SasaMisa Posted May 5, 2022 Share Posted May 5, 2022 (edited) Obviously I mean for you personally since it is a subjective thing after all. No surprise at all that my list is very heavily influenced by my love of Wandering Souls, the very first time I ever heard a lot of these tunes. (^_^) My favourite Touhou tracks are as follows:- 01. Onigashima in the Fairyland 02. Capital City of Flowers in the Sky 03. Higan Retour ~ Riverside View 04. Youkai Shrine Back Road 05. Crimson in the Black Sea ~ Legendary Fish 06. Sky Ruin 07. Song of the Night Sparrow ~ Night Bird 08. Loose Rain 09. Youkai Mountain ~ Mysterious Mountain 10. Corpse Voyage ~ Be of Good Cheer As an aside, I've been wanting to do a YouTube collab video on this with my mate for a while now, except I still lack footage from several of the games on my list. Okay, I could use stock recordings, but I'd rather use material from my own gameplay videos, if only to show that I can actually complete them. (^_~) Edited May 6, 2022 by SasaMisa Removing some text. 1 Quote As the Dollmaker herself would agree: Lancer Doll is best doll! (#^_^#) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White L Posted May 5, 2022 Share Posted May 5, 2022 Some of these are from albums, which are technically still part of Touhou. 10) Fall of Fall ~ Autumnal Waterfall 9) The Doll Maker of Bucuresti 8) Heartfelt Fancy 7) Fires of Hokkai 6) The mysterious shrine maiden flying through space 5) The capital city of flowers in the sky 4) Touhou Judgement in the Sixtieth Year ~ Fate of Sixty years 3) Emotional Skyscraper ~ Cosmic Mind 2) Bell of Avici ~ Infinite Nightmare. 1) The purest sky and sea I'd like to say that most of the songs are not in a particular order, and I would like to include more, but the ones here live on my head rent free. Honourable mention to "Alice Maestra", "Onigashima in the fairy land", "Blue sea of 53 minutes" and "The lost emotion". #1 is serious though, definitely a must check if you haven't already. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Posted May 5, 2022 Share Posted May 5, 2022 (edited) It's tough to pick a top 10 since I love nearly all of them. Here's mine in no particular order apart from #1: 1) Green eyed jealousy 2) The bridge people no longer cross 3) True administrator 4) Fate of Sixty years 5) Flowering night 6) 3rd eye 7) Septette for the dead princess 8) Hiroari shoots a strange bird ~ Till when? 9) Corpse voyage ~ Be of good cheer! 10) Doll judgement ~ The girl who played with people's shapes Honorable mention: Every other track in the series Edited May 5, 2022 by Isaac 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houraisan Posted May 5, 2022 Share Posted May 5, 2022 10. Eternal Spring Dream 9. Crimson Belvedere ~ Eastern Dream 8. Spring Lane ~ Colorful Path 7. Pure Furies ~ Whereabouts of the Heart 6. Lunar Rainbow 5. Silk Road Alice 4. Eternal Shrine Maiden (DiPP version) 3. Dichromatic Lotus Butterfly ~ Ancients (DiPP version) 2. Gensokyo, Past and Present ~ Flower Land 1. Emotional Skyscraper ~ Cosmic Mind HONORABLE MENTIONS: Eastern Judgement in the Sixtieth Year ~ Fate of Sixty Years, Girl's Divinity ~ Pandora's Box, Where is that Bustling Marketplace Now? ~ Immemorial Marketeers, Catastrophe in Bhava-agra ~ Wonderful Heaven 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightsedge561 Posted May 6, 2022 Share Posted May 6, 2022 10. g free (the original, not the concealed conclusion version. 9. legendary illusion ~ infinite being 8. bloom nobly, cherry blossom of sumizone ~ border of life (got me into the fandom) 7. sleeping terror 6. gensokyo millienium ~ history of the moon 5. catastrophe in bhava-agra ~ wonderful heaven 4. maidens cappricio ~ dream battle 3. solar sect of mystic wisdom ~ nuclear fusion 2. candid friend 1. doll judgement honorable mention: every other track except for keines theme (kinda boring compared to the rest of the tracks) very hard list to make, so i kinda just put down the first ones that came to mind. i love touhou music so much, its influenced me in most of my life, since i found out about it when i was like 13 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Posted May 6, 2022 Share Posted May 6, 2022 (edited) Interesting to hear everyone's favourites. Edited May 6, 2022 by Isaac 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SasaMisa Posted May 6, 2022 Author Share Posted May 6, 2022 (edited) Indeed, and anybody who doesn't already know about her should check out ScarletFlameFlandre's channel on YouTube, not only for the music, but the fantastic artwork she invariably ends up pairing with every track she uploads. (#^_^#) https://www.youtube.com/c/ScarletFlameFlandre Edited May 6, 2022 by SasaMisa Adding some text. 1 Quote As the Dollmaker herself would agree: Lancer Doll is best doll! (#^_^#) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountVonNumenor Posted May 6, 2022 Share Posted May 6, 2022 5 hours ago, Isaac said: Interesting to hear everyone's favourite. Do not worry, I will come up with an answer soon. But it will take me quite a while to write it. Until I start, better to prepare a cup of tea, just for anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Posted May 6, 2022 Share Posted May 6, 2022 (edited) 18 minutes ago, CountVonNumenor said: Do not worry, I will come up with an answer soon. But it will take me quite a while to write it. Until I start, better to prepare a cup of tea, just for anything. Looking forward to it! ScarletFlameFlandre's channel is awesome! It's my number one place to check any of the themes. Edited May 6, 2022 by Isaac 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountVonNumenor Posted May 7, 2022 Share Posted May 7, 2022 Alright, time to write this answer. It sure will be interesting... Short answer: I am not sure what to pick. I never did something like a tier list, and there are a lot I like. Long answer: Oh boy, bear with me. Buckle up, since this will turn into one hell of a reply, typical for my writing style. Even I will get lost in it. To put it simply, there are quite a lot of songs I like. However, there are still just as many that I have not listened to yet. It's been over one a half years since I got into the fandom, yet there are still quite a lot of songs I need to check out. So instead, I will focus on the main games (and some of the extra materials), plus a bit from the spin-offs if I am familiar to it. I might also leave some notes on each of them, and gonna try keep it short (though most likely I will end up overextending) PC-98 era Oh, this era is quite muddy to me in terms of knowledge, and so is the knowledge of music. So I will just focus up on a few that I know a little better. There's like 3-4 of them, so this section will go more quickly. Reincarnation: so the theme for Mima...or at least one of them (how many more does she have through the games?); I have found this song through KARMANATIONS from Akatsuki Records, then I listened to the original. Quite a memorable song Bad Apple: probably one of, if not the most famous Touhou song; like many people, I found it through the famous MV and and another metal arrangement from RichaadEB, then found the original song; surprisingly good, and for a while I was convinced I liked it even more than the remix Romantic Children: this was the music theme that introduced Alice in Mystic Square, right? Again, a lovely song, worth listening to Judas Kiss: a bit of an odd choice, but I discovered this song through a video from Megapig9001. It sounds very good, and I can agree with him that that MIDI version might sound even better. Windows era Alright, for this one, as I am more familiar with, I will go through each of the games, and add both stage and boss battle songs. If I am familiar with the song or want to say something about it, a note will appear next to the mention. I am tempted to write the names of the songs too, but in many cases I may not remember them, despite the song being familiar to me. Games like Touhou 6-7 have the most familiar songs to me, so I do not know how much to write on them, or what to say. Touhou 6 stage 1 - quite decent; I like the beat for it, especially at the beginning; feels like a nice transition from PC-98 to a new era stage 1 boss - another decent song; I guess it fits Rumia very well. a bit childish, but still threatening enough... for a stage 1 boss; I also like the brief orchestral version of it used in Memories of Phantasm for that very 20 seconds of screen time Rumia got in the EoSD arc stage 2 - Lunate Elf is surprisingly good; not as memorable like other songs, but still good enough for a boss we never even got an official name for stage 2 boss - Cirno, Cirno, Cirno... well, her song has so many remixes even within the official material, but it sounds cool; also something most likely I got to first through a meme (Cirno's Perfect Math Class) stage 3 - I am always confusing this one with the actual boss battle theme stage 3 boss - same as above; I still have a problem in distinguishing which was which between Shanghai Teahouse and Shanghai Alice of Meiji 17 stage 4 - I honestly keep forgetting this song exists (I am sorry, "Koakuma") stage 4 boss - surprisingly good to vibe too stage 5 - The Maid and the Pocket Watch of Blood, despite not as famous as the following song, is still quite good; plus, it inspired Bloody Devotion from Stack, so always a plus stage 5 boss - ah, Lunar Dial; seems to be quite engaging for a stage 5 battle, and Stage 5 in general seems to have quite good songs (might be a pattern or something, together with bosses that somehow become memorable) stage 6 - I think The Young Descendent of Țepeș is rather forgotten when compared to the other Remilia theme stage 6 boss - I am no the greatest fan of the Septete for the Dead Princess, but I still like it, especially the piano opening extra stage extra stage boss - UN Owen Was Her? hmm... I used to be a fan of this one early on in my days as a fan, but that seems to have faded in time; I still have a bit until I get into the "this song is overrated" area, but I still think there are way better songs that deserve getting first place, especially after years on end this one has been first/second according to the popularity poll Touhou 7 intro song - man, I really love Snow or Cherry Petal; whenever I boot that song up, it feels like I am going back to a different age stage 1 - quite a cute into the the new adventure stage 1 boss - for a boss character everyone has forgotten about, Letty has quite a good battle theme stage 2 - decent, good enough for a vibe stage 2 boss - Chen SPEEEN! (oh wait, was that here or at the mid boss encounter with her?) stage 3 - surprisingly, I might like the Doll Maker of București more than the actual theme; however, I have a question - out of any possible place on Earth, how did her song title come to reference the capital of Romania? Does Alice have an unknown connection to my lands, or not ZUN knows why he picked it? And to make it even funnier, the name is not written in English (Bucharest), but the actual Romanian spelling stage 3 boss - Doll Judgment is another good song; I have first found it through Marisa Stole the Precious Thing stage 4 - it took me quite a while to associate this song with Lily White; however, after listening to it in Lost Word as the theme for our favorite herald of spring, I got a new appreciation for it stage 4 boss - Phantom Ensemble is good; I am not sure what to write about it, but I like the song... ZUNpets, I guess? stage 5 - Ancient Temple... I really like the kind of eerie atmosphere it creates as you get at the stairs of Netherworld; again, a very good setup for what is to come stage 5 boss - Hiroari Shoots a Strange Bird/Till When? - this title is a bit of a mouthful, and apparently people do not like it so much? to me, it still holds a special place as I really tend to associate this song with Youmu, and I think the Junjo Arumeria arrangement only cemented that even further stage 6 - another song I really like; there's something interesting about the buildup it creates towards the final boss encounter stage 6 boss - probably I really do not remember this song as well as the following one stage 6 boss (2) - wait, Yuyuko revives? this is awesome, but also quite a bit of a dangerous moment if you are a new played and that caught you unaware... oh wait, I mean I like Border of Life extra stage - at how much stuff there after Stage 6? This will really be confusing, and I forgot a lot despite listening multiple times to the full OST for this game extra stage boss - hmm, interesting how similar Ran's theme sounds to something that will come soon after... Phantasm stage - so, this is a remix of Charming Domination, right? Phantasm stage boss - yay, Necrofantasia Touhou 8 stage 1 stage 1 boss - this is the Wriggle battle song, right? I forgot how this sounds like stage 2 stage 2 boss - Mystia's theme; had it not been for Shout It Out Loud, most likely I would not have listened to this song stage 3 stage 3 boss - Plain Asia; honestly, another song I know thanks to Akatsuki Records and Gray Zone; otherwise, I really like the name of the song stage 4 stage 4 boss - wait, do we even have a Stage 4? Tewi is at Stage 5, so moving on... stage 5 - Cindarella Cage is a song that sounds quite good; however, I cannot think of it and not imagine the "Tewi Kick" ZUN fell for in one of the demo clips for the game stage 5 boss - ah, Reisen. I can remember you, your theme, but not the name for it... was it Lunatic Eyes or something" still, nice song stage 6 stage 6 boss (Kaguya) - good song, and base for "Help me, ERIN!" stage 6 boss (Eirin) - wait, you have 2 themes? both History of the Moon and Voyage 1970; honestly, two relaxing song to listen to in a summer nigh with clear sky extra stage extra stage boss - I like Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke; enough said Touhou 9 Flower Land - I have found this song much later than the character it is associated with; nice theme for Yuuka though Wind God Girl - good song, fitting for Aya Higan Retour - quite a good Stage 5 song Fate of Sixty Years - impressive song, very fitting to someone having the status of Eiki Shiki, Yamaxanadu Oh God, I only got to the 10th game. There is still more to go, and will more than likely take me hours to write... Touhou 10 stage 1 stage 1 boss - good song, nothing more to say stage 2 stage 2 boss stage 3 stage 3 boss stage 4 stage 4 boss - Mysterious Mountain... so this is the new theme Aya gets; I am still more used to Wind God Girl stage 5 - recent discovery (thank you fr00sk); I really love the chorus part, especially the ZUNpets chorus part; in short, "I like Touhou 10 Stage 5's theme" stage 5 boss - not bad, I just don't listen to it so much stage 6 stage 6 boss - nice theme you got there, Kanako extra stage extra stage boss - Native Faith has to be one of the first Touhou songs I have discovered (thank you. Kaliningrad General); also Kero ⑨ Destiny Touhou 11 stage 1 stage 1 boss stage 2 stage 2 boss - this is the one Parsee theme I can remember; in short, there is something I like about Green Eyed Jealousy stage 3 stage 3 boss stage 4 stage 4 boss - Satori's theme is one of those songs that create some sort eerie feeling, but I still like it nonetheless stage 5 - I tended to confuse Lullaby of Deserted Hell for the actual theme of Orin; still probably one of my favorite song from SA, especially with some of the arrangements made for it stage 5 boss - Corpse Voyage/Be of Good Joy! - probably the most recent discovery for me; I like how cheerful it sounds stage 6 - threatening, good buildup for what you are going to meet down there... stage 6 boss - Nuclear Fusion is a song I tend to forget every now and then, then I come back and like it again extra stage - Last Remote; I finally remembered its name, and I like its remix from House Set of Subterranean Animism extra stage boss - this song more often makes me think of Unconscious Requiem; for another song that always managed to score so high in the popularity poll, I did not manage to get the hype for it (same story about Koishi) Touhou 12 stage 1 stage 1 boss - what was the theme for Nazrin? I think it was called A Tiny Clever Commander or something, but I forgot how it sounds like stage 2 stage 2 boss - Kogasa's theme; very cute, rather cheery, and fits her character very well stage 3 stage 3 boss stage 4 - I think this is the song I actually managed to remember ans associate with Murasa instead of her actual theme stage 4 boss stage 5 stage 5 boss - CURVY LASERS; also a song that feels a bit on the repeating side stage 6 stage 6 boss - first time I found Byakuren's theme through the remix from House Set of UFO; from then on, that song stuck to my mind extra stage extra stage boss Touhou 13 stage 1 stage 1 boss - all I know about this stage is that Yuyuko somehow became a Stage 1 boss (#NeverForget); I don;t know what song she has though stage 2 stage 2 boss stage 3 - Kogasa makes her return as a mid boss; did she retain the same song? stage 3 boss stage 4 - I like Rigid Paradise; I am quite confused about the Seiga and Yoshika part of the game - where did Desire Drive come in? stage 4 boss - very much forgot how Old Yuanxian sounds like stage 5 stage 5 boss stage 6 stage 6 boss - I am struggling to remember how True Administrator sounds like, but I forgot... extra stage extra stage boss Touhou 14 stage 1 stage 1 boss stage 2 stage 2 boss stage 3 stage 3 boss stage 4 stage 4 boss stage 5 stage 5 boss - Reverse Ideology, probably one of the few songs I can remember from Touhou 14 stage 6 stage 6 boss - probably the same thing as with Seija and her theme; there's a segment out of it I like a lot extra stage extra stage boss - Raiko's theme is probably my favorite from the song; it has a lot of energy in it, very fitting to her Touhou 15 stage 1 stage 1 boss stage 2 stage 2 boss stage 3 stage 3 boss stage 4 stage 4 boss stage 5 stage 5 boss - Clownpiece, can you please stop throwing moons at people? That has to be the reason everyone goes lunatic at the sight of America-chan this hell fairy stage 6 - a charming, almost quiet version of the storm that will soon unleash upon you; I like this song, and I think it creates a interesting sensation just before going against a creature of pure fury stage 6 boss - this is where the storm starts; Junko is angry, and her theme reflects it perfectly extra stage - I forgot the name of this one, but I like it extra stage boss - I am quite surprised to have forgotten then name and the way Hecatia's theme sounds like Touhou 16 stage 1 stage 1 boss stage 2 stage 2 boss stage 3 stage 3 boss - had it not been for some English vocals from Lyrica Live, I do not think I would have got to listen to Aunn's theme very soon stage 4 stage 4 boss stage 5 stage 5 boss - it is the CRAZY BACKDROP DANCERS! quite an annoying stage, but I like that song they have; plus that it was turned into something more cheerful by Stack (Mai and Satono really look like cheerleaders at the beginning of their PV from Akatsuki Records) stage 6 stage 6 boss - I forgot what are the songs for Okina extra stage extra stage boss Touhou 17 stage 1 stage 1 boss - I did get to listen to the stage boss themes recently thanks to rewatching fr00sk and Touhou 17 in a nutshell; however, I am not much better with some of the songs in terms of how well I know them stage 2 stage 2 boss stage 3 stage 3 boss stage 4 stage 4 boss stage 5 - Beast Metropolis; the one song I found first in a PC-98 style remix; otherise, another good song stage 5 boss - haniwaa' susume! GO! ; oh sorry, I got carried away again by HANIPAGANDA stage 6 stage 6 boss - again, I think I have first listened to The Creator and Idola Deus before getting into the actual theme; however, as I got into the original song as well, I did not regret it any moment extra stage extra stage boss Touhou 18 stage 1 stage 1 boss - "this is Michael"; besides that, I think this is a nice beginning for the game stage 2 stage 2 boss - honestly one of the characters, besides the one on 4, that I tend to very much ignore when it comes to the UM cast; "Banditry technology" or whatever the name of the song was does not tell a lot to me stage 3 stage 3 boss - Smoking Dragon; now this was the theme I really thought to be the best when the demo came out; a real banger back then, barely listened to recently though stage 4 stage 4 boss - I have absolutely no idea what song Misumaru has at all; in front of all Misumaru fans I am sorry stage 5 stage 5 boss - Starry Mountain of Tenma; aka Coooonsultant! stage 6 stage 6 boss - Where Is That Bustling Marketplace Now ~ Immemorial Marketeers; despite what people generally say about this theme, I actually like it; besides, Infinite Gradation is an absolutely welcome addition to the world of fan arrangements extra stage extra stage boss - The Princess Who Slays Dragon Kings; not to much to say about this one besides it sounds good + DIG IT DIG OUT! Scarlet Weather Rhapsody Crimson in the Black Sea/Legendary Fish - I like this song Antimony of Common Flowers that Yukari theme - I guess now we have hardbass in Touhou Tonight Stars an Easygoing Egoist - I really like how that song even is called (live ver.)l does that imply the song is being played live in stage? After all, the battle does seem to take place in the stage where the Prismriver sisters + Raiko are having a concert Changeability of Strange Dream Dream of Arcadia - feels me with some sort of nostalgia Voyage 1969 Boys and Girls of the Age of Science Border Between Dreams and Reality - this one, and the one above, are the two songs I could recognize in Black Mirror on the Wall Fantasy Machine ~ Phantom Factory - idk why, but I guess this one gives me some sort of Seihou vibes with how it sounds, the mechanical aspect and all Finally, the list is done. It only took me almost 3 hours, a cup of tea, a few breaks to watch AspreyFM (he's still live by the time I am ending writing this reply), copious amounts of coughing and a biscuit. It was a bit complicated, and despite all the blanks (like 50%), it still took me a bit to come up with some ideas. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gou the frog Posted May 7, 2022 Share Posted May 7, 2022 10 hours ago, Isaac said: Interesting to hear everyone's favourites. Aye, you need to give me some moment to collect my thoughts, mate. Fret not, I'll be writing a list similar to Von. Quote Truly is Yin & Yang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gou the frog Posted May 14, 2022 Share Posted May 14, 2022 (edited) (Aight my turn has come, I've been away for a week now, and I assume that I'm dead in the shrine) Nutshell for ones that doesn't have the time to read all this: cough* cough* my non official fav is this. My favs from Pc-98 era although I put 'em in ranks doesn't mean I don't like the other 97 tracks; I'm also very fond of 'em also and the ones in rank. 1.The Legend of Kage, Shrine of the Wind, Touhou Yumejikuu ~ Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream - 24 - Phantasmagoria 2., Himorogi, Murasaki ni Moe, Hi Ochite 3.Tabula rasa ~ Kuuhaku Shoujo, Selene's light, Reincarnation 4. All of the tracks from Touhou Pc-98 era itself PC-98 I can't honestly choose it's perfect for me since I've grown up watching Pc-98 games and it's themes are marvelous, something that I love, those retro vibes, you can't help but feel nostalgic about it. All of the old games tracks have these ancient feeling yet so much weight behind 'em. (Reminder: Pc-98 has no spell cards rules, so, your foes are actually trying to kill you and being a shrine Maiden is a very hard job since Reimu was given the power by her god; she really has changed nowdays, hasn't she? Ah, This era really is lore heavy mind you but the the same time very memorable and boy there're a lot of stages in this era, Reimu is not not paid enough for this) Touhou 1: I can't with this, there're a lot of varieties here, slow, fast, heavy you guess it all in one buffet. This is one of the tracks that got me interested since Haja no Kodachi, at the start sounds a bit like broken moon and got a mysterious tune yet soothing. Hey do you want to know my favorite "non boss" theme in all of Touhou? Here it is The Legend of Kage got you covered. It sounds so good 'cause you're fully in the immersion of nearing the end, like "you're going to see the light one last time so do enjoy it" with Reimu fighting Saerial and her going full in to the darkness of Makai to once again beat the trouble maker butt. (Side note: I really enjoy this unused track: Shrine of the Wind it's very catchy and groovy but it does sound like a generic japanese traditional song but this song fill me heart) Okay, moving on, (No worries Marisa got red hair, Reimu's purple and Mima has a odd hand position) It makes me tear up since these old soundtracks deeply reminds me of Ninja Giden and all the good 'ol stuff. Touhou 2: She's in a temper!! got me good since I just got jump by a tank. Genmukai is unique the slow piano from the starting point and goes back to our Zun style but this one has all my attention Himorogi, Murasaki ni Moe, it's fused with nostalgia, epicness of finale boss theme. Red Colored- Koi-iro Magic Spark! Hehe.... first marisa theme later referenced in IN. Aye, on the topic of that Sensha Musume ga Miru Yume's beginning sounds like Nostalgic Blood of the East. Recommended by me Gou for this unused track Hi Ochite it's one of the most inspiring theme for me. Aight, Touhou 3: Aye, Zun loves to put foreshadowing on his work, for example this bad boy has a part of Invisible Full Moon in 37s in and holy shit Reincarnation is really good and Zun knows how to handle Midi arranges. Tabula rasa ~ Kuuhaku Shoujo is one of my contender for all time favs of Pc-98 era but this is my personal favorite from PoDD: Yume Shoushitsu ~ Lost Dream. And this one makes me hype Mahou Kane Ai since Yumemi actually sounds like she's trying to give Gensokyo a Chernobyl experience. (Also this Kuon no Yume sounds a bit like a certain roll and speaking about roll Maple Dream has hand down the best of the best staff roll theme) Truly, there're a lot but this one speaks to my soul directly and Makes me tear up honestly. Bloody right mate! Touhou 4: I can't really say much about this one since I started the series with LLS and here one of my favs Selene's light and Rei Ikusa ~ Perdition crisis is too good as it's Elly's theme and not bad apple aye, I can't decide the ones here so, I'll leave it to you lads. Finally, the finale, Touhou 5: - Mahou Jin ~ Magic Square - I really love this one and but here is my absolute fav from once again, the Pc-98 era: Ms really here in my heart standing with HRtP. Still this is also charming to me: ~ Mystic Square - 6 - Romantic Children . One last push as it's time to end this, the road has been paved by the accentors and we shall wave goodbye to Pc-98 as the last song hit me as hard as a hashihime whom wasn't given a chance at her past life and I feel the same as her but this time I'm beside her as her friend. (Whew that was a lot aye here's the Playlist if you want to listen to 107 of Pc-98 touhou excluding some unused themes. Yeah, anyways @Isaac, I'll tell you how I feel about Parsee in part 2 of window era if you guys want to hear it) Edited May 14, 2022 by Gou the frog Random spaces 1 2 Quote Truly is Yin & Yang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shionne Imeris Posted May 14, 2022 Share Posted May 14, 2022 Mine's: 1. Kobito of the Shining Needle ~ Little Princess (Sukuna's theme) 2. Heartfelt Fancy (SA stage 4) 3. Emotional Skyscraper ~ Cosmic Mind (Hijiri's theme) 4. Last Remote (SA extra) 5. Energy Daybreak ~ Future Dream (SA staff roll) 6. Flower of Soul ~ Another Dream... (PoFV staff roll) 7. Eternal Dream ~ Mystic Maple (IN staff roll) 8. Sailor of Time (Chiyuri's theme) 9. Civilization of Magic (Sariel's 2nd theme) 10. Assuming we count the albums then: 少女秘封倶楽部 (Girls' Secret Sealing Club) from Ghostly Field Club 10.2 Assuming we don't then: Tonight Stars an Easygoing Egoist ~ Egoistic Flowers (Shion & Yoon theme) Something like that, i think 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Hisuag Posted May 24, 2022 Share Posted May 24, 2022 Top tens are rather difficult for me to formulate, as I have a tendency to overthink my positioning. Usually I can definitively place the top three to four, and then it collapses into "well, I like that one, so it should be in there somewhere." Nonetheless, I believe this to be a useful exercise when done right; it encourages the ranker to evaluate the reasons any particular entry appeals to them, and sharing it can help both to give perspective to others and tell something about themselves. As such, I will try to hold as close as possible to a list of ten, and perhaps create a new topic later for series-wide ranking. #1: Ghostly Band ~ Phantom Ensemble Specifically the PoFV version, which is in a different key from the original and has a smoother intro. Normally ZUN's [. . . remasters? re-covers? remixes? whatever they're called . . .] don't stand out from the originals too much, as indeed they often aren't that different in arrangement, often merely consisting of a key change or alternative balancing. As such, whether a person prefers one over another is often very subjective, and this is such an instance. I appreciate Phantom Ensemble for its progression, adding instruments as it goes and building up into its different sections, getting increasingly more chaotic without losing its form, climaxing in a clashing harmony before dropping into its interlude for the loop. Technically, it only has two motifs, but the strength of the piece is in its progressive variations thereon. #2: Septette for the Dead Princess Thus far, some of the most diversity in musical applications that I've come across in the series. Name a genre, and there's probably an arrangement of this piece of unusually good quality. The elegance of its uncharacteristically light accompaniment compliments the progression of the melody, and (ironically for my initial statement) the zunpets and slightly out-of-tune piano of the original composition add further to the piece's atmosphere. It's been twenty years, and I'm of the opinion this is still one of the best pieces ZUN has ever composed. #3: Pure Furies ~ Whereabouts of the Heart It's been seven years, and I'm of the opinion this is the best piece ZUN has ever composed. Where some of his longer compositions have seemed stretched out with too few motifs or insufficient variation, this masterpiece of musical progression tells a story through its movements. The two step intro is an epic chord progression into an initial drop, individually introducing the basic accompaniment and its secondary motif before rectifying them into the main body of the song. The first interlude introduces a unique motif that maintains the tone, launching directly into a seeming loop of the song in a new key. The second interlude seemingly commits to the loop with a return to the intro, then subverts the expectation with another key change and variation, before finally climaxing with the main motif. The journey the listener is taken on within this single piece of music rivals entire epics (in the classical use of the term), and is difficult to forget. #4: Necrofantasia This is the point where the clarity of my ranking is in doubt. PCB is noteworthy for setting up its music with preceding tracks; each stage theme sets the tone and style for its accompanying boss theme (with the rather bizarre exception of Ultimate Truth, but that's another conversation), and the entire game is musically building up toward its finale of Bloom Nobley, Ink-black Cherry Blossoms, which itself "leads in" to Border of Life (PCB may be the most impressive musical feat ZUN has ever crafted, and Bloom Nobly would be my #3 but for the existence of Pure Furies; both pieces technically lay claim to the same achievements, and though I believe the latter did it better, the former certainly had the better buildup). Post-finale, the game continues this trend into its extra stage, only to go even further by rehashing its "last" two tracks for the surprise "phantasm stage." As such, Necrofantasia is the culmination of all that has come before it, fittingly tying together everything of the game's story, characters and world, all into the introduction for one of the most important characters in the series. Nor does the song fail to meet the high standard set for it, all but eclipsing its technical predecessor and becoming one of the most recognizable pieces in the franchise outside the meme songs. It might perhaps suffer from over-exposure (as, indeed, most of the meme songs have), but judged on its own merits it deserves its recognition. #5: Our Hisoutensoku (full ver.) The most underrated song in all of Touhou. Uni Akiyama doesn't get enough respect in general for his original compositions, but I see especially little appreciation for this piece. This is Akiyama at his best, featuring the jazz influences he's known for mixed into rock that compliments the motifs perfectly. This may not be an especially "deep" piece, but it's certainly one of the most fun in the series. #6: Faint Dream ~ Inanimate Dream The Pure Furies/Bloom Nobly of the PC-98 era. The arrangement style and hardware limitations of the era often undercut the quality of ZUN's motif compositions at the time; this was mostly rectified with the Untouched Score remasters, though with some pieces more than others. Inanimate Dream is as strong a piece as any other Touhou track, and despite having a slightly weaker loop has somehow become one of my favorites. There's a specific remix that enhances the progression via improved balancing and diversified instrumentation, but I'll save that for Musical Discoveries. #7: Gensokyo Beloved Not the track's actual title, but I've referred to the piece by this name for years now. Innocent Treasures may be the official series's anthem, but to me this track embodies the spirit of Touhou. Not quite mournful, but nonetheless reminiscent in tone, it beautifully intones the emphasis on wonder and imagination that defines the world of Gensokyo. Yuuhei Satellite's Even the Blossoming Flowers Eventually Scatter was the remix that truly pulled me into the fandom, and the original's familiar motifs continue to be a reminder of what I love about the series's music. #8: Retribution for Eternal Night ~ Imperishable Night Aside from Silk Road Alice (which isn't technically a Touhou Project piece), this is to me the fullest realization of the motif from Theme of Eastern Story. Carrying the signature otherworldly style of IN, it works as the contrast to Genoskyo Beloved in depicting the darker side of the Touhou world. Of course, it's not that dark, but there's a more serious, urgent tone to this piece. The shifting time signatures also implicate the ever-shifting nature of the series; calculated, not quite confusion, but unpredictable. #9: Eastern Memory of Forgathering Dream (Arrange) The definitive Akiyama arrangement; with the inclusion of the Broken Moon variant of the track's motif, this piece works as the balance of the previous two. Ultimately, the world of Touhou doesn't take itself too seriously, being a means to the end of artistic expression for the sheer joy thereof. Be that sweet, bombastic, playful, or all three and more, it remains compelling for the display of imagination and creativity. So it is to me. Beyond that, it becomes much more difficult to pick out favorites. Strange Bird of the Moon, Illusion of the Mysterious Cat comes to mind, though it'd be an ordeal to explain the details of why. Desire Drive, Green Eyed Jealousy and Interdimensional Voyage of a Ghostly Passenger Ship all deserve honorable mention. I would definitely include Beloved Tomboyish Girl, but I'm specifically fond of Akiyama's arrangement thereof from UNL, and I'm not sure how valid including a remix would be, official or not. Informally, consider that my #10. 1 1 Quote TTT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drunken_Flower Posted May 24, 2022 Share Posted May 24, 2022 i'll stick to what i voted in the thvote 1. Innocent Treasures 2. Eien no Miko 3. Lullaby of Deserted Hell 4. Eternal Steam Engine 5. Pristine Beat 6. Oriental Memory of Forgathering Dream 7. Rural Makai Esoterica 8. Tomorrow will be Special Yesterday was not 9. Fragrant Plants 10. Shanghai Alice Meiji 17 the order doesnt really matter though 2 Quote BEER FOR THE BEER GOD!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ka Takane Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 (edited) On 5/7/2022 at 8:56 AM, CountVonNumenor said: Touhou 7 stage 2 - decent, good enough for a vibe PCB's stage 2 theme is one of the best stage 2s in the series, what do you mean "decent"? :P Also I honestly prefer the stage theme than the boss theme that follows... Anyway here's some other tracks I really like in no particular order (not a fan of ranking things). You may notice I'm kinda biased towards PC-98 because that's what I play the most. (And I just got a FLAC download of the entire Akyuu's Untouched Score collection) Dichromatic Lotus Butterfly ~ Ancients (Seihou 1, best Reimu theme IMO) Silk Road Alice (Seihou 1) Vessel of Stars ~ Casket of Star (Touhou 4) Treacherous Maiden ~ Judas Kiss (Touhou 5, with slight preference to MIDI arrange) Maple Wise (Touhou 5) Hakurei ~ Eastern Wind (Touhou 2, I like all three official versions of this, from the FM, to the OG MIDI, and to the arranged MIDI) Love-Coloured Magic (Touhou 2, also like the chill remix from 7.5. This is different from Master Spark from 8, which I also like) Forbidden Magic (Touhou 5) Complete Darkness (Touhou 2, I prefer the OG FM to the MIDI arrange) Reincarnation (Touhou 3, again I like the OG FM better) Maiden's Capriccio (Touhou 4 and 8, I like them both. You can see how Reimu changed between both eras) Hakurei Shrine Grounds (Touhou 2, unused. Really wish this gets reused in a later game, or at least gets a modern arrange from ZUN himself) End of Daylight (Touhou 2, one of the best stage 2 themes IMO. Also really love the SC-88 arrange of this one.) Bet on Death (Touhou 2, it's repetitive, but I like it for its intensity. Also the only boss Reimu really feared apparently) Dimension of Reverie (Touhou 5, also one of my favorite stage 2 themes) the Grimoire of Alice (Touhou 5) Sleeping Terror (Touhou 4, best Yuuka theme IMO) Faint Dream ~ Inanimate Dream (Touhou 4, I like both the used and unused versions. JynX created a remix which merged both versions really nicely) Bad Apple!! (Touhou 4. OG > meme remix, fight me! Also wished this got a MIDI arrange like Perdition crisis did, which I also like) Tabula rasa ~ The Empty Girl (Touhou 3) Eastern Mystical Love Consultation (Touhou 3, really underrated Reimu theme) Vanishing Dream ~ Lost Dream (Touhou 3, one of my favorites in PoDD. I remember hearing this the first time and think, "wait this is where that really good song from Touhou Mother came from!") Decisive Magic Battle! ~ Fight it out! (Touhou 3) Edited May 25, 2022 by Ka Takane rm extra linebreaks 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SasaMisa Posted May 25, 2022 Author Share Posted May 25, 2022 If you like PCB's Stage 2 theme, Ka Takane, I thoroughly recommend checking out the rendition in Bouhou Youyoumu. No, scratch that, I recommend the entire game because it's damn good to boot: gameplay, soundtrack, and all. (*_*) Sadly, I never got to record a playthrough myself because I got Youmu killed right near the end on Sakuya due to an incredibly stupid mistake. Rage quitted after that and I haven't been back to it since, although I did do both Scarlet Family games, which are also fantastic. (^_~) 1 Quote As the Dollmaker herself would agree: Lancer Doll is best doll! (#^_^#) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agutori Posted May 25, 2022 Share Posted May 25, 2022 (edited) Damn, i really need to select 10? haha, is hard to select, since i love all musics but i think that my top 10 can be: 1. Akutagawa Ryuunosuke's "Kappa" ~ Candid Friend (MoF) 2. Beware the Umbrella Left There Forever (UFO) 3. Love-Coloured Magic (Soku) 4. Legend of the Great Gods (TD) 5. Captain Murasa (UFO) 6. Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke (IN) 7. Wind God Girl (SWR) 8. Primordial Beat ~ Pristine Beat (DDC) 9. Shoutoku Legend ~ True Administrator (TD) 10. UFO Romance in the Night Sky (UFO) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1-Candid Friend (MoF) Not only is because Nitori is my fav character, is because was the first music that i lisen by myself and i love the nostalgic feel that the music gives to me, is an amazing music for me and i always love to lisen it. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2-Beware the Umbrella Left There Forever (UFO) Well, what i can say here... is amazing, i really love this song, is very niceee. Remember lisen it for first time and not get much my attencion, but this song can proof me that the Touhou music not need to be lisen it one time, you need to lisen more to get how beatiful the musics are. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3-Love-Coloured Magic (Soku) Is fun that i like a U2 Akiyama remix more thant the Marisa's IN themhe, but well, this song comes to me when i not searched Touhou in a long time, so always will be on my heart. And is a very nice music too. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4-Leyends of the Great Gods (TD) Weeell, i cant say much here. The Mononobe music is very nice, calm but good. Always give me a weird feel when i fight her. I really cant find remixes that can compare the original, that TD feels are very nostalgic and unique. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5-Captain Murasa (UFO) Ahh, the UFO feel, is amazing and this song is the proof of it. I really love Murasa and her theme, is just, fit on her and the stage theme. The instruments are very nicee and the effects on her fight (that anchors) make it really nice. Sadly that dont have a "pop" on in. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6-Reach for the moon - Inmortal Smoke (IN) Who doesnt like the Mokou theme? is very nice and beautiful, makes the fight very nicee. Also, i dont find a theme that can compare this one (i like the funky one of ULiL but i like this more xD). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7-Wind God Girl (SWR) This theme, is amazing, the hard of how begins and how is it, is very nicee, i always select it when i play since is a really nice music. I really dont have much to say about this, but well, is amazing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8-Primordial Beat ~ Pristine Beat (DDC) The same of Kogasa's theme, i not like it at first but since i lisen it more, is just epic as hell, that drums playing is amazing. ZUN really make this theme good. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9-Shoutoku legend ~ True Administrator (TD) This theme, this music, is amaziiiiiiing and epiiiiiiic, is one of the best music that Touhou have, fits very nice on her fight. Also is too epic that the Trance Mode cant stop it. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10-UFO Romance in the Night Sky (UFO) Another UFO music and is for the extra stage, is amazing, catchy and relaxing, is for me, the best Extra Stage theme on any game (for the momment), i really love it! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And i think that is my top10, was very hard and i not counted the HM and ULiL remix of Candid Friend and some others. But well, i cant really select, they are very nice songs to me, but there are another that cant be on the list Edited May 25, 2022 by Agutori 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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