How Touhou 13.5 Builds the Perfect Finale
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- Touhou 13.5: Hopeless Masquerade features a very strong endgame with an engaging story, unique ending, and unexpected final boss. Let's look at how Touhou 13.5 builds the perfect finale (Kokoro included!).
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Outro Music arranged by Wookywok: / wookywok
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Kokoro art in the thumbnail drawn by Dairi, Kokoro Noh Dance panel taken from Forbidden Scrollery
I played this finale shortly after it was done being translated long ago, and I too remember being blown away by the character development. Kokoro really got to come into her own as a newcomer, and Mamizou proved herself to be a wise mentor figure that would go on to help other newborn youkai in Forbidden Scrollery. This finale route really helps cement the idea of Hopeless Masquerade being Kokoro's game, and it was one of the more memorable story arcs of the series for me despite the iffy gameplay. It also of course established Mamizou as a new "mover and shaker" for the series, after her introduction in Ten Desires merely had her just getting her feet wet -- and the fact her theme in this game turns from "Futatsuiwa from Sado" to "Futatsuiwa from Gensokyo" really shows how well-integrated she's becoming.
That “Sado” to “Gensokyo” bit is such a good observation! I can’t believe I’ve never thought of it but it makes total sense
As iffy as 13.5 is in general I feel like this is truly one of the most spectacular and climatic final bosses in the series
It's pretty standard for fighting games to have the protagonist be the end boss for the regular final boss, but adding hijiri and miko makes it crazy
Carl
If I could suggest a topic, how about Yakumo Yukari and how she was inspired by real life author Lafcadio Hearn?
Basically, Hearn was a Greek who was exiled and found himself in New Oreleans, Louisiana. After living there for a few years and helping to preserve the local culture, he left for a then newly-opened Japan. He spent the rest of his life there, changing his name to Yakumo Koizumi (the name Japan knows him best by), getting married and having children, writing and perserving now famous ghost stories as well as giving the West a glimpse of a nation then unknown to the modern world.
He's basically to Japanese ghost stories what Hans Christian Anderson is to fairy tales, and his life and legacy is one of the most interesting things I've ever studied. It also gave me a newfound respect for Yakumo Yukari (though she's only my second favorite character, with Okuu being first).
Anything positive about Touhou 13.5 Shinkirou Hopeless Masquerade is an instant thumbs up from me! My personal favorite finale is Touhou 14.5 Urband Legend in Limbo but this ones pretty good too! I love the Touhou Aerial fighter trilogy so much, wish more people would talk about them.
I have no idea why I didn't notice the Kokoro path, guess after Miko reforged a new mask and Kokoro relinquished her old mask to Koishi I thought all the loose ends were tied. Interesting finale, a bit different from the Miko+Byakuren+Kokoro family portrayal I see in fandom. Haven't seen much of Kokoro recently, curious if we will get to see some interaction between her and Okina due to the Noh connection.
it's interesting how the two best stories in all touhou are precisely in the two fighting games that didn't quite get things right ane needed an expansion to truly shine (that being SWR and this)
So this game pretty much pulled a horror game’s trope of how the heroes (Reimu and the other 2 religious leaders) are the real villains of the story.
Oh woah, i've never finished 13.5 myself due to being frustrated by the gameplay, but damn this really is such a cool way to end the game
I feel like whenever 13.5 is discussed it's mostly about the gameplay or just Kokoro on her own without mentioning the finale of her story, so it's really great and refreshing to see this kind of appreciation for one of the less popular games in the series!
You're really awesome for how amazing you makes videos like this.
Nice recap! Previously I only knew parts of the story. I read it was Koishi who initiated the incident by stealing Kokoro's original Mask of Hope. This is the first time I get the full picture.
6:35 pig pun
Anyways I love videos like these. It’s so cool how ZUN writes modern issues in a nuanced way in gensokyo like the problems with organized religion
Sumireko route in ULiL trying tô suicide bombing and Reimu as her final Boss preventing her was wild
Yup, fantastic analysis on this game, ive always liked this game's story among some of thr best in touhou games for this very reason
Emm... Presenting Reimu being a final boss of the Kokoro's route as some sort of a unique thing is very weird. Fighting game's final boss having Reimu as a final boss of their story mode was a staple thing back then. Suika had this in IaMP, Eiki had this in PoFV, and Tenshi had this in SWR, so people knew Kokoro would have it too even before unlocking her story. In fact, it was unexpected and surprising back in the day when ULiL suddenly broke this formula (Touhouwiki even had a line in Sumireko's "additional information" section about how she doesn't have Reimu as a final boss of her ruite)
For 9 and 10.5 specifically, I view those
more as extra stages since they happen sort of separate of the main narrative; 13.5’s unique in that defeating Reimu actually serves as a proper narrative conclusion and cap-off of character development. 7.5 I can’t really say though since that’s probably the Touhou story I know the least of
i'd consider 10.5 to be similar since Tenshi's route reveals what were her actual plans and motivations were, and how it ties all the simultaneous plotlines together.
Cultured.
not related or anything but i think touhou 19 is now available...i think i saw someone on discord say this