/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>20339447
cont.
In the story, Camillia is described as "pale" with "lilac eyes" and with hair like a "creek of gold". In literature, lilac refers to the color blue, not purple. Medicine, sure enough, is pale, has blue eyes, and has gold hair. Even further strengthening this connection is the fact that Camillia is described again in the story, this time as a "large, pale Bartolemy doll". A Bartolemy doll, better known as a Bartholomew doll or Bartholomew baby, was a type of wooden doll sold at the Bartholomew Fair, an old English charter fair that operated from medieval times to well into the 1800s. This is why Medicine is a doll, because ZUN took inspiration from this short story. Also, the fair was named after Saint Bartholomew. Saint Bartholomew is famous for having been flayed. The most striking features of him in art are his black hair and red, exposed body. Medicine herself wears only red and black. This is either a reference to Saint Bartholomew or to black bile (melancholy; sadness) and blood (sanguine; happiness). As stated before the cure for melancholia was to balance the levels of black bile by increasing the levels of blood (sanguine) through music, dance, or sex. Medicine also has four crosses on her clothes, one on the middle of her dress, one on the bottom of her skirt, and two on each of her sleeves. These four crosses could represent the four humors. ZUN chose crosses to represent the universal medicinal symbol (a cross) or to reference the Christian cross (which connects when you consider both Saint Bartholomew and Saint Bosco). It likely is supposed to connect to both. Medicine is heavily connected to the poisonous lily of the valley flowers (called スズラン suzuran in Japanese). She calls the lilies of the valley that she utilizes for poison "スーさん (Su-san, a cute proper name made up by her to sound like "suzuran)". She personifies and talks to "Su-san" so much in PoFV that fans wonder if she's actually referring to the flowers or to the little nameless doll that flies next to her, which is why many fans call that little doll "Su-san". Medicine manipulates poison as her ability and the favorite poison of her choice is the poison of the lily of the valley, a toxic mixture of glycosides, namely convallatoxin, that inhibits the heart's ability to pump blood. ZUN chose to associate Medicine with that flower due to many reasons. First of all, Agatha Christie, one of ZUN's favorite authors, calls the lily of the valley her favorite flower. Secondly, the lily of the valley is connected to happiness. In floriography (the language of flowers) the lily of the valley symbolizes a return to happiness and love. Lily of the valley is also a popular flower of choice for wedding bouquets. As you could recall, the cure for melancholia is to return sanguine (happiness) through dance, music, or sex (love). Thus, ZUN is brilliantly implying that the "Medicine For Melancholy" in Touhou is the lily of the valley. Indeed, in real life, the flower is used in small amounts in herbal remedies to treat heart issues as the flower's glycosides affect the heart. The heart is a common symbol for love and happiness. To heal the heart is to cure melancholia. Medicine herself says in PoFV that "small doses of poison can be medicine" and, since Medicine is mainly associated with the lily of the valley, ZUN is implying that the flower is medicine (in small amounts). Eirin even gets help from Medicine (who supplies her with flowers) because poisons are vital components to medicine. Again, the medicine for melancholy is the the lily of the valley. The lily of the valley also has alternate names such as "Our Lady's Tears" and "Mary's Tears", referencing the weeping Virgin Mary. This could also be an alternate reason as to why Medicine has four crosses on her clothes. Medicine's story as a doll who became a poisonous youkai after being abandoned on the Nameless Hill (which is full of lily of the valley flowers) could come from Nathaniel Hawthorne's story "Rappaccini's Daughter" in which Dr. Rappaccini keeps his daughter, Beatrice, confined in a garden of poisonous flowers until she eventually becomes poisonous herself. It's also worth noting that around the time PoFV released Rozen Maiden, a series about living dolls, was getting to be extremely popular in Japan.

>>16020350

ITT: "Oh yeah, that 2hu exists"

Is there somewhere that I can save alot of official 2hu artwork?
I mean portraits, but full body, like pic related.

I need high resolution transparent background art of Medicine.

Poison thread?

You assholes didn't post my favorite 2hu today. Not fucking once. NOT ONE TIME. I'M SO FUCKING MAD AT YOU ALL, I'M FUCKING DONE WITH THIS BOARD.

>YEES FINALLY UNBANNED, now let's make a thread to celebrate
ITT: wut 2ho wud u not fug

this is the best ZUN portrait, she actually looks decent.
too bad she turned to be one of the most unpopular 2hus, I bet most of you don't even remember her.

She is the best for the job, everyone ignore her

How come Parsee got no hat or anyhing other that hair on her head?
And why isn't Medicine any popular at all? I've rearly seen pictures of her on /jp/ and I don't know when someone mentioned her the last time.

let's all take a moment to appreciate medicine melancholy and what an awesome touhou she is