Riding on Fans' Energy: Touhou, Fan Culture, and Grassroot Entertainment

May 28 th 2008

Hakurei Jinja Reitaisai 5

30,000

3 times expected

no “catalog”

no entrance

3 times expected

sold out

東方 (Touhou)

exclusive convention

about same #participants

Square Enix Party 2005

47,000 in 2 days

one man project

programming

programming drawing

programming drawing writing

programming drawing writing composing

hobby project

media franchise

GIGANTIC repetoire

> 3,000 manga

> 500 music albums

> 100 games

since 2003

18/100 most viewed

media franchise

obscurity  stardom

creative fans

inspire

create

inspire

chain reaction

free publicity

loyal fans/producers

little $$$

participatory culture

grassroot entertainment

imperfect/postmodern construction

laissez-faire on fan works

active

fan activities

influence

media industry

cultural attractor

interesting

many groups

cultural activator

meaningful activities

東方 ?

hardcore gamers

anime/manga otaku

music lovers

Touhou is (damn) hard.

replays

socialize

gameplay not enough

characters & settings

anime/manga otaku

Casablanca is a cult movie precisely because all the archetypes are there, because each actor repeats a part played in other occasions, and because the characters live not the "real" life of human beings, but a life as stereotypically portrayed by previous films. Casablanca brings with it the scent of déjà vu to such an extent that the specator is ready to see in it also what happened after it.

90+ characters

= + + +

When a repertoire of formulas is used wholesale, then the result is an architecture like Gaudi's Holy Family Church --- the same vertigo, the same stroke of genius.

To understand the evaluation/consumption structure of otaku culture, it is necessary to distinguish two levels of otaku's desire. One is the level of simulacra where the odd images like the examples above fill the market. The other is the level of database that consists of the types and elements and regulates the scope of simulacra.

Their desire toward those two levels are quite different from each other. In one hand, otaku is addicted to and absorbed in the given simulacra imagery. [...] We can call it a "wet" and exclusive desire. [...] communication with humans. However, in the other hand, otaku is perfectly "dry" towards the works in the level of database. They rather feel big zeal in decomposing the unity of the given work or character into types and elements, rearranging them and making another new work or character.

2 nd level

90+ characters

add to database

something familiar

mashup

serious flaws

beautify!

even better than the real thing

imperfect

catchy motifs

not arranged well

remix!

dBu music

change MIDI instruments

ネクロファンタジア

少女幻葬戦慄曲　～　 Necro Fantasia

effective ads

MAD movies

world building

multiple product lines

The Matrix

The point of Touhou is to express the worldview of Touhou [...] As Touhou evolves, the characters and the game systems change, but the basic feel remains the same.

encyclopedia

mainstream franchises

deep, consistent world

digging details

Gensoukyou

shallow & inconsistent

in Japan

European vampires

Well, I live in modern times, so it makes it much easier. And I get to include things like rockets. If I had a setting in the past, I’d have to study a lot of history.

porous boundary

objects/people from outside

malleable > consistent

create stories

nothing sacred

LOTS of doujinshi

幻想入りシリーズ (Gensouiri Series)

ZUN’s skills

game maker & character designer

can’t draw

lousy world building

doesn’t matter

Let fans do the rest!

mainstream franchise

control fans

integrity & reputation

We love our fans. We want them to have fun. But if in fact somebody is using our characters to create a story unto itself, that's not in the spirit of what we think fandom is about. Fandom is about celebrating the story the way it is.

Not Touhou!

Have fun!

In general, feel free to create derivative works --- I don’t really mind. If you ask, I won’t say no. The basic rule is that derivative works are something entirely different from the original. It’s not mine, and there isn’t really anything I could do to stop it if I wanted to, and it would be bad if I did, I think.

more fans!

fan generated content

indifferrent  tsundere

ゆっくりしていってね！！！ (Yukkuri Shite Itte-ne)

acknowledge

utilize

fanarts

fan artist  pro

Nico [Nico Douga] is an interesting place that makes it easy for people to create new works by tying together existing things --- which is the essence of creation. [...] Following the progressions of evolutions from original works will probably result in something entirely new.

culture

nice surprises

how far?

answer: very far

Touhou

fan creation  growth

no exercises of exclusive rights

free promotion

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Riding on Fans' Energy: Touhou, Fan Culture, and Grassroot Entertainment

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