so... Reimu tells folk stories to kids now?

[blase6]

On this page today they put up a video with Reimu in it: http://hukumusume.com/douwa/index.html (It updates daily so you might miss it)

Explanation: this site is a Japanese kid's website for folk tales, especially Japanese ones. They are accompanied by cutesy illustrations and videos and stuff.

Apparently, this site has been using an animation of Reimu to tell some of their stories. And it is especially weird since there isn't really a reference or relation to Touhou anywhere else on the site. As far as I know, the creators don't even credit Touhou at all for the character source, apart from naming the character used. (One video even mistakenly calls the character "白麗　霊夢?.

If you check the site's Youtube page and go down through the uploaded videos, you can find quite a few Reimu videos. https://www.youtube.com/user/hukumusumeamame/videos

[Boomer]

Very interesting.  Upon exploring the channel, I was quite surprised at how much Reimu I saw.  I kind of feel like it makes sense as to why they did this (even though you said that there are no other references or credits to Touhou).  I don't know enough Japanese to understand what is being said, but doesn't Touhou for the most part borrow ideas from Japanese mythology?  I have a feeling that the videos that use Reimu are the ones that Touhou borrows ideas from, and they thus do this as a means to be clever.  I could be completely far off for thinking this, but it's fun to theorize.

[blase6]

I have a feeling that the videos that use Reimu are the ones that Touhou borrows ideas from, and they thus do this as a means to be clever.  I could be completely far off for thinking this, but it's fun to theorize.

Probably not. The Reimu videos are "hyakumonogatari", which is a collection of Japanese ghost stories originally told together as part of a specific tradition. Granted, at least some of them refer to youkai or other events Touhou is inspired by, but that isn't the main focus of the videos.

[gilde]

Upon looking around the website, it seems the videos with Reimu in them are submissions from one of the site's readers, which were originally posted on Nicovideo. The Nicovideo uploads are tagged with Touhou-related terms and credit the makers of the resources used in the videos, so I guess the fact that it's all uncredited on the folk tale website is due to a lack of communication between the site and the submitter?

[blase6]

so I guess the fact that it's all uncredited on the folk tale website is due to a lack of communication between the site and the submitter?

I guess. I have been going to this site for a while and I haven't seen this until now.

[FamilyTeam]

But why that text-to-speech voice? Couldn't they get a woman to do it?
Well, this is the least of our problems. Maybe they should've atleast credited Zun for the character.

[aListers]

Seems appropriate really - a touhou character is probably the best thing that could be reading out youkai folk stories. I'd enjoy watching these if my Japanese was a lot better - it's either that or the text to speech is messing up my understanding. I've got nothing against text to speech being used though - that would be hypocritical of me. Nonetheless Seems a cool idea - all they need to do is properly credit it. I'm all for informing people of old folk stories.

[Boomer]

But why that text-to-speech voice? Couldn't they get a woman to do it?
Well, this is the least of our problems. Maybe they should've atleast credited Zun for the character.

Well, this has been done for quite some time and there has yet to be any real issues (at least to my knowledge).  You do have a point nonetheless.

[NuclearFalcon]

Does she at least tell Taketori Monogatari in any of them?  I know that one relates to Touhou since the main character is actually a final boss (Imperishable Night).

[SquidHugger]

Dude, that's awesome! I kinda wish I'd known about these back when I was actually studying Japanese. My old teacher used to read us Japanese children's stories and folktales, like Momotaro. Anyway, it would probably be nice if they'd asked ZUN for permission, but didn't he basically give permission to use any of the characters for any purpose already, with barely any restrictions?

I'd like to see more of this kind of stuff, with other characters like Keine or Akyuu or Yukari telling stories, and with actual voice actors like they have for the other videos. And maybe subtitles...

[blase6]

Does she at least tell Taketori Monogatari in any of them?  I know that one relates to Touhou since the main character is actually a final boss (Imperishable Night).

Not in the Reimu videos, but that story is on the site and there are at least some illustrations of Kaguya.