/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>45678251
you posted it.
outside of that probably
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjqMcIDHO0k

Music wise? VD & HSiFS have fantastic themes. WBaWC's ominous vibes are great too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxHKXrmAKmA
Visually, I like StB & DS' style.

Personally, I'm partial to Snow or Cherry Petal from th07. Beautiful arrangement of the Team Shanghai Alice theme.

>>45678251
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5QfOOtp31I

>>45678287
I really liked this one a lot. I also like
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-2ZkMxYp5g

>>45678251
Gensokyo, Lotus Land Story.
Which confusingly is the full title of TH4.
Nothing pumps me up more for trying to beat the Extra stage than this And Inevitably Forbidden Game but that's another story.

https://youtu.be/Uz7JXAxj2ZU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5uO7nPljJg
^^ For people who don't like bitcrunched MIDI ^^

>>45678251
the mystic square and LLS ones are pretty good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Szhq0dV-szY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz7JXAxj2ZU

>>45678581
>>45678604
Speaking of PC-98, I really like SoEW's "Pure Land Mandala", especially the part at 2:19 and the bridge leading up to it. It's a motif that can often be found in other Touhou songs.

https://youtu.be/Niajpbp0W7o?si=ZSnWpcKjRVbrK7pk

>>45678662
SoEW really has a specific sound to it, I can hear part of Love Coloured Magic and Himorogi in this.
That specific bit is just Cute devil - innocence before that was a thing. And therefore by extension Luna Dial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQe0crwJ36Y

IN's atmosphere in general is great

>>45678662
Speaking of SoEW, some songs (stage themes) are a little sad
https://youtu.be/oluGWBK8Bk8?list=PLE36BF9DF89BEB88E

What is the most nostalgic song? for me its https://youtu.be/w279PjazOAw and https://youtu.be/UbqoImQZ-EY

>>45678738
Anything from EoSD or DiPP, I think it's the soundfont that does it for me. A lot of PCB songs too

>>45678718
Yeah, there's something so nostalgic and melancholic about some PC-98 songs. A world long forgotten, gone and never coming back. Sad and depressive, but hauntingly beautiful at the same time.

>>45678738
You mean personal nostalgia or a song that evokes nostalgia?
If it's the latter, then I'll have to go with the original arrangement of Alice in Wonderland. There's just nothing like it, and nothing that quite matches up to the original, janky instruments and all.

>>45678718
The stage 3 & 2 themes should have been swapped imo. End of Daylight really gives off the feeling that something is terribly, horrifically wrong and (you) have to go fix it, or die trying.
Honestly, I'm surprised SoEW's story is pretty lighthearted with it's soundtrack. Definitely a close match for HRtP in having the darkest sounding music.

https://youtu.be/c8di6az9BBQ

>>45678251
Does Theme of Eastern Story count? Every latter title theme is based off of it, as far as I know.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=qGwASZn0ZKA
>>45678848
>End of Daylight really gives off the feeling that something is terribly, horrifically wrong and (you)
If I remember correctly, it was originally supposed to be a morning song, according to ZUN's comments. You can kind of hear it in remnants of it, like the bird-chirp-like sound at the beginning. But, I definitely think that Meira's theme has to probably be my favorite from SoEW. I kind of wish ZUN continued on with that dark theme in later PC-98 Touhou games, but the dreaminess of PoDD, LLS, and MS are unmatchable.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=h8N3XswjEuI
>Definitely a close match for HRtP in having the darkest sounding music.
HRtP has some serious gems. The gameplay is so horrendous, but it is rare that I find a game with music and art good enough to keep me hooked despite terrible gameplay. Everything about the game seriously feels so unnatural, but it's such a unique and addicting feeling.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=XcvTjFo2T8I
https://youtube.com/watch?v=ORqbz5-dzNY
https://youtube.com/watch?v=7Vtd_uyO1uY
>>45678738
For some reason, Crimson Belvedere ~ Eastern Dream sticks out to me as being quite nostalgic.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=SXYZ6KOZAR0

>>45678251
For me it's SA. It gets you pumped up every time you launch the game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o15r7XPtfvA

>>45682508
Ultra based, the beat drop makes me imagine I'm falling through a giant hole in the ground into a subterranean world of fantasy

I like O-LIFE.JP's arrangement of this theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ki59es2UOlo

>>45678251
https://youtu.be/wUHyG9XqOMI

>>45678738
Eastern Dream as the other anon said is pure unfiltered nostalgia. Sakura Sakura and Eternal Shrine Maiden are also up there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoBbCCteNLs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvfC2iYjkNw

>>45678738
明治十七年の上海アリス

>>45685285
Same, especially the DiPP version. The piano at the beginning and end reminds me of both the old Meiji period and the early 2000s when it was first composed, a relic of times long gone and days that you'll never get back. It's my favourite song by ZUN.

>>45685326
That song is most of the reason I love EoSD S3
It's so much fun to play, since it really feels like you're on top of the world, full of boundless optimism as you play with Meiling before delving deep into the heart of darkness.

>>45678738
if we're talking personal nostalgia i have 3

keine's IN stage theme, probably the most memorable touhou song i can think of. probably the game i played the most too which sort of helps, but the theme makes me think of all the unspoken lore that we don't see in canon

The Gensokyo the Gods Loved (i think it was nitori's boss theme?), for whenever i want to assuage the grimsokyo fanon. MoF in general had the most relaxed touhou soundtrack out of them all, minus sanae. i sometimes put it on when i'm studying or researching as background noise

and necrofantasia for whenever i want to think back to learning touhou songs on piano ages ago despite not yet knowing wtf a touhou was

>>45678251
the IN one byfar, i'm kind of biased to IN anything IN related though so might be cutting it short

>>45700365
I don't know what it's called but I love THAT instrument that kicks in halfway

Enough about title themes.
What's the best Extra theme? Stage and boss I guess.
My vote is for The Inevitably Forbidden Game, and the Grimoire of Alice, respectively.

>>45702765
1-Koishi theme
2-Mugetsu theme
3-Flan theme
4-Rika theme

>>45702765
Extra theme is probably Centennial Festival, Extend Ash or The Shining Law of the Strong Eating the Weak.

U.N. Owen is my favourite Extra boss theme. I know it's overrated but I love the western style of EoSD's soundtrack and the eeriness of it.
The 3/3 beginning is a moment of panic, of a powerful being revealing itself as you realise that you're now in its midst. After, the verse feels like you're descending deep into a dark part of the mansion where Flandre is lurking all around, stalking you while her wings ring out as she moves, symbolised by the glockenspiel sound as well as giving it a touch of innocence. The chorus is when she's finally revealed, a loose cannon with little grip on her power or the world around her. The bridge is a brief moment of respite, a brief moment of lucidity before it delves back into verse.
That's my interpretation, anyway. I know FDS and 17.5 destroyed that interpretation of her personality but I can't envision it any other way.

>>45703251
I don't get why people feel like they can't like something because it's too mainstream. I like EoSD's soundtrack a lot, although I wouldn't say it has a disproportionate amount of my favourites. It's better than average for sure, I don't think I actually dislike any of them to and degree, but I prefer most of the LLS and MS songs to them.
It's a little hard to compare them like that though, EoSD has a *very* specific style to it, enough that you can find EoSD remixes of a lot of PC98 songs especially. Are they any good? Some of them fit very well I think. Some don't, but LLS and MS had a weird mix of styles compared to other games, jumping between styles between every stage nearly. I think it's just one of those things where the originals work well with the bitcrushed instruments, but replacing them with real ones needs a lot of thought and care to capture the feel of it.
ZUN back then was a master really, he still is but I think he's tying one hand behind his back with designing the game first compared to when he made the music and fit the characters around it.
Ofc you had things like LLS's extra where Genge's theme was composed to fit Muge's theme (supposedly, they feel totally different to me), and Magic Shop of Raspberry was thrown out in favour of tIFG because it didn't fit what he wanted exactly, but for the most part it seems to ring true.
Just some thoughts, apologies if it came across as a rant.

>>45702765
Extra stage theme: Centennial Festival for Magical Girls
Extra boss theme: Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke

What are some "dark" or "melancholic" Touhou tracks?
Like this one for example
https://youtu.be/oluGWBK8Bk8?si=yq8ChqYNdwjH9OzU

Hidden stars in four seasons has the best title theme

https://youtu.be/RXAGPkZOmtc?si=ZbVx7MkmhhuAM7jz

>>45702765
>stage
Last remote from SA, like hands down. I liked it way more than koishi's boss theme, it's less eratic and more sombre. The calm piano bits throughout are wonderful, and I think it does the erratic key changes way better than the boss theme too.
>boss
Grimoire of Alice too, my favourite extra fight in the series. Immortal Smoke and Necrofantasia are up there too for nostalgia reasons, and that both are super fun to learn on piano
>>45703857
Junko's stage theme in LoLK, forget the name of it.

>>45684786
My man

>>45703857
地蔵だけが知る哀嘆
Jizou dake ga shiru aitan
The Lamentations Known Only by Jizo

>>45678738
UM stage 3, Touhou in major key is weird. It's like ZUN composed a credits song for an old JRPG or a pokemon game, except it's a bullet hell theme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGIvZEr79mo

That and track 1 of DiPP, legend of hourai. The entire album is fantastic but I'll always start at that first one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lG1mEuUnbY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdP6bjAJ1CM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av-T0Yje0tU
Did you see that shadow and Hisouten are great.

>>45678251
I'm between "Gensokyo ~ Lotus Land Story", "Scarlet Beyond a Crimson Dream" and "Imperishable Night ~ Eastern Night".

Post rare touhou songs that you like
https://youtu.be/YiN9rqnxw20
https://youtu.be/ZS0Ghx3OPOE
https://youtu.be/jQAliyNOVUo

>>45720997
The Capital City of Flowers in the Sky is probably my favourite theme in all of Touhou.

For me, personally, it's 地霊達の起床。

>>45720997
The stage 4 themes are always great but I rarely see people mention https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYwul_WIvvs
Such a weird melody but it just works, and the tambourines are icing on the cake.

>>45721026
It's really good especially after 1:05

>>45721176
Based

>>45702765
Stage probably Last Remote or Alice in Wonderland. I like the sense of urgency the first one gives and how melancholic the latter sounds. I also love Hourai Victim, it really helps that stage feel really eerie.
Boss-wise it's probably Native Faith, Necrofantasia (I know it technically isn't extra but still) and Pristine Beat. They fit their characters really well and Raiko's theme's usage of drums is rather unique for a ZUN song.

>>45703857
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZwOGMEAbQo

>>45723825
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmYnymCcKVw

>>45678251
ugliest fucking poop colored diaper wearing reimu picture ive ever seen

>>45753657
Why don't you take a seat.
Right down over there, take a seat.

https://youtu.be/Q0wTljpCHdU
I like this, but the extra stage is so well synched to the other one that I'm not sure it would work as well with MSoR

>>45678251
For me, it's th12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE7neXAuzIY

Is no one going to mention how staffroll songs are consistently great?

https://youtu.be/4SIpy7UJBPI
https://youtu.be/SXYZ6KOZAR0
https://youtu.be/WaMdF6rBbvg
https://youtu.be/KbaSQNjv6WM

LLS has an amazing soundtrack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_vq5KOjgdw

>>45774409
my first 1cc...

>>45771354
EoSD's is so nostalgic to me it's physically painful

>>45678251
Y'know what, I ranked them all. Or at least the ones I remember well enough to him off the top of my head.
MS > PCB > LoLK > PoDD > TD > DDC > EoSD > LLS > WBaWC > MoF > HSiFS > SA > UFO > SoEW > HRtP > PoFV

>>45681826
>Everything about the game seriously feels so unnatural, but it's such a unique and addicting feeling.
That's a great way to describe it. How befitting of the Land of Illusions.
While strongest in HRtP, the PC-98 games as a whole had this fantastical, surreal atmosphere you would find in a dream and never in real life. It so perfectly represents the setting, and it's what I immediately think of when I hear "Gensokyo". A shame it's largely missing in the later games, though I do think EoSD and TD come pretty close.

>>45774414
Mine too anon.
Yuka took my first time too...