Touhou 14.5: 東方深秘録 ~ Urban Legend in Limbo. is HM sequel, demo at Comiket 87

[Doki-Doki]

What

The Final Boss has always been in silhouette on the CD jewel cases for the games except for EoSD

I think he meant that ZUN's never shown a Final Boss silhouette in such a flashy way before, which I'd only see him doing if A. He wanted to troll the fans or B. Hype up a character that the fans were really going to love. I.E. MIMA

[Maple]

As per crazy speculation, i have a little, little, very little hope that Rin Satsuki will appear somewhere. Hasn't a fan asked ZUN in a recent event about this image? I don't remember clearly, but maybe he said it wasn't Satsuki but made commentary about the fans' interest.

[Razzi Zadhna]

I think he meant that ZUN's never shown a Final Boss silhouette in such a flashy way before, which I'd only see him doing if A. He wanted to troll the fans or B. Hype up a character that the fans were really going to love. I.E. MIMA

Remember this is Tasofro'd game as well, and they do things a little differently than ZUN.

And for the guy above: Rin is gone. It sucks, I know, but ZUN had had literally 10+ games to introduce her in. I'd love for the main character duo to become a trio but it ain't happenin'.

[Fumi]

Honestly... you might be right! I mean if you look closely, you can see a wand in ? ? ? hands. The fact she has legs kinda debuts this theory... however when you take in consideration Reimu, Marisa, Yuuka and Alice all got redesigns due to becoming older and other reasons, this would mean she might receive a redesing. Also as you said Mima is told to haunt the Hakurei Shrine and judging about Reimu's reactions when ? ? ? appeared it might be her. Also + points for the story being a great and i mean GREAT oppurtonity for the charming evil spirit to return!

Someone on this thread mentioned the fact that if a returning character is the final boss then it would be a waste. I agree, Mima had her time, just like most characters and I would be really upset if we sacrified a new character for Mima. Don't get me wrong, Mima is awesome but... it would be really disappointing if she is the final boss and not someone new. Besides I don't see that happening being honest, ZUN would never do that, if Mima returns then it would be like just a playble character, kinda like what happened with Yuuka in PoFV.

If there's one thing we can all agree on, its this 'boss preview' has succeeded in generating a goodly amount of hype for ULiL.

The only thing I find strange is...well, why a final boss preview? Correct me if i'm wrong, but neither ZUN or TF have ever done so before - not even in HM, which didn't even have a story mode preview. Why the need to build up extra hype? Was HM just a total flop, and they're trying something new in a bid to bring back hype for ULiL? Seems really strange.

This is very strange, Tasofro has not done anything of the sorts in any game earlier. Could this be because this is Touhou's 20th anniversary? I also wonder how big this game will be or if ZUN will release another Danmaku game this year. So many questions.

[Doki-Doki]

Someone on this thread mentioned the fact that if a returning character is the final boss then it would be a waste. I agree, Mima had her time, just like most characters and I would be really upset if we sacrified a new character for Mima. Don't get me wrong, Mima is awesome but... it would be really disappointing if she is the final boss and not someone new. Besides I don't see that happening being honest, ZUN would never do that, if Mima returns then it would be like just a playble character, kinda like what happened with Yuuka in PoFV.

This is very strange, Tasofro has not done anything of the sorts in any game earlier. Could this be because this is Touhou's 20th anniversary? I also wonder how big this game will be or if ZUN will release another Danmaku game this year. So many questions.

Well, personally I don't see it as being a waste, bringing Mima back would make a lot of the fans happy and I do think she'd fit well in the Windows era, she'd also still be a pretty interesting character too for being Marisa's mentor, and for knowing a lot about the Hakurei Shrine's past and history. I wouldn't mind Mima just being a playable character at all either but with the plot of the game and all the things about her linking to this silhouette, I think it'd be most likely that she'd fit the role of a main antagonist.

[Razzi Zadhna]

Well, personally I don't see it as being a waste, bringing Mima back would make a lot of the fans happy

ZUN doesn't give a the slightest damn what fans think. If he did, 2hu would have an official anime, an official artist who would draw the girls in swimsuits posing all over the latest Otaku magazines, and would oodles of yuri subtext so the yurifans can draw and write tons of sappy and mindless yurishit, while the subtext remains just muted enough so that otaku can still fantasize about dicking the girls.

ZUN doesn't like to re-use old stuff. It's a miracle that Reimu and Marisa weren't scrapped for new characters come the Windows era, and even then he completely overhauled their designs till they barely resembled their PC-98 counterparts.

Mima is gone, people. She's ain't comin' back. ZUN is a man who looks to the future, which is why we STILL get a big bunch of new characters every main game.

[Colticide]

ZUN doesn't give a the slightest damn what fans think. If he did, 2hu would have an official anime, an official artist who would draw the girls in swimsuits posing all over the latest Otaku magazines, and would oodles of yuri subtext so the yurifans can draw and write tons of sappy and mindless yurishit, while the subtext remains just muted enough so that otaku can still fantasize about dicking the girls.

ZUN doesn't like to re-use old stuff. It's a miracle that Reimu and Marisa weren't scrapped for new characters come the Windows era, and even then he completely overhauled their designs till they barely resembled their PC-98 counterparts.

Mima is gone, people. She's ain't comin' back. ZUN is a man who looks to the future, which is why we STILL get a big bunch of new characters every main game.

Just turn it down a notch, you always get super angry about that stuff. I get it, you don't like Yuri. But many people don't either but they aren't freaking out about it. Its Japan, that stuff ain't going away.

You can't say for certain Mima is without a doubt gone. Zun isn't gonna shoehorn her in with no reason. It would be much better for her to show up out of no where with little reason much like Yuuka. That's much more surprising, the reacting people got when yuuka showed up in pofv must have been hype.

[Koog]

(or maybe Wakasagihime since there is no ground for this game)

But doesn't Wakasagihime swim in DDC?

[Fumi]

Well, personally I don't see it as being a waste, bringing Mima back would make a lot of the fans happy and I do think she'd fit well in the Windows era, she'd also still be a pretty interesting character too for being Marisa's mentor, and for knowing a lot about the Hakurei Shrine's past and history. I wouldn't mind Mima just being a playable character at all either but with the plot of the game and all the things about her linking to this silhouette, I think it'd be most likely that she'd fit the role of a main antagonist.

Yeah but ZUN makes Touhou to not please fans. Yuuka returning was a key plot to PoFV (Kinda), so was Alice (He made her return so Marisa could get an ally during IN).

Mima has no plot reason to return, specially because the incident does not concerns her in any way. And he also does not take into account PC98 canon too seriously, so you can pretty much discard away any concept of PC98 era to return and be relevant in moden Touhou. Yeah a lot of people wanna see her back, and who knows, it might happen this time but just as a regular character, it would be too much for her to become the final boss,

And there is no way for her to fit this silhouette anyway,  besides she is a ghost and Mima is too iconic to receive a redesign.

[Colticide]

And there is no way for her to fit this silhouette anyway,  besides she is a ghost and Mima is too iconic to receive a redesign.

Very true. She did get a updated design in one of the music CDs but that's the closest we ever got. But she always has that pointy hat too. The shadow look to have a bow or a small bumpy hat on instead.

@#$% it! Rumia EX!

[Tengukami]

Oh please. Mima isn't going to be in this game. She's going to be the main (alongside Futo and Tewi) in Touhou 15.

[Colticide]

Oh please. Mima isn't going to be in this game. She's going to be the main (alongside Futo and Tewi) in Touhou 15.

Isn't that the one that's said to have a shinki and Alice duo boss fight?

[Tengukami]

Isn't that the one that's said to have a shinki and Alice duo boss fight?

And then they make out during Last Word.

Surprised ZUN was so candid about that on his blog when he shared all this information, to be honest. Maybe he was drunk.

[Gpop]

I thought it was agreed that she already returned in Ten Desires as a stage 1 midboss :V

[Omegahugger]

I thought it was agreed that she already returned in Ten Desires as a stage 1 midboss :V

A character as significant as Mima being a stage 1 midboss? Don't be ridiculous. That'd be about as absurd as, say, making Yuyuko a stage 1 boss. =/

[nyttyn]

Yeah. I was referring to moreso a final boss preview in the trial - which is basically unheard of.

Yeah but ZUN makes Touhou to not please fans.

While true, I also wouldn't go so far as to say he never plays to them either. All of the print works are basically fanservice, and it could easily be argued that the side games are pretty fanservicey too.

Could this be because this is Touhou's 20th anniversary? I also wonder how big this game will be or if ZUN will release another Danmaku game this year. So many questions.

I doubt it has any connection to that, though I would be surprised if ZUN doesn't do anything for 20th anniversary. Another Danmaku game would be great, and though it's pretty much out of the question, an 'all-stars' phantasmagoria would be amazing.

[Razzi Zadhna]

Yeah. I was referring to moreso a final boss preview in the trial - which is basically unheard of. While true, I also wouldn't go so far as to say he never plays to them either. All of the print works are basically fanservice, and it could easily be argued that the side games are pretty fanservicey too.

But the print works are made to expand on the universe of Touhou in a way the shooters, being linear games with little text, cannot. And, oftentimes the print works go against what fans would expect or want, such as portraying Satori as an secluded girl who is hated by literally every other being in existence, Byakuren not being "Youkai Jesus" but rather a flawed and ideal-blinded hypocrite, Momiji hating Aya when everyone thought they were super-duper best buddies...

ZUN doesn't give a fuck about what his fans want. He's a true auteur, someone who does something for the sheer sake of doing it.

[ElGreko]

All great choices, we need more of all of them! Also this might sound dumb but I don't think Wakasagihime can fly. In both the games you fight her in she's in the water attacking you. Unless there's a part in the mangs that says other wise, I'd say she doesn't get around much.

I was thinking the same thing, I mean its so easy considering their weapons!

                                                         ,Great minds think alike.

Honestly... you might be right! I mean if you look closely, you can see a wand in ? ? ? hands. The fact she has legs kinda debuts this theory... however when you take in consideration Reimu, Marisa, Yuuka and Alice all got redesigns due to becoming older and other reasons, this would mean she might receive a redesing. Also as you said Mima is told to haunt the Hakurei Shrine and judging about Reimu's reactions when ? ? ? appeared it might be her. Also + points for the story being a great and i mean GREAT oppurtonity for the charming evil spirit to return!

A wand in her hands?  :V
...wait, what??

↓ Where do you see a wand?  ↓

:X .
Anyway, the fighting games' final bosses are always new characters created specially for the game, and by looking at that silhouette, I'd say there is a lot of chance it's the final boss...  :colbert:

[Tengukami]

Now that I can see that illustration in motion, I hereby declare that the final boss is going to be The Great Pumpkin.

[ElGreko]

Lol, it's not the kobito with a cape anymore?

[Tengukami]

Lol, it's not the kobito with a cape anymore?

OK let me amend that. The new final boss is either:

a) The Great Pumpkin, or
b) The kobito in a cape. And a sombrero.

[Espadas]

OK let me amend that. The new final boss is either:

a) The Great Pumpkin, or
b) The kobito in a cape. And a sombrero.

c) Freddy Mercury!

Long, cool cape = check
very famous but gradually forgotten = check
connected to urban legends = check

YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT TO BE TRUE..... 

[KaiserKnuckle]

If her hat is any indication, it's most likely Senpaku Houren. They both have capes, to boot! 

[ElGreko]

OK let me amend that. The new final boss is either:

a) The Great Pumpkin, or
b) The kobito in a cape. And a sombrero.

c) Freddy Mercury!
Long, cool cape = check
very famous but gradually forgotten = check
connected to urban legends = check
YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT TO BE TRUE..... 

[Kurtis]

Forgive me if somebody already pointed this out, but the story mode has been translated.

http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Urban_Legend_in_Limbo/Story/Demo_Scenario

[Colticide]

Forgive me if somebody already pointed this out, but the story mode has been translated.

http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Urban_Legend_in_Limbo/Story/Demo_Scenario

Hmm interesting. Is Kasen holding back then in this game? Also now we have the part with the shadow translated... I'm curious about the occult aura.

[Helepolis]

7TC7 had posted it a few pages ago, the hat shape looks like a jiangshi. Maybe Yoshika got enough flexibility training from Seiga.

[FearNagae]

Kasen (and Marisa) should be holding back, it's just stage 1~2 anyway 

[Aya Reiko]

Two thoughts...

1-
Would Yuugi fit in with the game's motif given her stated ability is "Wielding unexplainable phenomena"?

2-
Mima is kinda the ultimate urban legend of Touhou fandom, isn't she?

[ElGreko]

7TC7 had posted it a few pages ago, the hat shape looks like a jiangshi. Maybe Yoshika got enough flexibility training from Seiga.

It's not, it's apparently a conical hat with a big visor (that would make it a cap, then) or with a squared brim in its periphery. It's not possible to tell which one, but by looking at how it moves (cfr. the gif quoted a few post above), it has an external located volume and doesn't have like a spontaneously broken symmetry form. I first thought the same though, but we need to look carefully.

(For Yoshika, if my memory is still good, you will anyway never ever see her with a traditional jiang-shi hat, so the question would not arise. ZUN originally wanted to make yoshika with a traditional jiang-shi hat (which is relatively normal for a jiang-shi), but didn't want people to think it was copied on some other famous jiang-shi characters (like hsien-ko) and he changed the design of the hat because of that. I don't know where I heard/read this story though, maybe someone can confirm it's true or not.)


Talking about that silhouette, here is a small update of what she could possibly look like (according to the exact shape of the silhouette):


.
.
.
(and here is one for Tengukami if he was right.... '-' )

Two thoughts...
1-Would Yuugi fit in with the game's motif given her stated ability is "Wielding unexplainable phenomena"?
2-Mima is kinda the ultimate urban legend of Touhou fandom, isn't she?

I would love to see Yuugi in the game, she's amongst my 8 favourite chars (well, Kasen is here and she's potentially an oni too), but I don't think it will happen... Also, her abilities is due to the fact she's an oni, if you search all the "weird and unexplained phenomena", you could think about almost all the characters since a lot of them are Youkais (that comes from folklore or (urban or not) legends).
And I had the same reflexion for Mima being an "urban legend", but it's so meta to be considered, lol.