Miscellaneous Questions Thread 4 - Bring us your Questions!

[Fonzi]

I don't remember her receiving any real artifacts from any of suitors. As far as I know, they all failed their quest.

As I remember the original story, some suitors tried to fool her by presenting a fake artifact.

[TrueShadow]

You know, if her artifacts have always been with her the whole time, where did she get them from? Did she bring some Lunar treasures when she was exiled?

[Fonzi]

It's a possiblity. That or she acquired them during her exile.

[Hatateru]

So, what exactly is the full extent of Seija's power? I mean, turning things around may have vast potential, such as redirecting an attack or screwing with metaphysical concepts (i.e; time, flow, etc). The latter sounds quite possible, if her in-game flipping mechanics is of any indication.

It's a little too quick to ask this I know, but somehow the abusability of her power makes me very curious.

[Sagus]

She certainly isn't very powerful. Consider that the whole reason DDC happened was because she's a weak youkai, that (according to her anyway) was bullied by the stronger ones. Also, since she needed the Mallet to be able to succeed in her society upheaval, I think it's safe to say that her powers can't be applied to concepts. The screen flipping tricks on the game are likely her inverting the protagonists perception, not flipping space itself.

Pretty sure low level stuff, like inverting the trajectory of a projectile, would be within her capabilities, but I doubt she's able to do much more than that.

[Biakmon]

What age did Reimu and Marisa have approximately at the start of the PC-98 game and Windows one?

[Imosa]

Just thought I'd point out that flipping perception isn't exactly a low level thing either. There might be easier ways of this.

What age did Reimu and Marisa have approximately at the start of the PC-98 game and Windows one?

I'm pretty sure that they are eternally ~18. Also I don't think aging is a big concern for this series.

[Clarste]

Age is usually vague in this series. ZUN's descriptions of Reimu and Marisa (and Sakuya) have always been "between 10 and 20" although he hasn't given even that recently. Exceptions include the Sacrlet Sisters (who had exact ages given in EoSD) and historical figures like Miko who have known or approximate birth dates. But even that doesn't tell you their apparent age.

As to whether the characters actually get older or are stuck in comic strip time where years pass but nothing changes.... it's hard to tell. Akyuu is the only character with a specific birth date who also has a reason to age, but whenever she appears in a later story she also has a different artist so it's impossible to say whether she's supposed to be older or not. I'd say assuming Reimu and Marisa are always going to be in their late teens/early 20s is a safe bet.

[Imosa]

So, I just learned that Hina actually does just gain power from misfortune. However, if that's the case, how does that work with the definition of god? Isn't a god a creature that gathers power from faith? If Hina doesn't do this then how can she be considered a god?

[Drake]

You seem a bit mistaken.
疫病神は、神という名前が付いているが、信仰を求めたりしない。普通の神様ではなく、妖怪の一部である。
Although Jinxes (yakubyougami, "plague god") have the name "god" attached to them, they do not seek faith. They aren't your average gods, they're a type of youkai.
(...Despite it saying she's also a curse god. She might as well be either.)

She isn't a god per se, but she could be construed as a god (basically a god, or youkai, of nagashibina). The thing is, even if she would originate as a god, because she amasses misfortune and it negatively affects the people around her, she becomes a taboo, regardless of her intentions. Because of this, she would turn into a youkai, and her existence would rather become dependent on the misfortune she gathers. Or something.

[Imosa]

You seem a bit mistaken.
疫病神は、神という名前が付いているが、信仰を求めたりしない。普通の神様ではなく、妖怪の一部である。
Although Jinxes (yakubyougami, "plague god") have the name "god" attached to them, they do not seek faith. They aren't your average gods, they're a type of youkai.
(...Despite it saying she's also a curse god. She might as well be either.)

She isn't a god per se, but she could be construed as a god (basically a god, or youkai, of nagashibina). The thing is, even if she would originate as a god, because she amasses misfortune and it negatively affects the people around her, she becomes a taboo, regardless of her intentions. Because of this, she would turn into a youkai, and her existence would rather become dependent on the misfortune she gathers. Or something.

Ok, this needs to be cleared up then, because the Wiki says something else. "They are not normal gods, but like a kind of youkai.".

In what way can she be considered a god?
Is she perhaps some kind of oscillator, shifting between god and youkai? So, when people make the dolls, she gains faith causing her to be a god, but then when people try to thank her they are befallen by misfortune, causing her to become a youkai?

[Drake]

It's that sort of dualism that I think is being played on. Nagashibina are traditionally used by pouring your misfortune into and then sending them away down a stream. They're supposed to be a sort of scapegoat for bad things that would happen, esp. to children. However, the nagashibina themselves are commonly enshrined as good omens, and they're indeed prayed to while sending them away with the impurities. Hina, essentially being a representation of the nagashibina, takes on both of these aspects. She absorbs and gathers the misfortune of people, but because the misfortune is around her, it's inflicted on people and she becomes known as a jinx or one who gives curses. On the other hand she makes the paper nagashibina herself, gives them to people and they pray and put their misfortune into the dolls, which might as well be equivalent to an act of faith. She then gathers whatever is put into the dolls.
Along with the counter-intuitive notion of something with "god" in its name being supposed to mean something you should avoid and dislike.

[Starxsword]

Well, I'm not too sure if all gods are supposed to be positive. Isn't there those cursed gods that Suwako commands. And didn't Reimu summon some sort of pestilence god?

However, if that's the case, how does that work with the definition of god? Isn't a god a creature that gathers power from faith? If Hina doesn't do this then how can she be considered a god?

The way I read it is that she is a god. But a special type that doesn't need faith. So, kind of like the exception to the rule.

[Biakmon]

Anyone knows if whether Touhou WoHH chap 18 is already available for translation work?

[Clarste]

Anyone knows if whether Touhou WoHH chap 18 is already available for translation work?

Yes.

[TrueShadow]

Can we know when it will be finished?

Are there any more fanmade Phantasm Stage besides SA and TD?

[ToyoRai]

I think MoF had one.

[Clarste]

Can we know when it will be finished?

No.

[Maiden Synnae ミ☆]

Did Reimu, Marisa, Alice and Yuuka had their surnames back in the PC-98 days?

For example... Alice already having the "Margatroid" on her name or was she simply called "Alice" back then?

I'm asking because I want to know if the surnames were only introduced in the Windows era.

[Quukii]

Marisa had her surname, but Alice and Yuuka didn't.

[Limian]

Reimu also had her surname (and was the only one along with Marisa, Kana, Rikako, Chiyuri and Yumemi to have one in the PC-98 games).

[Clarste]

For what it's worth, Reimu's name was also written with a different kanji (I would call this equivalent to being spelled different;y).

[Biakmon]

For what it's worth, Reimu's name was also written with a different kanji (I would call this equivalent to being spelled different;y).

How was her name then "spelled" in the PC-98 era?

I recall once reading somewhere that Tenshi was not really a human who ascend as a celestial by training but was most likely born as one or something like that. Any idea where that may come from or is it just me.

[Drake]

靈夢 vs 霊夢. Same thing, just older kanji.

The Nawi clan served Celestials and were tasked by one with managing the Hinanawi keystone to prevent earthquakes. The Hinanawi clan served the Nawi clan who were thereby higher in status. When the Nawi clan died, they were enshrined as divine spirits. The Hinanawi clan were moved to heaven as reward for serving them while alive. Tenshi was born a human into the Hinanawi, and happened to be a young girl when they were promoted. Generally, Celestials become Celestials through training, so they "cheated". This is the main excuse for Tenshi acting spoiled, her boredom of heaven and wishing for excitement and rowdiness, etc.

[TrueShadow]

Regarding Shou, being an avatar of Bishamonten means people pray to her, right? Does this mean she, at one point, can accumulate enough faith and turn into a god? Or she won't since all the faith goes straight to Bishamonten?

[Sagus]

People don't pray to her, they pray to Bishamonten; she's just a representative of his will. So

I'd say that she's not fully youkai, though; she can't even transform into her beast form anymore, after all. Altough maybe it's just because her youkai type changed from beast youkai to treasure youkai, instead of her becoming divine or something.

[Biakmon]

I'd she's not fully youkai, though; she can't even transform into her beast form anymore, after all. Although maybe it's just because her youkai type changed from beast youkai to treasure youkai, instead of her becoming divine or something.

What do you mean by she can't transform into her beast form anymore? Do you means that in the past she could change her physical form/appearance with that of a tiger or just that she can't really be described as a beast youkai anymore?

Does the song no. 17 (Meiling) of this video even exist or it is just a fake one? If no, may I know the name of that song?
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmUf4RnWnzY

[Sagus]

What do you mean by she can't transform into her beast form anymore? Do you means that in the past she could change her physical form/appearance with that of a tiger or just that she can't really be described as a beast youkai anymore?

The first one. She originated as a tiger youkai (not really an actual tiger, as they aren't native to Japan; she was a youkai that represented what the japanese thought tigers looked like from the stories they heard), but nowadays she can't transform into the man-eating beast she once was.

Well, Akyuu says it's likely that she can't, but in a meta sense I don't see why Zun would bother bringing that up if it wasn't true.

[Prime32]

In SoPM, someone says that Shou is currently the same type of being as Kanako. Kanako is a divine spirit (considered a type of youkai) who became a god, and would return to being a divine spirit if she lost all her faith.

Since people in Japan know what real tigers are like nowadays, it's likely that there's no longer anything sustaining Shou as a pseudo-tiger youkai, and her status as an avatar has become her main anchor to existence.

[Sagus]

Divine spirits are a type of youkai? Where's this stated? As far as I remember they're just lumps of desire generated from prayer/belief.

Since people in Japan know what real tigers are like nowadays, it's likely that there's no longer anything sustaining Shou as a pseudo-tiger youkai, and her status as an avatar has become her main anchor to existence.

That could be it, but I dunno if the outside world's knowledge affects Gensokyo's youkai like that. Altough I'm not even sure if Shou and Nazrin were in Gensokyo before UFO.