Omg, those medleys on mumu right now are soo good. Unfortunately for most of the second half of the 26 minute one I have no idea what songs are being played, and the 12 minute one doesn't seem to have TH7 songs, but still good :D
Frankly, canon characters are so god damn shallow. That's probably what drives authors to write and readers like me to read. On the plus side, no waiting for translations, this shit is in english to start with. I’m not sure how many people venture into this branch of fanon: there's the issue of finding it, as well as the stigma associated with fanficiton. So, after spending a great deal of time reading many stories, I thought I’d make a short info post to get people started on them. As a side note, I suck at posting, please forgive me lol.
Sites http://www.fanfiction.net/game/Touhou_Project/ Basically the center of the world in terms of Touhou fanfics. With few exceptions (including CYAO’s) most stories are posted here. Navigation and sort are pretty self-explanatory, and there is a built in review/favourite/etc. system.
http://www.touhou-project.com/ Choose your own adventures (CYAO’s), are what makes up touhou-project.com. The average writing quality there is a bit higher than fanfiction.com, which might be a by-product of the occasionally anal posters. I actually spend more time on this site, I should probably go back and take another look at fanfiction.com Authors post and give options, other people vote on the options, and then the author goes and writes the next piece. Touhou-project is a pretty slow site in terms of updates, though some authors still update quite fast and regularly. Stories are divided by the general location that they occur in.
The site is an imageboard, so posting is done primarily anonoymyously. There are very smart and good writers/people there, and also some anal posters there. Not a big deal, all in all, but just how they roll. By far, the greatest aid in navigating the stories on the sight is the story list at http://www.touhou-project.com/storylist.php Each story takes place in one or more threads, and the listing for each story has a link to all the threads (which may not be linked to themselves!). The majority of CYAO's never get finished and get scrapped or dropped. Writer motivation aside, this is also attributed to the greater detail in inventory, thoughts and day to day activites of CYAO's, less timeskips, and open-ended plots. + Show Spoiler [A note on NSFW] +
Note: touhou-project allows NSFW text (but not images) everywhere, and a dedicated 18+ section. Infrequently, some stories outside of 18+ touhou will contain lemon. You have been warned. If you are wondering about the difference: plot with porn, versus porn with plot. Fanfiction.com has Mature rated stories which it filters out (stuff are rated Mature for other things as well), but you won’t stumble upon them accidently.
Ramble/Exposition/Description The cookie cutter touhou plot is where a random main character is dropped in Gensokyo and goes from place to place over arcs. I daresay there are a fair number of mediocre works under this category. While there’s nothing wrong with it, after the first iteration or two, the same premise is just not going to hold your interest. Which is not to say there aren’t great works in this style: just that in those stories, there’s something else which makes it stand out. You won't find many of these stories in my rec's, but I that's just because I find it easier to reccomend something not-completely-subjectively based on plot, as opposed to likeable character or character interactions. But anyways, IMHO much better to just enjoy the god damn story instead of chewing oneself out judging it.
A fair amount of stories intersect chronologically with some of the canon touhou games, and integrate those events. Touhou Ibunshi is, and actively labels itself as, a retelling of the canonical incidents of the windows touhou games. Some of my favourite stories reinvent Gensokyo completely, or take it from an unconventional angle, compared to traditional canon. Stories like Shadow over Gensokyo, A New World, and Creeping Shadow, present the “Gensokyo but different” angle.
Recommended Stories (I’m to lazy to link them all, google them, I’ll link you if you can’t locate one). Links below. I extremely extremely roughly and subjectively ordered the stories based on their level of seriousness of their tone, environment, and interpretations, with the more lighter stories near the top, and the darker ones towards the bottom of each of the three lists. There isn't really any ranking within or between these lists, though my favourite story is definitely A Scarlet Stained Memoir.
Epics: These are stories (or CYOA’s which revolve around a story-like plot) which are generally quite long, and have well enough to build their own distinct Gensokyo, characters and settings. These all have a present well-formed plot and their writing is notably good. Most take place over multiple regions of Gensokyo and take the perspective of different characters.
Imperfect Metamorphosis [Ongoing] A forgotten character from EoSD, Rin Satsuki is unwittingly released from many years of containment, by a group of pranking fairies. Her unnatural state is the result of unspoken of experiments done years ago, all good intentions notwithstanding, that is a fact that makes her mere existence a problem for some of the more powerful inhabitants of Gensokyo. + Show Spoiler +
Gensokyoland Saga [Stalled] [CYAO] A Norse Bard is dropped into Gensokyo by Yukari, who he quickly swears vengeance against. However, it seems that a certain one of *his* gods has taken interest in this spiriting away. Contains liberal amounts of poem stanza's and battle. + Show Spoiler +
A New World[C] 500 years have past from present day Gensokyo, and the peaceful haven of a half-millennium ago is but a faint dream. It is this wary landscape, in which Renko and Maribel find themselves. Takes place over three volumes. + Show Spoiler +
Fragmentation of memories [Nearing C] [CYAO] Two (or three?) perspectives are shown, one of the real world, and one of a boy who wakes up without memories on the slopes of youkai mountain. Overall, a bit of a confusing story, that deals in red herrings and foreshadowing. + Show Spoiler +
Touhou Ibunshu [C] A retelling of the Windows touhou games, a total of around 8 stories between the scarlet devil incident and the endless night. A 6 boss beat down has been converted into something, a bit more complicated. Things are more realistic and grim, but also idealistic at the same time. + Show Spoiler +
http://www.usuallydead.com/ Go to Stories in the sidetab
A Scarlet Stained Memoir [C] [CYAO] The main character (who's name is limited to Farmer) stumbles past the mansion, where he is invited to stay there as a guest by Remilia. + Show Spoiler +
Stories The rare completed story or Choose-your-own-adventure. These are somewhat shorter (only a few Touhou-project threads’ worth, as opposed to a dozen or more).
The Last Stand of Cirno The Valiant Self-Explanatory. Cirno has grown too strong, so people want her disposed of. + Show Spoiler +
On going CYOA's Some Good ongoing choose your own adventures. I don’t have a specific thing to reccomend these, maybe good writing, interesting characters, interactions.
A Wizard is You [CYAO] – some D&D magician in Gensokyo. Hilarious and Ridiculous at times. Patchy Quest -- Touhou and Harry Potter crossover. Patchouli is, with difficulty, coaxed into teaching position at Hogwarts, which will begin Soon™ + Show Spoiler +
Creeping Shadows [CYAO] The Mages guild has sent the MC by train, to meet up with a fellow agent to investigate a town which has all but disappeared off the face of the Gensokyain Empire. This story is quite nicely alternate universe (think Gensokyian Empire, towns, mage guilds, trains, etc.) without being out of place. + Show Spoiler +
Chrono requested this link, so this is apparently for anyone who SOMEHOW has managed not to listen to this. Btw, it's not the same as the live piano version. Enjoy:
EDIT: First link from me, yay.
Last edit: 2012-06-27 10:34:51
Chronopolis Canada. June 28 2012 02:30. Posts 1381
On June 27 2012 10:31 Anopob wrote: Chrono requested this link, so this is apparently for anyone who SOMEHOW has managed not to listen to this. Btw, it's not the same as the live piano version. Enjoy:
EDIT: First link from me, yay.
Much Obliged, thanks!
You see, it's a siege tank that shoots force fields.
Archas United States. June 28 2012 08:59. Posts 5589
Gonna be honest, I just searched for "touhou prog rock" on YouTube for this one, because I had the others I wanted in mind. >_> I like the smooth harp and piano portions that transition into the guitar riffs, though I feel the guitar itself is a little too muted.
This totally reminds me of the sort of musical style of Metal Gear Solid boss battles. Hell, I could see this song being thrown into any tense moment in a spy thriller movie or game, and it'd fit damn near perfectly.
I've yet to hear an arrangement of Alice in Wonderland that I didn't like. It's just so good! In regard to LOST BLESS, this circle has only two albums released that I know of, but they're pretty damn good. I recommend you check them out.
This is the ending theme to the fanmade Touhou game, "AQUA STYLE: Fushigi no Gensoukyou", a dungeon-crawler type game. From what I've seen of the game, it looks pretty damn fun, with an engaging story. Also, CHATA. CHATAAAAAA~~
Also, just a quick question: If you were to recommend one Tutti Sound album, which would it be?
東方映画音楽選 ～Light Because The Light of Faith and 満ち、解き放たれる法の光 are the ones I know and are both really good <3
Nuclear fusion was my favorite of the two except for that eat splitting square wave at the end. Its so bad i actually edited it out for the version in my playlist.
Wow, the Nuclear Fusion is pretty good! I like how the "warning" sound is unique, and sort of less annoying/noticeable than usual.
On June 27 2012 00:41 Archas wrote: Yoshi, here's some Rumia.
Speaking of fanfics, I've started reading "A Scarlet Stained Memoir", because I was really bored and because Chronopolis recommended it. I honestly wasn't expecting much at all, but... wow. U N Owen writes very well, painting the scene so vividly; the strange thing is, every other story I've (tried to) read that is written like that gets an automatic "pretentious asshole" rating from me. Somehow, Owen is keeping me hooked.
I'm going to bed now, but I've stopped right before the chapter with the choice:
[x] Ignore him, go straight to jail, do not pass Go, do not collect $200
I HAVE NO FUCKING CLUE WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT I AM SO EXCITED TO FIND OUT TOMORROW ^_^
"i was watching dolphins leap out of the pavement next to my car, and the moon melted into the trees. fuckin tits" - QuanticHawk
Archas United States. June 28 2012 13:55. Posts 5589
On June 28 2012 13:55 Archas wrote: Okay, I gave in to temptation and read that chapter.
What. The. Fuck.
Ctrl-fff O_SHIT THAT POST. tbh I almost forgot about that post, the story is very long and there is much more to come... Damn, you're not far enough in, I can't even make a witty comment without potentially spoiling something.
Owen is a high tier writer. An interesting observation: out of the technically stronger writers on touhou-project, virtually all of them are doing some sort of graduate or post-graduate program. Writing an appreciatable tome is an opportunity that comes only when both one is thouroughly educated, and when one's obligations are still yet postponeable.
On June 28 2012 13:45 Archas wrote: the strange thing is, every other story I've (tried to) read that is written like that gets an automatic "pretentious asshole" rating from me.
The author, the MC, both?
On June 28 2012 12:28 Abenson wrote: YOSHI I SAW THE BLOG POST YOU'RE GONNA FIGHT BLAZING HAND OVER YOUMUU? GOOD LUCK BRO The post
Edit: lol the fanfic post... I actually wrote something on /at at one point... >_>
lol, so much stuff happening. Meanwhile my life is still boring and filled with work, so here's another day devoted to sitting in mumu and listening to my own uploads =P
Anopob: also, in between the most familiar parts, necrofantasy is like kekeke and necrofantasia is like bum b um bum
![[image loading]](http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/92/963eca7d69d5b41af39f15e.png)
I've actually heard this one before but I like this one.
