get something about the Watatsuki sisters?

Tengukami

  • Breaking news. Any season.
  • *
  • I said, with a posed look.
That title!

ZUN, my hat goes off to you.

"Human history and growth are both linked closely to strife. Without conflict, humanity would have no impetus for growth. When humans are satisfied with their present condition, they may as well give up on life."

PK

  • Border of Whatever
Maybe we get to know somthinf more about  the Grassroot Youkai Network.
Also, i read it's meant to give a bit more space to characters who rarely appear, so hopefully pre-DDC or even pre-MoF minor characters will get some love.

MANoBadAssGar Jr.

  • look at dat pose, look at dat face
  • GARDORABLE!
Maybe we get to know somthinf more about  the Grassroot Youkai Network.
Mainly what im looking forward to in this release. I've been wondering when we will get more info or lore about Grassroot Youkai Network. Hopefully it won't be a let down.

And how much fanon will be destroyed this time.
oh boy...

Im still trying to get over the bombshells being dropped in Forbidden scrollery


still i kind of want another info book like PMiS or SoPM but i guess stranger creators of outer world are taking the place of that :|
« Last Edit: March 12, 2017, 09:37:48 PM by hazerddex »

Flandre5carlet

  • Sister of the Devil
  • "So all I have to do is 'kyuu', and..."
    • flan.moe

still i kind of want another info book like PMiS or SoPM

I'd love another of those, they're some of my favourite print works simply because they expand on all the characters in a mostly objective and factual way.

ToyoRai

  • Head But No Tail
  • I am still here. Sometimes.

PK

  • Border of Whatever
Is that Clownpiece with a completely different outfit in the back?

Shadowlupus

  • Crimson Blade Hidden Amidst the Darkness
Teasing images of the upcoming book's contents.

http://blog.livedoor.jp/geek/archives/51543254.html (NSFW)

Is that Clownpiece with a completely different outfit in the back?

And Hecatia, with a different outfit.
« Last Edit: March 15, 2017, 01:37:02 PM by Kageshirou »

Is that Clownpiece with a completely different outfit in the back?
well she only had that outfit to tick off the lunarians so probably

Drake

  • *
That isn't accurate. ZUN describes in SC vol.1 how Clownpiece's design was influenced by the American flag, but the details of how that might have happened (if/when/how she saw it, if it's even actually on the moon anywhere, etc) are completely unknown and probably won't ever be looked into further. There have already been several points in the setting from years back where the existence of the American flag on the moon is put into question. It really wasn't rigorously planned.

A Colorful Calculating Creative and Cuddly Crafty Callipygous Clever Commander
- original art by Aiけん | ウサホリ -

game2011

  • mineiptXD
    • Supreme ??asual Dating Verified Women
Is that Clownpiece with a completely different outfit in the back?
Very sure that's Hecatia.

N-Forza

  • Information Superhighway Robbery
  • *
  • I said it was a steal, but not for whom
The usual Aya antics are very much anticipated, but I'm also very intrigued by the Agatha Q. Ristie excerpt.

game2011

  • mineiptXD
    • Supreme ??asual Dating Verified Women
I just hope people don't start screaming lies and slander when we get info on the newer characters because Aya is in charge of things.  It's bad enough with Akyuu already...

I can't stand those people, wanting their fanon beliefs to stomp all over canon...

Oh god, i really hope this doesn't almost kill the fandom like SoPM almost did.
My old avatars: Old ass turtle, Unzan - Second and Current Avatar by the talented Aoshi-shi

N-Forza

  • Information Superhighway Robbery
  • *
  • I said it was a steal, but not for whom
I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about and I'm somewhat grateful to be honest.

Drake

  • *
SoPM didn't even have anything all that controversial with the fandom. Perhaps the rather bleak interpretation of Koishi was the most "extreme" thing.

There was also the whole casually mentioning Eirin being a god thing, but that was only news because the english fandom dragged years behind due to inaccurate information.

A Colorful Calculating Creative and Cuddly Crafty Callipygous Clever Commander
- original art by Aiけん | ウサホリ -

Critz

  • Heartwarming ★ Miracle
Trolling Creator: When SOPM came out, a lot of the profiles subverted the moe treatment many characters got (Nitori is not a shy kappa, she's a racist asshole; Hina is not someone you want to be near), and in the interviews following after, ZUN claimed Kisume - another shy youkai - is a Serial Killer who decapitates people and throws skulls at others and that Tenshi was misunderstood and bullied by everyone. In case anyone doubted what SOPM had to say about Nitori, her dialogue in Hopeless Masquerade is extremely different from her dialogue in Mountain of Faith (and even Subterranean Animism, where she encourages the player to beat up their opponents), which consists of insulting her opponents and openly bragging about being a scammer. The only person she isn't mean to who isn't a customer is Marisa, her old comrade, and even then it's pretty neutral.

Though the Kisume remark was made loosely (likely as a joke, not definitive Word of God), and while SOPM's articles written by Akyuu might be questionable, Hopeless Masquerade supports some of it.
I suppose.

Drake

  • *
That quote is filled with so much drivel I don't even know where to begin. TVTropes please.

A Colorful Calculating Creative and Cuddly Crafty Callipygous Clever Commander
- original art by Aiけん | ウサホリ -

N-Forza

  • Information Superhighway Robbery
  • *
  • I said it was a steal, but not for whom
Tenshi was never an actual masochist, that was pure fandom exaggerating her lines for kicks but the western side somehow took that as truth.

Nitori is a bit more complex but I don't think her "shift" was nearly as dramatic as Youmu from PCB/IaMP into IN. And both can be explained easily enough. (Nitori cooperates with anyone as long as it benefits her, Youmu is shy and lacks confidence unless following Yuyuko's orders)