riding on fans' energy: touhou, fan culture, and grassroot entertainment
TRANSCRIPT
<1>
May 28th 2008
Hakurei Jinja Reitaisai 5
30,000
3 times expected
3 times expected
no “catalog”
no entrance
3 times expected
sold out
10am
東方(Touhou)
exclusive convention
about same #participants
Square Enix Party 2005
47,000 in 2 days
one man project
ZUN
programming
programmingdrawing
programmingdrawingwriting
programmingdrawingwriting
composing
1996
hobby project
2008
media franchise
GIGANTIC repetoire
> 3,000 manga
> 500 music albums
> 100 games
since 2003
18/100most viewed
media franchise
obscurity stardom
creative fans
inspire
create
inspire
chain reaction
free publicity
loyal fans/producers
feat
little $$$
participatoryculture
grassrootentertainment
why?
imperfect/postmodernconstruction
laissez-faireon fan works
<2>
fans
active
fan activities
influence
media industry
cultural attractor
interesting
many groups
cultural activator
meaningful activities
東方 ?
3
hardcore gamers
anime/manga otaku
music lovers
Touhou is (damn) hard.
replays
share
socialize
gameplaynot enough
characters & settings
anime/manga otaku
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.
2nd level
90+ characters
add to database
something familiar
mashup
serious flaws
beautify!
even better than the real thing
music
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
multipleproduct 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/peoplefrom outside
malleable > consistent
easy
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!
<3>
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
flow
mix
nice surprises
<4>
how far?
answer: very far
Touhou
fan creation growth
no exercises ofexclusive rights
free promotion
more content
less $$$ needed
free culture
Free culture works.