Dolls in Pseudo Paradise - Track 4: Shanghai Alice of Meiji 17

◊ Title: 明治十七年の上海アリス
◊ Artist: ZUN
◊ Album: 蓬莱人形 ～ Dolls in Pseudo Paradise
◊ Original: 明治十七年の上海アリス ／ Shanghai Alice of Meiji 17
「東方紅魔郷　～ the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil, Hong Meiling's theme」
An Eastern girl in an ancient world.
I never really liked Meiling's theme. But it still feels good when I listen to it.
So many chimes... what does this remind me of??

[@werewook]

This is the original. The theme of the murderer in this story. A girl from French-Concession Era Shanghai (1849-1943) that fell into Gensokyo through a peach tree hole just like how Alice fell into the Wonderland through a rabbit hole. "Meiji 17" is specifically 1884. The Great Hakurei Barrier was created in 1885. That girl on Dolls in Pseudo Paradise's album cover is quite literally is the "Shanghai Alice". ZUN said he never intended to make EoSD (he was working at Taito at the time). Hourai Ningyou ~ Dolls in Pseudo Paradise was finished and was going to be released in 2001 but he messed up his Comiket application. He then decided at the last moment to make another game (EoSD) and sold it alongside this album in 2002. His doujin circle's name, Shanghai Alice Gengakudan ("Shanghai Alice Fantasy Band" AKA Team Shanghai Alice), was named after this song and that girl.

[@lookoutfroghat3359]

Man, that was dark.., what kind of was he working on before esod?

[@williewillus]

@@lookoutfroghat3359 this is late, but up to that point Touhou was still a sort of passion/school project. He intended to stop making them after graduating and joining a company for full time work. Then he ended up making four more games on his own time, then finally deciding to quit his job and pursue Touhou as his life's work.

[@anueutsuho7425]

So, "UN Owen was Her?" was made for DiPP first, and THEN used for Flandre's boss theme?

[@TheVolcaloidLovahs]

@@anueutsuho7425 If so, thats absolutely incredible

[@Xenomorthian]

The murderer truly was a "Shanghai Alice from Meiji 17"

[@KuraSourTakanHour]

I feel like the entire Dolls in Pseudo Paradise album is the sorrowful soundtrack to a bewitching dream, that someone never woke from to discard their grim reality in search of something pure and breathtaking. A metaphor for Gensokyo... or maybe exactly what it is. ZUNs dream, which he's still dreaming to this day.

[@FrogmaskMusic]

...Isn't this, like, the exact plot to the Dolls in Pseudo Paradise song comments?

[@anueutsuho7425]

​@@FrogmaskMusic no, that's a fucked up story about people getting brutally murdered in Gensokyo.

[@FrogmaskMusic]

@@anueutsuho7425 yeah and they get murdered in gensokyo because they discard their grim reality in the outside world in order to find what they *think* is pure and breathtaking

[@eizneckam4936]

"That night, the six men held a party in a style from a foreign country. I, the youngest, could not yet imbibe alcohol nor smoke opium, so I found it all to be terribly boring. I secretly snuck away from where the party was, but in the darkness I was caught by a sinister pierrot. I was immediately beheaded. I will never again be capable of feeling even boredom. After that, there were five honest men left."

[@MrTheboomboxer]

Both Elly and Meiling are gate guards. Both Elly and Meiling are known for being bad at their job. Both Elly and Meiling have a boss theme that is less popular than their stage theme. Both Elly and Meiling have tough stage 3 bossfights. Coincidence? I think not.

[@ZXNovaBoom]

Meiling isn't bad at her job canonically speaking. She does a very good job of keeping people out except for powerful characters. She has no weaknesses, so the only way you CAN beat her is to be stronger than her aka overpower her.

[@MrTheboomboxer]

ZXNova Yeah i know that, but in fanon she is often mocked to be a bad one. Elly as well. Both canonically might not be bad, but the main characters just beat them and moved on.

[@ZXNovaBoom]

Yeah, because the main characters were strong. And who really cares about what fanon does? That should have nothing to do with how they are.

[@zacharyjackson7444]

ZXNova Fanon is canon! :D

[@ZXNovaBoom]

You live up to your name.

[@OrionoftheStar]

Ah, Shanghai Alice of Meiji 17! It's such a pity Chinese Teahouse is the song everyone remembers her with. This one always felt more elegant to me.

[@N0VANE0]

(listens to dipp) wow this is some nice music (finds out there's a story) oh what's it about (learns about the story) gensokyo is a scary place

[@prismus6520]

I just saw the story and HOOH boy am I scarred for life. Lesson learned: don’t go to Gensokyo without a gun.

[@chickennuggets1990]

The pierrot was Clownpiece.

[@chickennuggets1990]

69th like

[@chickennuggets1990]

@@marinaaguas9219 Koishi scared her good.

[@elvergalarga-jo9vs]

Out of all the songs in DiPP this one is probably the most nostalgic to me, dont know, but when i hear it, i picture a beautiful scenario from an old century or an old childhood memory I mean heck, DiPP as a whole itself just reminds me of old age scenarios or memories from my childhood when i lived for a period in the outskirts of the city where my mom's sisters(my aunts) lived, where the whole scenario was green, the rivers and waterfalls were clear and the dawns were shiny

[@ryful_z3]

The bells at the beginning of the song really stick out to me as nostalgic in particular but I have no idea why

[@TheLugiaSong]

I never realised quite how good the Dolls in Pseudo Paradise album was (how did I miss this track?) it's somber but magical, truly my favourite of ZUN's albums.

[@onyxvega7369]

Everyone saying the prefer this over chinese tea... I prefer the EoSD version of shangai alice of meiji over both tracks

[@SintaxError2]

2:26 to 2:52 is my favourite part, idk if i prefer this one or the EoSD ver. because both are great

[@TontaDeNET]

I wrote a story based on this song. I wrote it here, in the comment section, but it is long, so long and KZbin doesn't let me comment it. This song gives me so many feelings that I can't even tell y'all, and I wanted to share the story. A headcanon mixing DiPP and EoSD stories of how Meiling became "the chinese youkai and scarlet mansion's gatekeeper". But I can't share it. I will forever enjoy this song, and will forever listen to ZUN's music. Hope y'all feel the same and that my future self doesn't betray me and forgets I wrote this hshshah

[@mythicalkachi315]

2:55 Sounds like that one melody that’s in three songs I believe from LLS

[@kinyou-no-hito]

それとってもよくわかります。海外にも同じことを思っている人がいるとは嬉しい限りです！ I understand it very well. I'm glad that there are people overseas who think the same!

[@ethirium4389]

Inanimate Dream? Because that parts of that theme is used in many of LLS themes Edit: I just realized that it sounds a lot like Maiden's Capriccio

[@maruyu]

It's the same for Orin too. Lullaby of Deserted Hell is more famous than Corpse Voyage ~ Be of Good Cheer! I like both, though.

[@wessltov]

Pretty song, pretty image, what could anyone want? A download link for both, that's what!

[@chickennuggets1990]

danbooru.donmai.us/posts/711615 img here

[@daniellxnder]

Meiling is pretty

[@petergriffin1331]

Shes my waifu

[@lucds25]

@@petergriffin1331 Oh god...

[@petergriffin1331]

@@lucds25 that's an old comment holy shit!

[@CreamPuffssz]

@@petergriffin1331does Peter responds today?

[@petergriffin1331]

@@CreamPuffssz the horse is here

[@Emily8468]

This remix gives me chills... so spooky

[@bloons27]

It's not remix. It's original! (EoSD's is arranged.)

[@Emily8468]

@@bloons27 oh that's right, I keep forgetting about ZUN's comments on the disc lol

[@abluehappyface748]

I love this one *SO* much!

[@The_810代神聖ローマ皇帝]

いい曲なんよ～

[@Darkiouls]

I don't know why, but the piano at the beginning remembered me of Mystic Gohan's theme.

[@faeyrn]

(Everyone loves Chinese Tea better than Meiji 17. I think it's like Elly's original theme and Bad Apple!!.. honestly I like Meiji 17 better than Chinese Tea.)

[@fellism]

Fun fact: this song only has 5 instruments. These being the piano, harp, violin, bell and drum kit. Somehow despite this, this song sounds less empty than the music from Touhou 16-18.

[@bloons27]

TH06 Meiling theme prototype.

[@幻想郷てくてく]

うーん…いい！

[@knipey123]

Though I do prefer Shanghai Alice of Meiji 17 over Shanghai Teahouse ~ Chinese Tea, I much prefer the original over this rendition.

[@mousysaint9143]

This is the original.

[@czardonyx]

+Mousy Saint Nah, the original's in EoSD.

[@mousysaint9143]

This was made before the one in EoSD. The original is the one that is made first.

[@WishMakers]

How do you know this version was made first? EoSD came out in 2001, DiPP came out in 2002.

[@NEOthefriendlyYoutuber]

I think the original is more better

[@soulosus]

1:52

[@MsZsc]

Why eyes are green

[@herohamza1196]

kinda looks like Luculia Marlborough from violet evergarden

[@yamahadx7synthesiser]

69 hh

[@yorozuya2898]

please send a link for the art

[@yorozuya2898]

+spacepirate369 I guess they took it down because it couldn't find or something

[@yorozuya2898]

@@chickennuggets1990 4yrs later, hell yeah thanks man!

[@KaylaaYukooo]

@@yorozuya2898 loves the fact that you still came back to this after 5 years