The Codex

Maribel Hearn

Touhou Project/Maribel Hearn



Maribel Hearn (マエリベリー・ハーン Maeriberii Haan) is one of the central figures in the narratives accompanying ZUN's Music Collection. She is a university student living in Kyoto during the near future of the Outside World, where she establishes the "Hifuu Club" alongside Renko Usami. Though she has no direct ties to Gensokyo, she frequently visits it within her dreams.

Her field of study is relativistic psychology, and she occasionally struggles to distinguish between dreams and reality—particularly regarding Gensokyo. She holds the belief that subjectivity carries more truth than objectivity. Her family line has possessed the capacity to perceive boundaries since "ancient times", and she seeks to journey into another realm despite such actions being forbidden.

Together with her friend Renko Usami, she takes an interest in what many would label the paranormal. Their club, which consists solely of the two of them, labels itself as a gathering for necromancers. That said, they rarely engage in activities typically linked to necromancy. Instead, they explore the possibility of other worlds and similar phenomena. They are particularly fascinated by Gensokyo, the Netherworld, and the Moon, and appear to be among the few—if not the only—Outside World humans aware of Gensokyo's existence.

Maribel Hearn
Origin
Origin Night Trip to Rendaino ~ Ghostly Field Club
Creator ZUN
First Appearance Night Trip to Rendaino ~ Ghostly Field Club
Voiced by Fanmade Series: Kana Hanazawa, Saku Mizuno, Rina Honizumi, Megumi Nakajima, Satsumi Matsuda, Shion Wakayama, Noriko Shitaya
Characteristics
Species Human
Gender Female
Pronouns She/Her
Sexuality Unknown
Age At least 20
Birthday Unknown
Height Unknown
Weight Unknown
Ethnicity Unknown Western Ethnicity
Status Alive
Alignment Neutral Good
Archetype Adventurer, Dreamer
Occupation University Student
Time Period Futuristic
Language Japanese
Combat Style Street Fighting
Homeworld Earth
Relationships
Affiliations Renko Usami
Enemies Youkai

Background

This dropdown contains the synopsis of Maribel Hearn’s story. Read at your own risk as you may be spoiled otherwise!

Backstory
Maribel comes from a family line that has possessed the ability to sense supernatural phenomena for generations. As a result, she can perceive borders. Because society was not welcoming toward unusual individuals, she was forced to keep her ability hidden.

Since childhood, she has despised lycoris flowers—which symbolize death—finding them unsettling.

Unlike Renko Usami, whose hometown is confirmed to be Tokyo, Maribel's place of origin remains unclear. She speaks Japanese fluently with Renko, suggesting she has lived in Japan for an extended period. However, in Neo-Traditionalism of Japan, she mentions having no relatives there.

Ghostly Field Club
Using a photograph of the Netherworld combined with Renko's ability to pinpoint locations based on the Moon, Maribel and Renko try to locate the Netherworld's entrance within a spectral field.

Changeability of Strange Dream
Maribel discusses with Renko her recurring dreams of visiting a strange world. What initially seems pleasant gradually turns unsettling as youkai begin attacking her in these dreams. Maribel struggles to distinguish between what is real and what is merely a dream. Compounding the confusion, she shows Renko objects she claims to have brought back from her dream experiences. Renko comes to understand the true nature of the situation and ultimately faces a choice about which reality Maribel will inhabit.

Retrospective 53 minutes
In Retrospective 53 minutes, Maribel and Renko travel by train to Tokyo. They gaze at a simulated kaleido screen displaying the outside scenery while talking about the journey, the view, and how objectivity and subjectivity relate to what they see. Renko remarks, "You might be as carefree as the Tōhoku people though." The trip takes 53 minutes.

Magical Astronomy
The university campus is alive with talk about public tours being offered to the Moon. Maribel and Renko discuss the hidden world on the lunar surface that remains concealed from ordinary humans, and enthusiastically begin plotting their own journey there. Maribel comes up with a particularly unconventional idea.

Trojan Green Asteroid
Maribel and Renko talk about TORIFUNE, a lost micro-habitat space station. Maribel claims to have seen its interior, where everything remains alive. The station houses a shrine dedicated to Ame-no-Torifune, so the pair travel to another shrine dedicated to the same deity and use Maribel's ability to reach TORIFUNE through their dreams. Once inside, they find the space has transformed into a thick jungle and are attacked by a chimera. Maribel wakes up with an actual cut on her arm and ends up hospitalized.

Neo-traditionalism of Japan
While hospitalized, Maribel receives a diagnosis of sleepwalking and hallucinations. Doctors suspect a previously unknown virus and send her to a mountain facility for isolation treatment. By the time she is released, her abilities have intensified, and she now experiences visions even while awake.

Maribel brings up the topic of Hell with Renko, though she withholds the fact that she physically traveled there during her isolation. Renko informs her that while she was away, news outlets reported the discovery of stone tools dating back over 25 million years, though these finds were dismissed as hoaxes. Maribel disagrees with that assessment and presents one such tool that she herself uncovered.

She then shows Renko a vision of the underground realm where she found the object. Renko recognizes the Ame-no-Sakahoko within that realm. Maribel becomes reassured, no longer believing the place she saw to be Hell, but rather the world of the gods. The two decide to seek out more such "Izanagi Objects" scattered unrecognized across Japan.

Dr. Latency's Freak Report
At Maribel's suggestion, the pair plans to self-publish a book recounting their experiences with the mysterious worlds they have witnessed. Using the pen name "Dr. Latency", Maribel dictates her sections of the book to Renko, covering summaries of the strange places she has seen and her theories as she attempts to make sense of phenomena that defy conventional understanding.

Dateless Bar "Old Adam"
Renko takes Maribel to a bar called "Old Adam", a unique establishment that serves old-fashioned alcohol and is rumored to be a meeting place for those who can perceive illusions. Nearly all the patrons appear familiar with the Swallowstone Naturalis Historia—the self-published fanzine Maribel and Renko previously created—and accept its contents as complete truth. The pair visit hoping to listen to the locals' stories, seeking either valuable information or others who might share similar special abilities.

Taboo Japan Disentanglement
Maribel decides to take a trip on her own for the first time. She usually leaves the planning to her friend Renko, but this time she wants to handle everything herself. Her destination is Tanabatazaka in Hitachi Province, on the morning of July 7th. She believes something unusual will happen there at 10:00 AM.

She spends the night camping outside, though she forgot to bring basic supplies like a tent. The cold and fatigue bother her, but she waits anyway.

A month earlier, Merry had read the latest version of a paper Renko was writing about quantum theory. Merry can see things Renko cannot—doors that lead to other worlds. She feels that Renko's scientific explanations don't fully capture what she experiences. So she decides to prove the existence of other worlds by finding one herself.

On the morning of July 7th, as 10:00 AM approaches, a thick fog rolls in. Merry loses her vision at the moment she senses a door opening.

Later, Renko realizes Merry has been missing for two weeks. She searches Merry's room and finds an old book, some handwritten notes, and her own paper covered in Merry's questions and criticisms. Following Merry's research, Renko travels to Tanabatazaka. There, she knocks over a Jizo statue and finds a crack on its back with light shining through. She reaches into it without hesitation.

Merry eventually returns safely. To her, it felt like Renko appeared on the other side of the fog just after 10:00 AM. She had no idea two weeks had passed. The two talk about whether the world is made of physical matter or something else. Renko argues that even time itself may not be as solid as people think. Merry is not fully convinced, but she cannot find a good argument against it.

The story ends with a reminder that taboos should not be forgotten, and that there is no place in this world without ghosts.

Name Meaning

There is no official romanization for マエリベリー・ハーン (Maeriberii Haan), and even the English spelling is uncertain. ZUN himself has never officially confirmed "Maribel Hearn" as the correct spelling, and seems unsure about the name's origin[1]. Possible interpretations include "Maribel" (a Spanish name of Hebrew origin that roughly approximates the katakana), as well as "Merryberry", "Mæriberry", and "Maribelle". One speculative reading suggests her name may be a variation of "my reverie" (マイ・リヴェリー Mai Riverii), as a reverie refers to a daydream or being lost in thought. Another possibility is that it derives from "mulberry" (マルベリー Maruberii), a fruit that turns purple when ripe.

For her surname, "Hearn" has become a popular alternative to "Han" (a rough katakana approximation), since "Hearn" is transcribed as ハーン (haan) in Japanese. During a high school open lecture, ZUN was asked about the relationship between Maribel and Yukari, and he mentioned a historical figure named Lafcadio Hearn[2]. Additionally, if one reads Yukari's surname using the on reading, "Yakumo" (八雲) becomes "Haun".

Renko Usami refers to her by the pet name "Merry" (sometimes rendered as "Mary"), apparently because Renko has difficulty pronouncing "Maeriberī" properly. Based on her name, Maribel may not actually be of Japanese ethnicity.

Appearance

General Description: Maribel is a figure with blond hair whose outfit varies significantly across different music CDs and print works. Her accessories and clothing details change frequently between appearances.

Facial Features: She has blond hair. A white mob cap is worn in some appearances.

Changeability of Strange Dream:

  • Clothing/Outfit: A purple dress. A red ribbon is worn at her collar. No mob cap is present.

Retrospective 53 Minutes:

  • Clothing/Outfit: A purple dress. A red bowtie is worn around her shoes, an accessory not present in Ghostly Field Club.

Ghostly Field Club:

  • Clothing/Outfit: A purple dress. No bowtie on her shoes.

Magical Astronomy:

  • Clothing/Outfit: A purple dress. Her white mob cap returns. The ribbon at her collar is absent. Red shoes are worn.

Unknown Flower, Mesmerizing Journey CD Illustration:

  • Clothing/Outfit: A purple dress. Black shoes (reverting from red). The red ribbon at her collar returns.

Trojan Green Asteroid:

  • Clothing/Outfit: A purple dress with a belt. No ribbon is present at the collar.

Neo-traditionalism of Japan:

  • Clothing/Outfit: A pale blue blouse with a blue-purple skirt.

Dr. Latency's Freak Report:

  • Clothing/Outfit: Similar to Trojan Green Asteroid (purple dress with belt), but without shoes.

Dateless Bar "Old Adam":

  • Clothing/Outfit: A purple dress with small red ribbons. Her belt and mob cap are absent.

Rainbow-Colored Septentrion:

  • Clothing/Outfit: A purple dress without ribbons. Her mob cap returns.

Taboo Japan Disentanglement:

  • Clothing/Outfit: A light purple blouse with frills on the bottom and near the sleeves. A long deep violet skirt. Brown shoes and long white socks are worn. Her white mob cap now has a red ribbon on top.

Special Features: Maribel's design is highly inconsistent across her appearances, with her mob cap, collar ribbon, belt, shoe color, and shoe presence all varying between works. Her dress color shifts between purple, blue-purple, and deep violet depending on the illustration.

Personality

  • Subjective: As a relative psychology major, Maribel sees things in a more relative and subjective way than Renko. Her ability to travel through worlds in her dreams makes her question whether unreal concepts like dreams are real or not.
  • Philosophical: Maribel talks with Renko about her questions regarding reality and dreams. Renko typically responds with a more adventurous attitude.

Goals

  • Uncover the secrets of the Otherworlds she sees (Ongoing).

Relationships

Renko Usami

Renko is the only other member of Maribel's Hifuu Club and a fellow student at her university. The two are very close friends, working together to seek out other worlds. They travel by train to Renko's hometown, discuss going to the Moon together, and Maribel confides in Renko about her dreams of traveling to another world. No matter what Merry says, Renko will believe her entirely, saying that since it's Merry saying it, then it's certain that it's true[3]. Renko is described as Maribel's dear friend to where her going on a trip by herself makes her feel alone[4] along with Maribel being described as Renko's closest friend[5].

Yukari Yakumo

When asked about Yukari's relationship with Maribel during a high school open lecture, series creator ZUN declined to elaborate beyond mentioning Lafcadio Hearn's name and laughing. Since then, fans have pointed out numerous connections and similarities between the two characters in official Touhou works, though the true nature of their relationship remains unconfirmed.

Sakuya Izayoi

In one of her dreams, Maribel encountered a maid at a mansion that was "a deep scarlet." The details of their meeting are unknown, but it must have been friendly, as Maribel was allowed to take some cookies home with her. It is unknown if the maid in question was indeed Sakuya Izayoi.

Fujiwara no Mokou

In another dream, Maribel was rescued from a mouse or rabbit youkai by a mysterious girl surrounded by flames in the shape of a phoenix. Fearing the girl, Maribel ran away. Although the mysterious girl was likely Mokou, this has never been explicitly confirmed.

Yuyuko Saigyouji

Maribel encountered Yuyuko while investigating a supernatural hot spot (actually a location where ghosts come to the Outside World to play). Merry showed no indication that she could see Yuyuko, though she appeared to feel a chill from her presence.

General Information

Name: Maribel Hearn[6]

Nicknames: Merry[7]

Other Names: Dr. Latency[8]

Titles: Merry the Magician[9]

Origin: Night Trip to Rendaino ~ Ghostly Field Club

Overall Series: Touhou Project

First Appearance: Night Trip to Rendaino ~ Ghostly Field Club

Latest Appearance: Mugen Noh of Tanabata Hill ~ Taboo Japan Disentanglement

Company: Team Shanghai Alice

Creator: ZUN

Actor: The following voice acted roles are all from fan-made series not apart of any canonical Touhou works.

  • Japanese Voice Actors: Kana Hanazawa (Hifuu Club Activity Record ~ The Sealed Esoteric History), Saku Mizuno (Touhou LostWord Maribel Hearn (Interpreting an Evil Spirit), Rina Honizumi (Touhou LostWord Maribel Hearn (Interpreting an Evil Spirit), Megumi Nakajima (Touhou LostWord Maribel Hearn (Interpreting an Evil Spirit), Satsumi Matsuda (Touhou LostWord Maribel Hearn (Interpreting a Disastrous Younger Sister), Shion Wakayama (Touhou LostWord Maribel Hearn (Interpreting a Disastrous Younger Sister), Noriko Shitaya (Touhou LostWord Maribel Hearn (Interpreting a Disastrous Younger Sister)

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Unknown

Pronouns: She/Her

Handedness: Right-Handed

Age: At least 20 (Renko and Maribel are old enough to drink alcohol[10], directly drinking sake during their vacation[11] where one needs to be at least 20 years old under Japanese law to drink, where Japanese law requires no underaged characters to be shown drinking. This is even acknowledged in the series itself with a note saying alcohol is only for those over 20 years old[12])

Birthday: Unknown

Time Period: Futuristic (In Retrospective in 53 minutes, it's noted how this takes place after the relocation of the capital in the Jinki era, which is an era that was named for the years 724-729, thus for the reptition of a Japanese era name to be used again means it's in the far future[13]. Mt. Fuji is also recognized as a World Heritage Site that they designated as exitinct rather than just dormant during their time period, while it is still active in modern time[10])

Timeline: Main Timeline

Homeworld: Earth

Residence: Kyoto, Japan

Story Role: Main Protagonist

Legacy: Local Legacy

Influence: Event Influence

Language: Japanese

Ethnicity: Unknown Western Ethnicity (Maribel is not a native of Japan, with it being unknown what her home country is, she also notes that she doesn't have any relatives that live in Japan[14])

Religion: N/A

Classification: Member of the Hifuu Club[15]

Species: Human

State of Being: Regular

Physiology: Humanoid Physiology

In-Universe Creator: Unknown

Occupation: University Student

Ranking: Relative Psychology Major[16]

Combat Style: Street Fighting

Affiliations: Renko Usami, Sakuya Izayoi, Fujiwara no Mokou

Enemies: Youkai

Height: Unknown

Weight: Unknown

Status: Alive

Alignment: Neutral Good (Maribel merely wishes to learn more about the existence of other worlds)

Potential

Archetype: Adventurer / Dreamer

Codex Statistics

Grade: C

Tier: 10-B

Cardinality: Finite

Dimensionality: 3-D

Power Source: Spirit

Attack Potency: Average Human level (Maribel is an average adult woman)

Durability: Average Human level

Striking Strength: Average Human Class

Lifting Strength: At most Athletic Human Class (Managed to somewhat turn a gravestone[20], which typically weigh between 100-400 pounds)

Travel Speed: Average Human Speed

Attack Speed: Average Human Speed

Reaction Speed: Average Human Reactions

Stamina: Average

Range: Standard Melee. Cross-Dimensional with Boundary Manipulation (Maribel with her powers is able to control boundaries to travel to other worlds[18])

Intelligence: Genius Intelligence (Maribel's major is in relativistic psycholgoy, where she posits that there is no objective point of view or definite truth within reality but rather that it exists within subjectivity[16]. Noted by ZUN that Renko and Maribel seem to be just slightly smarter than most their age, referring to them as "smart girls"[21])

Knowledge: At least Master level

Powers and Techniques



Equipment

Notable Techniques

Ability to See Boundaries

Though a human from the Outside World, Maribel possesses the ability to see boundaries. By her own account, she simply just does. This includes seeing other worlds, such as the far side of the Moon.

She often visits Gensokyo in her dreams, sometimes being chased by youkai. She can even bring back physical items from these visits. Renko has considered that Maribel's ability may have advanced beyond seeing boundaries to actually manipulating them, as visiting another world is entirely different from merely seeing it.

By the time of Trojan Green Asteroid, Maribel can freely travel across boundaries to other worlds and can take Renko with her. However, reaching TORIFUNE required connecting a shrine's gate to Ame-no-Torifune with the one within the station. Renko later notes that Maribel's power appears connected to shrines.

Other

Standard Tactics: Maribel does not actively engage against hostiles but insteads flees from them.

Weaknesses:

Note

Special Notes

  • Many spell card images and descriptions along with translations are heavily helped by the Touhou Wiki.

Explanations

Canoncity of Touhou Project

The Touhou Project franchise canoncity mainly falls under any media worked on by ZUN are official and canon to the overall lineup.

There are various aspects constantly debated about within the canon:

PC-98

Media like PC-98, has been noted by ZUN to be ignored as one can ignore derivative works[79]. He has also said that anything prior to Embodiment of Scarlet Devil can for the most part be ignored and one can think of Embodiment of Scarlet Devil as the starting from a clean slate and starting a new series[80], he's also referred to Highly Responsive to Prayers as a study product[81]. With this in mind, one would assume that PC-98 is thus non-canon to the Windows continuity of games.

However, ZUN has also directly stated PC-98 games are the same world as the Windows Games, stating that any contradictions that exist from PC-98 can be ignored from the retcon in Windows Era[82]. While one argues ZUN noting the works are derivative works to be ignored and Embodiment of the Scarlet Devil should be seen as the starting point, these statements are moreso telling a fan to not worry about having to play PC-98 games or learn more about their stories.

It's also been noted in Embodiment of Scarlet Devil's おまけ.txt that the game chronologically is not too far from the previous title, which would be Mystic Square, the PC-98 title[83]. ZUN has also directly brought back characters from PC-98 games, noting he wanted to bring back characters from before Embodiment of Scarlet Devil and notes any of the other older characters that don't appear have probably retired by now and are warmly watching over things from various places nowadays[84]. When asked where Mima from PC-98 has gone, ZUN notes that he doesn't bring them back due to making things complicated and having potentially angry fans ask where she has been the entire time, he has also noted that there's not much use for characters like Genji as Reimu can fly now and also notes he is not dead[85]. ZUN has also made mention to Genji probably living in the lake in the back of the shrine[86]. In Touhou Sangetsusei ~ Strange and Bright Nature Deity, Reimu and Marisa were talking about glowing moss with Reimu saying it would be nice to transfer it to the pond in the back of the Hakurei Shrine and Marisa saying that she could make it grow there on the turtles' back, referencing Genji[87].

In Touhou 07 Perfect Cherry Blossom, when Alice meets Reimu, she tells her long time no see, noting that they've met before calling her "old friend"[88]. In Yuuka's mode in Touhou Project - Phantasmagoria of Flower View, Reimu directly references defeating Yuuka back in PC-98[89]. If Yuuka defeats Marisa in the same game, she will note that Marisa has grown up quite a bit, when the last time she's seen her has been in PC-98[90].

Seeing as ZUN himself has directly said both PC-98 and Windows are in the same world and that characters directly acknowledged PC-98 events and reference characters from it, PC-98 is completely canon and any contradictions PC-98 have can be ignored.

Side Games Time Placements

Touhou 7.5 - Immaterial and Missing Power takes place between Perfect Cherry Blossom and Imperishable Night[91].

Multiple Playable Routes

In the series, there are multiple playable character routes, including some where the characters fight Reimu herself and defeat her, calling question into what route is canon. ZUN has elaborated that canonically, anytime Reimu and the gang are defeated, they challenge again however many times they want, but on the youkai side, they do not challenge again after being defeated and are not attached to the results of winning or losing[92].

In terms of how playable routes have went, some examples of canonically noted routes:

With some of these examples, it is normally assumed that in some way Reimu has some part in resolving every incident and other routes are dubiously canon depending on what transpired.

Spell Card Rules

There are many cases of weaker humans beating stronger Yokai or vice versa within the Touhou series, this has been elaborated on in Reimu's profile on Perfect Memento in Strict Sense. Reimu introduced the spell card rules as the youkai had no way to defeat the Hakurei shrine maiden, making many youkai feel that their meaning to exist have dissapeared[96]. The rules incoporate the following:

  • Spell cards are techniques specially-named by the individual, and they must be declared upon use.
  • The number of each party's spell cards must be determined in advance of a duel.
  • The first party to have all of their spell cards beaten must admit defeat.
  • The victor is entitled only to what was agreed upon before the duel. If they're not interested in what their opponent has to offer, they can refuse a duel.
  • Winners should generally allow losers a rematch.
  • Always prepare for the unexpected.

The original draft held these rules[97]:

  • Combatants will give names and meanings to the duel for the benefit of beauty.
  • Combatants will declare the number of named duels before beginning.
  • Combatants may not repeat attacks by relying on stamina.
  • Combatants may not deliver attacks that do not have meaning. The meaning itself becomes the attack's power.
  • In the case that a combatant loses a named duel, that combatant will admit defeat, even if he or she has strength remaining. No combatant may kill a human, even upon victory.
  • Combatants will write the duel's name on paper in the format of a contract. By doing so, the above-mentioned rules become absolute. These papers will be called spell cards.

These rules allows for duels that feel almost like sport rather then a match, and have allowed for weaker fighters to challenge stronger ones, due to this though, it also has become possible for youkai to freely defeat Reimu without worrying about the consequences.

Due to them being written into cards and essentially affecting the ability and power of an attack, the spell cards are likely the thing binding attacks to specific properties.

Parallel Worlds

Parallel Worlds is a topic brought up at some points in the Touhou Project franchise, they are worlds called "Probability Worlds" by Yumemi, stating that those and parallel worlds are one and the same[98]. This essentially means that parallel worlds in Touhou are based on the concept of probability. Yumemi and Chiyuri use a "Probability Space Hypervessel" in order to travel to alternate worlds and time periods[99], further showcasing that probabiliy serves an importance.

Magical vs. Physical Strength

There[100] are[101] multiple[102] occasions[103] of[104]characters[105] commenting[106] on[107] humans like[108] Reimu[109] being strong[110]. Despite this Reimu showcases physical strength that isn't superhuman, such as the fact that she cannot cut a bamboo stick while Fujiwara direclty does in front of her.

This is due to the difference between magical and physical strength.

In works like Symposium of Post-mysticism, Yuugi Hoshiguma's profile has Suika directly state that Yuugi is weaker then her in magical powers, but stronger than her physically[111], lining a clear difference between magical and physical strength.

While one can be physically stronger then another, such as how Onis are physically the strongest, magic users are still able to keep up with them due to using a different form of attack.

An example can be found with Yuugi herself, when Reimu fights against her in Subterranean Animism[112], with her acknolwedging her strength[113], something Yuugi only does to those who are truly strong[111]. This establishes even with spellcard rules, Yuugi considers Reimu a strong fighter. Reimu herself is very clearly not at an oni's physical strength, as she cannot do the things they can, however, her magical strength allows her to keep up with them.

To defend against magical based properties requires Non-Standard Defenses as it is acknowledged as not being something of standard physicality.

The Three Layers of Reality

In Chapter 27 of Curiosities of Lotus Asia, Reimu proceeds to explain how reality works to Rinnosuke and Marisa, where she explains in-depth the three layers of reality.

This conversation started from discussing the mechanism of fortune, where Rinnosuke attempted to posit that the future is predetermined and that Reimu's luck was her being able to calculate in an instant the predetermined future, however Reimu had a different explanation requiring her to lecture on the mechanisms of probability[114], in her explanation, the world is made up of three layers: the physical layer that moves in accuracy with the laws of physics, the second layer that moves with the spirit, and the third layer of memory which is the recollection of events that lies within all things[32]. The memory layer rejects the loop of the physical and mental layers, the two layers the youkai conceive of the world which is why they believe history repeats itself and the future is predetermined. Since it's only possible to add to the memory layer, it's possible to completely recreate the past.

While the physical layer follows the laws of physics, the mental layer interprets the outcomes and the memory layer alters the probability, essentially creating the future, since it's impossible for memories to raech the same state as a point in the past, the future is not predetermined, thus when Reimu is able to predict how the dice will fall, she's not predicting the fall of the dice, the dice members the fact that she predicted how the dice would fall, thus due to this, Reimu entering the memory of the die-face greatly skews the results in Reimu's favor, where the results side with Reimu[115].

Thus the memory layer is essentially the most important layer that rejects the notion of loops from the previous two layers.

Dream vs. Reality

In the Touhou Project series, it is made very apparent that dream and reality are in truth one and the same.

In Changeability of Strange Dream, Maribel Hearn has a conversation with Renko Usami about how she is bringing objects out of her dreams[7], which Maribel posits that truth exists within subjectivity, if one can see the same sights over and over again then that's the kind of place it is as such dreams are nothing like the antonym of reality[16], where much longer ago people did not draw a distinction between dreams and reality[116], with Maribel reiterating that dreams and reality are the same[117].

In Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom it is shown that the Dream World is a separate plane[118], that in games like Antinomy of Common Flower are shown to have influence[119] on reality[120].

In the Urban Legends in Limbo finale, Sumireko notes that she is able to travel between the human world and Gensokyo whenver she sleeps, where her dream self enters Gensokyo[121] making her innately unable to be interacted with[122].

Trivia

  • One of Maribel's known theme songs is titled "Merry the Magician" (the other being "Youkai Bird of the Moon, Illusion of the Bakeneko," which she shares with Renko Usami). However, ZUN mentioned in the music column of Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red that her theme song is "not necessarily because Merry is a magician," noting that she does not consciously perform any magical acts in any of her stories.
  • The ending of Magical Astronomy refers to Maribel as "Merry the Magician" precisely as she gains the inspiration to perform an otherworldly act. She is also similar to a magician in the professional researcher sense, as she studies other worlds and dreams despite living in a world where all forms of energy are supposedly unified and science has reached its peak according to Renko. In essence, magic is the only thing left to discover. Magic and science share many parallels, and Maribel is a researcher investigating this phenomenon in a world where science can no longer be advanced. Thus "Merry the Magician" is a fitting moniker for her.
  • The actual name of Renko and Maribel's club is "The Hifuu Club," not "Ghostly Field Club" as stated in Ghostly Field Club (which is a story about their club investigating a ghostly field).
  • In Imperishable Night, ZUN mentions in the commentary for Kaguya Houraisan's spell card "End of Imperishable Night -Half Past 2-" that this is the time right after the gate to the afterlife world has opened. He thus implies that Maribel and Renko possibly did succeed in finding the entrance to the Netherworld in Ghostly Field Club, but all he has to say about it is: "So, what did Renko and Merry see, at all?"
  • Maribel is the only human from the Outside World confirmed to know the true nature of the Lunar Capital.
  • Maribel, Renko, and the Five Magic Stones from Story of Eastern Wonderland are currently the only Touhou characters who have an associated music theme but no official title or spell cards.

Gallery

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    Maribel in Celestial Wizardry ~ Magical Astronomy cover

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    Maribel in Changing Dreams in the Age of Science ~ Changeability of Strange Dream cover

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    Maribel in Izanagi Object ~ Neo-traditionalism of Japan cover

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    Maribel in Night Trip to Rendaino ~ Ghostly Field Club cover

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    Maribel in Rainbow-Colored Septentrion cover

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    Maribel in Mugen Noh of Tanabata Hill ~ Taboo Japan Disentanglement cover

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    Maribel and Renko's cameo in Symposium of Post-mysticism

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    Maribel in Old Testament Tavern ~ Dateless Bar "Old Adam" cover

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    Maribel in Ruins of Torifune ~ Trojan Green Asteroid cover

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    Renko in Swallowstone Naturalis Historia ~ Dr. Latency's Freak Report cover

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    Maribel in Unknown Flower, Mesmerizing Journey cover

Characters Have Flown Through Outerspace

One example of this is believed to be in Touhou 02's Stage 3 Scarlet Dream ~ Scarlet Dream where it displays stars and a space-like effect in the background[123], however this is actually the World of Fantasies, the world that lies between Makai and the human world, with Genji confirming this is definetely not outerspace as Reimu can breathe just fine there[124].

All Characters are Children

This is an argument that spawns from how small the characters look in different works, though this is moreso due to the "moe" artstyle Touhou tries to capture, in many of the manga characters look far older.

Majority of characters in the series are outright shown to drink alcohol on a daily basis[125], where one needs to be at least 20 years old under Japanese law to drink, where Japanese law requires no underaged characters to be shown drinking. This is even acknowledged in the series itself with a note saying alcohol is only for those over 20 years old[126]. Thus if a character is ever seen drinking alcohol in the series, they are an adult.

The only direct non-adults in the series are Sumireko Usami, Chiyuri Kitashirakawa, and Hieda no Akyuu in her first appearance.

Youkai Control the world through both the mental and physical layer

This statement comes from a fan translation that says this in Curiosities of Lotus Asia[127].

While the statement seems clear cut, there is another translation used instead that makes more sense with the sentence.

It instead notes that most youkai concieve of the world through these two layers, which is why they believe the future is pre-determined and history repeats itself[128]. This falls in line with the earlier disucssion of Rinnosuke claiming that he believes the future to be predetermined and Reimu needing to explain to him why that's not the case[114].

Codex Statistics Questions

Battle Records

None.

None.

None.

References

Expand here.
  1. ↑ ZUN's AWA Q&A Panel Extra "English note: A question about Maeriberi Haan. It's understood her family name is based on Lafcadio Hearn, who took the Japanese name Yakumo Koizumi. What is her first name based on, and how do you write it in Romaji/Western writing?
    ZUN: I don't really know."
  2. ↑ Doujin Barrier: The Work Called Touhou and the Fantasy of Game Creation Part 3: Q & A "Q. Is Merry related to Yuakin [Yukari] somehow!?? She's so cute!!11
    A. How should I say this. In the past, there was this Lafcadio Hearn....Don't think too much about this (laugh) YukaiRn!!!1"
  3. ↑ Ghostly Field Club #08 Flower of Past Days ~ Fairy of Flower "Red spider lilies are so creepy! I hate those flowers. I have ever since I was a child. "The entrance is at the gravestone where red spider lilies grow thickest in Rendaino." For some reason, that phrase suddenly escaped my lips. Renko believed me entirely, saying that since it was me saying it, it was certain that it was true. It seemed that she had chosen our destination of her own accord."
  4. ↑ Taboo Japan Disentanglement #01 Dawn Breaks on Tanabatazaka ""Four hours left till 10 AM..." Maribel Hearn (Merry) tried to calm her racing mind. She wasn't used to traveling on her own, yet here she was camping out on her lonesome.
    She had always left planning for trips up to her dear friend, and this was the first time she had made all of the arrangements herself. That was why she had found herself experiencing a complete equipment deficiency. She had even forgotten that, for camping outdoors, one needs to bring such things as "tents".
    Merry hadn't slept all that well, but it was a trifling matter since she wasn't new to switching up her days and nights. On a road without a sign of life in Hitachi, conditions were ideal for staying up late and stargazing. Except that she couldn't shake off her fatigue.
    Today, July 7th, was not just the festival called Tanabata; according to Merry's research of the area, it was supposed to be an especially important day on this hill——Tanabatazaka.
    However, as dawn approached, there was no indication of anything out of the ordinary.
    The mixed emotions of worry and resignation held sway over her mind."
  5. ↑ Taboo Japan Disentanglement #02 Tinkerbell of Inequality "——One month before her solitary journey.
    Merry was making preparations for her trip. It seemed as if Renko Usami had built up so much confidence in her own theory that she had shut herself in her room to prepare a manuscript for presentation at a conference. She hadn't even met up with her closest friend, Merry, for some time.
    "Hmm, so this is the latest version of Renko's paper?"
    The thick manila envelope she had been sent by Renko contained nothing but a heavy stack of papers. Nowadays, things like handwritten manuscripts might be taking anachronism too far, but it seemed that nevertheless that was the method of preparation that she had chosen.
    "Probability theory's collapse and the otherworld? The Copenhagen interpretation's revival and the world of dreams? As expected, it's something like a reactionary screed on classical quantum mechanics, I see."Merry was dreadfully bored. Lately, the Hifuu Club's activity had completely petered out."
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Changeability of Strange Dream #02 Dream of Huaxu ""...And that's what happened. I had a dream like that yesterday."
    "...so you're going on about your dreams again?"
    "Naturally. I invited you here because I wanted to talk to you about them."
    My name is Maribel Hearn. I'm part of an occult club in this gloomy city. Though, unlike a usual occult club, we don't carry out any of the sensible spiritual activities one might expect. It's what you might call a defective club... even before you add that this "club" has only two members.
    "Hey, is the stuff that happens in your dreams really something you should be pestering other people with?"
    But putting that aside, I have an incredible power. Since ancient times, members of my family lineage have had a sort of spiritual sensitivity...
    I can see borders - in other words, boundaries - throughout the world. The objective of our club is to seek out rifts in those boundaries, places where one can dive into another world. One might call it something like "spiriting away"?
    ...However, that sort of thing is forbidden.
    But recently, I've started to see all sorts of other worlds in my dreams...
    "Please, if I don't talk to you about the things in these dreams and get your advice, I'm not sure I'll be able to tell which me is real.""
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Changeability of Strange Dream #05 Boys and Girls of the Age of Science ""Here are the cookies I got at the scarlet mansion, and the natural bamboo shoots from the bamboo forest." "Huh? I thought you were talking about a dream, Merry?" The girl listening to me talk about my dreams is Renko Usami: the other member of our little club of two, and the one who comes up with most of our activities. Renko can tell where she is and what time of day it is just by looking at the sky. Creepy.
    Also, Renko calls me Merry. People in this country seem to have trouble pronouncing my name, to the point where I wonder if anyone even remembers it anymore.
    "I am talking about my dreams. I told you that from the start, didn't I?" "...But if those were dreams, then how do you have those things here in reality?" "That's precisely why I wanted to consult you."
    It's becoming hard for me to tell what's a dream and what's reality. The dreams usually end when I'm being chased by a youkai. They're nightmares worthy of being called nightmares, but... If I keep bringing things along from my dreams without realizing it, then maybe even the conversation I'm having now is just a dream...
    "Alright, here's my first piece of advice for you, Merry. These aren't bamboo shoots anymore. By the time they get to this size they're too tough to eat." But if I could change them from nightmares to good dreams, I might prefer them to my present reality... "Natural bamboo shoots hide underground, to protect themselves while they're soft and tasty.""
  8. ↑ Dr. Latency's Freak Report #11 Eternal Transient Reign ""Since we went to all this effort, how about we write it like a big climactic battle scene?"
    "I thought this was a history record."
    "I think writing it like an epic would still go over well! All the history records from the Age of Discovery are practically tales of adventure, you know?"
    "Well, you're the one transcribing it, Renko, so I guess it's fine."
    "All right. With that in mind, let's resume gathering material, Merry... or should I say, 'Dr. Latency'?"
    "...Are we seriously going with that pen name? It's kind of embarrassing..."
    "I mean, you're a professor who saw the world within the quantum gaps! It's totally fitting. Not to mention it's genderless and feels both Western and Eastern too."
    With the book's contents being what they were, all identifying details about the author were omitted. Anyone could see that it was an odd publication, but maybe it would become popular with some fans of pseudoscientific texts.
    Nonetheless, it was a true story."
  9. ↑ Magical Astronomy #10 The Moon of the Other Side "The two of them sat by the pond that had been equipped with a fountain by the university.
    The Moon was already out, and a flat Moon with no craters could be seen floating on the lake.
    Merry the magician saw them:
    Rabbits pounding medicine;
    Celestial maidens wearing dazzling dresses,
    dancing gracefully in the sky.
    She saw the other side of the barrier through the Moon reflected in the water. Like the moon floating on the surface of the lake, an excellent idea floated to the top of Merry's mind.
    "Hey, Renko. If the Moon Tour is too expensive, why don't we try thinking of another way to get there?""
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Retrospective in 53 Minutes #05 Legend of Aokigahara ""Ah! Just now, I..."
    "What's the matter, Merry? You got a scary expression all of a sudden."
    "I suddenly felt a bit sick. Don't you feel it, Renko? The space we're in now feels a bit different from normal. Also, I can see a rift in the boundary... Perhaps it's a bug in the screen-controlling program?"
    "Oh, it's probably because we're under the sacred mountain. The atmosphere is a little different... No, wait, it might even be space-time that's different. You're so sensitive that it's stressing you out, Merry."
    "Oh, I see, so we're under Mt. Fuji. Now I understand what I was feeling. Since ancient times, it's been said that there was an entrance to the Netherworld underneath the mountain. But it's a volcano, isn't it? Was it really fine to build a tunnel here?"
    "Stop being a worrywart. At times like these, you should have a drink and stop thinking so hard. When Mt. Fuji was recognized as a World Heritage Site, they designated it as extinct rather than just dormant, right?"
    The Boyu Tokaido was designed for the sole purpose of connecting Tokyo and Kyoto, but the government had to do quite a bit to assuage public relations concerns brought about by tunneling under the sacred Mt. Fuji.
    It makes a detour underneath the Sea of Trees instead.
    However, since long ago, unpleasant legends about the Sea of Trees have circulated, so building the tunnel underneath it might have affected the Shinkansen's service and the amount of passengers that would ride it.
    With that in mind, the detour was never announced to the public."
  11. ↑ Retrospective in 53 Minutes #06 White Flag of Usa Shrine ""Ha ha, sake feels great in the morning. Come to think of it, this Shinkansen was originally designed to stop at Kamakura, too, wasn't it?"
    "You seem to know everything, Renko."
    "Because I do, you know. From what I know, they wanted to connect the three capitals and name it the Keito Shinkansen."
    "That seems like it would have been warm. But wait, Kamakura was never a capital, was it? And Kamakura is too close to Tokyo to be a stop between Kyoto and Tokyo, anyhow."
    "That's why it was shelved."
    "Shouldn't they have known that from the beginning? Have you been lied to by some fan of Lord Hachiman?"
    "By the way, do you know what kind of shelf is meant in the phrase shelved?"
    Speaking of Fuji, the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji Katsushika Hokusai created are well-known, yet he was not satisfied with any of the pictures of Mt. Fuji he drew. You can tell this because he actually drew forty-six pictures.
    After that, a young Utagawa Hiroshige, who was only half his age, published The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido which became more popular. Undaunted, Hokusai also published his Hundred Views of Mount Fuji, despite the thirty-six edition he released earlier. That is how bewitched he was by Mt. Fuji.
    However, Hiroshige was also rather obsessed with it."
  12. ↑ Touhou Sangetsusei (Three Fairies) ~ Strange and Bright Nature Deity Chapter 6
  13. ↑ Retrospective in 53 minutes #02 Blue Sea of 53 Minutes ""The Hiroshige's seating is spacious, and it gets us to our destination quickly, so it's convenient... But seeing nothing but the Kaleido-screen's fake scenery is so boring."
    "Even if that's true, because of the video they play in the tunnels, it's much brighter than subways used to be. It feels just like we're above the ground, doesn't it?"
    "The Mt. Fuji above ground might not be this lovely, but I wanted to see the genuine one. I wish we could have taken the old Tokaido Shinkansen."
    "Are you seriously going on about that kind of indulgence? Nowadays, the only people who ride that are people from Tōhoku, Indians, and celebrities. You might be as leisurely as someone from Tōhoku, though."
    "I'm a celebrity."
    ...The Boyu Tokaido had been in operation since before they were born.
    After the relocation of the capital in the Jinki era, many humans were faced with the need to come and go between Tokyo and Kyoto. Soon the old Tokaido Shinkansen alone wasn't enough to support the volume of traffic, so the government swiftly started developing a new Shinkansen as soon as they could.
    The resulting accomplishment, connecting Kyoto and Tokyo in just 53 minutes, was the Boyu Shinkansen Hiroshige. This Shinkansen enabled commuting between Kyoto and Tokyo, and in a flash, it became the main traffic artery of Japan.
    The astonishing thing is that the Shinkansen runs entirely underground in a straight line. From the point of departure to the terminal, you cannot see sky, sea, mountain, forest, Sun nor Moon."
  14. ↑ Neo-traditionalism of Japan #01 Green Sanatorium ""Was it boring?"
    "Of course it was boring! I couldn't believe that they had to quarantine me all the way up in the mountains like that! You can't even get a signal out there!"
    "Quarantine...? It seemed more like therapy, I guess."
    Due to extreme environmentalism, cities have been decorated to look like forests. Like a painted jungle, there is no natural vegetation. Humans tried to create and bend nature to their will, but it was only a matter of time before the untamed portions were totally neglected. Treatments were found for most diseases. Incurable hereditary conditions were treated not as diseases, but rather as idiosyncrasies, and the society changed to accommodate them. Incurable diseases were de facto "nonexistent" afflictions.
    After Maribel Hearn (Merry) became injured at the Torifune Ruins, she caught an unknown disease. It was diagnosed as delirium caused by a virus that does not exist on earth. Since society fears things beyond their control, Merry was quarantined under the name of therapy at the Shinshuu Sanatorium. Now, after being informed that Merry is fully recovered, Renko Usami has come to greet her.
    "They wouldn't let me see anyone, and I don't have any relatives in Japan anyway."
    "Well, what kind of illness was it anyway?"
    "I had recurring fevers, and I would start sleep-walking and seeing visions of other worlds whenever they happened."
    "Huh? I thought that was normal for you...""
  15. ↑ Ghost Field Story #02 Girls Hifuu Club ""Merry, do you want to go see the entrance in Rendaino?" It was two days ago that she made the proposition. The Hifuu Club, which only has two members, is a common, ordinary spirit medium club. Yes, it's a group for mediums, but we don't perform any of the usual activities of such groups, like seances or exorcisms. For that reason, we're considered a defective club by others, but the truth is..."
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Changeability of Strange Dream #06 Retribution for the Eternal Night ~ Imperishable Night "I ran for dear life, even though I was in a dream.
    I didn't know why it was, but the laughter that I heard sounded like something that clearly wasn't human.
    My instincts were telling me "Run for it!"
    But the bamboo forest was sloped at a slight angle, which made me lose my sense of balance.
    I tried to run in a straight line, but what really happened, I wonder?
    Although it felt like I'd run quite a lot, there was nothing to see but the same scenery as before.
    Did this forest continue on for eternity, or was I running around in circles?
    ...But I suppose either would have the same result.
    To think in such a way that "from an objective point of view, there exists a definite truth" like Renko does really is old-fashioned.
    The truth exists within subjectivity. If I can only see the same sights over and over again... then that's the kind of place this is.
    And that's why I'm running.
    Because dreams are nothing like the antonym of reality.
    By today's common knowledge, the two are synonyms.
    Even in dreams, one must flee from things of unknown nature. That is the truth.
    My major is relativistic psychology.
    Renko's is super-unified physics. I wonder if her recent study of strings is going well?"
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Ghostly Field Club #06 Merry the Magician "The truth of the Hifuu Club is that we are a group that exists in order to expose the boundaries that surround this world. As there is the fear that it will upset the world's natural balance, however, such things are forbidden. Despite that, I can see the borders of these boundaries. I can see them without needing to do a single thing. I just see them, so it's an inevitability, isn't it?"
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 18.5 Changeability of Strange Dream #10 Fantasy Machine ~ Phantom Factory "In the end, Merry talked about nothing but the world in her dreams before leaving by herself, satisfied. I considered what she said while I was looking over the small number of objects that she left me. Merry kept saying that dreams and reality are the same thing, but that can't be so. Even utilizing the common sense of modern relativistic psychology, the field only deals in matters of the mind, and if objects from a dream were to show up in the real world, it would still be just as troubling as always. It invalidates the law of conservation of mass. What would that do to entropy? I have a firm belief. Merry crossed a boundary without realizing it, and believed that she was dreaming. She may be in a place unusually close to a boundary right now. Did Merry's ability go from being able to see boundaries to being able to manipulate them? No, there's no way that's possible. Maybe we've been doing too many proper club activities lately. If I let things continue like they are, she might be eaten by a youkai in a dream. Or she might even be spirited away. Her mind is wavering between many different worlds. When she is in another world, if she realizes that she's not in a dream, she might possibly not be able to return from it. She might come to think that this world is the dream. Even though she herself does not realize it, she's in grave danger.
    If she's asking for my help, then I have two options:
    :The first method would be to throw the stuff away and convince her that it was all a dream — an illusion.
    :By doing this, there will never be a reality within her dreams again. Dream and reality are different things.
    And the other method is...

    :Strongly convince her that she was not dreaming, that she actually was in another world, and awaken her from the dream.
    :That way, she wouldn’t die in that dream world because she didn't understand the situation.
    :But… if I did that, there is the possibility that she would not be able to return to this world.

    : Which is the best for Merry? Which is the general solution for me?
    :...Isn't it obvious?    "
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Neo-traditionalism of Japan #07 Youkai's Temple Back Road ""That's great news! That man-made object is real!!"
    "Huh? Merry, are you a little off today? You keep switching from looking worried to being full of confidence at a moment's notice..."
    "The truth is, I've got one of those fragments of the Izanagi Plate!"
    "Huh? Wh-what are you talking about? Are you sure there isn't something wrong with you?"
    Renko looked on as Merry was getting all excited about something. She kept on muttering things like “Izanagi was real..." on and on. It was as if Merry was going off somewhere all by herself and Renko started to feel lonely.
    Come to think of it, recently it felt as if Merry's abilities were getting stronger. At first they had fun enough with just being able to catch a glimpse of strange new worlds, but now they were bringing things back from those worlds as if it were nothing.
    In those strange worlds they had sometimes encountered beings like youkai. To Renko, those were just figments of her imagination, but to Merry, they were real.
    Renko couldn't help thinking that Merry was on the same level as those youkai."
  20. ↑ Ghostly Field Club #10 A Maiden's Illusionary Funeral ~ Necro-Fantasy "I suppose that this gravestone is the one Renko said was our goal, but I can't see anything in particular. Renko hurried me on. I tried tampering with the grave, pulling up the wooden grave tablets, and all sorts of things. She looked up at the sky and murmured "2:27:41". How creepy... Ultimately, it seems like I'm the only one here acting like a grave-robber. The gravestone was heavy, but I finally managed to turn it a bit... "2:30 sharp!" she said just as I turned the stone by a quarter-rotation. Even though it was autumn, a world of cherry blossoms spread out before our eyes."
  21. ↑ Retrospective in 53 Minutes Afterword "Something like "Nice to meet you." I'm ZUN.
    This Boyu Tokaido ~ Retrospective 53 minutes has neither development nor ending. It's the story of someone who managed to eavesdrop on a meandering conversation between the two girls of the Sealing Club. In a way, it's a happy ending.
    There are a few little quips the person listening to their conversation inserted mentally. These quips are the narration. Really? The two girls seem to be just slightly smarter than most their age. Smart girls are cool.
    The theme of this story is same as my previous work, Changeability of Strange Dream. It's about the virtual and reality. Please let the virtuality now advance a little more within your mind. You can relax while listening to (reading) this CD more than CoSD, right?
    Anime and games are always singled out whenever some bizarre crime occurs. How it usually goes is "Separate the virtual from reality." "Just who do you big shots think you are?" "Isn't it obvious?" "What kind of excuse is that?" But it's all meaningless, since that shouldn't be the case to begin with.
    They say that genius comes to people in dreams. They said that the mind can abandon its body and go beyond reality. That knowledge and experience will never go to waste. The difference between the virtual and reality is like that of software and hardware. It is impossible to separate them.
    That is true, isn't it?
    Otherwise, music would never affect anybody. And it's possible to play back virtual music...
    As long as I create music, I want to continue the activity of recognizing the impossibility of separation between the virtual and reality."
  22. ↑ Touhou 04: Lotus Land Story Stage 1
  23. ↑ Dr. Latency's Freak Report #05 An Instant that Exceeds Planck's Time "Merry said that if we refer to the world we humans observe, which is dominated by photons, as "the world here," then there are also countless "worlds beyond" dominated by other types of particles. And in those "worlds beyond," there are life-forms living there as well.
    "Those life-forms that are invisible, but exist very close to us, and can appear to us via fluctuations are youkai, in my opinion."
    "Youkai... That suddenly makes it sound kind of crazy."
    "Well, you could call them angels or devils or phantoms or cryptids, whatever's fine. But when I think of something that can't be seen, yet definitely exists as a phenomenon, I'd say 'youkai' is the best descriptor."
    The existence of youkai certainly had been supported since long ago. However, as the world was dominated by science and philosophy that demanded falsifiability, the topic of youkai faded away."
  24. ↑ Dr. Latency's Freak Report #09 The Sea Where One's Home Planet Reflects "I saw a forest rich with diversity.
    I saw a proud, holy mountain, shut off to creatures who preferred the lower ground.
    I saw a deep lake covered in an arcane mist.
    Those sights weren't just beautiful, but natural too. They were all hidden in the invisible gaps of the quantum world.
    By the way, just what would happen if one went to a brane dominated by particles with different properties?
    Merry remembered, and her face contorted in terror."
  25. ↑ Dr. Latency's Freak Report #10 Pure Furies ~ Whereabouts of the Heart ""When they see me, the youkai living there will attack."
    "What...? ...Actually, you kind of have a habit of getting attacked by monsters, Merry."
    "Well, I'm used to it by now. I suppose it is only natural that they'd realize I'm a foreign presence. Like I see youkai as fluctuations, perhaps they see me as a phantom-like being."
    She said the attacking youkai came soaring through the sky, just like formless quantum particles racing to and fro in a vacuum.
    "So, what kind of youkai were they? Kappa? Tengu?""They were humanoid, actually. Although physical form has no meaning in that world beyond anyway."
    Before she could even think of trying to come to a mutual understanding, Merry awoke from her dream."
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Neo-traditionalism of Japan #03 Heartfelt Fancy ""Is something wrong? You look a little pale... Are you still not feeling that well?"
    "Ah? Oh... No, it's nothing like that at all. In fact, I'm in the pink..."
    "Hm?"
    Lately, Merry was not just seeing gaps in the boundaries between worlds, but seeing the worlds themselves.
    And it wasn't just in dreams anymore, there were cases where she actually went to the places she saw, and that was making her a little worried.
    Then there was that time at the Torifune Ruins from the other day. It might have been just a dream to Renko, but it was real for Merry. After all, she was the only one who was wounded. The real reason she was put in the sanatorium was probably because it was determined she had some kind of psychological anomaly. Of course that wasn't the case, but society just isn't receptive to strange people. That's why Merry had to keep her ability secret, as some element of the occult.
    "Merry, I know that you have some kind of mysterious power, but I also know that that power is somehow related to shrines and temples."
    "Really?"
    "Yeah, that's one of the reasons we came here, but are you sure you're feeling alright?"
    "I already told you, I'm fine. It's just... maybe I feel too fine. Like I'm able to see more than I should."
    "More than you should? Like what?"
    "Like Hell.""
  27. ↑ Touhou 14.5: Urban Legend in Limbo Reimu Story Ending
  28. ↑ Neo-traditionalism of Japan #08 Unknown X ~ Unfound Adventure ""Hey, Merry, about that rock you said you had with you..."
    "Here it is."
    Merry held out a small rock. Its shape was hard to describe, something like a fishing hook and something like a key, but it was clearly man-made.
    "This is what I found at the Izanagi Plate. It's an Izanagi Object."
    "Hmm... How can you say for sure?"
    "I can see it. The shape of Japan as Izanagi made it, twenty five million years ago."
    "You really are acting a lot weirder than usual today, Merry."
    "Say whatever you want, right now I feel amazing. I keep seeing these new visions, one right after the other."
    Ever since Merry came back from the sanitorium, her sharpened senses seemed to be on a whole new level. While Renko felt a bit jealous, she hoped that somehow she too could see what Merry saw.
    "Come on, show them to me, too!""
  29. ↑ Dr. Latency Freak Report #04 September Pumpkin "Is it possible to see different things in the same place?
    Merry said that she'd recently started to see multiple worlds at the same time. According to her, all people are seeing slightly different worlds. Particularly interesting was that despite this, they can apparently still communicate with each other.
    Merry started to tell a mysterious story. It was about a strange world that only some humans could see.
    Not only was it extremely small, but our common sense didn't apply there. A bizarre world where elementary particles flew across boundaries of both time and space.
    "...By 'only some humans,' do you mean physicists?"
    "Correct. Good on you, Renko.
    But, did you know that there are actually strange creatures lurking in that senseless world?""
  30. ↑ Neo-traditionalism of Japan Let's Live in a Lovely Cemetery ""That spear that's stuck in the ground, that's the Ame-no-Sakahoko of Takachiho! That's the spear that Izanagi-no-Mikoto and Izanami-no-Mikoto were said to have roiled the ground with!"
    Merry had put her hand over Renko's eyes. Though unstable, Merry was able to share her vision with Renko in this manner.
    "Huh? That exists in our world?"
    "It's sticking of out the peak of a mountain in Takachiho. Even though it's really strange, no one's properly researched it."
    All of Merry's anxiety was gone. The land under the earth that she had seen wasn't Hell. What she had seen were images of the world of the gods, a place that actually existed.
    "Then that must mean that Ame-no-Sakahoko is real, too. I think it's made out of the same rock as this Izanagi Object. We'll have to check it out!"
    "That sounds great. Let's go in celebration of your full recovery. If the Ame-no-Sakahoko is real, then... there might be another Izanagi Object close by!"
    Their imagination knew no bounds.
    "After we rest a bit we should go to Togakure. Supposedly that's where Amenotejikarao-no-Mikoto burst through the gate of the celestial cave, Ama-no-Iwato!"
    "Isn't Ama-no-Iwato part of Takachiho's..."
    "Exactly! I'm sure that Ama-no-Iwato's an Izanagi Object! Now that that's that, let's go to Togakure!"
    "This is really exciting, isn't it? I think that Izanagi Objects are sleeping all throughout Japan, it's just that no one's paid them any attention. Only people that have realized them for what they are can see the land as it appeared in the time of the gods. This is wonderful! Let's go out and find them all!"
    So they started off, taking the graveyard of the gods as factual history. It was what the members of the Sealing Club, those who accepted inexplicable mysteries, could see: a different Japan."
  31. ↑ Dateless Bar "Old Adam" #09 The Lost Emotion "Merry glanced over at Renko. Renko nodded briefly.
    　"My apologies. She was simply testing everyone's knowledge.
    In order to experience what's about to occur, you must have knowledge of that book's contents.
    You see, we have obtained a magic item that allows one to experience part of the other worlds that book describes."
    Renko took out a hand mirror and passed it to Merry, who showed it to each person in turn. Thanks to Merry's ability, that same mirror began displaying the scenery of those other worlds.
    A mad sprawl of green. A mountain sending up smoke. A worn, age-old shrine.
    Everyone there cast their thoughts to the scenes they'd read in Swallowstone Naturalis Historia. Perhaps because of the alcohol amplifying their emotions, some even shed tears."
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 Curiosities of Lotus Asia Chapter 27 Mechanism of Fortune "That's how Reimu makes tea for three people 淹 (い) Yes, I handed it to him happily. After saying this, Reimu brewed tea for the three of us and gladly served it.
    It would be fun to hear why Reimu has such good intuition. I forgot to let the tea cool and brought it to my mouth./We looked forward to hearing the reason behind the quality of Reimu's intuition. I brought the tea to my lips, forgetting to cool it.
    "...Huh. Reimu's initial conditions became exactly the same Saiko (Dice) So you're saying that the same eyes don't necessarily appear?" "... Ah. So what you're saying is that even if the initial conditions of the dice are the same, it's possible to get different results?"/"Of course it will. That alone doesn't determine the outcome." "Of course, I am. Those aren't the only things deciding the outcome."
    The story of Reimu was not a difficult one, but it contained a shocking truth./Reimu's tale wasn't a difficult one, but there was a shocking truth contained therein.
    Reimu 曰 (Iwa) He says that the world is made up of three layers./According to her, the world is made up of three layers.
    First, there are the physical laws of living things, tools, etc 則 (Not yet) is a layer of moving physics. This layer is where objects fall towards the ground and river water flows./First is the physical layer that moves in accuracy with the laws of physics, including all living things, objects, etc. It is on this layer that an object falls towards the ground, and that the water of the river flows.
    The second is the movement of the mind and the layers of psychology such as magic and sorcery. Meeting assholes and getting offended, or having a party and getting rid of your rut is this demographic. Most monsters see the world solely through this layer of physics and psychology, so history repeats itself and the future is planned 戯れ (ざ) 言 (Goto) It is said that he says./The second layer is one that moves with the spirit, which includes things such as magic and sorcery, the mental layer. One's mood turning sour when meeting an unhappy person, and releasing all your stress and cares during a party lie here. Since most youkai conceive of the world just through these physical and mental layers, they Ridiculously say that history repeats itself and the future is predetermined.
    However, according to Reimu, the third layer of the world forms the loop of the world 拒 (Koba) Moo-y. The third layer is the layer of memory where all things remember events. The layers of memory increase but do not decrease, so we cannot be in exactly the same state as in the past. If it becomes the same as in the past, then the memory of it becoming the same is contradictory because it leaves you with nowhere to go. The layers of memory are only increasing./But according to Reimu, there is a third layer that rejects loops. The third layer is the layer of memory, which is the recollection of events that lies within all things. Since it's only possible to add to the memory layer, it's possible to completely recreate the past. If something were to happen that already occurred in the past, then there would be a contradiction because that would simply that memory was lost, which is impossible. The memory layer always continues to build up."
  33. ↑ Touhou 03: Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream Cutscene: Reimu vs Chiyuri
  34. ↑ Touhou 03: Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream Cutscene: Rikako vs. Chiyuri
  35. ↑ Touhou 03: Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream Reimu Ending
  36. ↑ Touhou 14: Double Dealing Character Extra Stage
  37. ↑ Touhou 03: Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream Cutscene: Reimu vs Chiyuri
  38. ↑ Touhou 03: Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream Cutscene: Reimu vs Chiyuri
  39. ↑ Touhou 03: Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream Cutscene: Marisa vs. Chiyuri
  40. ↑ Touhou 03: Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream Cutscene: Kana vs Chiyuri
  41. ↑ Touhou 03: Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream Reimu Ending
  42. ↑ Touhou 20: Fossilized Wonders Stage 5
  43. ↑ Touhou 20: Fossilized Wonders Reimu Extra Stage
  44. ↑ Touhou 20: Fossilized Wonders Reimu Stage 6
  45. ↑ Touhou 20: Fossilized Wonders Reimu Stage 6
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 Touhou Project - Highly Responsive to Prayers/Eastern Wondrous Tale Game Manual Touhou Reiiden Rules of the Game:"*Special Abilities
    Left + Right + Z Key
    or
    X+Z　2 times ... Spirit attack, a.k.a. bomb.
    You can only bomb as many times as indicated by the spirit attack counter in the upper part of the screen. You will gain a bomb when you collect a bomb item or die.
    When you perform this attack Reimu will become invincible and furthermore, enemy bullets will be destroyed. During regular stages, bombing will cause many of the panels to flip over. Bosses will not take damage from bombs but the temporary invincibility allows you to use this as an emergency dodge. When you have 0 lives left, bosses *will* take damage."
  47. ↑ Touhou Project - Story of Eastern Wonderland 封魔録.txt Controls "●Ｘkey　　　Uses a spiritual attack.
    Commonly known as the bomb. Allows invincibility for a short period."
  48. ↑ Touhou Project - Highly Responsive to Prayers/Eastern Wondrous Tale Game Manual Touhou Reiiden Rules of the Game:"Every 5 stages a boss will appear. Only the power of the Yin-Yang Orb can deal damage. (If you have 0 lives remaining your spirit attack can also do damage.)
    Bosses have various types of attacks but you can repel white bullets with your exorcism or somersault or the start of an ofuda burst. Also, if you hit a bullet directly with an ofuda you can destroy it.
    You cannot destroy lasers and missiles. When you're cornered simply accept that you will have to bomb. Otherwise it may be time to give up. Fire, exploding bullets and the like are also not destroyable."
  49. ↑ Touhou 02: Story of Eastern Wonderland
  50. ↑ Touhou Project - Lotus Land Story Manual Bonuses and extends "＊３．Bomb bonus
    Using a bomb will cause all items on screen to be attracted towards the player.
    At this time, collected items will have their value doubled.
    When using a bomb, go to the top of the screen as much as possible for higher scores."
  51. ↑ Touhou 05: Mystic Square
  52. ↑ Touhou 03: Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream Final Stage
  53. ↑ Touhou 14.5: Urban Legend in Limbo Reimu Story Ending
  54. ↑ Touhou 01: Highly Responsive to Prayers
  55. ↑ Touhou 02: Story of Eastern Wonderland
  56. ↑ Touhou 04: Lotus Land Story
  57. ↑ Touhou 01: Highly Responsive to Prayers
  58. ↑ Touhou Suzunaan (Bell Hermitage) ~ Forbidden Scrollery Chapter 25
  59. ↑ Touhou 15: Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom Reimu Ending 1
  60. ↑ Touhou 15: Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom Reimu Ending 2
  61. ↑ Touhou 15: Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom Stage 6
  62. ↑ Touhou 15: Sanae Ending 6
  63. ↑ Touhou Project - Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom Prologue "When urban legends were manifesting in Gensokyo, a rumour started to spread that "Apollo never went to the Moon".
    At the same time, a metallic spider appeared around the mountain. The spider appeared to be slowly wandering around.
    Reimu: "So, what's this weird machine you mentioned?"
    Sanae: "It happened when the morning mist was still covering the mountain."
    It had a form with no imperfections, unbecoming of any other beast or monster.
    Mist faded away and the trees withered in the places where the spider passed by.
    Reimu: "So, a machine that looked like a spider?"
    Sanae: "I only caught a glimpse of it, but it definitely wasn't just some youkai that I mistook."
    Reimu: "Maybe it's one of the kappa's tools..."
    Once the machine passed by, there were no signs of life.
    Tengu flew in the sky overhead, but for some reason, they paid no attention to the spider As the foothills came into the spider's view, it slowly clambered down the cliffside.
    Sanae: "This is definitely interesting. I can't imagine that its appearance is just a coincidence."
    Sanae began to grow restless.
    Reimu: "What is it? It's kind of irritating."
    Sanae: "That thing looked just like Curiosity."
    —Eientei.
    Kaguya: "Seems the time has come for them to arrive."
    Eirin: "What shall we do?"
    Kaguya: "That's obvious, isn't it? I already prepared myself."
    A natural and satisfying answer.
    Eirin: "If they're making a move, no human will possibly be able to compete with them.
    However, if we were to make any move, we'd fall right into the enemy's hands.
    What's more, the youkai of Earth likely can't even interfere to begin with."
    Kaguya: "So what do we do?"
    Eirin: "I made some medicine for just the occasion. Get Reisen to deliver this to the shrine maiden and her friends."
    —Marisa's house, in the Forest of Magic
    The seven Occult Balls that had suddenly appeared. Marisa had been investigating just what one of the balls had been; The ball of the Lunar Capital, to be precise.
    Marisa: "Looks like this thing was somehow the cause of that while urban legend uproar, but..."
    As she sat bewildered, the moon rabbit Reisen appeared there.
    —The metallic spider's march of purification cannot be stopped. The trees wither before one's eyes. Not one blade of grass was left in the spider's tracks. When Gensokyo is completely purified, it will be transformed into a perfect world.
    Into a beautiful planet with no life on it...""
  64. ↑ Changeability of Strange Dream #11 Mystic Maple ~ Eternal Dream ""Honestly, you're always late, Renko, even though you're the one who always invites me."
    "Merry, I was just 3 minutes and 15 seconds late. Almost, right?"
    "What do you mean, 'almost'? Or should I say, what did you want today?"
    "Club activites, of course. Since all the members are here, we can't miss this opportunity."
    "There are only the two of us, though... so, did you find some sort of entrance again?"
    There is but only one conclusion. The dream world that Merry spoke of. Its beautiful nature and its hint of the mysterious.
    A shrine in the deep mountains far from human habitation. Children frolicking and making merry. A deep green forest, and a sparkling white lake. A scarlet mansion, with tea time under the sunshine filtering through the trees. A huge bamboo forest that makes you lose your way, and natural bamboo shoots. The full moon that drives people mad. Inhuman creatures wearing human faces. And the ominous phoenix... ...It's not fair if Merry is the only one who gets to see them!
    "Of course I've found a way to get to another world. See here? I have all these clues."
    "Clues...? These are the things I got in my dream world, Renko."
    "That's right, that's the world we're looking for today. You know, doesn't it seem like the children of this country never seem happy? Do you know why that is, Merry?"
    "?"
    "They learned to think that dream and reality are the same thing, because of the scientists who think as you do. As mere virtual images seen within the mind, they have incorporated them into reality as a physiological phenomenon. Outside of subjectivity, there is a believable objectivity. There is absolute truth. You say subjectivity is the truth? Your words contradict themselves. That theory is mistaken. As evidence, you dreamed without recognizing your experiences as subjective, didn't you? Dreams and reality are different. That's why it's possible to make dreams into reality with hard work. And that's why kids used to be able to smile. Open your eyes! Dreams are things to be made into reality. Let's make the world of dreams into reality!""
  65. ↑ Touhou 03: Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream Cutscene: Marisa vs. Chiyuri
  66. ↑ Touhou 03: Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream Cutscene: Kana vs Chiyuri
  67. ↑ Touhou 04: Lotus Land Story Stage 1
  68. ↑ Immaterial and Missing Power Tutorial
  69. ↑ Touhou 17.5: Sunken Fossil World Reimu Story Tutorial
  70. ↑ Touhou 12.8 Great Fairy Wars Stage EX
  71. ↑ Touhou 12.8 Great Fairy Wars Stage A1-2
  72. ↑ Touhou 03: Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream Cutscene: Reimu vs Chiyuri
  73. ↑ Touhou 12.8 Great Fairy Wars Freeze Mechanic
  74. ↑ Touhou Hisoutensoku Reisen vs. Cirno, Reisen win quote
  75. ↑ Touhou 03: Phantasmagoria Dim. Dream Rikako Ending
  76. ↑ Touhou 03: Phantasmagoria Dim. Dream Rikako Ending
  77. ↑ Gensou Narratograph Chapter 1 Pages 104 - 108 "GM: Ahh, I had a great time! Thank you all for playing!
    All: Thank you!
    ZUN: I had fun. Lots of fun. (laugh)
    GM: Really!? Just hearing that makes me really happy.
    Player A: Yeah, it was great!
    GM: Thank you very much! So, we're about to get into the post-game!
    In reality, we're also supposed to do things like reset or advance your characters and stuff like that, but since the time limit's pressing down on us, I'd just like everyone to take a turn and share their thoughts about today's game, anything like that.
    Player B: Alright. Man, what should we talk about? (laugh)
    GM: (laugh) ...Well, suppose I'll start. First off, I'll say it again, but thank you, everyone.
    All: Thank you for the game!
    GM: In particular, it was really nice of ZUN to agree to play with us, and I loved watching him play Reimu.
    ZUN: No, no, it's nothing. (laugh)
    GM: It really made me feel, "So this is what Reimu's like!" Very strongly so.
    ZUN: Well, you know. Reimu's a character with no mercy towards youkai. Whether they're bad, or even haven't done anything, she'll hit them without a second thought. (laugh)
    GM: Yes, well... It was fun to watch. Player A, who played Cirno, has the longest history with tabletop RPGs here, so you could really call them a veteran, but they turned out to be a big help filling in the details of the story here.
    Player A: Yaaay. I'm glad you think so.
    GM: Aya was very cool in the Showdown Phase. In addition, they did a great job roleplaying and commenting on things in the scenes, and made me chuckle a lot of times.
    Player B: Hahaha. You're right, I did roll pretty well back there.
    GM: Also, speaking as the GM, excitable Sanae was a lot of fun to play!
    ZUN: You could tell from the start she was going to fail (laugh). The way she acted.
    GM: If that's what you thought, then it worked as intended (laugh). — So, moving on. Player A, if you would!
    Player A: Okaaay! Everyone, thank you so much! Everyone was really cute... I noticed I was grinning the whole time. (laugh)
    All: Thank you!
    Player A: I felt a lot of love for the source material in all of Aya's lines. Writing an extra, and the regular edition too, I really felt like "Man, being a reporter is a lot of work."
    Player B: That's great to hear.
    Player A: And Reimu was really awesome too. Really felt like this was "ZUN's Reimu". Saying what she wants, doing what she wants, being really rough on Cirno too, it was great to see. Compared to everyone else here, I don't know the source material nearly as well, so it might not have been a very Cirno-like Cirno, but I still had lots of fun messing around as her for a day. Thank you very much!
    GM: I think it was good you amped up her fairy-ness! — Well, next up, Player B. If you would.
    Player B: Riiight! Good work, everyone! Man... First off, Cirno was really cute. I thought her level of energy and clever use of her ability were really Cirno-like, actually. She was fun to watch.
    Player A: Hehehe. Alright!
    Player B: Also, the mental image of Sanae explaining the ski resort with a smug look on her face really stuck in my head. It was such a good smug face, I don't even know if it would come across in a photo. (laugh)
    ZUN: It was a good smug face. Sanae also has a habit of getting carried away, after all. (laugh)
    GM: I'm glad to hear you say that. (laugh)
    Player B: I feel like Aya really wants to write articles that make people chuckle, so the idea of being able to turn Sanae's smug photo against her was really funny. My main goal as Aya was to write some entertaining articles, so I'm glad I got a lot of chances for that. I think I managed to roleplay an Aya Shameimaru that matches what's in my head.
    ZUN: It was very Aya-like. (laugh)
    Player B: Thank you very much! — And, of course, I felt a really strong "canon Reimu" too, and was really moved. How direct she was with everyone, and her small hitbox, simply felt like her.
    ZUN: Yeah, exactly (laugh). That's what Reimu's like.
    Player B: Maaan, I'm still not over it. — Seriously, thank you!
    GM: Thank you very much. ...So, finally. Can I ask ZUN as well?
    ZUN: Of course. Man, it was fun (laugh). First off, Cirno. Watching "Charismatic" Cirno run around like that, I definitely thought, "Is that what Cirno's like?" ...but despite that, it was great, and I felt like I saw a new Cirno today. I felt like this game's own kind of Touhou-ness, own kind of playstyle and relationships between characters really got to shine. It was really good.
    Player A: Thank you very much!
    ZUN: Aya is a character who's easy to make a bit too righteous, but this one definitely wasn't. Her only looking for the bad sides of people is, if I had to say, more faithful to how I write her. Really Aya-like. It was great.
    Player B: Hehehe. That's just how Aya is, huh. Doesn't really think about anybody else, you could say.
    ZUN: Yeah, exactly. That's how she is (laugh). ...Also, the first thing that really surprised me was with that cat in the Human Village. I just threw "It was Chen, right?" out there as a bit of a joke, but then the GM picked that up and ran with it. I really thought "Wow! These are actually connected like that!?" It made me think that might be what's really good about these kinds of games.
    GM: I was a bit worried about that part, but I'm glad it worked out.
    ZUN: To be honest, I was kind of messing with you when I said that. (laugh)
    GM: Messing with me!?
    ZUN: (laugh) — Well, last, about the Reimu I played. I was kind of embarrassed in parts, and don't really know if you can call what I did roleplay. But in the final danmaku battle, watching the bullets fly past me even without doing anything, I really felt invincible for a moment, and like Reimu's character really ended up shining through somehow. I know the dice rolls are random and stuff, but it's interesting how you can see it like that.
    GM: Yeah, that's true. Of course, the numbers you get when rolling dice are just products of chance, but I think being able to sense meaning in them is one of the great things about tabletop RPGs. And since they're random, they end up going differently every time. (laugh)
    ZUN: True, true. I kinda wanna do this again sometime.
    GM: If you think so, that really makes me feel like it was worth making.
    ...But, well, until we get another chance, I think this is it for now. Good work today, everyone!
    All: Good work today!
    ..."
  78. ↑ Touhou Project - Highly Responsive to Prayers/Eastern Wondrous Tale Game Manual Touhou Reiiden Backstory: " * Yin-Yang Orb ... Hakurei Shrine's Greatest Treasure
    A mysterious orb with an unnatural amount of spiritual power. Perhaps a soul dwells within? It appears as though it could be alive. Normally you cannot defeat spirits or devilish powers without a weapon such as this."
  79. ↑ ZUN's Email "> • Are Yuki and Mai really dead?
    > I know we're dealing with a PC-98 game, but were Yuki and Mai from Mystic Square really killed?
    > Looking in particular in the conversation when Lady Mima and Yuki are left... (sweat)
    > Or is this also a type of joke, like Lady Remilia's statement that "Sakuya is dead" in EoSD?
    Basically, they're whatever-works types, so they might not be dead. I generally have no comment regarding the PC-98 games. Please ignore them just as one can ignore derivative works. :-)"
  80. ↑ ZUN's reply to messages on the former Gensou Bulletin Board "Ｑ．「幻想郷」旧作を知らないのですが、霊夢とアリスの過去になにが・・・？
    Ａ．基本的に、ストーリーに関係するキャラは全て紅魔郷以降になります。
    一応、紅魔郷から全体の設定を一掃したので、新シリーズみたいなもんだと
    思っていただけると(^^;

    Q: I don't know anything about the old games in Gensokyo, but did Reimu and Alice have something going on in the past?
    A: Generally, the story related to the characters will all be from Embodiment of Scarlet Devil and later. For now, you can just think of EoSD starting from a clean slate, and starting a new series. (^^;"
  81. ↑ Meiji University talkshow "Dawn of Touhou" "Q: Why was Highly Responsive to Prayers an Arkanoid-clone, not a shmup?
    ZUN: "Because it was a study product.""
  82. ↑ ZUN's AWA Q&A Panel Touhou Wiki Translation:
    "Q: Are the PC-98 games considered canon compared to the Windows series?
    ZUN: It's the same world. There are a few contradictions in the story when putting the PC-98 and Windows games side by side, but I would take reference from the latest games to consider what is canon."

    Word of the Nerd ZUN AWA Panel: Recap Translation:"Q: Are the PC-98 games considered canon compared to the Windows series?
    ZUN: There are a few contradictions in the story when putting the PC-98 and Windows games side by side, but I would take reference from the latest games to consider what is canon."

    Rukasarisari Tumblr Translation:"Q: Are the PC-98 games separate canonically from the Windows series?
    A: It’s the same world, and ZUN realizes there are contradictions. He then tells us to refer to the most recent games <for canon>."
  83. ↑ Embodiment of the Scarlet Devil おまけ.txt "So without any advice, here are the character backstories.
    ○Eternal Shrine Maiden
    Reimu Hakurei
    Ability: Able to Fly, and to Manipulate Natural Spirits.
    The protagonist.
    Chronologically this title is not too far from the previous title, thus her age stays the same as before.
    Unintentionally, she is a shrine maiden. Or rather, she is a shrine maiden only because the Touhou series has become the "Shrine Maiden Shooting Game" series. It feels like the cart has been placed before the horse to me.
    This time, her outfit is not overly intricate like typical shrine maiden clothing, but has become quite simple and only remotely resembles that of a shrine maiden. Is she really a shrine maiden?
    She's more like "You red & white girl!" in my opinion."
  84. ↑ Touhou Project - Strange Creators of Outer World Who's Who of Humans & Youkai in Gensokyo Yuuka Kazami "I basically just wanted to bring back a character from the old works (*from before "Embodiment of Scarlet Devil"). Her current appearance is based on the one from "Seihou Project", made by my juniors. Back then, based on the personal criteria I had for a "strong boss", I figured it would be better if she weren't being too serious the first time you fought her. Then, when she woke up all the way, she would have a "serious mode." I wonder if I could've gotten away with bringing back more older characters at the time, too... although they wouldn't mesh that well with the current setting. I'd say those old characters have probably retired by now, and are warmly watching over things from various places nowadays."
  85. ↑ ZUN's Gensou Denshou Lecture Gensou Denshou After Report "Questioner: Where has Ms. Mima gone to?
    ※Mima is a character introduced in Touhou Project's PC-98 games (Story of Eastern Wonderland, Mystic Square, etc).

    ZUN: The past is being brought up too huh? Bringing them back would make things complicated, and people will ask "Where have they been this entire time?!" I'd rather bring out new characters than go back to past characters. But, I also kinda wanna bring them back too. I won't say they'll never be brought back... that's kinda how I feel, see?

    Questioner:Even Genjii?
    ※Genjii is a character introduced in Touhou Project's PC-98 games. He assisted Reimu by allowing her to ride on him since she could not fly at the time.

    ZUN:Well Reimu is able to fly now. Either way, the idea of a turtle hermit... why did I do that? I feel like a Nimbus Cloud would have been a better idea (lol). Normally speaking, since turtles live a very long time, (Genjii) is most likely not dead. That is the impression I get."
  86. ↑ Meiji University talkshow "Dawn of Touhou" "Q: Where's Genjii now?
    ZUN: "Probably living in the lake at the back of the shrine... at least he's not consumed.""
  87. ↑ Touhou Sangetsusei ~ Strange and Bright Nature Deity Chapter 12
  88. ↑ Touhou Project - Perfect Cherry Blossom Stage 03 Reimu "Reimu: It's really cold out tonight...
    And I can't see a thing."

    Alice: Is your level of spring insufficient even to push away this cold?"

    Reimu: Well, that might be true.

    Alice: Long time no see.

    Reimu: We've only just met.

    Alice: No, that's not what I meant.

    Reimu: Long time no visibility?

    Alice: Don't you remember me? Well, either way is fine though.

    Reimu: Setting that aside, what did you mean by "level of spring"?

    Alice: I was referring to the springtime in your head.

    Reimu: I hope mine's not too high. Still, why has this winter been so long?

    Alice: There's someone who's gathering the spring.

    Reimu: And you have nothing to do with it?

    Alice: Of course not.

    Reimu: Bye.

    Alice: Hey!

    Alice: And we've only just met after so long, old friend. Have you only brought me your life as a gift?

    Reimu: And why am I being called "old friend" by this seven-colored magical moron?

    Alice: In the end, shrine maidens are two colors.
    Your power is only twenty-eight-point-five-seven-one-four percent as powerful as mine.
  89. ↑ Touhou Project - Phantasmagoria of Flower View Yuuka Story Episode 6 - Wonderful Shrine Maiden of Paradise: Reimu Hakurei "Yuuka: Flowers and ghosts and..., hmm. Speaking of which, this happened once before didn't it? How many decades ago was it? It's been so ordinary since then, I can't remember.

    Reimu: Ah, there you are!

    Reimu: You're the culprit, aren't you?

    Yuuka: Do you think that ignoring the events back then, would bring everything back to normal?

    Reimu: Everything went back to normal when I defeated you back then!"
  90. ↑ Touhou Project - Phantasmagoria of Flower View Yuuka vs Marisa Yuuka Victory Quote "Yuuka: Ah, you're still alive?
    You've grown up quite a bit."
  91. ↑ Touhou Project - Immaterial and Missing Power Omake Afterword "Greetings, from one's whose ratio of saying "nice to meet you" is decreasing steadily even in real life, ZUN.
    But this time there may be more people to who I am saying "nice to meet you" than for Imperishable Night.
    This time it's Touhou Suimusou (IaMP), Touhou Project Volume Number 7.5.
    Though I get the feeling "What's with 7.5 being released after 8", this isn't the numbering order of release, but rather the order of canon.
    The plot of this game happens between Perfect Cherry Blossom (Winter to Spring) and the time of Imperishable Night (Early Autumn).
    Eventually, the "game of the summer" started to feel more like a game coming in winter, right?"
  92. ↑ ZUN's reply to messages on the former Gensou Bulletin Board "Q: "Gensokyo" In "Embodiment of Scarlet Devil," wasn't it a serious affair for the strange mist to go down to the human village?
    A: Ahh, that it is a little misunderstanding.
    The motive of the turmoil, so to speak, is the motive of the youkai side who caused the turmoil.
    Since it can't be helped, even when Reimu and the gang are defeated, they challenge again however many times they want; but on the youkai side, they do not challenge again after being defeated and are not attached to the results of winning or losing..., to say it clearly it is assuredly an inconsequential thing^^;
    Mr.anonymous's post was precise so I shall cite it:
    Sorry for butting in. However, in my thinking, as for what shall happen when the mist given out by Remilia goes to the human village, in the first place, I have not conceived that the mist would go to the human village. So in other words, there was no bad intention. The reason for giving out the mist is also, "that" (haha so Reimu also went towards the extent of giving a warning, "it can't be helped" (although it is violent, eh?"
  93. ↑ Touhou Project - Perfect Memento in Strict Sense Reimu Profile
  94. ↑ Touhou Project - Perfect Memento in Strict Sense Reimu Profile
  95. ↑ Touhou Project - Perfect Memento in Strict Sense Reimu Profile
  96. ↑ Touhou Project - Perfect Memento in Strict Sense Reimu Profile "スペルカードルール Spell Card Rules
    いかなる妖怪でも博麗の巫女を倒す訳にはいかず、妖怪の存在意義が消えようとしていたが、彼女は画期的な手段を持ってその問題を解決する。 Without a way for any youkai to defeat the Hakurei shrine maiden, many youkai felt that their meaning to exist had disappeared, but by taking some ground-breaking measures she solved this problem.
    それはスペルカードルールの導入である。 That is, the introduction of the spell card rules.
    スペルカードルールは、お互い技を見せ合い、その美しさで競う決闘ルールである。 The spell card rules are dueling rules that allow both parties to show off their skills in a beautiful competition.
    大雑把に言うと、 The major points are:
    *スペルカードとは、自分の得意技に名前を付けた物で、使う時は宣言してから使う必要がある。 *Spell cards are techniques specially-named by the individual, and they must be declared upon use.
    *お互いカードの枚数は予め決闘前に提示しなければならない。 *The number of each party's spell cards must be determined in advance of a duel.
    *手持ちのカードが全て破られると負けを認めなければいけない。 *The first party to have all of their spell cards beaten must admit defeat.
    *勝者は決闘前に決めた報酬以外は受け取らない。相手が提示した報酬が気に入らなければ断れる。 *The victor is entitled only to what was agreed upon before the duel. If they're not interested in what their opponent has to offer, they can refuse a duel.
    *勝者は敗者の再戦の希望を、積極的に受ける様にする。 *Winners should generally allow losers a rematch.
    *不慮の事故は覚悟しておく。 *Always prepare for the unexpected.
    といった内容のもので、これによりスポーツ感覚に近い決闘が出来る。 Following these rules allows for duels that feel almost like sport.
    そのルールの導入により、比較的力の弱い人間も妖怪に勝負を挑む事が可能となった。 With the introduction of these rules, it became possible for even relatively weak humans to challenge youkai.
    それと同時に気軽に巫女を倒す事も出来て、反対に妖怪も有る程度無茶出来る様になった。 At the same time, it became possible for youkai to freely defeat the shrine maiden without worrying about the consequences."
  97. ↑ Touhou Project - Perfect Memento in Strict Sense Unresolved Materials Draft of Spell Card Rules
  98. ↑ Touhou 03: Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream Cutscene: Kana vs Chiyuri
  99. ↑ Touhou 03: Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream Cutscene: Reimu vs Chiyuri
  100. ↑ Touhou 05: Mystic Square Good Ending #1
  101. ↑ Touhou 6: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil Stage 5
  102. ↑ Touhou 07: Perfect Cherry Blossom Extra Stage
  103. ↑ Touhou 8: Imperishable Night Extra Stage
  104. ↑ Meiji University talkshow "Dawn of Touhou" "Q: Who's the strongest in Gensokyo?
    ZUN: "Absolutely, ...isn't it Reimu? Although it seems obvious.""
  105. ↑ Touhou 15: Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom Stage 2
  106. ↑ Touhou 15: Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom Stage 4
  107. ↑ Touhou 16: Hidden Star in Four Seasons Stage 6
  108. ↑ Touhou 17: Wily Beast and Weakest Creature Extra Stage
  109. ↑ Touhou 18: Unconnected Marketeers Stage 2
  110. ↑ Touhou 18: Unconnected Marketeers Stage 3
  111. ↑ 111.0 111.1 Symposium of Post-mysticism Yuugi Hoshiguma Profile Pages 120-122 "The Spoken-of Unexplainable Phenomena
    Yuugi Hoshiguma
    Ability: The ability to wield unexplainable phenomena
    Threat level: Very High
    Human friendship level: Unknown
    Main place of activity: Former Hell
    An oni who silences crying children. While it's unknown where all the oni went, it's been confirmed that at least one lives in Former Hell. It's quite likely that there are other oni living in Former Hell as well. While oni have a strong sense of camaraderie, they have an even stronger sense of independence so it seems she doesn't know where the others live.
    It is said that she possesses unbelievably supernatural strength. According to fellow oni Suika Ibuki, "She's weaker than me in magical powers, but might be stronger than me physically."(*1) Although this is just a rumor, it is said that her superhuman strength is of the level where her footsteps alone are enough to make nearby buildings collapse.
    The sake dish she carries is said to be called the Hoshiguma Dish, an oni masterwork that increases the quality of any sake poured into it(*2). Its compatibility with the Ibuki Gourd carried by Suika Ibuki is extremely high.
    Currently, it seems she has cut off all contact with humans. Moreover, she tries to limit contact with the youkai on the surface as much as possible. For these reasons, there is little information on her.
    Regarding her personality, she is firm of character and straightforward. She likes the strong, the brave and the honest, while conversely shows no mercy towards the weak, the cowardly and the sly."
  112. ↑ Touhou 11: Subterranean Animism Stage 2
  113. ↑ Touhou 11: Subterranean Animism Stage 2
  114. ↑ 114.0 114.1 Curiosities of Lotus Asia Chapter 27 Mechanism of Fortune ""It's okay. 暫 (Shibara) Once I get there, this ghost story will die down. That's the future we have planned."/"It'll be fine. The phantoms will settle down after a while. The future is predetermined like that."
    Spiritual dreams Mysterious question (Kegen) He looked at me with a strange expression./Reimu gave me a dubious expression.
    "Rinnosuke says the same thing as vampires and monsters."/"The vampires and youkai say the same thing you do."
    It is said that ghosts have appeared on the streets, but this store 出 (﹅) る (﹅) There are few things. Ghosts are noisy to begin with 処 (place) It's easy to get together in. The ghost itself 儚Haka ({{{2}}}) Perhaps it's because they seem to be disappearing at any moment, but it's easy to feel their own presence 賑 (Nigi) Gather in a small place. They will likely gather in crowded places, just like humans did when they were alive./Phantoms will appear in public places, but they don't show up at my store often. To begin with, phantoms tend to gather easily wherever there is a lot of commotion. This is because of a phantom's transient nature, where they may vanish at any moment, so they gather at a lively place where it is easier for them to really feel their own existence. It is likely just as when they were human, preferring to be in crowds to people.
    "They say the future is planned, but that doesn't make sense. Some people seem to make their daily lives based solely on luck," Marisa said after having a spiritual dream./"There's no way the future is pre-defined. Some people's lives are supported just by luck, y'know." Marisa said, looking at Reimu.
    "Well, it's just luck 勘 (Kan) But even a hunch is a hunch that has some basis."/"Well, rather than 'just by luck' it's 'intuition', and that intuition is an intuition with a proper foundation."
    She looked like she couldn't believe Marisa./Marisa's expression said that she didn't believe her.
    "At the banquet ち (﹅) ん (﹅) ち (﹅) ろ (﹅) り (﹅) ん (﹅) Even when I did it, it wasn't a contest 賽 (Sai) You'll catch the eye of. What kind of basis do you have for that."/"Whenever we play Chinchirorin at parties, ya always call the face of the die to the point where there's no longer any competition. How can ya say there's a foundation for that?"
    Chinchirorin? Ah, Saiko (Dice) It's a simple game where you just have to look at the eyes of. Gambling at banquets is like the world of the yakuza./Chinchirorin? Ah, the simple game played with dice. Feasts and gambling, it's like the world of crime.
    "Marisa, I think the reason Reimu is able to ensure the dice are cast is because he is instantly calculating the planned future."/"Marisa, I believe the reason why Reimu can guess the outcome of dice rolls must be because she can calculate in an instant the predetermined future."
    I shared my thoughts on the mechanism by which the eye of the dice is determined. Reimu must probably be able to calculate the result intuitively by looking at Saiko's initial state. That's the kind of luck that exists in the world./I told them my idea, about the mechanism by which the outcome of dice was set. Perhaps after seeing the initial conditions Reimu can calculate the result of the dice by her intuition. Within this world good luck is that sort of thing.
    "Rinnosuke, that's completely different. You can't do that kind of calculation just by looking at the dice. Calculating people only think about probability. And even if you do the math, it won't turn out the way it does."/"That's not it at all, Mr. Rinnosuke. No matter how you slice it you couldn't do that kind of calculation just by looking at the dice. Calculating people only think with probabilities. Besides, even if they did calculate that the result won't go exactly as they thought."
    "Why do you think that? It's true that there's no way to calculate it, but if you could calculate it, you could read the future."/"Why do you think so? While I suppose you couldn't do that, wouldn't it still let you tell the future if you could?"
    Reimu looked shocked./Reimu looked shocked.
    "I seem to understand luck a few levels better, so I'll teach you today. The mechanism of probability. Also, the future is not planned..."/"Since it seems I have a deeper understanding of fortune, today I'll be doing the lecturing on the mechanism of probability. And while I'm at it I'll also show that the future is not predetermined…"
  115. ↑ Curiosities of Lotus Asia Chapter 27 Mechanism of Fortune "The layers of physics act on the laws of physics, the layers of psychology act on the interpretation of results, and the layers of memory act on the manipulation of probability, interacting to create the future. Since memories cannot be the same as a single point in the past, there are no plans for the future./The physical layer follows the laws of physics, the mental layer interprets the outcomes and the memory layer alters probability, mutually creating the future. Since it's impossible for memories to reach the same state as a point in the past, the future is not predetermined.
    For example, suppose you roll the dice once and get a 1. Even if you drop the dice again under the exact same conditions, the fact that one came out 賽 (﹅) 子 (﹅) が (﹅) 覚 (﹅) え (﹅) て (﹅) い (﹅) る (﹅) The above are not necessarily the same probability./So take a die rolling a one as an example. If you were to throw it again with the same initial conditions as before, since the die members the previous outcome it won't necessarily be the same probability.
    Just as I was about to hear and understand, I thought, "So how can you say you can read the dice?" Marisa asked./I followed her explanation up to that point, but then Marisa asked "So how are ya able to predict how the dice will fall?"
    I was distracted by Reimu's idea of a new world, but Marisa remained calm. If you can read the dice, not only will you be able to stand it and not lose, but you may also be able to achieve the same level of luck as Reimu./While I was entranced by Reimu's new illustration of the world, Marisa was unfazed. I didn't think she wanted to know just to beat Reimu at Chinchirorin, but to use that idea to become as lucky as Reimu.
    "I'm not really reading the next die. 私 (﹅) が (﹅) 賽 (﹅) の (﹅) 目 (﹅) を (﹅) 予 (﹅) 想 (﹅) し (﹅) た (﹅) That's what Saiko remembers."/"I'm not "predicting" the fall of the dice at all. The dice members the fact that 'I predicted how the dice would fall'."
    Just by having a lucky card called Reimu in your memory at the dice, the result will be great and you will be on the Reimu side 偏 (Katayo) It is said to be a ru. 結 (﹅) 果 (﹅) が (﹅) 霊 (﹅) 夢 (﹅) に (﹅) 付 (﹅) い (﹅) て (﹅) く (﹅) る (﹅) Apparently./According to this, by the lucky card called Reimu entering the memory of the die-face the result greatly skews in Reimu's favorite. Apparently, 'the results side with Reimu'.
    "Well, then such knowledge is of no use to anyone except those with good fortune," Marisa was embarrassed./"What? Howzzat gonna help anyone but those who are already lucky?" Marisa sunk.
    I thought there was something false and shady about luck in the world. A big factor in this is that I thought the future was planned. Good luck (Engi) Even things were perceived as just far-fetched lumps./I doubted the existence of things such as fortune in this world, thinking it seemed like a lie. This was too likely of me thinking that the future was predetermined. I saw good luck charms as nothing more than lumps of sophistry.
    However, hearing Reimu's words reaffirmed the existence of luck in this world. There are certainly lucky and bad people. 験 (Gen) を 担 (and) Some people succeed easily. To the jinx 囚 (Tora) I have people who fail. It may certainly be rough to think of all of these as just initial conditions./ Whatever, upon listening to Reimu's words, I have reaffirmed the existence of fortune. The blessed man and the cursed man both exist, certainly. There is a man that succeeds in shouldering his trials. There is a man that is a failure, captive by jinxes, as well. It might certainly be reckless to think of each one as mere because of initial conditions.
    If the determination of probability is due to the power of memory, it may not be surprising that lucky charms have the power to manipulate probability. The origin is complex and strange 程 (Moderate) , memory is Taki (Taki) This also means that the status of lucky charms increases./If we assume that probability is determined by the power of memory, it may be natural that probability can be manipulated by the power of good luck charms. The more complicated and unusual the origins are, the more memories a charm will have, therefore raising its effectiveness.
    Reimu added that 『all matter and psychology in this world are created by probability, and it is the luck of memory that determines this』./Reimu added to this, "In this world, both objects and souls are made up of probability, and are determined by the fortune which memories hold."
    I once heard that word and remembered it. 『 こ (﹅) の (﹅) 世 (﹅) の (﹅) 物 (﹅) 質 (﹅) は (﹅) 全 (﹅) て (﹅) 確 (﹅) 率 (﹅) で (﹅) 存 (﹅) 在 (﹅) し (﹅) て (﹅) い (﹅) る (﹅) For it is already common sense』 I have seen science books from the outside world that say things like this. I remember looking at the book and not being able to figure out 『who would confirm the probability』 and not really understanding it./Hearing those words I remembered something. "It is already common knowledge that everything in the world exists by probabilities." Something along those lines was written in a science textbook from the outside world. I recall having only a huge compromise of its meaning, and I didn't understand, "Who determines the outcome of those probabilities?"
    However, Reimu was thinking of something similar, and he also realized that he had the power to determine probability in his memory. It was amazing./But Reimu had thought the same kind of thing, and even realized that it is memories which hold the right to determine those probabilities. It was surprising.
    "Memory determines probability... in other words What goes around comes around (Ingaohou) You could also say, it's amazing. That may indeed be true. But how did you acquire that knowledge?"/"Memory determinations probability... in other words, you could say it's karma. That's pretty amazing. It may very well be true. By the way, how did you come across this knowledge?"
    Always Inaction (Mui) I almost added that it looks like the wind that lives in, but I stopped to move the story along smoothly./Your lifestyle appears so idle, I was about to add, but to preserve the current subject I changed my mind.
    「 も (﹅) の (﹅) 凄 (﹅) く (﹅) 頭 (﹅) の (﹅) 良 (﹅) い (﹅) 人 (﹅) 間 (﹅) I asked him."/"I heard it from a really, really smart human."
  116. ↑ Changeability of Strange Dream #07 Night Falls ~ Evening Star "But... it's strange. Even though there are an awful lot of old-fashioned people like you who consider dreams and reality to be direct opposites, I heard that people much, much longer ago didn't draw a distinction between dreams and reality.
    And now, we draw a distinction between dream and reality, but they are the same.
    The truth of reality and the truth of dreams, the me of reality and the me of dreams, they each exist.
    A butterfly of night or a human of the day...
    According to current common knowledge, both are me.
    I felt that I ran away a considerable distance, but I didn't feel fatigued at all.
    Was it because I moved as if I was flying in the sky? Did I become a butterfly, I wonder?
    But I could see the finish line for this kind of midnight marathon...
    ...I stopped running.
    Because a little further through the bamboo forest ahead of me, there was a scarlet red shining light.
    It had an ominous glow, as if it was not real.
    To compare it to something you'd understand...
    Its color might have been closest to that of the flame test of rubidium, perhaps?
    It was certainly nothing like a glowing bamboo stalk.
    Remaining cautious of what may have been behind me, I stealthily peeked in the direction of the light."
  117. ↑ Changeability of Strange Dream #09 Border Between Dreams and Reality ""And, this is the scrap of paper that I found on the ground after the big mouse and the girl left."
    "Hey, are you actually talking about a dream?"
    The origin of the scarlet light that confronted the big mouse was somehow a girl. That girl was shining with a scarlet light. As for the reason why she was shining scarlet, it is very simply that the girl's body was entirely engulfed in flames.
    No, that description is not entirely correct. It's more accurate to say that she was emitting flames from her body. The deep scarlet flames spread out diagonally upward, like a bird spreading its wings...
    Yes, that was how it was. She was ominous— incomparably more so than the big mouse with the human face. The big mouse was terrified and fled as soon as the girl raised her hands.
    "I keep telling youuu... Dreams and reality are the same thing. I've told you time and time again, haven't I? To me, talking to you now could be a dream, or it could be reality..."
    "Hey, listen, Merry, I'll hear you out about the dream world, so just calm down a bit. In the end, who was that girl? What happened afterwards?"
    "I don't know. After that, the big mouse ran away... and the girl left, too. I stayed hidden the whole time so the large mouse and the girl wouldn't see me. Why'd I stay hidden when she'd chased that mouse away for me, you ask? Well..."
    I'd gotten a look at that girl's eyes—scarlet beyond even the big mouse's...
    "...Because you couldn't call that human.""
  118. ↑ Touhou 15: Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom Stage 3
  119. ↑ Tohou 15.5 Antinomy of Common Flowers Futo/Ichirin Story Stage 3
  120. ↑ Tohou 15.5 Antinomy of Common Flowers Nitori/Kokoro Story Stage 5
  121. ↑ Touhou 14.5: Urban Legend in Limbo Reimu Story Ending
  122. ↑ Touhou 14.5: Urban Legend in Limbo Reimu Story Ending
  123. ↑ Touhou 02: Story of Eastern Wonderland Stage 03
  124. ↑ Touhou 02: Story of Eastern Wonderland Stage 03
  125. ↑ Touhou Sangetsusei (Three Fairies) ~ Oriental Sacred Place Chapters 1-2
  126. ↑ Touhou Sangetsusei (Three Fairies) ~ Strange and Bright Nature Deity Chapter 6
  127. ↑ Curiosities of Lotus Asia Chapter 27 Page 198-205 "She says that the world is made up of three layers:
    First is the physical layer that moves in accordance with the laws of physics, including all living things, objects, etcetera. It is on this layer that an object falls toward the ground, and that the water of the river flows.
    The second layer is one that moves with the spirit, which includes things such as magic and sorcery — the mental layer. One's mood turning sour when meeting an unpleasant person, and releasing all your stress and cares during a party lie here. Since most youkai can control the world through both the physical and mental layers, they say that history repeats itself and the future is predetermined as a prank.
    But according to Reimu, there is a third layer that rejects loops: this third layer is the memory layer, which is the recollection of events that lies within all things. Since it is only possible to add to the memory layer, it's impossible to completely recreate the past; if something were to happen that already occurred in the past, then there would be a contradiction because that would imply that that memory was lost, which is impossible. The memory layer always continues to build up."
  128. ↑ Curiosities of Lotus Asia Chapter 27 Page 198-205 "The second layer is one that moves with the spirit, which includes things such as magic and sorcery, the mental layer. One's mood turning sour when meeting an unhappy person, and releasing all your stress and cares during a party lie here. Since most youkai conceive of the world just through these physical and mental layers, they Ridiculously say that history repeats itself and the future is predetermined."

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