What inspired you to start writing the Touhou encyclopedias (e.g., Perfect Memento in Strict Sense, Symposium of Post-Mysticism)?This is a bit backwards, I think. Deciding to actually flesh out and manage the Touhou universe was probably stewing for quite a while, and the encyclopedias were just a natural outlet of the vast amount of background and meta he didn't put in the games, rather than being inspired somewhat. By PCB's release he likely already had quite a large portion of the PCB-IN-SSiB-CiLR chapter written out/in his mind. He's readily acknowledged in the past that he doesn't put much information into the games, and it's heavily implied that the books are basically just a huge formal infodump of all the stuff he envisions about the games before he even starts making them. So it's more like, a lot of the stuff in the encyclopedias come first, and the games come soon after.
Was Akyuu really born in year 109? If so, who's the girl in the newspaper picture in PMiSS?
Can Reimu use her Fantasy Nature for as long as she wants?
Heh.
Ooh! Excellent question. I would love to hear ZUN elaborate on this.
- I've noticed that none of the Touhou characters are sexualised in your games and official works. As a female fan, I really appreciate this. Was there a conscious decision behind it, or did things just turn out that way?
Oh man, let me think...
- I've noticed that none of the Touhou characters are sexualised in your games and official works. As a female fan, I really appreciate this. Was there a conscious decision behind it, or did things just turn out that way? (Obviously this question will need to be reworded slightly if the interviewer isn't female, lol).
- What's the typical schedule behind making a Touhou game? (May have been asked before, not sure).
- What's the funniest/stupidest bug you ever encountered during development?
- Do you ever worry about your liver?
How good is your English?Someone didn't read my front page article.
Someone didn't read my front page article.Well, if you're about "To start, ZUN does not know English. At all." then it's not really that much true. He uses some veeeery simple but still English in his games. For example, if I don't know writing Japanese, I can't write even a single Japanese word. That's what I would call "don't know at all". Though it's possible that it was done only by using dictionary.
Are we allowed to sell touhou related fanmade products?
Touhou has been around for quite awhile, how long do you plan to keep the series around?
Have you ever considered selling Touhou outside of Japan?
Do you ever plan on visiting Europe?
He visited Europe on his honeymoon. I think he was in Germany, but I don't remember for 100% sure.
* If gods gain power from faith, and people try to seperate themselves from Hina, how does she maintain herself?
These, pretty much.
- I've noticed that none of the Touhou characters are sexualised in your games and official works. As a female fan, I really appreciate this. Was there a conscious decision behind it, or did things just turn out that way? (Obviously this question will need to be reworded slightly if the interviewer isn't female, lol).
- What's the funniest/stupidest bug you ever encountered during development?
- Do you ever worry about your liver?
How good is your English?-Nonexistent
Do you ever plan on visiting Europe?
Why were the Lunarians so afraid of human astronauts when they could easily defeat an army of youkai?
Why is Byakuren's hair gradient?
What is the basis of the season numbering in Gensokyo? In particular, what is the relation between the season numbering and the creation of the Great Hakurei Barrier? In addition, when does the season number change?It's a lunisolar calendar derived from the japanese calendar which was really derived from the chinese calendar. Gensokyo uses the creation of the Hakurei Barrier to begin the year numbering (Year 0), and they instead call the years "Seasons" (the term 季 can mean year). Of course, they still have the four seasons per... season.
Was Remilia in Gensokyo during the Vampire Incident?
Might as well ask. After all, for some time it was claimed that Remilia entered Gensokyo after said incident, citing Akyuu.
Well, if you're about "To start, ZUN does not know English. At all." then it's not really that much true. He uses some veeeery simple but still English in his games. For example, if I don't know writing Japanese, I can't write even a single Japanese word. That's what I would call "don't know at all". Though it's possible that it was done only by using dictionary.
It's a lunisolar calendar derived from the japanese calendar which was really derived from the chinese calendar. Gensokyo uses the creation of the Hakurei Barrier to begin the year numbering (Year 0), and they instead call the years "Seasons" (the term 季 can mean year). Of course, they still have the four seasons per... season.Already known (as the main maintainer of the Gensokyo Timeline article on the wiki it is my duty to know these things) except that nowhere in canon does it say that the creation of the Hakurei Barrier is the epoch of the numbering system (which is why I asked the question in the first place). The best we can say with certainty is that it fell between 1872 and 1912.
They use a sexagenary cycle, which was also derived from the chinese calendar. However, instead of the chinese's cycle of ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches, it uses a cycle of the "three lights" (sun -> moon -> star), a cycle of the four seasons (spring -> summer -> autumn -> winter), and a cycle of the five elements (earth -> fire -> water -> wood -> metal). Each of these increment every year. By the Chinese Remainder Theorem both of these systems have unique combinations for every year, for sixty years:Already known, irrelevant to question.
Chinese: 10 = 21?51, 12 = 22?31 -> lcm(10,12) = 22?31?51 = 60 -> years have unique remainders mod 60; similarly
Gensokyo: 3 = 31, 4 = 22, 5 = 51 -> lcm(3,4,5) = 31?22?51 = 60 -> years have unique remainders mod 60.
This cycle is described first in A Beautiful Flower Blooming Violet Every Sixty Years. You can get the current year in the cycle by taking our year in CE, minus 25, mod 60. Like this year is (2013-25)%60 = 8, which is the Year of Star, Spring and Wood. To get each individual attribute you can take the year minus 25, mod 3, 4 and 5 respectively.
Remilia was "the vampire" in the Vampire Incident. I'm not sure where you think Akyuu says otherwise, but whenever she refers to "the vampire", she does mean Remilia. It's made clear when she says the first time the spell card rules were formally enacted was during the Scarlet Mist Incident with that vampire, and is further supported during other works when Remilia and Yukari refer to contracts.I was referencing the claim once found in thwiki.info's timeline and on ja.wikipedia.org's page on Gensokyo (since removed from both).
Already known (as the main maintainer of the Gensokyo Timeline article on the wiki it is my duty to know these things) except that nowhere in canon does it say that the creation of the Hakurei Barrier is the epoch of the numbering system (which is why I asked the question in the first place). The best we can say with certainty is that it fell between 1872 and 1912.Wow man, you really should rephrase or add to the question then. That's really darn specific and as it is I doubt the speaker, the translator or ZUN would know what you mean just with that and you'd get an irrelevant answer or just an explanation of the calendar in general (again). "Season number" would probably also get lost in translation without extra context.
Already known, irrelevant to question.
This came directly from the people who got him for AWA. They are hoping to teach him enough English to address the crowd one-way. If you want to argue semantics, then sure, he knows that English is an existent language and that romanized letters can form words that mean things to native English speakers. He knows loan words. But his English is on a level where if you literally said the words "Double Dealing Character", he may struggle to understand what you said and why it would be remotely relevant to him.Ah, ok.
At that point, might as well go with Drake's "nonexistent".
- I've noticed that none of the Touhou characters are sexualised in your games and official works. As a female fan, I really appreciate this. Was there a conscious decision behind it, or did things just turn out that way? (Obviously this question will need to be reworded slightly if the interviewer isn't female, lol).
Related to this:Uhh, what was sexualized about them again besides Byakuren's bouncings? And wasn't it because the sprites were done by different people?
- Why was Hopeless Masquerade so sexualized? The sprites for Reimu, Byakuren, Futo, an to a lesser extent Miko were a pretty jarring deviation from the norm.
Wow man, you really should rephrase or add to the question then. That's really darn specific and as it is I doubt the speaker, the translator or ZUN would know what you mean just with that and you'd get an irrelevant answer or just an explanation of the calendar in general (again). "Season number" would probably also get lost in translation without extra context.
With that explanation I would join in wanting to know the answer. I think it's pretty safe to assume the barrier was formed in 1885 without extra info though.
Uhh, what was sexualized about them again besides Byakuren's bouncings? And wasn't it because the sprites were done by different people?
(Also, not to spoil the whole facade, but Sola's just going to ignore whatever TSO says and ask questions about the GFC anyway.)pls :(
Many of your ideas come from events and people from ancient Japanese history. Is there any person or event from this history that you've wanted to incorporate into a game, but haven't found a way to yet?
-Are you willing to make another Phantasmagoria game in the near future?^
Photography games as well.
I am just a guy who can bend to stuff if I want something. Besides, I planned to post that question earlier, but didn't.I wasn't shouting at you, I was more addressing openly to clarify my previous statement how I was using discretion and preferring more ZUN centric questions than Touhou centric ones.
(because if you ask him a question like "Is Yukari Maribel?" he's just going to grin and say nothing :V)
PS, wouldn't this be easier if actually you used google forms / survey kind of thing. I am not sure if TSO-chan or someone else is going to dig through the discussion and regular posts to find each question.I'm a big girl I can handle this :P
Survey would force people to consider their questions, especially if limited. Also gives TSO-chan ability to quick scan and select.
Touhou is unique in that the bulk of the content is driven by the communitythat's a very questionable statement.
Can we see characters that debuted in Fighting Games (Iku, Tenshi, Kokoro,Suika,...) in your style in the future?Actually, there is concept art by ZUN of Iku, Tenshi, and Suika.
I'm a big girl I can handle this :PHele-aniki is proud of you. :justasplanned:
-Has your wife played any ot the games you've made?- Of course. She evens helps with playtesting, to an extent, and has for a long time. She isn't nearly as good as ZUN though.
-How much research is done before a game?
-Why does Hong Meiling wear pants in Eosd, but not STB? Was it to be consistent with the mangas, or was it for another reason? (This should probably be worded better, but I can't think of another way of saying it :V)
Personally I find it a bit silly that it's somehow objectionable that a character can wear more than one set of clothes.
Personally I find it a bit silly that it's somehow objectionable that a character can wear more than one set of clothes.
Umm...Rumia and Flandre are Windows characters...
Does ZUN plan on ever doing anything with characters that are labeled as "PC-98" characters, like Rumia, Mima, and Flandre?
How was Flandre locked and kept in the basement of the SDM for 495 years, especially if she is so powerful? Is she still being locked up in the basement of the SDM to this day?flandre respects Remilia a lot, and stays there at her own will. Or Remi can just fatehax it, who knows...?
1. Maybe everyone isn't able to or just doesn't want to?
- If Gensokyo is a place where the forgotten go so they won't disappear, then what about the other parts of the world? Like the Egyptian Pantheon, or the Aztec, or even the great Roman Empire?
- How was Flandre locked and kept in the basement of the SDM for 495 years, especially if she is so powerful? Is she still being locked up in the basement of the SDM to this day?
- Would ZUN ever make another Sci-Fi... ish Touhou game, like in PoDD (TH03) with Yumemi Okazaki? (as an example)
After that, ask what about Saku- *knifed*And after he let his guard down, ask "do youkai lactate?"*shot*
Umm...Rumia and Flandre are Windows characters...
2. I'm pretty sure Flandre isn't locked up anymore, atleast not against her will. (Well, that's what I think Akyuu meant in PMiSS). The other answer would be that she would never defy her own sister.
If she would never defy her own sister, she steps heavily on the line of rebelliousness against Remilia (as she talks down about Remilia in BAiJR). I think it's more of if Remilia isn't watching or paying attention, Flandre will do what she wants. But I'm more of wondering why we just don't see her as often as her sister.I'd say that she obeys Remilia (in a respectful way, like trueshadow said), but talking badly about Remilia is something she can do on her own.
I know that they were introduced in the Windows games, but their lack of appearances, other than the oldest Windows works, makes them more like PC-98 characters rather than Windows characters.
I know that they were introduced in the Windows games, but their lack of appearances, other than the oldest Windows works, makes them more like PC-98 characters rather than Windows characters.
I feel this is an important question to ask, just to end all future debates about her name.
- What is the proper romanization for "マエリベリー・ハーン" / "Maeriberī Hān"?
Alternatively, "How would マエリベリー・ハーン be written in Mary's native language?"
- Can we have an official romanization of Miss Hearn's given name? (You don't need to select this one because I know Solamarle will ask it regardless)
-What was the first video game you ever played?I wonder how much people actually remember what was their first video they have ever played...
Can you describe your education, i.e. highest level, anything in particular that you studied? (I'd like to know how much education he has in the hard sciences)He took mathematics in university. He calls himself a "sciences" (理系) guy which is basically the umbrella for studying science/engineering/math/etc, rather than the humanities (文系).
He took mathematics in university. He calls himself a "sciences" (理系) guy which is basically the umbrella for studying science/engineering/math/etc, rather than the humanities (文系).*shrug* That's still pretty vague. I wouldn't mind learning more specifics.
- What's the funniest/stupidest bug you ever encountered during development?
- Will there be any additional religions featured in future works (Christianity, Hinduism, etc)?
But I wanted to know where he buys his hats. : [He buys them at Nitori's
But I wanted to know where he buys his hats. : [
Q: Where do you buy your hats?Soooooo you're not alone!
A: ?A lot of places.? Flea markets, normal stores, etc. If he likes it, he buys it.
What are the greatest challenges facing independent game developers right now?
I think that the biggest challenge in general is that most Indie developers don?t learn from the games that came before them.That's a really interesting take. Usually when this subject comes up, people talk a lot about the current gaming world, distribution models, and copyright issues. ZUN's point of view that the biggest challenge involves not learning from one's predecessors is something I hadn't considered, but makes total sense when you think about it.
I honestly didn?t think that there would be this many people since Touhou isn?t available in North America. I?ve seen a lot of people in Touhou cosplays, but for some reason most of them seem to be men. I?ll be here all day tomorrow and Sunday. I?ll be wandering around so please say hi. In the meantime, I?ll try to learn English.What a guy.
Hakurei RinI guess it's a mistype but still interesting. Or he really said that way?
I found it by searching the keyword "zun" on Twitter.I've been camping that search like a drug addled junkie.
Oh sweet! Someone asked him this.That's a really interesting take. Usually when this subject comes up, people talk a lot about the current gaming world, distribution models, and copyright issues. ZUN's point of view that the biggest challenge involves not learning from one's predecessors is something I hadn't considered, but makes total sense when you think about it.
We got in a bonus question yesterday thanks to UncertainKitten and Solamarle! ZUN was asked for an official romanization of Mary's name. His response?"I don't really know."
So there we go. The issue is settled.
ZUN「まあ考えたけどやっぱ変なキャラクターいるわけにいかないので 霊夢と魔理沙でお願いします」
司会者「やっぱりビールももちろん皆さんで飲みますよね？」
ZUN「もちろん」
ZUN: "Well, thinking about it, it can't be the weird characters after all. Please let it be Reimu and Marisa then."
Presenter: "It goes without saying you are going to drink beer together, right?"
ZUN: "Of course."
We got in a bonus question yesterday thanks to UncertainKitten and Solamarle! ZUN was asked for an official romanization of Mary's name. His response?"I don't really know."
So there we go. The issue is settled.