The seaweed is in-fact not always greener in somebody else’s lake. The last thing you remember was going out for a quick swim, next thing you know you’re waking up in a watery grave. Returning from the trenches, the seas brighten with colors as you leave behind the abyss you wonder how long you’ve been gone for (or how it is you’re even alive). 

After bursting through the water you find yourself in Gensokyo, a land of fantasy, illusion, and of that which is forgotten…

“Touhou Project” is a 2D vertical-scrolling shoot-em-up first released for PCs back in 1996 by Team Shanghai Alice, which comprises one worker, Junya Ota (better known as ZUN) and will be the theme for this week’s One-Shot Manga Roulette!

Touhou is much more than just a game, which makes it difficult to begin explaining. As it pertains to one-shots, in Japan markets similar to conventions are organized by artists in order to sell their work. Comiket is the largest of these markets running semi-annually with attendance numbers of 750,000 due in part to its popularity and free admission.

In the early years of Comiket Touhou completely dominated the marketplace and the game would become known for its numerous amounts of high quality fan-made art, music, and manga. Many of these artist would later become larger names within their respective fields with examples within the manga industry including:

• Tsukuzumi, mangaka of “Girls Last Tour”
• Bkub Owana, mangaka of “Pop Team Epic”
• Yuu Kamiya, writer and illustrator of “No Game No Life”

Although derivative works are common for other things, what in particular attracted so many writers to the small indie game among the many other worlds they could write about?

It is unique in its writing in that it is a perfect example of show don’t tell. Most Touhou characters only appear in one game with about 10 lines of dialogue (if they’re lucky) but a combination of well thought-out character design and lack of characterization is what lends itself well to be modified for other writers.

The multitude of characters without much characterization is what lends themselves well to fit within a story or theme planned out. 

The five one-shots this week have been voted on by the community back in 2018 towards the end of the weekly spotlights.

Taken off the r/touhou page, weekly/comic_spotlight, “weekly doujin was a weekly recurring post that started back in February 2015 and ended November 2018 that aimed to spotlight high-quality Touhou manga doujins (doujin = fan made). The main goal was to share these amazing stories and then discuss them with each other.” 

It is the voted favorites of a dedicated community of Touhou one-shot readers and outside of “Life of a Maid”, requires little context going into the readings. 

I have fond memories of discussing one-shots with the community and I ask you not to look for my now nine year old comments within the threads. No particular one-shot will be featured this week. 

“The Immortal Who Saw the Death of the Universe” – ALISON (115 pages) – Earth 4,670,000,000 CE. Civilization has been wiped out, all life has been eradicated, all that remains is one pitiful immortal sinner. What more to do than wait for the inevitable death of the universe. 

“At Chirei” –  Karaagetarou (213 pages) – Mind-reading sisters isolated to hell and struggling to communicate with each other. A heartwarming prequel to the eleventh game, “Subterranean Animism.”

“If I Were To Die Today” – Morino Hon (61 pages) – As a human maid who’s cherished by devils I can’t help but ask them, “If I were to die today, what would everyone do? From old age…”

“Life of Maid” – Colonel Aki (ongoing 4koma) – The longest ongoing Touhou fan work (that I know of at least). An ongoing collection of lighthearted 4-panel comics spanning 15 years. 

“Omoito” – Morino Hon (335 pages) – Now featured twice in the same column, Morino Hon is a favorite within the community. A four book tale of a puppet maker’s favorite doll who comes to life. 

***Honorable mention: “Flan Wants to Die” – Tsukumizu (28 pages) – Containing their well-known existentialist themes and cute blobby art-style, 200 years after the events of the sixth game “Scarlet Devil Mansion” vampire Flandre ponders, “maybe I should die.”

Thank you for reading this special one-shot roulette, it is a personal achievement I am celebrating (although I am disappointed my favorite story did not make it in the top five of the polls), look forward to even more stories next time here on One-Shot Roulette!