why is japanese series legal in such restrictive country such as china, or are you in hongkong/macau?
Moriya Shrine | Source for all things Touhou
YumeChud97
Snare
Are there a lot of people who play the original games, or is it more of a fanbase around derivative works? (Sorry if someone asked this already.)
不人气的大狸子
I'm from mainland China. Touhou itself is not illegal here. China does restrict imported games, publications, and some online content, but that does not mean Japanese works are generally banned. One notable restriction is publishing: printed works need official approval to be legally sold, so many doujinshi exist in a legal gray area.
The Touhou community in mainland China dates back to at least 2004, first appearing on online forums and later spreading to Bilibili, Tieba, QQ, and other platforms. By 2009-2013, Touhou had become one of the defining symbols of Chinese ACG culture.
Last year, mainland China hosted more than 90 Touhou-only events. In both number and scale, this is second only to Japan, so I would say China probably has the world's second-largest Touhou community.
The Touhou community in mainland China dates back to at least 2004, first appearing on online forums and later spreading to Bilibili, Tieba, QQ, and other platforms. By 2009-2013, Touhou had become one of the defining symbols of Chinese ACG culture.
Last year, mainland China hosted more than 90 Touhou-only events. In both number and scale, this is second only to Japan, so I would say China probably has the world's second-largest Touhou community.
不人气的大狸子
I think it depends on the era. When I first got into Touhou, most people discovered it through fan works such as MMD videos, hand-drawn animations, MADs, etc. Playing the original games was more optional, since the Chinese Touhou community has never required you to play them to be considered a fan.
Some people did discover Touhou through the original games, however, and many of them formed an important subgroup we call the “STG players.” They focus heavily on mastering the original games and often pay less attention to fan works. You can see many skilled Chinese players in this year’s Touhou World Cup.
After 2020, short-video platforms like Douyin became increasingly important. Many newcomers discovered Touhou through famous doujin music, while memes such as Fumo and Yukkuri also played a major role.
Some people did discover Touhou through the original games, however, and many of them formed an important subgroup we call the “STG players.” They focus heavily on mastering the original games and often pay less attention to fan works. You can see many skilled Chinese players in this year’s Touhou World Cup.
After 2020, short-video platforms like Douyin became increasingly important. Many newcomers discovered Touhou through famous doujin music, while memes such as Fumo and Yukkuri also played a major role.
Snare
Thanks, it's really interesting to hear about this stuff since I don't really get many opportunities to talk to anyone from China.
Bhrjr
Have there been any big dramas in the chinese space recently? It's been almost a year since I last asked
不人气的大狸子
No, at least I haven’t noticed any major drama. There are still some small-scale conflicts, of course, but their impact has been negligible.
YumeChud97
Not explicitly about Touhou but, How do you have access to sites outside of china, like this one? are you in Hong Kong, have a VPN or is there something else?