Touhou 13.5 東方心綺楼 Hopeless Masquerade: Countdown to Mima

[Tengukami]

Also, seems the masks were made by

Spoiler:

Miko

.

That makes sense to me. It takes an old fashioned kinda gal.

[MewMewHeart]

Also, seems the masks were made by

Spoiler:

Miko

.

DUN DUN DUUUUUUN!  :V

[Validon98]

I think a new "It's a taoist conspiracy" meme is in order.

Well, the events of each game these days causes the games afterwards, right? No freaking wonder that happened.
Still wondering what

Spoiler:

having the mask related to Hope going missing

has anything to do with anything, though.

[trancehime]

That makes sense to me. It takes an old fashioned kinda gal.

Spoiler:

Hata has 66 masks. In the lore, Hata no Kawakatsu was asked by Prince Shotoku to perform 66 dramatic pieces to settle disputes and disturbances throughout Japanland. Prince Shotoku = Miko

[Tiamat]

I believe in the lore, Shoutoku himself crafted those masks.(I could be wrong) So Miko crafting them is basically just doing what she did in the actual lore.

[Validon98]

Well that makes sense. Go mythology connections. Although I can't believe that wasn't one of the theories that was on the thread. Then again, I don't think anyone suspected

Spoiler:

Miko

to be tied to this, huh?

[Critz]

http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv139214344?ref=ser&zroute=search&orig_filter=&date=&keyword=%E4%BE%8B%E5%A4%A7%E7%A5%AD

*Waits warmly*

[Clarste]

cuc tells me that Mamizou has also been confirmed by the same source?

[Validon98]

Wasn't Mamizou already confirmed from an earlier datamine, though?

[trancehime]

I believe in the lore, Shoutoku himself crafted those masks.(I could be wrong) So Miko crafting them is basically just doing what she did in the actual lore.

I think I forgot that particular detail. But it stands to reason that the connection between the two is probably going to be evident in the game. Just enjoy it.

Well that makes sense. Go mythology connections. Although I can't believe that wasn't one of the theories that was on the thread. Then again, I don't think anyone suspected

Spoiler:

Miko

to be tied to this, huh?

The problem is not about

Spoiler:

Miko

, but rather nobody suspected that the

Spoiler:

new character would have little to do with masks

, the subtitle HOPELESS MASQUERADE considered...

cuc tells me that Mamizou has also been confirmed by the same source?

Mamizou I think was confirmed by a patch.

Wasn't Mamizou already confirmed from an earlier datamine, though?

That was speculation based on a demo hack.

[teefa85]

And the trend continues.

[Clarste]

Wasn't Mamizou already confirmed from an earlier datamine, though?

It was strongly hinted, but that's not quite the same thing.

[Hinacle]

It was strongly hinted, but that's not quite the same thing.

To immediately ruin/kickstart the new thread, here's what is written in the winter demo:

Spoiler:

bigname_01reimu
bigname_02marisa
bigname_03ichirin
bigname_04hijiri
bigname_05futo
bigname_06miko
bigname_07nitori
bigname_08koishi
bigname_09mamizou
bigname_10boss

There's also one artist Chabo on twitter, who animated a returning character, yet was surprised to see her not being revealed.

I don't think that's strongly hinting.

[trancehime]

I don't think that's strongly hinting.

Placeholder filenames and code in .pak/script files/etc. in a demo game of all things doesn't necessarily mean it's 100% confirmed, because what you see in a demo may always have that slim chance of being revised or changed or edited.

[Clarste]

She could have been cut, for example.

[Hinacle]

Placeholder filenames and code in .pak/script files/etc. in a demo game of all things doesn't necessarily mean it's 100% confirmed, because what you see in a demo may always have that slim chance of being revised or changed or edited.

She could have been cut, for example.

Ah, crap that's right. Sorry.

[Tengukami]

Spoiler:

Hata has 66 masks. In the lore, Hata no Kawakatsu was asked by Prince Shotoku to perform 66 dramatic pieces to settle disputes and disturbances throughout Japanland. Prince Shotoku = Miko

Cool. One of the things I love about what ZUN does with Touhou is how he folds actual Japanese history, Japanese mythology, his own imagination and a lot of room for speculation together into this tasty waffle. It's great to have that in mind, and maybe less obvious to those of us who aren't well versed in early Japanese history - he's not pulling all this stuff out of nowhere. In cuc's thread over on TARC of ZUN's twitterings, he gushed like a fanboy over an old master historian he got a chance to meet. It's something I really admire; ZUN's narrative ability to blend historical facts with his personal fictions to create such a vibrant, living world.

[Star King]

The problem is not about

Spoiler:

Miko

, but rather nobody suspected that the

Spoiler:

new character would have little to do with masks

, the subtitle HOPELESS MASQUERADE considered...

Not true. IIRC cuc predicted it would be based on kagura/noh theatre, and also thought (possibly among others) the objects in the silhouette were masks.

[Tiamat]

I don't think anyone managed to reach the 66 masks shoutoku theory, though, but Cuc got really really close.

[teefa85]

Cool. One of the things I love about what ZUN does with Touhou is how he folds actual Japanese history, Japanese mythology, his own imagination and a lot of room for speculation together into this tasty waffle. It's great to have that in mind, and maybe less obvious to those of us who aren't well versed in early Japanese history - he's not pulling all this stuff out of nowhere. In cuc's thread over on TARC of ZUN's twitterings, he gushed like a fanboy over an old master historian he got a chance to meet. It's something I really admire; ZUN's narrative ability to blend historical facts with his personal fictions to create such a vibrant, living world.

I couldn't agree more.  It makes me want to look up a lot of different things I wouldn't normally have even considered, just to find out about the lore behind a character.

[Validon98]

I don't think anyone managed to reach the 66 masks shoutoku theory, though, but Cuc got really really close.

True. Yeah, no one had that specific theory, but masks were brought up at some point. Not surprising.

[Kirin no Sora]

So, the final boss, Hata no Kokoro, is a tsukumogami of noh masks, and she's one mask short of a full set, which is why she has gone insane...

*blinks*

Wait a sec. She's one mask short of a full set.

Why do I think that she's going to be a bit on the loopy side when you end up facing her?

[ToyoRai]

... I am utterly mind blown. You think that the title would refer the events going on, but it is actually refering to one character. Or maybe hte title has double meaning, I don't know.

Spoiler:

But where is my Christian character?

[Ikari]

I bet she'll try to make a new mask out of the heroine's pretty face.

I'm actually excited at the idea of having a new character AND seeing its fighting playstyle in one game!

[Lukesky180]

... I am utterly mind blown. You think that the title would refer the events going on, but it is actually refering to one character. Or maybe hte title has double meaning, I don't know.

Spoiler:

But where is my Christian character?

Iesua Nazarenus is not available. Please try again later.

[Validon98]

... I am utterly mind blown. You think that the title would refer the events going on, but it is actually refering to one character. Or maybe hte title has double meaning, I don't know.

Spoiler:

But where is my Christian character?

Yeah, it's literally a masquerade without a mask of hope. ^^;
Also, have you looked at The Last Comer yet?

Edit/Cut:

Iesua Nazarenus is not available. Please try again later.

Or Michel Sant'Angelo. Or Mikaboshi Mumumu. Any of them, really. ^^;

[trancehime]

Not true. IIRC cuc predicted it would be based on kagura/noh theatre, and also thought (possibly among others) the objects in the silhouette were masks.

How long ago was that? It was probably not so long ago, I was referring to initial speculations from last week.

[nintendonut888]

http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv139218124?ref=ser&zroute=search&keyword=%E6%9D%B1%E6%96%B9%E5%BF%83%E7%B6%BA%E6%A5%BC

HM stream is up on Nicovideo! Get your seats!

[Clarste]

How long ago was that? It was probably not so long ago, I was referring to initial speculations from last week.

It was about when the silhouette on the cover was first released.

[Kirin no Sora]

... I am utterly mind blown. You think that the title would refer the events going on, but it is actually refering to one character. Or maybe hte title has double meaning, I don't know.

I think that you're right. The title does seem to have a double meaning...

...double meaning...

(Cue thoughts on how HM and TH14 are connected somehow...)

I bet she'll try to make a new mask out of the heroine's pretty face.

I'm actually excited at the idea of having a new character AND seeing its fighting playstyle in one game!

Well, it would be rather shocking, although that would be on par with being a youkai. A "Mask of Hope" might even end up being created on it's own in the end, should things end well(and given that it's a Touhou game, ending well is kinda a given)...