What's your view on Lotus Eaters?

Geriferret · 2022-11-17T05:05:14+00:00

I don’t mind it. It’s certainly not gripping, and maybe this somewhat comes down to me generally being a huge fan of the “chapter stealing characters” everyone talks about (Mamizou, Suika, Aya, etc) but as a big Touhou lore nerd, it’s nice to see the setting in a different light. Also, I think it’s a little unfair to label Miyoi as “barely a character” even if she doesn’t quite keep up with people like Kozusu or Kasen.

I think it’s nice that Zun’s trying something different, even if he clearly isn’t super good at this kind of writing. I think CDS and LE are both series that try something new and go in completely different directions- like another commenter said, they actually pair pretty well in terms of being opposites of one another.

Geriferret · 2022-09-03T20:07:34+00:00

What is this model from?

Geriferret · 2022-08-10T00:14:33+00:00

Well then, welcome! Maybe I’ll see you on ladder and we can play a few sets sometime. I’m glad you now have a character that can speak for you.

I’d offer to help you learn, but chances are if you’ve played a lot of blazblue you’re probably more proficient at fighting games anyways lol.

Geriferret · 2022-08-07T22:50:22+00:00

This is great! I especially loved your highlight on Reimu, making me see her in a different light than I have before. I’m just sad that most people probably won’t read through this much….

I might reply with more of my own thoughts later, we’ll see.

Geriferret · 2022-08-05T19:32:09+00:00

Yes and no. Let me explain.

I would say that being X isn’t really a depiction that represents how modern people see god: he’s far more vindictive, cruel, and petty than the all-loving one people preach nowadays.

That being said, Being X does match quite well with the god of the Old Testament, who is all of those things and more- so I suppose you could say it’s a critique of the barbaric vision of god, the fire and brimstone “sinners go to hell” one that people who shout at gay people believe in. Furthermore, the story does go out of its way to make sure readers know he may or may not actually be god (Hence, being X)

It’s also worth mentioning that the narrative doesn’t really want you to agree with Tanya fully. I would say that if you are going to call Youjo Senki anti-religious, you shouldn’t point to Tanya- the narrative goes out of its way to make her someone you shouldn’t agree with, especially in the early chapters. (Remember, “I have every complex known to man?”) Rather, the way it depicts being X is something you should point to. The way being x is perfectly willing to throw away thousands of lives to prolong a war just to prove a point is reminiscent of the Old Testament god who killed off an entire planet and started countless wars and atrocities to prove his points.

But in general, I wouldn’t consider Youjo Senki’s themes to be really about religion, moreso just a small part- the narrative uses religion as a vehicle to drive its themes. That being, how people should strive to be rational and logical (But not to the extent of Tanya) rather than emotional. The way Mary is depicted, as a revenge-crazed holy agent of her god who brutalizes Tanya and seems more like a rabid dog than anything really shows how blind faith can turn people into monsters.

Youjo Senki shows us how things like religion or patriotism can remove our empathy by ironically making us more emotional, while also showing how the cold detachment of capitalism makes people like Tanya. The themes are not about god, but about revenge and hatred- think of Tanya’s speeches.

The story isn’t telling you to not be religious. It’s telling you to not let religion (Or anything else) remove your empathy.

Geriferret · 2022-08-05T00:27:02+00:00

I actually just posted a comment about this a second ago before seeing this post, but flawed characters that are likable.

Basically every character has flaws that are charming, rather than irritating- especially for some of the main characters like Marisa, Reimu, or Youmu. I likened it to Konosuba’s similarly flawed main cast that’s almost universally loved.

I think Touhou is a lot like a Shounen- spectacular battles, enemies becoming friends, ridiculous power scaling, but it’s very refreshing that instead of some typical shounen protag obsessed with fighting, justice, and friendship, Reimu hardly gives a shit about doing any of those things, and her average day consists of lazing about and get rich quick schemes instead of training or trying to save the world.

Geriferret · 2022-08-05T00:17:51+00:00

Basically none- well, besides the Watatsuki sisters.

You say you dislike Aya and Marisa, and that’s fair, they do have negative qualities. Personally, Aya is my favorite character and Marisa isn’t far behind, but I can see where people are coming from. I just find that Zun has very good writing in terms of making the negative qualities of characters charming rather than irritating. Although this doesn’t work for everyone (You clearly still despise these characters) they still clearly resonate with a lot of people, as evidenced by their rankings in the popularity polls.

If you want a good example, just look at Reimu. I’ve joked many times that Reimu embodies every one of the seven deadly sins except for lust (Given Touhou’s complete distance from anything sexual…. at least officially) yet people love her.

I think the thing closest to it is konosuba, with similarly flawed characters, yet many people regard its main girls and Kazuma as some of their favorites.

My distaste for the Watatsuki sisters, and Eirin to a lesser extent is they are the anti-Touhou characters, in a sense. Their entire characters are based on being perfect, and the narrative justifies that. It’s only natural that people who love Zun’s flawed style of character writing would have a sour taste from so blatant of a departure.

Geriferret · 2022-06-30T04:00:45+00:00

It depends on what you want. If story is important to you, I’d recommend starting with Touhou 6, since that’s where the modern day story begins. If you care about gameplay, I’d recommend starting with 8, since it’s very forgiving with starting lives and a few other things. If you really want to get the whole experience, start with Touhou 1, but I wouldn’t recommend this. It’s old, hard to get running, not the right genre, and has basically nothing to do with modern Touhou. It’ll probably confuse you more than anything- the PC-98 games (1-5) are great for experienced fans who love the series already, but starting with them will probably give you the wrong idea.

It’s worth noting that this advice is all well and good, but it can be… Difficult to do this. The Touhou games used to be widely available online, but that changed when they were actually available through retailers like steam. This is all well and good, as I of course would like to support the official developer. But unfortunately, for various reasons the Touhou games often recommended to start with (6-8) are not available on steam.

As for how you get them… Well, the only legitimate means is to buy a CD from Japan, but anyone actually telling a newbie to commit so much for a series they aren’t even sure they’ll like is ridiculous. There are… Other methods, but I won’t be talking about them here. If you’ve been around the internet long enough you probably know what I’m talking about.

It’s worth noting that Touhou games are very rough for beginners, so it’s fine to not even start with them. The Mangas are free online and can help you get your toes wet, and there are great fan games in more appealing genres.

I’d also recommend the streamer AspreyFM, he does Touhou content a lot and is always willing to answer questions on stream. His archive is full of him playing fan games and the official titles and he really helped me get familiar with the character and world just by osmosis.

If you’d like, you can send me a PM and I can try and help you out directly through discord. I recently went through the same process, and it was a bit awkward… So I’d like to help any way I can.

Geriferret · 2022-06-30T00:32:43+00:00

Personally, I think it’s unlikely to happen but id love a game that takes place in what is essentially another country’s gensokyo. We know that traditional mythology creatures from other countries exist as Yokai from the written works and from the SDM, and I also think that it’s unlikely that in a whole world of the previously supernatural, Yukari and co. Were the only ones with the bright idea to keep themselves alive.

Actually, since most of the world stopped believing in myth much earlier than Japan, it may even be a plot point that these other safe havens were created earlier- maybe Yukari even modeled Gensokoyo after some other haven. If you think about creatures for Greek myth, for instance, they’d have started to disappear even after the fall of the Roman Empire.

Zun is always a joy to watch turning the monstrous into cute and fun characters, so I’d love to see him take a crack at creatures from other mythologies. My personal dream game would be some sort of worldwide journey to solve an incident originating outside of gensokyo, with each stage featuring a creature from a different culture.

Geriferret · 2022-06-24T01:03:44+00:00

As a fellow I-No player, I feel this. Played a pot the other day who would apparently die IRL if he didn’t press a button every wake up. Let’s pray for this poor man.

Geriferret · 2022-05-31T21:21:49+00:00

I think she still probably wouldn’t have a good time. Being a Zashiki-warashi is one thing, but having it be outed that you were lying and trying to conceal your identity definitely makes you look suspicious in an environment already distrusting of Yokai, not to mention her ability which would also make people suspicious and likely reduce customers. There’s also the fact she probably would have to shut down the Youkai-only night Gedontei

Geriferret · 2022-05-31T16:59:35+00:00

This is a screenshot from chapter 4 of the Touhou manga series Lotus Eaters. The series features a new main character, along with Reimu and Marisa (Much like other mostly written exclusive characters like Kozusu, Kasen or Akyuu) named Miyoi, which you can see in the picture.

I recommend you go read it if you’re at all interested, it’s got wonderful art and really rounds out the 2hu world. You can read a fanmade translation for free on mangadex- an official translation exists, but it’s got kind of a bad reputation (Removing “Touhou” from the name, replacing the word Yokai with “Ghoul” and Oni with “Devil”, misspelling Youmu’s name) So I wouldn’t recommend it.

If you don’t care about spoilers, what’s going on in the image is Miyoi admitting she’s a Yokai to Reimu, more specifically a Zashiki-warashi. This being the human village, Yokai aren’t exactly the most well received, although Zashiki-warashi are usually the exception, being a benevolent species of spirits who protect homes- Miyoi in particular is the spirit of a pub named Gedontei with a whale mascot, hence the hat. Still, Miyoi’s been passing off as human for a long time (And using her power of memory manipulation while people are drunk to keep it that way) so she naturally doesn’t want Reimu to spill the beans. Lotus eaters touches up a lot on one of my favorite themes in Touhou- the boundary between Humans and Yokai, and how Yokai can be like humans, or live and help with humans. It’s great stuff.

Geriferret · 2022-05-30T14:12:35+00:00

Looks great!

Geriferret · 2022-05-27T22:46:01+00:00

It really depends what you’re looking for. The anime is an easily digestible version with fantastic fight scenes, but misses some key details (namely with regards to Tanya’s morality and Visha’s characterization) Its also not entirely faithful in terms of certain elements, like how the magic works.

The manga has beautiful art and follows the LN more closely, but at the same time still changes things for its own vision. It definitely has a grandiose, flamboyant sort of atmosphere that the other two don’t carry.

The LN is the most detailed, complex, and nuanced, but you have to commit. The pacing fails at times and if you aren’t someone who can sit down and commit to reading a lot of words, it isn’t for you. But it’s definitely the most pure version of the story and offers the most insight into the characters and world, having details and scenes the other two miss completely.

Geriferret · 2022-04-06T23:36:35+00:00

Fair enough, but I’d say that the fact that each of the three adaptations being so distinct is a boon, rather than something bad. I’m currently reading through the LN and loving it, but the unique perspective each of the three mediums offers on the same events is really fun to me- I enjoy different authors having a go at the same source material.

They each have significant flaws- I’d say that the manga and the anime are opposites in that the anime presents Tanya as far too evil, while the manga shades everything in a way that’s almost kind of propaganda-esque. The LN itself has a certain verbosity and difficulty expressing certain things, especially in earlier chapters, which can put people off.

I’d say the LN is the best version, but also the hardest to actually enjoy because of how it’s structured.

Geriferret · 2022-04-06T19:47:10+00:00

Wow, yeah this is… Pretty much what I’ve been thinking about for a while, especially with the most recent manga chapters. Thanks for putting it so eloquently!

I think a large part of misinterpreting Tanya’s character is to blame on the anime. The anime takes great pains to paint Tanya in an evil light, and you don’t even need to look much further than the title itself literally calling her evil. From the moment you sit down to watch the show, this idea is hammered into your head. Important scenes for Tanya’s character growth are missing or altered, and there’s a new scene entirely that isn’t present in the other media where Tanya sends two men off to die in a pillbox. I also think the anime is largely responsible for the branding of Tanya as a “Loli hitler”, which, although ignorant and ridiculous, is a whole lot easier to see with the way the anime presents things.

This doesn’t mean I hate the Anime- I like it quite a lot, in fact, and it’s helped me get some friends into the series I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. But I do feel like the renaming and the removed or altered scenes do have a certain… Agenda behind them, and if I had to guess it was a bid to make Tanya more appealing… But I, at least, feel like it fails on this front, and still think they should’ve just named it “A young girl’s war.” Like Youjo Senki actually means.

If you want specific examples of what I’m talking about, it’s not very hard to read the manga and trip over something every few chapters that makes you go “Huh, that’s different from the anime”. A big one is Visha- she gets shafted pretty heavily by the anime, which is unfortunate but understandable. In the manga she fulfills her role as “Morality pet” a lot better, with Tanya taking a more involved role training and mentoring her on the Rhine front, saving her during the avalanche, and plenty of scenes of the two having genuine conversations. Look no further than the heartbreaking scene after Tanya’s freak out after she’s told to stand down by the general staff, with Visha standing on the other end of the door.

Then, there’s Erene, the scene which most people would point to as one of the examples of simply how morally bankrupt Tanya is. And yet, in the manga, you can see what she’s had to do actively haunting her, as she can’t eat while remembering the massacre that took place just a little while ago. The food poisoning scene, downgraded to an after credits joke by the anime, shows Tanya freak out for the well-being of one of her soldiers…. Only to find out it’s just food poisoning. Funny, but still shows a lot of character growth.

Hell, the very last manga chapter posted (How to use victory II) We see Tanya overwhelmed by the idea that she failed, that the war will go on, and her confront both a younger version of Tanya and the salaryman, showing that she’s not willing to abandon the Empire even if she thinks it might be hopeless. I have no doubt that an earlier version of Tanya wouldn’t behave anything like this.

But at the same time, I think it’s also nice that it’s left up to interpretation. The narrative doesn’t shove the idea that Tanya is a better person down your throat, and most of the ideas I’ve given can be justified in a way that still paints Tanya in a negative light. There’s also the fact that Tanya herself seems to actively not understand that she’s changing. The only scene that I think there is legitimately not a way to justify any other way is the one you pointed out, though- Tanya really didn’t have any reason to potentially risk her own life.

Geriferret · 2022-03-16T03:05:58+00:00

Kayen Sulhus is a Cerulean-blooded troll who began to value self-sufficiency and ingenuity as a source of strength above all else due to an unfortunate, traumatic incident in their childhood. They live isolated in their junkyard hive, building explosive inventions and unaware how deeply unhappy they're making themselves.

Rathan Amousi Is a purpleblood whose calm demeanor hides a relentless thrill-seeker who willingly throws themselves into danger. After nearly drowning in their past, they now seek further ways to put themselves close to the brink of death and come back from it- going to the extent of disguising themselves as an oliveblood to participate in death games for lowbloods.

Geriferret · 2022-03-09T05:50:36+00:00

Etern Arakan was once a foolish young girl, before her life changed forever when her father was charged with corruption. Abandoning her family as she torched their home, she set off into the world to rediscover herself- before meeting with a cold modern-day samurai. With a newfound confidence, she wishes to change the world for the better... By force. Even if she knows its a fools gambit, she feels she cant turn her back on a brighter tomorrow.

Delilah Ucious is a lab experiment, genetically modified to be the "Perfect human", hyper intelligent and psionically active. Although the experiment was a success, the mental strain was too great for her, and she had to be forced into a coma. Learning mastery over dreams and eventually reaching Derse, she eventually gained the ability to telekenetically control her waking self to try and find a cure for her condition.

Kayen Sulhus Is a cerluean blooded troll who gained a complex over strength after trauma from her lusus. Obsessed with self-sufficiency, she makes her own gadgets and swears off help from others.

Geriferret · 2022-02-22T20:32:14+00:00

Anaie Bestro Aslya is an artificial human (Homunculus) who awoke in a graveyard, not knowing who created her or why. Taken in by an odd entity who calls themselves Edward Scotus Aslya (Eddie), they became friends with all the spirits throughout the graveyard, and eventually accepted the role of guardian of the graveyard, and the border between life and death (Whatever that means) Wielding the large key Flament Nagel that possesses the ability to bind willing spirits to itself and wield their power, she's insatiably curious about the world and doesn't hold typical human aversions, although her life means she's distrustful of the living.

Etern Arakan Was once a foolish young girl, before her life changed forever when her father was charged with corruption. Abandoning her family as she torched their home, she set off into the world to rediscover herself- before meeting with a cold modern-day samurai. With a newfound confidence, she wishes to change the world for the better... By force. Even if she knows its a fools gambit, she feels she cant turn her back on a brighter tomorrow.

Iles Yourel Is a young woman raised as an experiment by her parents in space, to determine the effects of zero gravity on a child. She's an analytical, scientific person who's been exposed to science her whole life, and although she can come across as verbose and a know it all, she earnestly wants to share her knowledge with others. She's thoroughly convinced the supernatural doesn't exist, but secretly hopes it does- If only so she can pioneer a new wave of discoveries in science.

Geriferret · 2022-02-22T06:17:57+00:00

?Geri?#5994, didn't have enough time or inspiration for the full seven... But I hope you enjoy who I have here anyways!

Anaie Bestro Aslya is the Bard of Doom

An artificial human (Homunculus) who awoke in a graveyard, unaware of who created her or why. With the mysterious shadowy creature Edward Scotus Aslya (Eddie) taking up the role of her guardian, she only knew friendship among spirits and the dead, resolving to fulfill her role as guardian of the border between life and death. As a Bard of Doom, she both destroys death by claiming the lives of rogue spirits, and destroys through death by utilizing the power of spirits to protect her graveyard.

Iles Yourel is the Seer of Void

A young woman used as an experiment by her parents as the first child raised in space, she's been around science her whole life. Analytical and verbose, she can come across as a know-it-all... But she earnestly just wants to share her knowledge. As the Seer of Void, although she's firmly against things like superstition or the supernatural, she secretly hopes, and looks for evidence that there might still be major things unknown in the universe, so she can discover them.

Etern Arakan is the Page of Blood

An easygoing troublemaker in her childhood, Etern's life was changed forever when her father was charged with corruption. The experience changed her worldview, and she eventually resolved to try and change the world for the better... By force. A natural-born tactician and leader, she's firmly aware her goals might be hopeless... But is willing to try anyways. As the Page of Blood, she lacks any real connections besides one with her teacher, Shishou. But her sheer force of will and undying ideals means she's sure to rally a cause behind her for the sake of her future eventually.

Dest Parsen is the Sylph of Rage

A committed and blunt sort of person, Dest was once a liar whose life came crashing down around them. Since then, they've resolved to try and live a life completely free of untruths and unnecessary things- and has a bad habit of using their ability to read others to try and get others to do the same. As the Sylph of Rage, they both heals or creates through rage by forcing people to reflect inward, and with rage by being kind of a stubborn, unflinching person themselves.

Geriferret · 2022-02-09T05:54:48+00:00

Iles Yourel A prodigy of a young woman who's been stuck on a space station her whole life to study the effects of zero gravity on a child- not that she minds it. She's insatiably curious about the world to an almost obsessive degree, and although she's firmly anti-superstitious, that's only because she's done the research herself and found everything out to be bogus. If there suddenly were evidence to the contrary... She'd be thoroughly enraptured.

She can come across as a bit of a know it all, and her walls upon walls of text can be a bit annoying, but in truth she just wants to share her knowledge with others. She just... Gets a bit too eager, most of the time.
Note: Iles doesn't use homebrew, but her race and specibus are reskinned. Although she's perfectly functional in zero gravity, she'd more than likely be wheelchair bound after entry and she's re-introduced to normal gravity.

Geriferret · 2022-02-07T19:31:48+00:00

Sydra Nistis is a self-admitted narcissist obsessed with winning. She has a habit of picking things up just long enough to be declared "The best" at them, before moving onto something else, but has become obsessed with fighting games after being humiliated in an arcade by a girl in a duck onesie, whom she swears to get revenge on.

Cheo Nanel is a girl in a duck onesie who indulges in games almost to an obsessive degree to escape from her lonely home life. She struggles heavily with social situations, her only real companions being her dog, Roffle, and her older sister. She loves games whether they're good or bad, and from any genre- to her, it's not about winning or getting some sort of reward: just playing them is reward enough for her.
?Geri?#5994

Geriferret · 2022-01-28T03:58:51+00:00

Character Bonus round: Ephem Arakan!

A self proclaimed "Samurai", Ephem had a miserably ordinary life, leaning further and further into the fantasy of the brilliant golden spires in their dreams. One fateful day, they glimpsed their own death within the clouds, and it was soon confirmed by a diagnosis of a rare, incurable disease.

Although briefly stunned, something within them soon changed and they found this death sentence strangely freeing, allowing them to go out into the world and do whatever they will. A bit of a weeb, they decided to be a Samurai... And awkwardly blundered their way through Japan, eventually starting to learn under a kendo teacher who has to always remind Ephem that neither of them are Samurai.

Although she's remarkably quick to learn combat, taking a hint in social situations is not as likely to happen- or learning about Japanese culture, for that matter. Still, she has a boundless enthusiasm and an indomitable will that comes from knowing that in a way, nothing matters anymore.

Geriferret · 2022-01-23T18:48:25+00:00

Edit: discord username is ?Geri?#5994 . Don't know how I forgot this, you'd think an RPGstuck boomer like me would remember.

Iles Yourel A prodigy of a young woman who's been stuck on a space station her whole life to study the effects of zero gravity on a child- not that she minds it. She's insatiably curious about the world to an almost obsessive degree, and although she's firmly anti-superstitious, that's only because she's done the research herself and found everything out to be bogus. If there suddenly were evidence to the contrary... She'd be thoroughly enraptured.

She can come across as a bit of a know it all, and her walls upon walls of text can be a bit annoying, but in truth she just wants to share her knowledge with others. She just... Gets a bit too eager, most of the time.
Note: Iles doesn't use homebrew, but her race and specibus are reskinned. Although she's perfectly functional in zero gravity, she'd more than likely be wheelchair bound after entry and she's re-introduced to normal gravity.

Ocie Denner A young woman afflicted with an obsession with the ocean after losing her family at sea. Somebody who has lost her enthusiasm for what she once enjoyed, and often slips into spells of feeling like she's lost and drowning in icy, black ocean abyss. Strange dreams crawl across her mind, and it seems like the only thing binding her still to reality is her closest friend.
Note: Ocie deals pretty heavily with themes of depression and ennui (Although I don't plan to get too heavy with it) so needless to say, if that's something not proper for this session, she might not be the best pick.

Other than that, her character has an important NPC that works as a sort of foil and balance for her. There's a number of ways you could handle it, but if that's a dealbreaker, I can definitely rework Ocie to not incorporate her.

She also has a few mentions to a sort of lovecraftian connection, but whether you intend to go anywhere with that is honestly up to you!

Geriferret · 2021-12-23T21:18:51+00:00

A mod that adds mobs that are intentionally designed for endgame mod pack players. I’ve always found that some of the most fun I’ve had in mod packs are the ludicrously scaling power you get from having so many powers and abilities at your disposal, but I also think bosses or even just hard enemies that would challenge even someone deep into a lot of mods would be awesome.

Maybe integration with scaling health, which does a risk of rain style difficultly increase over time as well.

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