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why do you like touhou?

Buwako

Buwako

True God of the Boriya Shrine
we all have reasons for enjoying this franchise, what are your reasons for enjoying it and staying in the fandom? what do you like about touhou?
 
Because Touhou can also be called Hot Chick Heaven

I have quite a liking for the official games since they've got that arcade formula I enjoy so much. It's satisfying to learn boss patterns and blow through them once you get good. The unique gimmicks help to mix up the gameplay, and nearly every title I've played so far (1-3 and 6-10, trying 4 and 5 soon) have been barrels of fun. The only game that's the exception to this rule is SoEW, and even so it's a byproduct of it being the first danmaku title and missing mechanics that later games had.

The music for the series is fantastic as well, given that ZUN originally wanted to compose for larger companies. I could honestly gush about the ZUN music collections I've listened to so far (especially Ghostly Field Club, peak Touhou music right there) given the chance. Tons of unique tracks that would fit right into any Touhou game (i.e. Girls' Secret Sealing Club, Curious Everyday Life of the Flying Shrine Maiden, etc.) and lots of remixes I find to be straight up better than the original (i.e. Necrofantasia, Voyage 1969, etc.). If you've the time, I'd recommend at least giving the first five of them a listen, as those are the best in my books.
 
It was probably around 2011, after I finished the transition from elementary school to middle school, that I first came into contact with Touhou. At that time, Touhou was at the absolute peak of its popularity in China—to an almost exaggerated degree. You could see Touhou cosplay and Hisoutensoku tournaments at virtually every anime convention.

I can say this without hesitation: if you wanted to understand ACG culture back then, you had to understand Touhou. My own encounter with Touhou, however, came from nothing more than a mistaken search—yet that accident ended up altering the trajectory of my life.

I was deeply drawn to Touhou’s worldbuilding. Because the official canon is relatively sparse, the setting contains a vast amount of structural blank space, allowing virtually anyone to participate in derivative creation. It is, in essence, “a collection of texts open to interpretation.” Moreover, unlike today’s gacha games, Touhou does not pursue scale expansion, nor does it seek to compete for “mainstream narrative authority.” Most importantly, it does not actively cater to the trends of any given era (with AI being a notable exception).

Of course, any discussion of Touhou must involve its music—specifically, the official soundtrack. I would even go so far as to say this: the vast majority of contemporary ACG music is more “pleasant” in terms of melody than Touhou’s, but structurally far more “cheap.” Touhou music does not rely on lyrics, yet it possesses immense emotional tension, while remaining highly amenable to repeated deconstruction, rearrangement, and reinterpretation.

These were the views I held at the time. However, as my experience deepened—especially after I truly became involved in the community—I came to realize that Touhou had proven something more fundamental: that a non-commercial, non-centralized, and non–ideology-driven cultural form is capable of long-term survival. Touhou has a tradition in which creation takes precedence over stance, rather than one centered on mere identity recognition.

Naturally, I do not believe Touhou will ever return to its peak. But I like Touhou not because it “makes me happy,” but because, in an era that is increasingly noisy, utilitarian, and homogenized, it continues to remain restrained, understated, and unapologetically unaccommodating.
 
For me it was the music that made me interested, but the overall world and philosophical questions that comes with it made me stay.

Cute girls doing stuff is a genre that comes in many forms, but the world building and the mythical touch ZUN has given definitely makes it unique. Fanon and canon has differences, but I like both personally.

As for the fandom itself, I have my problems with it. I wouldn't consider myself a fan, if the average fandom member is the baseline for being one. I guess I'm just interested in the franchise.
 
The main reason I became part of the fandom was because of the fan games and mods I stumbled across.
If you look hard enough you'll eventually find something that suites your taste, especially if it gives a game you like another reason to play it.
Still crossing my fingers for a Touhou open world RPG...

A lot of the music covers are stellar performances. The symphonic metal genre is my favorite type of metal music and I wouldn't have discovered it if it wasn't for a number of fan musicians on Youtube.

I only recently started playing the official games, but as someone who loves everything retro, I can appreciate the charm of the older titles
 
The mainline games have such a satisfying gameplay loop that I can't stop playing them! Even when I lose, I still have fun. That's huge for me. The music is also a big factor for me, as music is one of the things I love most about games.
 
I like touhou for it's brilliant creativity, interesting world building, great character design, its relations at deepness with mythology and the art of danmaku, which is simply underrated and don't praised or given attention enough.
 
Akos said:
For me it was the music that made me interested, but the overall world and philosophical questions that comes with it made me stay.

Cute girls doing stuff is a genre that comes in many forms, but the world building and the mythical touch ZUN has given definitely makes it unique. Fanon and canon has differences, but I like both personally.

As for the fandom itself, I have my problems with it. I wouldn't consider myself a fan, if the average fandom member is the baseline for being one. I guess I'm just interested in the franchise.
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Lol, the fandom doesn't means anything. You can be clearly a fan and yet not communicate with it. After all I'm kinda in a veryyyy slightly similar position, interacting with fans only in reddit or YouTube (but very specific videos or youtubers. I don't like the "mainstream" part of shitpost that's fulfilled with).
 
不人气的大狸子 said:
It was probably around 2011, after I finished the transition from elementary school to middle school, that I first came into contact with Touhou. At that time, Touhou was at the absolute peak of its popularity in China—to an almost exaggerated degree. You could see Touhou cosplay and Hisoutensoku tournaments at virtually every anime convention.

I can say this without hesitation: if you wanted to understand ACG culture back then, you had to understand Touhou. My own encounter with Touhou, however, came from nothing more than a mistaken search—yet that accident ended up altering the trajectory of my life.

I was deeply drawn to Touhou’s worldbuilding. Because the official canon is relatively sparse, the setting contains a vast amount of structural blank space, allowing virtually anyone to participate in derivative creation. It is, in essence, “a collection of texts open to interpretation.” Moreover, unlike today’s gacha games, Touhou does not pursue scale expansion, nor does it seek to compete for “mainstream narrative authority.” Most importantly, it does not actively cater to the trends of any given era (with AI being a notable exception).

Of course, any discussion of Touhou must involve its music—specifically, the official soundtrack. I would even go so far as to say this: the vast majority of contemporary ACG music is more “pleasant” in terms of melody than Touhou’s, but structurally far more “cheap.” Touhou music does not rely on lyrics, yet it possesses immense emotional tension, while remaining highly amenable to repeated deconstruction, rearrangement, and reinterpretation.

These were the views I held at the time. However, as my experience deepened—especially after I truly became involved in the community—I came to realize that Touhou had proven something more fundamental: that a non-commercial, non-centralized, and non–ideology-driven cultural form is capable of long-term survival. Touhou has a tradition in which creation takes precedence over stance, rather than one centered on mere identity recognition.

Naturally, I do not believe Touhou will ever return to its peak. But I like Touhou not because it “makes me happy,” but because, in an era that is increasingly noisy, utilitarian, and homogenized, it continues to remain restrained, understated, and unapologetically unaccommodating.
Click to expand...
Very deep conclusion, I love it 👏👏👏
 
YuyuFumo said:
Because Touhou can also be called Hot Chick Heaven

I have quite a liking for the official games since they've got that arcade formula I enjoy so much. It's satisfying to learn boss patterns and blow through them once you get good. The unique gimmicks help to mix up the gameplay, and nearly every title I've played so far (1-3 and 6-10, trying 4 and 5 soon) have been barrels of fun. The only game that's the exception to this rule is SoEW, and even so it's a byproduct of it being the first danmaku title and missing mechanics that later games had.

The music for the series is fantastic as well, given that ZUN originally wanted to compose for larger companies. I could honestly gush about the ZUN music collections I've listened to so far (especially Ghostly Field Club, peak Touhou music right there) given the chance. Tons of unique tracks that would fit right into any Touhou game (i.e. Girls' Secret Sealing Club, Curious Everyday Life of the Flying Shrine Maiden, etc.) and lots of remixes I find to be straight up better than the original (i.e. Necrofantasia, Voyage 1969, etc.). If you've the time, I'd recommend at least giving the first five of them a listen, as those are the best in my books.
Click to expand...
Touhou music album propaganda appreciated 💖👏
 
UnofficiallyKishinjou said:
without touhou i wouldn't be able to improve my art and have a good taste in music. funny magical girl bullet hell means a lot to me
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Hm, that's something that I have seen very commonly happen in Touhou as a fandom. Though, I don't personally think is because of danmaku or that it haves a lot of relevance. I think is more something about another cool factors (like characterisation and design or interpretations) that overshadows the poetry of danmaku beauty. I don't know what you might think, but to me the danmaku in Touhou feels very underrated and I don't see a lot of appreciation to it.

And BTW, you would like to share us some of your art with us? I wouldn't have a problem with if you want so (if anything, is the opposite, I would like to see some if you want).
 
FluffyGensouDreamer said:
Hm, that's something that I have seen very commonly happen in Touhou as a fandom. Though, I don't personally think is because of danmaku or that it haves a lot of relevance. I think is more something about another cool factors (like characterisation and design or interpretations) that overshadows the poetry of danmaku beauty. I don't know what you might think, but to me the danmaku in Touhou feels very underrated and I don't see a lot of appreciation to it.

And BTW, you would like to share us some of your art with us? I wouldn't have a problem with if you want so (if anything, is the opposite, I would like to see some if you want).
Click to expand...
^
 
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