Touhou popularity..

Yeah, I don't know much about Toho (only recently did I read that they're rejected mythological entities), but I do have a few favorites/regulars, despite the poofy frilliness. That's what turns me off about Toho, though I don't know why its frilliness buggersme more than other frillinesses. However, the Castlevania mashup's artwork completely makes up for the pastel poofs of the regular designs.

Katajanmarja said:
(My own guess has been the doujin manga created by Aki Eda, but I am not well-read in Touhou fandom.)

Aki Eda's also done the art for Silent Sinner in Blue, one of the official Touhou manga stories.

Other such manga include Eastern and Little Nature Deity (art by Matsukura Nemu), Strange and Bright Nature Deity (art by Hirasaka Makoto), Oriental Sacred Place (same), and Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth (by Arata Toshihira), to name a few.

ZUN's quite fond of the doujinshi artists, I'd say.

Thanks for all the names, SCG. I can browse more info on those in the Touhou Wiki.

I had a hunch that Aki Eda had collaborated with ZUN, just could not remember how.

It's them Touhou hats, I tell ya.

How's about we lock this topic before we get a fourth post telling us it's about the hats? It seems to have served its purpose.

kyaaa said:
I've been wondering for a long time..
Why is Touhou so big..? It's been really annoying
me to find almost every second picture on here being
a touhou picture to the point I started adding "-touhou" to
my tag searches.. The characters don't look bad so I decided to look into it but apparently it's only a game, which I stopped enjoying after a very short time. I didn't get to know the characters one bit and so I still have no interest in it.
Do people like them despite not knowing who they actually are or is there actually a storyline to this..? I still feel like I haven't figured out what is the reason of it's popularity, so could someone please tell me..?
Only reason I'd see is that I don't understand because I don't understand japanese.
Thanks in advance.

If after playing the games and looking at the fan art you don't see the appeal then chances are if a fan told you what they like about it you still won't see it.

I'll just say it's an acquired taste. I hated IaMP when I first played it. Then one day, I gave it another chance after being tired the hell out of Melty Blood. Weeks later, I was totally converted. Everyone have their own personal story of why and how they got into Touhou, or why they hate it.

It probably stemmed from a love for the games. I first started with the PCB demo after witnessing Danmaku for the first time, and falling in love with the brutality known as the final boss of Mushihimesama. After I got the full version of PCB, I branched out and eventually started liking the artwork. Usually if you love characters from a certain game or anime, you're more accustomed to liking artwork of them.

Dogenzaka said:
Usually if you love characters from a certain game or anime, you're more accustomed to liking artwork of them.

True enough. Especially for humorous images, knowing the characterization strengthens a picture via context.

Soljashy said: How's about we lock this topic before we get a fourth post telling us it's about the hats? It seems to have served its purpose.

I'm with that. Primarily because it's not really on topic for these forums and it's eventually going to become a vehicle for the old Touhou fan/hater wars.