ZUN and Touhou status update

[akj]

Could you imagine the price of this particular copy?  :V

[Colticide]

The collector in me is screaming right now.

[N-Forza]

He actually made a decent number of copies but it is comparatively rare and in demand.

[Hatateru]

As a frequenter of Kinokuniya, I wouldn't get my hopes up.
There's always a tiny possibility, but the only non-canon Touhou print works that I've ever seen in Kinokuniyas are the Touhou Project Illustration Tutorial Guides.

Aww and here I thought despite not being canon it's commercial enough to be sold in places like amazon. It was licensed by Ichijinsha too, wasn't it? Maybe I thought at least this one might get the same treatment as those Touhou Illustration guides, oh well

[PurpleXCompleX]

Can someone explain this to me?
ZUN recently Retweeted and Tweeted this on his Twitter account.

https://twitter.com/PlayStation_jp/status/506344651414966273
https://twitter.com/korindo/status/506362208083664896

So is there some kind of cooperation going on?
I can't tell the details but i'm really happy to see Reisen II on the picture.

[akj]

https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,17316.0.html

[GranTorino551]

Could you imagine the price of this particular copy?  :V

Tell you what, since you're interested I'll make you a deal. For only $10¹⁰¹⁰⁰ you can have both discs and I'll even throw in my AWA shirt for free!

[cuc]

Our first topic is the Kannushi's family. Has the newborn child affected his life?

July 12:

ZUN: Today is the day of my son's miyamairi, so I went to the hometown of the wife. I'm gonna die from the heat.

In Japanese customs, one month after a baby is born, parents will usually bring it to visit a nearby shrine, where they will pray to guardians of the land. This is called "hatsu-miyamairi", "first shrine visit". When he made this tweet, ki-san and his son were still living at ki-san's parents', and he was alone in Tokyo, busy with packing up for relocation.

August 20, 4 AM, after one particular party:

ZUN: Received many gifts for childbirth in today's drinking party. Can't believe all my usual drinking buddies would actually gave me tasteful gifts with nothing weird about them, I'm so happy. Looking forward to the moment I can return their favors.

That was one of several parties post-Comiket 86. Regarding the subtext of "return their favors", ZUN's drinking buddies were of course lonely otaku seemingly without any hope of walking the red carpet. One topic he had brought up before was that even these people do eventually get married.

On August 28, ki-san and his son came back to Tokyo to live with him.

September 2, 7 AM:

ZUN: I've become a healthy human being who gets up early to take his son for a walk.

September 6:

ZUN: Carefree and fulfilling happiness, from time to time with early rises, afternoon naps, and book reading.

Hey, that's too fast, someone must've replaced ZUN with a robot!  :colbert:


Today's news: the 4th NicoNico Jisaku Game Fes (jisaku = self-made), a NicoNico-hosted celebration of amateur game development, has released a trailer titled "Is That Game Renaissance?" You can see ZUN in his new game room(?) in the video, alongside illuminaries including Nakamura Kōichi (Dragon Quest, Shiren the Wanderer) and Masuda Junichi (composer, director of Pokemon).

The numerous awards in the Game Festival include a Reitaisai Award, for the most interesting Touhou fan game, and a ZUN Award:

Whatever that is interesting. To be specific, the game should be interesting without entirely relying on novelty and uniqueness.

[akj]

Tell you what, since you're interested I'll make you a deal. For only $10¹⁰¹⁰⁰ you can have both discs and I'll even throw in my AWA shirt for free!

Gee whiz, what a steal! For the low, low price of infinity, I can be the proud owner of what's probably the only signed copy of Unknown Flowers!
And who can turn down a free shirt?

Today's news: the 4th NicoNico Jisaku Game Fes (jisaku = self-made), a NicoNico-hosted celebration of amateur game development, has released a trailer titled "Is That Game Renaissance?" You can see ZUN in his new game room(?) in the video, alongside illuminaries include the creator of Dragon Quest and the president of Game Freak.

Thanks for the translations as usual, good to know that ZUN has transcended into becoming a regular human bean.

In the video, ZUN @ 1:00 & 2:37 & 6:33.

[cuc]

Oh by the way, the list of registered circles for Autumn Reitaisai 2014 has been released, which is not the final list of accepted circles. Apparently 1560 circles have registered, while they have the space for 1500 circles.

Since there's nothing related to official Touhou on the list, you probably won't be hearing a lot about the event in this thread.

[Hatateru]

Whoa, lots of big name circles in this Reitaisai too.

But isn't this a little too close to Winter Comiket? I kinda feel bad for them rushing to release two things in the space of 2 months?

[cuc]

It's also too close to Kouroumu, held on October 12 this year, though that event is foremostly about catering to West Japan.

People have pointed out these issues since it was announced. What I heard (mentioned in this thread) is they are experimenting with methods to reduce the congestion of Reitaisai.

[Hatateru]

Actually it would've made more sense to move the main Reitaisai back to the middle of March like how they did last time. Then from there they can rearrange their dates for a less hectic schedule.

I realized that nowadays there's a smaller gap between Reitaisai, summer Comiket and winter Comiket compared to winter Comiket with Reitaisai

[Helepolis]

This isn't the main Reitaisai afaik. It is a special autumn Reitaisai which kind of is surprising as 2 reitaisais per year is quite rare but happened in the past as well (Reitaisai SP). (correct me if I am wrong).

Main Reitaisai will still take place next year 2015.

[cuc]

Reitaisai SP was not a real part of Reitaisai. Basically:

Suzuki Ryudou, then the head of Reitaisai Committee, founded Reitaisai SP with some other committee members, in the name of his own private company, behind the backs of the greater committee. Suzuki also said it would expand to become a general purpose doujin convention. Two cons were held in 2010 and 2011; then Suzuki's company went bankrupt.

While the specifics are unclear, the fandom generally believe Reitaisai SP to be a corruption case. Afterwards, Reitaisai's leadership would be shared between three members to prevent another such event.


I forgot to mention, Autumn Reitaisai will have a greater emphasis on stage performance, including manzai and dances.

[Helepolis]

Reitaisai SP was not a real part of Reitaisai. Basically:

Suzuki Ryudou, then the head of Reitaisai Committee, founded Reitaisai SP with some other committee members, in the name of his own private company, behind the backs of the greater committee. Two conventions were held in 2010 and 2011; then Suzuki's company went bankrupt.

While the specifics are unclear, the fandom generally believe Reitaisai SP to be a corruption case. Afterwards, Reitaisai's leadership was shared by three members, in order to prevent another similar event.

That is quite interesting to know. Thanks for the explanation.

I forgot to mention, Autumn Reitaisai will have a greater emphasis on stage performance, including manzai and dances.

God DAMN IT. I will never make it in time for that Reitaisai.

[Hatateru]

This isn't the main Reitaisai afaik. It is a special autumn Reitaisai which kind of is surprising as 2 reitaisais per year is quite rare but happened in the past as well (Reitaisai SP). (correct me if I am wrong).

Main Reitaisai will still take place next year 2015.

Yah I knew that, I'm just saying that they should move the main Reitaisai back up to March so they will have more free time to reorganize a smaller one in another quarter of the year without straining the participating circles too much. Like I said in my previous post, I'm noticing a bigger gap between Winter comiket and Reitaisai, and from Reitaisai onwards everything gets easier because most major Touhou events get crammed into the second half of the year with only a few months apart from each other haha

[cuc]

It seems ZUN can keep his job as a full time father. On September 15:

ZUN: Family members from both sides have been invited to my son's okuizome. In the free spirit of my three nephews, I see my son's future.

Okuizome, literally "first meal", is another Japanese rite of passage. On the 100th day after the child was born, the family would prepare a special meal to celebrate the child's growing of baby teeth.

On September 18:

ZUN: I gladly went to Tokyo Game Show on the public open day as an outsider. Let's say hello to the exhausted people there.

Not working in the game industry sure feels good.


While he's not going to Autumn Reitaisai, he will likely attend November 16's Digital Game Expo. The event's lineup is full of familiar names, and Team Shanghai Alice, Twilight Frontier, and Platine Dispositif are neighbors. They've somehow even got the artist POP there!

[Helepolis]

Makes me wonder if ZUN has any brothers and sisters who became uncle/aunts.

There is nothing more fun and heartwarming to be an uncle/aunt. At least, I am experiencing it heavily with my sister's child. She's now at a stage where she is very mobile, curious and demanding as well :V

ZUN Papa seems to be doing all well.

[cuc]

ZUN will be present for tonight's Indie Stream Fes 2014. This is an evening party for Japanese indie developers, generally held after each year's Tokyo Game Show. He couldn't attend last year's party, because as you remember, he had to leave for Anime Weekend Atlanta immediately after TGS. Link

They will do a PoriPori Club broadcast live from the party. Link

The description of the PoriPori Club show says it will be a very sincere talk about the love for games and the games they make. Could be a must watch if you care about Japanese indie games.

[Colticide]

ZUN will be present for tonight's Indie Stream Fes 2014. This is an evening party for Japanese indie developers, generally held after each year's Tokyo Game Show. He couldn't attend last year's party, because as you remember, he had to leave for Anime Weekend Atlanta immediately after TGS. Link

They will do a PoriPori Club broadcast live from the party. Link

The description of the PoriPori Club show says it will be a very sincere talk about the love for games and the games they make. Could be a must watch if you care about Japanese indie games.

I'd like to but is it translated?

[cuc]

The show was pretty nice, despite that the stream forces you to divide your attention between PoriPori Club and the actual Indie Stream Fes event, lol. There was no other stream from Indie Stream Fes, so even if you don't care about PoriPori Club, their show was the only option to watch ISF.

On the PoriPori Club side, quite a few people visited them. Castlevania's IGA seemed remarkable cheerful for someone who just announced he's suspending his dream game to work for a mobile game company.

Of course, people asked ZUN about whether he'll port Touhou games to PlayStation. He gave a clear answer (as written down by Touhou Memory):

No plan for porting them. Only the fan games.

On the event side, the game "Unholy Heights" (available on multiple platforms) won the main Indie Stream Award, while the recently released iOS game "Ninja Smasher!" won the Judges' Special Award. "Project Scissors", a spiritual successor to the Clock Tower series, was announced for Vita, iOS and Android.

[Colticide]

Iga is excited to work for a mobile company? That's dissapointing, let's hope he doesn't get forced to go down the path of team silent did and make dating sims for phones.

Project scissors... I hope it'll be similar to the first clock tower cause the other two were kinda bad IMO.

[cuc]

You know IGA's first big job was writing the script of the original Tokimeki Memorial, as a guy who never dated in high school while consulting his girlfriend for what girls were thinking, right? Of course he also said he exhausted all his ideas on it and he'd never write a dating sim again.

[Hatateru]

I visited Touhou Memory just now and saw something that tickled my fancy, it's this certain 'The Sealed Esoteric History' thing. Is it a new Touhou anime project? :3

[Colticide]

You know IGA's first big job was writing the script of the original Tokimeki Memorial, as a guy who never dated in high school while consulting his girlfriend for what girls were thinking, right? Of course he also said he exhausted all his ideas on it and he'd never write a dating sim again.

Ah nope never knew that, I only know him for castlevania.

[akj]

I visited Touhou Memory just now and saw something that tickled my fancy, it's this certain 'The Sealed Esoteric History' thing. Is it a new Touhou anime project? :3c

https://www.shrinemaiden.org/forum/index.php/topic,17416

[cuc]

Yesterday (Sep 23) gave us a blow from the past:

ZUN: So they have sold Taito Ebina Development Center at last... Now the only remaining place of my memories in Ebina is the izakaya I used to frequent.

ZUN: Today I went to the 10-year anniversary party for the release of Rakugaki Ōkoku 2 (Graffiti Kingdom) with my wife and son. While everyone has become married, had children and such, we still enjoyed talking about Taito without feeling the 10-year separation. Actually, there is a secret: I hadn't worked on Graffiti Kingdom.

Note: Izakaya are those dimly lit small Japanese pubs/restaraunts you always see in films.

Taito Ebina Development Center (photo), located in Ebina, Kanagawa, was the place ZUN (and ki-san) worked at during his time at Taito. As said here, he developed the first Rakugaki Ōkoku (Magic Pengel), but was not part of the Rakugaki Ōkoku 2 (Graffiti Kingdom) development team, appearing only in its credits under the "special thanks" column.

After quitting Taito, he stayed in Ebina, until moving to Shinjuku in 2011.

[Firestorm29]

That's a pretty building. Wish I could have seen it in person when I was there.

[cuc]

A manga update:

I forgot to mention, there's no new FS for September, likely because they are doing extra work for Vol. 4.

The WaHH side of things aren't looking so good. (See my earlier post on the departure of its editor Okonogi for context.)

The Amazon page for the October's Febri magazine lists its release date as October 17, one week later than usual. More importantly, the name of the magazine is listed as "Comic REX 2014 November: Special Supplementary Issue: Febri Vol.25". In other words, Febri is nominally no longer a magazine of its own. Ichijinsha has now put the magazine into end-of-life care, and will probably kill it in a couple issues.

From then on, WaHH might move to Comic REX, becoming neighbors with Kannagi.

(Source: Touhou Memory)