Author Topic: Speculation for Future TH16 Motifs  (Read 4323 times)

Sedrife

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Speculation for Future TH16 Motifs
« on: June 26, 2017, 08:15:19 PM »
Disclaimer: This is just a fan speculation of Touhou Project - Hidden Star in Four Seasons and does not reflect what may actually be happening in Gensokyo.

So far, I've been wrapping around my head on just what kind of mythology can possibly relate to the four seasons.  After some googling (as usual), I think I'm beginning to piece together some ideas that can clue in to the culprit. 

First piece of puzzle is the title itself: "Hidden Star in Four Seasons".  Based upon using the term "star", we have an implication of constellation.  Some people postulated that this could be referring to Southern Cross (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crux), which is not visible to most Japanese region.

Then we have the four seasons.  We have had incidents playing around with manipulations of season before (TH6, TH10.5), but it seems like the seasons are happening with geographical relevance this time.

Spring - Hakurei Shrine - East - Azure Dragon (蒼龍)
Summer - Foot of the Mountain - West - White Tiger (白虎)
Fall - Youkai Mountain - South - Vermillion Bird (朱雀)
Winter - Forest of Magic - North- Black Turtle (玄武)

Fanmade Map of Gensokyo may help visualize: http://orig08.deviantart.net/00d4/f/2010/128/a/e/gensokyo_traditional_map_by_captainonimaru.jpg

As hinted above, the four seasons are "personified" as gods in Chinese mythology called "Four Symbols" (四象).  These four entities have appeared frequently in Japanese media (ex. Digimon) as god-like entities overseering their respective regions.  They are also representation of seasons, among tons of other things they are associated with (elements, animals, force of life, etc.).

The Four Symbols also have very close ties to Chinese Constellation called "Twenty Eight Mansions" (二十八宿) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-Eight_Mansions).  The idea is that these Four Symbols are summation of 7 sub-constellations in East, West, North and South.  Each of the sub-constellation have a certain meaning, and they act like "body parts" to the Four Symbols.

What may rule them over are the constellation in the middle (中), and this is known as Three Enclosures (三垣).  This is known to be where Jade Emperor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Emperor) is housed, along with his government officials, etc.  It's also popularized in the media as the being that is above "the Elite Four" (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EliteFour) (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php)./Main/TheFourGods).  Personification of such being standing in the middle is usually referred to as Kirin (麒麟) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qilin).

While Kirin is recognized as the Central Leader of the Four, we are not clear as to which "star" of Chinese Constellation it represents. 

It very may well be that the future direction of TH16 to locate the "Center" after figuring out the geographical location of Four Seasons are happening, and find out that culprit is able to master and control some kind of energy that allows willful control of the seasons.

-------------------
Just for Laugh PS section

PS1 Kirin is so gentle that she'll get beaten up even by Cirno and be okay with it
PS2 The culprit is Satsuki Rin, ZUN is bringing her back from the dead pixels of TH6 (or reincarnation of it)
« Last Edit: June 26, 2017, 08:23:32 PM by Sedrife »

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Re: Speculation for Future TH16 Motifs
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2017, 01:19:16 PM »
That's a pretty interesting theory ! I've looked some stuff a bit too and, while I didn't reach the Kirin part, something about the Center kinda got me curious :

The 4 animals are not only associated with seasons, direction and colors, but they go along with attributes too :

Wood - Spring - Azure Dragon - East
Fire - Summer - Vermillion Bird - South
Earth - ??? - ??? - ???
Metal - Autumn - White Tiger - West
Water - Winter - Black Turtle - North

So the element Earth seems kinda left out, but going by the five elements theory , we can possibly associate Earth with midsummer / late summer / long summer, and give it the Center as a direction.

And it's the animal that go with it that gets me curious, as it is supposedly the Yellow Dragon for the Center. Dunno if this is of any relevance whatsoever, but in case it do turn out to be relevant, I'd like to see if the  Yellow Emperor is going to be referred to in some way or have played a role in the story.

...

Also, on a more gratuitous note, regarding the lifeforce thingy, I believe each season can also be associated with a specific phase in life :

Spring - Birth
Summer -Growth
Midsummer / late summer / long summer - Fruition maybe ?!
Autumn / Fall - Maturity and decline
Winter - DEATH

I'd imagine being able to control seasons will affect lifeforce to a certain extent or something.

Re: Speculation for Future TH16 Motifs
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2017, 05:14:51 PM »
I also find something interesting about the cardinal direction that you just mention too. If you take China as the center, then:

East would be Korea, where Komainu Aunn's myth originate from.

West would enventually lead to Europe, where fairy come from.

South would lead to Japan, where the Mountain Hag live.

Look like the cardinal direction also lead to placed that China have pretty good trade in. And the North of China is probably Russia or Mongol's myth. Make sense too, since north mean Winter.

Anyway, look like your idea about the boss having some relation to China myth, or is using China art (Like the Tao, just like what the Jade Emperor used) is in a good direction.

Sophilia

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Re: Speculation for Future TH16 Motifs
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2017, 06:00:24 PM »
Japan is certainly not south of China.  It's to the north-east.
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Re: Speculation for Future TH16 Motifs
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2017, 06:05:24 PM »
In some part, they're though. I'm not saying it's fully match, but looking at it generally, it's still kinda strange for it to match at least 2 direction.

Helepolis

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Re: Speculation for Future TH16 Motifs
« Reply #5 on: June 28, 2017, 08:35:53 PM »
...If you take China as the center, then:
East would be Korea, where Komainu Aunn's myth originate from.
South would lead to Japan, where the Mountain Hag live.
...
In some part, they're though. I'm not saying it's fully match, but looking at it generally, it's still kinda strange for it to match at least 2 direction.
Are you sure about that?



If you ask me and take China as centre as you said, then Korea is east and Japan is far east.

Re: Speculation for Future TH16 Motifs
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2017, 07:06:17 AM »
China does spread enough so that certain part of it is directly north of japan though....Slim justification though, probably it's either a coincidence, or ZUN just like to pick character that just happen to be near the zone.

Helepolis

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Re: Speculation for Future TH16 Motifs
« Reply #7 on: June 29, 2017, 07:47:21 AM »
China does spread enough so that certain part of it is directly north of japan though....Slim justification though,
Are you sure about that?



Re: Speculation for Future TH16 Motifs
« Reply #8 on: June 29, 2017, 08:44:35 AM »
I think the only way to say that "China is on the north of Japan" is if you pick Japan's southermost parts and compare it to China's furthest eastern parts.  But still that _is_ kind of too much of a pushover, if you ask me.