9th Annual Touhou Popularity Contest - RESULTS ARE IN

[Zil]

A sign that some of the games have very consistent quality overall?

Well that is kind of true. I guess it's just that they're similarly weird that me wonder about it. (Like SA and UFO should be at the top of all three rather than mid-range.)

My only real problem with the music thing is that True Administrator is up there. It strikes me as a very dull and repetetive song, especially for a final boss. There are other songs like that, but it's weird how that alone is up there, amongst other songs that are completely different.

And now I'll pay attention to the other end of the list! I'm honestly wondering how some of those songs got so many votes. Yeah, they're at the bottom, but there are people out there that actually put those on their top five? (And I just noticed Spiritual Heaven at 333, that aint right.)

[Paper Conan]

I'm pretty sure True Administrator is up there because it's just a mix of Flowering Night x Touhou Judgement of Sixty Years.
Let me just qq over how ZUN's Music CDs are always ignored by 80% of the fandom, like always...

[game2011]

Never thought that Septette for the Dead Princess is that popular...  It's not a bad theme; I simply never found it as a fitting final boss theme, not even a boss theme.  It always struck me as sounding like a stage theme.

And yay for The Gensokyo the Gods Loved being that high!  The best stage theme in the series EVAR!!!!  And Border of Life is the best final boss theme in the series!

[Kilgamayan]

All right, let me see what I can do.

Septette is song that takes way too long to get where it's going, and when it finally gets there, it does so in a fairly underwhelming fashion. Let it not be said that super-hyped openings like in History of the Moon, Nuclear Fusion and Wonderful Heaven are necessary for fights of Stage 6 magnitudes, because Bamboo Cutter and True Administrator both demonstrate how to start softly and build up incredibly well. Septette starts soft and stays soft for a while. I don't feel the energy. This is it! The final showdown with the crimson vampire, the source of Gensokyo's mist problem! Where's the tension, the excitement? It just isn't there. Lunar Dial gets me far more pumped. Hell, even Meiji 17 gets me more pumped, and when the atmosphere of your Stage 6 head-of-household fight is getting upstaged by the atmosphere your Stage 3 joke-character-door-guard fight, something's amiss.

The song does eventually get to something tense and exciting, but it's all over about 10 seconds long, and then it segues into some piano fun that, while nice, feels like it's just kinda there. It would be a good musical "cooldown" period from having a whole bunch of tension built up - but there was never any tension built up in the first place. Look at something like the IaMP remix of this same song - that song kicks you in the face until you tap out, which reflects the crazy battle you're having with a zipping-all-over-the-place Remilia. (It even starts quiet and builds properly! Incredibly how NKZ could get it right when ZUN couldn't.) There's plenty of tension there, especially during the aforementioned piano fun that's been transcribed over to rock guitar. I listen to the IaMP remix and I see Remilia wailing away on a Gungnir guitar as hard as she can for a whole bunch of screaming fans. I listen to the original song and I don't really hear much of anything, just a melody that's decent to listen to but nothing special. It doesn't even feel like it tells much of a story, as opposed to Invisible Full Moon or Immortal Smoke, which are basically musical summaries of the lives of their respective characters.

Basically, it's a song with a respectable core idea that simply doesn't execute. It's merely passable as a stand-alone song and a rather large flop as an atmosphere-setter in comparison to every other final boss song we've ever had.

[Shin Rokuren]

I knew the moment I saw a lot of remixes of it, Desire Drive would score high in the upcoming polls. Didn't expect it to be the top TD song. Still, not a fan of it.

[Paper Conan]

I genuinely love Septette because it gleams elegance and charisma in the deadly yet calm fashion Remilia always presents herself with.
I also like U.N Owen for the same reason. A frantic, foreboding, and childish tune to represent Flandre's eagerness is truly wondrous.

In other words, the Scarlet Sister's theme songs are probably meant to represent their attitudes and moods during the fights.
/power of imagination + opinions, because everyone is always more than welcome to their own opinions, no?~

Though I can't digress the fact that Septette lacks the incredible, dynamic feeling other final bosses' themes radiate with.
I guess it's just a matter of choice.

Now, my only complaint would be directed towards Desire Drive's remarkable position.
Why.... why? :I

[Zil]

It's not remixed because it's good, it's good because it's remixed.

Also Remi's theme is amazing. It's so romantic and passionate.

[Helepolis]

All right, let me see what I can do.

Septette is song that takes way too long to get where it's going, and when it finally gets there, it does so in a fairly underwhelming fashion. Let it not be said that super-hyped openings like in History of the Moon, Nuclear Fusion and Wonderful Heaven are necessary for fights of Stage 6 magnitudes, because Bamboo Cutter and True Administrator both demonstrate how to start softly and build up incredibly well. Septette starts soft and stays soft for a while. I don't feel the energy. This is it! The final showdown with the crimson vampire, the source of Gensokyo's mist problem! Where's the tension, the excitement? It just isn't there. Lunar Dial gets me far more pumped. Hell, even Meiji 17 gets me more pumped, and when the atmosphere of your Stage 6 head-of-household fight is getting upstaged by the atmosphere your Stage 3 joke-character-door-guard fight, something's amiss.

The song does eventually get to something tense and exciting, but it's all over about 10 seconds long, and then it segues into some piano fun that, while nice, feels like it's just kinda there. It would be a good musical "cooldown" period from having a whole bunch of tension built up - but there was never any tension built up in the first place. Look at something like the IaMP remix of this same song - that song kicks you in the face until you tap out, which reflects the crazy battle you're having with a zipping-all-over-the-place Remilia. (It even starts quiet and builds properly! Incredibly how NKZ could get it right when ZUN couldn't.) There's plenty of tension there, especially during the aforementioned piano fun that's been transcribed over to rock guitar. I listen to the IaMP remix and I see Remilia wailing away on a Gungnir guitar as hard as she can for a whole bunch of screaming fans. I listen to the original song and I don't really hear much of anything, just a melody that's decent to listen to but nothing special. It doesn't even feel like it tells much of a story, as opposed to Invisible Full Moon or Immortal Smoke, which are basically musical summaries of the lives of their respective characters.

Basically, it's a song with a respectable core idea that simply doesn't execute. It's merely passable as a stand-alone song and a rather large flop as an atmosphere-setter in comparison to every other final boss song we've ever had.

If only people described their vote on musics like this. You see, it is so much clearer. Here I come!

I to be honest don't know why Septette is #1. It could be due to (wild guess) JP people are all classic music piece lovers. (Since Septette is a derived and inspired original song from some ancient score right?). Let us not forget the majority of remixes of Septette which probably sound better. So what is that makes Septette so great? It surely must have something to it for a majority to make it become #1 for four years on a row. hataters gonna hatate wouldn't be my style to say. I respect people's opinions if they would make them sound like opinions. Plain going: "Bawww Septette bad" is only making you look worse.

Back to your post:
You're making a connection with other boss songs build up. I agree on the built-up part. Septette has in terms of built-up bit orz style, but you got to remember this is still Touhou 6. However, it is still a boss song. You're saying you don't feel the energy for it. Final showdown being etc. How about we shift the perspective now.

What I feel from septette is dancing under the moon and being elegant (although zunfact says she isn't). It is hard to explain but I feel  as if you're just dancing and playing around with a vampire on the balcony side. Since both Reimu and Remilia start out with their quotable dialogue. You don't need a "Final showdown-ish music" here. If you consider the plot, the characters, the surrounding, it all would fit the song's energy. You're dancing and playing around.

Cosmic Mind - Emotional Skyscraper vibes pride and greatness all over as well as sadness for me. Utsuho gives the feeling it has to do: Melt down panic-ish stuff. I think her song is most easiest to read for any non-musical dude. To be honest, Utsuho's theme fits her, the fight and the spell cards. But that is about it. It has not that  "something-hidden-feeling" behind it. It is just straight-forward. Straight forward songs are for people easier to understand. Hence why people think Utsuho's theme is "the best". I would say: Yes and no. True Administrator still left me in confusion. Built up is nice, but then the song becomes "Huh?" until it goes back to the beginning. Haven't heard enough of it yet to judge about the feeling.

TL DR:
People think X song shouldn't be better than Y song or why Z song is ranked high, because they're not changing perspectives to fully observe the song. Going for "this is a final boss, it must have standard badass theme" simply doesn't work. Because that automatically leaves out Eiki, Kaguya as well here then, while they too are respectable final boss with very good songs fitting the actual harmony.

It is all about Harmony.

[pineyappled]

Septette is first again. Obligatory WHY.

Although Desire Drive at 15 is a huge success. I loved it since seeing stage 4 on the Comiket Nico streams. Most of the remixes so far are just okay, though.
Nazrin's theme just keeps on falling. At the End of Spring fell three places, but thirty is still pretty good.
Retribution for the Eternal Night just is Touhou to me.

[Tamashii Kanjou]

Wow. This was... quite the list.

Character wise:
>Reimu 1st again... I swear someone will knock her off soon!
>Alice 2nd. I know my friend will be very happy to hear this; guess that now makes us even for seeing my favourite in the Top 3 last year.
>Yuuka drops. Thankfully, she's still in the Top 10; so that's another year she has spent up there. I'm happy with this. ^^
>Sanae is out of the Top 10. This makes me smile a little.
>Futo highest TD character. That surprised me. Liked Futo a lot, but wasn't expecting her to beat everyone else up there.
>Kasen moves from 62nd to 26th. This made me so damn happy! If she moves into the Top 20 next year, I'll dance!
>Reisen (SSiB) drops to 89th. Take two guesses why people don't like you! Now drop further!

Music:
>Septette 1st again. It's fine, I guess. At least Cosmic Mind is...
>U.N.Owen 2nd... Really? I mean, I like it and all... but... ah nevermind; slight annoyance to see a Scarlet Lock-Out.
>Gensokyo the Gods Loved up to 5th. A beautiful track that I am very happy seeing up there.
>Desire Drive highest TD track; 15th no less. I'm pretty pleased with this.
>Magus Night beats True Admin. Okay, I laughed. It moved up a place whilst it did so. I'd love to see Magus Night higher~
>Greenwich in the Sky ascends. YES! OH MY GOSH, YES! ONE OF MY FAVOURITE NON-GAME TRACKS ALMOST BREAKS TOP 30! ALL OF MY LOVE!
>Small Desires 167th... ok, seriously?! This track is one of my top Stage 6 themes, and it's THIS LOW?! Flip-sake; not impressed.
>Blue Sea of 53 Minutes & Phantom Factory drop to 200 and 201. No love for a beautiful track and one of my favs from Seihou. Oh well; not that it really matters all the way down there, I guess.

So yeah, mixed turn out, with some very nice notes. Seeing Kasen climb all those places was very pleasing. Mamizou placing 60th gives her a good stone to leap up from when next year comes around; which is what I'm hoping for, at least. Yuuka staying in the Top 10 for another year means her fanbase has not died; so I'm more then happy with this, even if she did drop 4 places. Alice knocked me a bit; but then again, thinking back to last year, I remember the same thing happening with said results anyhow. Sanae's drop was... kind of odd too; maybe people aren't liking the green miko anymore.
Music wise, I'm not sure what to think. I've come to accept Septette as that one track that simply will not budge; so having to accept U.N.Owen as the 'other 1st place' is kind of annoying, since I put other tracks far higher then it. But this is a public thing; so I can't make anything happen just by saying it. On the flip side, Greenwich keeps moving up; which means people ARE listening to the CD stuff. Annoyed at where certain TD tracks placed, but as mentioned, can't have everything your own way.

At the very least, Mima missing Tojiko by a couple of places probably p**sed a good number of the Evil Spirit's fan-base~  :V

[日巫子]

>Sanae is out of the Top 10. This makes me smile a little.

You traitor!

Last year we had Yuuka in third place, and this year Alice in second place (I know they're popular but whoa).  I didn't see any of that coming, I guess this unpredictable trend will continue.  I was happy to see Futo getting 19th place; I guess it's because she's gotten a reputation as being one of the silly cute characters.  I was also unsurprised at Kasen's sudden ascent to 26th place, but then I was like "lol holy shit".

[Critz]

>Sanae is out of the Top 10. This makes me smile a little.

You traitor! [2]

Since you mentioned it,  it's kind of disappointing that the first PC-98 exclusive character (Yumemi) is only 65, therefore below vast majority of windows characters, including the ones with no dialogues and canon personality (Daiyousei, Koakuma, Momiji). The rest is ever lower, even ones like Shinki and Mima...

[Gpop]

Koishi continues to go up in ranks

SLOWLY BUT SURELY, SHE'LL EVENTUALLY REACH #1 YOU'LL SEE

[Suikama]

goddamn zun has made a lot of songs

[game2011]

I'm wondering...  What are the chances of the results of this poll being different if Symposium of Post-mysticism got released back in Jan. 26?  I mean... that book is going to tell us more about the girls from MoF and so forth, so perhaps getting to know them better may affect their popularity?

[iK]

I can't help but feel the difference would only be marginal. Touhou fanon has a way of interfering with canon at times, especially for character interpretations.

[N-Forza]

Yeah, I mean Aya/Momiji is still a "thing" despite ZUN pretty much saying why it wouldn't be in DS.

[iK]

Something that may be relevant to the generally poor results for the Taoists- Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't [Taosim] one of the least popular religions in Japan, especially compared to Buddhism?

[Helepolis]

Yeah, I mean Aya/Momiji is still a "thing" despite ZUN pretty much saying why it wouldn't be in DS.

This makes me even more wonder what ZUN is going to describe in his next book.

[Raikaria]

I'm kinda surprised Satori is so popular. 0_0 And she fell too. [Although that could be due to Youmu getting screentime, as well as Aya]

How's Futo more popular than characters like Meiling, Suwako, and Cirno I'll never know.

Kogasa in 34th, let me go cry.

71   61   56   Mima   893   111 - This is why ZUN dosen't bring her back, less and less people seem to want her back. She's below WRIGGLE AND LETTY.

Lyrica is the least popular Windows Boss character. If you don't count Unzan. That said, the Primsrivers are a trio... but Lyrica goes solo in PoFV so... I dunno.

Kinda shocked Old Distant Hermit is so low. Easily, Easily the best TD track, and suits the 2 on 1 fight so well, same with Last Remote, IMO, the best stage theme in ANY game.

Judas Kiss is above the Last Judgement. OK... I like Last Judgement @_@

[K]

Alice gets the most 1st place votes, what a dedicated fanbase she has. (and yet, Reimu still beats her out overall)

I also like the part where Fairy Wars has the lowest EX clear rate. Then again, it makes sense.

[Mukyu]

Hello everyone. I'm new in this site. And I'm Japanese.
Now I'm in the United States for studying English.
I realy like Tohou Project. I was so excited when I found this site.
Maybe my English is starange for you.
But I'm wanna join to your conversation.

And I voted for...

1 Koakuma
2 Nitori
3 Remilia
4 Flan
5 Alice's Dolls

 

[Zengeku]

Welcome to the site. It is the best forum when it comes to discuss Touhou Project.
And good luck with your the English. You do pretty well so far. 

[Paper Conan]

Hello Mukyu!! I hope you enjoy your time here!!~
Oh, and I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who voted for Alice's Dolls over Alice herself. Has anyone seen them fight in Cirno's Lunatic story mode in Hisoutensoku?
They are overall nightmare inducing little demons.  :ohdear:

[Phlegeth]

I didn't even know about this until I saw the Results Pool on Danbooru  :derp:

I'm a little surprised Futatsuiwa from Sado isn't higher.  I thought that was one of the funnest pieces to come from 10D.  I think its funny how Marisa is the meat in a Scarlet Sammich.  And if I voted it would have been:

1.  Marisa
2.  Tewi
3.  Yorihime
4.  Kanako
5.  Yuugi

[warpshadow]

Something that may be relevant to the generally poor results for the Taoists- Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't [Taosim] one of the least popular religions in Japan, especially compared to Buddhism?

Actually that doesn't pan out. Futo is more popular than anybody from the Myouren temple.

[Drake]

Actually that doesn't pan out. Futo is more popular than anybody from the Myouren temple.

That's just new character hype acting up, probably. I'm honestly surprised that Futo is the most popular character in 10D, but that's how it goes. Personally I find Futo a pretty boring character, especially when you have Seiga and Yoshika in there...

[Kilgamayan]

Clearly it is "herp, forsooth' moe.

[N-Forza]

She can also hang ten with the best of them.

[pineyappled]

but
but zombie moe
;_;