Magic in Touhou: how does it work even?

[Akos]

After I've talked to people about this issue, I decided to ask the forum members as well. Here's my question:

Youkai and gods get their powers from faith, belief and fear, if I recall correctly, which can either function as a "currency"/spendable power, or as an ability of the entity. Which is it? If it's the former, I can see how that would work, but if it's the latter, it's bound to be more interesting.

If it is an ability of the entity, that would mean there's an active belief of the villagers that the entity has the ability to do it, basically an "as below so above" hermetic situation. With proper rumours, basically whole characters could turn youkai in days and such, as belief is the key. Reimu can only fly, since villagers believe that she has the weightlessness magic. Marisa can only do magic as she's believed to be a human magician, etc. you get the point probably.

If we think about magic as a currency/spendable power, it would be a bit more reasonable, but it would mean that magic should be quantifiable and farmable. If it also comes from the beliefs, one could have the ability to do magic, but not knowing spells would limit their abilities, which could explain why magic learning is needed.
However, the lesser known characters would basically have no power, since they barely get any fear or active belief.

What do you guys think? How does this shit work lmao?

 

[erlking]

With proper rumours, basically whole characters could turn youkai in days and such

I guess. I'm not really a loremaster but I believe this is why Sanae is a living god.

Magic in Touhou, to me, feels like an esoteric mcguffin that just serves to tell the story zun wants to tell. I don't think its supposed to be as complex as other media, like Hunter x Hunter's Nen for example, or even overthinked about because of that.

Of course I am probably wrong on my assumption. I'm not a loremaster, just giving my 2 cents on this.

 

[j0depo]

From what I know (and my hefty amount of interpretation):

Magic exists as a product of faith (which I'll use as the term, fear and belief also fall under this category). Youkai, being creatures that live and function off of faith, can use magic easier and may be affected by rumors that change their concept, in which they can try to preserve themselves. change, or be forced to adapt. Humans, being the source of faith, aren't magical beings and can't be so easily affected by rumors. They can practice magic as well with training; Marisa is the easiest example there. I think it'd be the humans faith in the magic that allows it to work. Another Marisa example, she falls off her broom in one of the mangas and is subject to gravity like all people. Characters in Touhou constantly fly without assistance so Marisa should be able to just fly. If she figured it out with the broom, she could by herself. But it's her specific magic usage and faith in the broom that allows flight. Maybe. Self-abilities are much more confusing for humans (how did Kosuzu get the ability to decipher all books???) but they are probably some byproduct of faith as well.

Faith can be gathered and is probably some sort of level. It isn't exactly spendable, but has to be maintained in order to keep abilities. I think it'd be more like a meter: low faith meter, less ability, higher faith meter, more ability. It isn't easy to quantify, but faith is gathered many times in Touhou (and as terrible as it sounds the Human Village is on some level a faith farm).

I guess. I'm not really a loremaster but I believe this is why Sanae is a living god.

On Sanae's case, she is a "living god" because she receives worship and gathers faith for Moriya Shrine. If she didn't, she'd be a normal human. Rumors can be powerful, but probably aren't enough for most beings to subsist off of and only help shape things like small youkai and the perception of youkai in the Human Village. If rumors were that powerful, I'm sure Reimu would somehow be a youkai by now for being the "youkai shrine maiden".

Like Erlking said, it is very undefined for the purpose of ZUN using it for whatever story, but trying to make sense of it is fun.

 

[BrokenSubconscious]

After I've talked to people about this issue, I decided to ask the forum members as well. Here's my question:

Youkai and gods get their powers from faith, belief and fear, if I recall correctly, which can either function as a "currency"/spendable power, or as an ability of the entity. Which is it? If it's the former, I can see how that would work, but if it's the latter, it's bound to be more interesting.

If it is an ability of the entity, that would mean there's an active belief of the villagers that the entity has the ability to do it, basically an "as below so above" hermetic situation. With proper rumours, basically whole characters could turn youkai in days and such, as belief is the key. Reimu can only fly, since villagers believe that she has the weightlessness magic. Marisa can only do magic as she's believed to be a human magician, etc. you get the point probably.

If we think about magic as a currency/spendable power, it would be a bit more reasonable, but it would mean that magic should be quantifiable and farmable. If it also comes from the beliefs, one could have the ability to do magic, but not knowing spells would limit their abilities, which could explain why magic learning is needed.
However, the lesser known characters would basically have no power, since they barely get any fear or active belief.

What do you guys think? How does this shit work lmao?

I think a reason that the lesser known characters still have decent power is because youkai, or magical beings in general, have a sort of baseline of faith. People might believe that just being a magical being gives you some sort of power on it's own.