I Witness the Glory of TOUHOU ZUNPETS for the First Time - MOKOU'S THEME

Today is a special day. I learned about Touhou zunpets while listening to Touhou music. More specifically Mokou's theme, Reach for the Moon Immortal Smoke. Good day.
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Game footage credit to maulerfranco666: • Touhou 8: IN - Extra S...
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[@DaviVasc]

In this video I mentioned the video I did on Undertale's Battle Against a True Hero. Have you seen that one? > kzbin.info/www/bejne/mISadZuVYpusr9U

[@kr3533]

Hi! Liked your video a lot :)! I just want so say that there are 2 Touhou themes that I highly recommend looking together in a video, those themes are Necrofantasia, and "A maiden's illusionary funeral~Necro-Fantasy", also, I would recommend to look the second one(Necro-fantasy) first, aa it is the first you see in the game and, also, it's better to see the difference xd

[@Sonicfalcon16]

you can whistle its fine

[@kr3533]

@@Sonicfalcon16 I mean, this theme is whistleable af, everytime I'm fighting Mokou I lots 1 life just because I'm whistling XDDD

[@speedwaifuthetrueandonlybe2744]

Hi man ! This video was as great as the previous ones. If you want suggestions for touhou tracks to review, I could only recommand listening to necrofantasia (Yukari's theme), very popular ost. And as my favorite one, much less known but with absolutely gorgeous zumpets, idolatrize world (Keiki's theme)

[@kr3533]

@@speedwaifuthetrueandonlybe2744 UFF idolatrize word is just such a masterpiece dude. You are a man of culture lady speedwagon 🗿

[@kingdynal7735]

“It gives me that sensation of infinity” you got extremely close to guessing that she’s immortal.

[@jokeregg2045]

Zun is the king of conveying emotion

[@Sonicfalcon16]

hes really good at this figuring out chatacters through music

[@calibula95]

Tbf, the theme is called "reach for the moon, IMMORTAL smoke" so... That really give more context.

[@kingdynal7735]

@@calibula95 I can’t believe I forgot the name of the song when it’s in the title. What’s worse is, when talking about Touhou songs I usually shorten the longer names and when referring to this one I call it immortal smoke.

[@calibula95]

@@kingdynal7735 nos that i think about it... Are extra stage and boss' themes the only ones that aren't redundant? I mean, most of the time Zun has 2 names for his songs, one in japanese and the other in english . Obviously when translated the two are somewhat similar but many extra themes aren't like that. Well, whatever. More context for Davi to guess the character traits without even having played the games KEKW.

[@timeforamazingchest5271]

It's a testament to the musical competence of Davi and ZUN that the characters and their personalities are so accurately communicated just by sound and melody alone. So impressive.

[@raandomplayer8589]

DAVI who?

[@blackspectre209]

@@raandomplayer8589 the man in this video, its even in his channel name you lil goof lmao.

[@witheburning8756]

​@@raandomplayer8589mama

[@bobsmithy3103]

@@raandomplayer8589 the bassist slapper

[@zanwrightmfwr756]

​@@bobsmithy3103 different one, but yes, he probably does too

[@koish_ii]

10:00 The fact that you were able to accurately nail the entire purpose of Mokou in that segment is incredible. The main melody sounds like it can infinitely loop because Mokou herself can “infinitely loop”- in other words, she’s immortal. She has the full powers of the pheonix, which reincarnates infinitely, basically meaning she’ll keep repeating forever just like the melody. The passion that you also pointed out in the song has to do with Mokou’s pheonix abilities too; she manipulates fire and can burn forever. Because she knows she’s going to live forever, Mokou is also a pretty laid-back and thrill-seeking character- you even caught that with the xylophone segment! Incredible stuff.

[@Dreigonix]

It’s not just that she’s immortal, it’s that she’s easily killed but comes back right away every time, in specific contrast to Kaguya, who can’t be killed at all. Kaguya is eternal, while Mokou burns out quickly but always comes back. I mentioned the contrast between the very structures of their respective theme songs elsewhere.

[@brianchen1302]

Well... every touhou theme infinitely loops...

[@Dreigonix]

@@brianchen1302 Yeah, but this one only has one short melody and yet does so much with it.

[@brianchen1302]

@@Dreigonix Isn't that practically every touhou song too though? The formula is just one short, memorable melody, a few interludes in between to connect the melodies composed of arpeggios/runs usually, then building on the melodies using new instruments, key changes, tempo changes, etc. Then they infinitely loop. I feel like that can describe nearly every single touhou song, including this one. Not that that's bad. I love almost every single one of them. Just, looping infinitely and building on a short melody is not really special in the context of touhou.

[@rorogogos]

@@brianchen1302 Although every touhou song needs to loop, not every song loops in the same feeling as this one. In his other touhou song analyses, we can see he hadn't commented on this part, yet within this video he can clearly feel and hear the loop, as it was much more impactful.

[@amiamcia2319]

when you mentioned looping and infinity my jaw dropped. mokou is immortal. she will live INFINITELY. how do you keep getting these characters right from the music alone...

[@Dreigonix]

Goes to show what a musical genius ZUN is- everything about his characters can be summed up in their theme songs.

[@kr3533]

@@Dreigonix And this is probably why every theme Zun does I just like it more or more xd You can't find someone who can express their characters so well only by the music itself.

[@HeraldOfOpera]

You knew ZUN was the best there is at what he does, and this video series is a professional from the same industry telling you why.

[@galtonova]

i mean, all touhou music is composed to loop forever.

[@kr3533]

@@galtonova But not all of them do it the same way(I mean, this guy didn't mention it in the last 2 themes).

[@Ellie-Angela]

Some personal thoughts on this song. The vibes of childishness do make sense, in a weird way, as Mokou was born a mortal human, but became immortal, now being over a thousand years old. She's had multiple phases in her immortality, and now reached one where she basically decides to do whatever she feels like doing - usually helping people and fighting with strong people. I do think that the tenser moments of this song also sound like a cry for help from her, while the start represent her melancholy - her immortality is a prison for her, as she never wanted to be immortal, and was never taught how to bear that burden unlike the non-human characters. To note, all the Touhou themes you've reviewed so far are the themes of the Extra bosses - the bonus, hyper-difficult, post-game bosses, which generally have among the most intense and urgent-sounding themes in the series, fitting for a one-off, no holds barred fight. If you want to review another one in that style (and currently my personal favorite of the bunch, though they're all great), I'd recommend the one from the most recent mainline game, Momoyo's theme: The Princess Who Slays Dragon Kings. Comparatively, the final boss themes, while climactic, tend to be less frenzied, more serene, as you're usually fighting the mastermind of the game that the story has been leading up to. Among those, I really like Remilia's theme, from the same game as Flandre: Septette For A Dead Princess.

[@abrahamrangel2326]

That part in particular sounds so "dreamy" for me, everytime i hear it i cant help but imagine mokou remembering her childhood when she was mortal, to me her appearence before drinking the elixir looks like a small girl

[@inserttexthere4070]

On the topic of extra boss themes, Futatsuiwa from Sado is CRIMINALLY underrated. It's one of the catchiest songs in the entire series and part of the reason why Mamizou is one of my favorite characters, it just suits her so well!

[@NoxAtlas]

I also hear the aggressiveness and anger in her theme, which makes sense. She's in an eternal feud with Kaguya. She became Immortal for the sake of taking revenge on her, and because they're both Immortal, they'll always have each other when everyone else around them dies. Even if the whole world falls apart, they'll still be there, and fighting each other is what makes their isolation less miserable. Mokou's eternal hatred for Kaguya is what keeps pushing her forward and distracts her from the fact that everyone she gets closer to will die. It's the only thing she can ever rely on if she loses someone or something because mortality consumes them.

[@PureLunari]

There's also Yuyuko's theme in PCB. The way how you describe final boss themes perfectly fits that one. I really love that theme.

[@timmyreobed5043]

I mean, she absolutely wanted to be immortal at first- she killed a man for it. It's more along the lines of her regretting that decision immensely.

[@SuperChrim]

I can’t believe we’re getting so many Touhou ost analysis videos so quick. Thank you so much. You don’t understand how much of a gift these are to me! And I’m glad you are enjoying them too. If I were to pitch in and suggest the next song, I’d want you to listen Utsuho’s theme: Solar Sect of Mystic Wisdom ~ Nuclear Fusion

[@Minulf]

Same. As a long time fan of the Touhou-Franchise (since 2011), it's so great to see the broader audience react to the amazing world ZUN has created. Even though I had no part in it, I still feel like a proud mom seeing her kid grow up.

[@eridani069]

Yeah, Solar Sect is a awesome theme

[@Rncko]

On side note... given how he has affinity with DRUMS... give this man a Raiko's Drum theme --> Pristine Beat~~

[@Minulf]

@@Rncko Swear to god, yes! Raiko's theme is so incredibly good.

[@spikepls9940]

You right

[@Leivoso]

I love that he says the song gives a feel of "infinity" because that just really nails Mokou's character Imao

[@ZinfulSD]

Mokou's theme is a great example of ZUN's ability to tell a story within a song. Mokou's theme is excited, cheerful, but it is also tragic. The song hinges on one main melody that repeats for most of the song, and has additions to it each time, reflecting that every time Mokou is resurrected, she's changed. But it has one section that deviates from the main melody, which is that music box/glockenspiel break verse, that is using a low energy instrument for a fast paced section. And it ends by returning to the main melody. It tells a tale of an eternal cycle that's broken only for a moment by death, which is practically a short sleep for her and music boxes are a well-known instrument for sleep, because she's brought back and forced to continue forwards, advancing with no real motivation to do so, but using her own emotions to power through it until even those burn away. She is a great example character of the "Immortality SUCKS" brand.

[@ExcalibeonSwordofEeveelutions]

As among many that only know Touhou by it's soundtrack, Entrusting This World To Idols ~ Idolize World is one of my favs that you should give a listen to~

[@otrot-55peruano81]

I agree

[@kiwixz12]

Yes yes YES I LOVE YOU MAN

[@junreylimnavales3197]

I've been addicted to the theme for months now since I've discovered the theme. (I only know touhou by it themes/songs)

[@alias6676]

it slaps so hard from the very beginning damn

[@calibula95]

My only issue is that, Idolatrize World has Reimu's leimotif in it. So idk, i think he should listen to one of Reimu's themes beforehand?

[@赤スパしたいネキ]

あなたはとても凄いです…😭👏👏👏 このキャラクターは不死身です。あなたの「インフィニティ」という言葉、まさにその通りなんです。 あなたの考察力、知識量には驚かされます。 東方ファンにとって、これはとても嬉しい動画です。 ありがとうございます。あなたの考察をもっともっと聞きたいです🫶🫶

[@Dreigonix]

Mokou is about as far from Flandre and Koishi as you can get. She’s a vengeful, battle-scarred noblewoman whose family had their life ruined by Kaguya (yes, THAT Kaguya- Mokou’s story runs parallel to the legendary Tale of the Bamboo Cutter; look it up). In revenge, she stole the Hourai Elixir, becoming an immortal phoenix, and swore to kill Kaguya, and the two have been fighting ever since. While Kaguya is immortal in the sense that she can never die no matter what’s done to her, Mokou’s immortality means she respawns every time she dies- you actually kill her at least ten times over the course of the battle until she can no longer handle the pain of dying repeatedly and gives up. So Kaguya is eternity, and Mokou is ephemerality.

[@Dreigonix]

Also, if you listen to Flight of the Bamboo Cutter (Kaguya’s theme), you’ll notice that Kaguya’s theme is long and keeps changing with new motifs every section, in comparison to Reach for the Moon, Immortal Smoke, which uses only one short melody repeated over and over. I think this is also connected to Kaguya and Mokou’s respective themes of eternity and ephemerality.

[@Giganotus]

One thing I love about Mokou too is how she fell into madness for several hundred years because her human mind couldn't comprehend her own immortality. A regular human was NEVER meant to live as long as her and she's suffered because of it. And it's not even the first time it's happened. She falls in and out of madness, and like you said she's ephemeral. She's in a constant state of change but is never truly destroyed.

[@LimaBr_]

Mokou do be needing that kamijou touma treatment

[@hoppefrosk]

Well, Mokou's father was only really humiliated the way he was because he tried to fake the item Kaguya requested, only to have her pull out the genuine article when presented with the fake. Was it mean-spirited of Kaguya to request something that already was in her possession? Maybe. But if he had accepted that he couldn't fulfill her request, then at least he could have walked away with his dignity. Besdes, Mokou has long since thrown away any feelings of resentment and regret. 1300 years is a long time to reflect on the past, and at this point she's just happy to be able to relate to Kaguya, in regards to the endless expanse of time that awaits them both. Even though killing each other repeatedly is the way they choose to go about it. Besides, they're both Hourai immortals, which means that death (and thus life as well) doesn't apply to them. If their physical bodies are destroyed, their souls will create a new body from nothing, and their souls are also eternal, and disconnected from the cycle of life and death. Mokou will actually exploit this by burning herself to death, just to get a "fresh" body, if she has a reason to.

[@nathanieljohnson5430]

@@hoppefrosk The real fucked part of it all is those two will literally experience the heat death of the universe if they don't figure out how to die or jump to a new one

[@moisesdasilvalimas5401]

Since you seem starting in touhou, you must hear: Necrofantasia Border of life + last spell border of life theme Suwa foughten field Native Faith Cosmic mind Broken moon EDIT: stage themes are mostly good too, all I mentioned are bosses themes, but you should look for stage themes as well, such as The Maid and the Pocket Watch of Blood, Road of the Apotropaic God and Lullaby of the Deserted Hell.

[@shinjiikari1021]

fires of hokkai is so good too

[@timmyreobed5043]

I feel like Necro Fantasy ought to be a package deal with Necrofantasia. Their similarities and differences really do paint an interesting picture of the Yakumos.

[@nghiatri-cf9qn]

Pure Furies

[@tizianogallero9990]

I can't believe it, I KNEW YOU WOULD DO MOKOU'S THEME THANK YOU YOUR ANALYSIS ARE GREAT I LOVE TO SEE THEM!!!!!!

[@Ambreil]

Touhou is very diverse with its music. Just when you think you have the hang of things, boom, smooth jazz and dubstep

[@kingdynal7735]

One good one is pure furies. It’s a really good Touhou theme.

[@Dreigonix]

If he does do Pure Furies, I wonder if he’ll notice that the chorus has the same chord progression as U.N. Owen Was Her. I think that was intentionally done to call back to something very primal in Touhou by referencing The One Touhou Song _Everyone_ Knows, and this relates to how Junko is a character boiled down to her pure base essence, and her gameplay boils down to the pure basics of danmaku.

[@Darkusaido]

furry

[@Dreigonix]

@@Darkusaido Purr Furries.

[@Groundash]

I don't expect you to turn into a Touhou music channel exclusively but in case you want to continue talking about Touhou for a while... How about Theme of Eastern Story? It's considered to be the main theme of the whole series. Its melody is found everywhere in other Touhou songs. Other suggestions: Satori Maiden ~ 3rd Eye - for something classier and a little somber Solar Sect of Mystic Wisdom ~ Nuclear Fusion - for something badass Tonight Stars an Easygoing Egoist (Live ver.) - for classic Touhou but with a silly twist A Flower-Studded Sake Dish on Mt. Ooe - for something fun

[@PhantomGato-v-]

A fellow Chireiden enjoyer, I see.

[@vianneyb.8776]

Thanks for including Tonight Stars, it's one of my favorites but often left aside because it's not from the main danmaku series. Other soundtracks I like: Cheat Against the Impossible Danmaku Provincial Makai City Esoteria (even though yet another irregular time might be too much for now) Beware the Umbrella Left There Forever The Shining Needle Castle Sinking in the Air Swim in a Cherry Blossom-Colored Sea Sakura, Sakura - Japanize Dream (because ending themes deserve some love too) Eastern Night Vignette - Imperishable Night - Eastern Night (because title themes deserve some love too, and it features the main theme) And maybe a few PC-98 themes like Civilization of Magic, and a few CD themes like Ancient Temple in the Netherworld.

[@Groundash]

@@PhantomGato-v- You know, I didn't even realize I suggested 3 songs from Chireiden. I might be a little biased.

[@xSRGman]

you're a real one for doing touhou stuff in 2023, keep it up 🔥

[@jaydenlemus]

I love your videos man, simply because of how good you are at understanding melodies! I hope you continue this great work😁

[@LuxOfZodiacs]

I am really shocked how accurately you can nail down characters just by the theme used, but in the same time that also means that the Composers were geniuses in composing a theme which reflects the characters so well. It is just showing how much Genius music can be xd Also the little word "Infinity" at the end, just.... I dont know what to say xd

[@SunInJar]

​​​@ZaHandle I hate how this is true 💀

[@somethingyoulike9153]

綺麗にループするから不滅！？ すげぇ......これを作った神主も曲聞いただけでそこまで想像できるうｐ主もすげぇ......

[@真桜夜魅]

曲名とキャラの背景も知るとより深い曲になるのよね 『月まで届け不死の煙』ってのは竹取物語で帝が「お前がいないなら不死の薬などいらない」って言って山の上で燃やしたことからなんよね でその山は不死山って呼ばれたと また帝が山を登るときに多くの兵士を連れていったことから兵が富む山ということで富士山と呼ばれるようになった こういうのを知るとどんどん楽しくなるよね

[@mikan0347_]

You should try listening to stage themes too!! They usually give off a different vibe, usually calmer and more melancholic- people keep suggesting boss themes, so why not stage themes? You could try listening to "Lullaby of Deserted Hell", "The Sea Where One's Home Planet Reflects", "The Shining Needle Castle Sinking in the Air", "Heartfelt Fancy", etc. These are some of my favorite ones but you can explore some more too!

[@hyperdimensionbliss]

"Walking the Streets of a Former Hell" is still one of the best stage themes.

[@melody5296]

Last Remote and Heartfelt Fancy are my two most favorite Touhou themes of all time. I just like calm music in general.

[@vianneyb.8776]

Among my favorite stage themes, the more calmer ones that haven't been mentioned yet are "Frozen Capital of Eternity", "The Capital City of Flowers in the Sky", "Voyage 1969", "Swim in a Cherry Blossom-Colored Sea", or even "Fires of Hokkai".

[@DashtheBard]

This is why many people feel like ZUN is a genius. Not only does he make great music, but he makes amazing 'themes'. In his music, he can accurately represent the person or place the music is for. Just as you managed to do, you can loosely figure out a character just by their theme alone. As a change up, you should listen to a stage theme from the series, rather than a boss theme. Some personal favorites of mine is 'The Gensokyo the Gods Loved' and 'The Capital City of Flowers in the Sky'.

[@istokipsy6289]

Someone else recommending stage themes! You have good taste.

[@DashtheBard]

@@istokipsy6289 Some of my favorites are stage themes. It would be criminal not to recommend some

[@fknkrs1396]

'Legend of Tohno' and Hina's stage theme from MoF are really good stage themes too. And if you want to have a boss theme as a stage theme 'charming domination' slaps hard.

[@MakbotX]

You can't get past "flowering night"

[@jacobtheorangeyoshi8710]

Touhou music is so catchy you’ll be randomly doing something then you start humming or whistling without thinking.

[@colticide]

I love hearing how close you can get to the story of a character through just listening to it, it's really insightful into how ZUN puts this much effort into the music. knowing the character ourselves we can hear her story, her life through each stage of her theme, to your initial encounter, to her happiness as a child, to the hurt and pain she felt of Kaguya's actions toward her father, into that spiral of discord as she obtains the Hourai Elixer to become immortal and her thousand year of wandering and destruction looking for Kaguya in the intensity of the trumpets, you can feel her hatred and emotion. and finally looping back into a calm, an acceptance, and back into the loop as an immortal sadly will live through. Absolutely amazing stuff! I recommended two songs before but this time I wonder if you would want to hear ZUN's first song at some point to get an idea of how he started to what he does now. Eternal Shrine Maiden kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIitXoCNm8mcha8&ab_channel=RubixNG Thank you for the touhou videos! Its always so fun to hear how others react to it and gets me back into listening to all the music! Fun Fact: On record Touhou started in 1996 but ZUN has said touhou really started in 1995!

[@RealityMasterRogue]

I love reach for the moon, immortal smoke My OG favorite touhou song Maiden's Capriccio ~ Dream Battle is also good, and Necrofantasia is downright iconic.

[@PhantomGato-v-]

Maiden's Cappricio 2 is very very good.

[@EldritchCaptain]

First undertale, and now Touhou?? I feel there are so many people who make "X reacts to Y" type videos, but I don't feel a lot of them actually tell you that much about what they are reacting to. I actually really like the way you explain things here though, and how show chords and notes and explain things with simple terms in a way where everyone can understand you. Keep up the amazing work!

[@nico1520]

So far you've only reacted to boss themes, and yes, since this is a shmup series, almost every character is a boss (there are some exceptions though), but every boss has a stage section before it, and, IMO, stage themes in touhou can be pretty cool too I insist on giving Rural Makai City Esoteria a chance. It is a very nice piece, and also kinda weird.

[@tubebrocoli]

ooh, yes this one would be really nice!

[@halinaqi2194]

Maid and pocket watch of blood is interesting because it changes BPM and time signatures along with keys. Touhou 12 stage 5s theme is a but fun because of its unusual time signature. My favourite stage theme from each game is (th 6 to 17) EoSD stage 5 PCB stage 5 IN stage 5 PoFV spring Lane MoF stage 2 SA stage 5 (ex and 6 come close) UFO stage 4 (ex comes close) TD stage 5 (4 comes close) DDC stage 5 (4 comes close) LoLK ex stage (stage 5 comes close along with 4) HsIFS stage 4 (ex stage comes close) WBaWC stage 4 (ex stage is p good) UM ex stage ( stage 1 is p good) Idk why but Zuns stage 5 tracks never miss.

[@nathanieljohnson5430]

The way her theme perfectly restarts is a good nod to how she's like a Phoenix with the whole rebirth aspect.

[@美波七海]

妹紅(moko)は"老いない""死なない"薬を飲んだ為、永遠に生きなければいけない"人間"です mokoは彼女の周りの人々との出会いと別れを何度も経験してきました しかし、mokoはそれらの悲しみより重要な事がありました それは "復讐"

[@clockworkcat8576]

ZUN is a musical genius and it's about time more people notice

[@elegant_lilligant]

Something that I thing should be mentioned is that as this, as well as the previous two songs are for extra stage bosses, essentially a post-game that is unlocked for beating the game on normal without running out of lives, they are meant to be frantic and exciting. And as extra stage is the very end of every Touhou game (aside from 7, which is the only game to have a stage beyond Extra) they are almost always celebratory and exciting. Now, as great as all these three are, they are also just a fraction of the musical genres ZUN covers in his works. The best part of ZUN's compositions is that they tell a story not only by themselves, but also together, together with both the gameplay and the musics that follow one another. For example, the stage 2 theme from Subterranean Animism, the same game Hartmann's Youkai Girl is from, is a slow, ominous music that evokes the feeling of going through an abandoned place. It is then followed by the boss Parsee's theme, Green Eyed Jealousy, which is a slow and sad sounding song that keeps the sad tone until the end. Alongside this, ZUN also makes the musics before designing any of the characters or stages and builds the games around the music he's made, which results in characters and stages being intertwined with their respective themes as well as stages and characters having intentionally timed moments that almost always happen on time with a certain part of a song. It is one of the best parts of Touhou as a series and I think seeing it in action would enhance your experience with Touhou music as well. One last thing I need to mention is that ZUN also has made several standalone albums that have musics that do their own thing, as they are not meant to be in a game. Some examples would be Mary the Magician which is ominous and outright scary, Satellite Torifune that gives the feeling of space exploration and many more.

[@christianvazquez1835]

7:20 No problem whistling, it's quite normal when listening to Touhou music, there are videos of covers whistling Touhou songs although I don't know if they still exist.

[@dragonclaw4159]

Two suggestions that are way out of left field: The song that might play when you fight sans. Universal collapse from the terreria calamity mod

[@kurb0]

If you want to hear another good song with amazing ZUNpet's I'd recommend listing to "Entrusting this world to idols ~ Idolatrize world"

[@naif9464]

Very intense theme. I absolutely love it

[@lacielicht]

I'm just BEGGING for The Sea Where One's Home Planet Reflects + Pure Furies reaction

[@YuutaTogashi0707]

The ZUNpet is a sample called romantic tp from the edirol sd-90 synthesizer ZUN used the sd-90 for touhou 6 and after and he used the roland sc-88pro for the touhou 6 midis and his older stuff

[@spikepls9940]

Next is Junko, its not an extra boss as every previous, but her theme is perfect Also Yuyuko's theme and her final spell themes are also perfect and emotional

[@Minulf]

YES. YES THAT'S MY BOY! (Mokou is my third favourite character in the entire franchise) Reach for the Moon is an absolute masterpiece and one of ZUN's best. It's almost painful in it's beauty and it gives us so many clues about Mokou as a character, mostly that she's an immortal and that it's not always an easy experience. According to the lore of the franchise, she essentially went through the stages of grief after realising her mistake of consuming the Hourai Elixir (which is what gave her her immortality) and those emotions are relfected really well in her theme, I think. Also, like the last time, I again recommend you listen to Bloom Nobly, Cherry Blossom of Sumizome ~ Border of Life, Necrofantasia, Suwa Foughten Field, Solar Sect of Mystic Wisdom, Emotional Skyscraper or Pure Furies. And for something COMPLETELY different, check out Pristine Beat.

[@FireBleba18]

Haha, now here is a name I recognize! Crazy to see you here

[@シノノメマコト]

8:07　仰る通りでございます！ この作品が出た時期、及びその前後に出た作品はZUNが作曲に使っていたツールの関係上なのか、やたらと甲高いようなやかましいようなトランペットが使用された曲が多かったんです。 特に有名なのはこの作品の前に出た作品で登場した曲「幽霊楽団 〜 Phantom Ensemble」ですね。奏者が好き勝手に奏でている賑やかな曲なので、一度聴いてもらいたいです！

[@sajmon2771]

Childishness, playfulness. Meanwhile: delinquent hourai immortal with suicidal thoughts and fear of jelly filled donuts

[@ok.8363]

once again recommending "lullaby of deserted hell" cause its great :)

[@NotSomeJustinWithoutAMoustache]

We don't mind you whistling or humming along to the tracks you're breaking down Davi!! Thanks for the amazing analysis once again!

[@IceAokiji303]

Of course, some looping is expected for a video game song like this, but the fact that you point it out here _specifically_ is interesting. Mokou's life is on a constant loop, as she is immortal. And it's not a pleasant kind of immortality, because she can't _stop_ (unlike the other "immortals" of the series who can technically die, it's just really hard to achieve), and having been born a normal human, she's not exactly mentally built for that. The notes of both playfulness (she's reached a point in her infinite life of just kinda doing whatever she feels like) and loneliness (who can truly relate to an immortal?) also fit parts of her character. By the way if you want to _really_ hear ZUNpets in action, try *Wind God Girl,* Aya Shameimaru's theme. The version in _Phantasmagoria of Flower View_ is the original, ZUN released an extended version in _Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red,_ and _Scarlet Weather Rhapsody_ has a fun remix (though that one might be by one of the TasoFro people instead of ZUN himself).

[@brickstonesonn9276]

The looping infinitely is a big part of this song. Mokou is an immortal phoenix. In mythology, phoenixes live, die, then gets reborn again, in an endless looping cycle. In the game, you kill Mokou multiple times only for her to revive over & over again; matching the loops in the song. You only win when she gives up. In general, Touhou 8 has a feeling of infinity & vastness, since it’s a story about immortals/long-lived characters. It’s got a very dramatic “epic” style tragedy feel to it with it’s heavy use of classical sounding arpeggios & just the types of melodies it uses in general, but it’s also got a lot of tension & urgency because of the plot. (Whereas the previous game has a more sorrowful tragedy feeling to it, and the next game has a more wistful nostalgic feeling to it.)

[@swordsman1_messer]

Recommend Marisa’s theme “Love Colored Master Spark” and Byakuren Hijiri’s theme “Emotional Skyscraper Cosmic Mind”, since you kept getting some music on the “unhinged” side.

[@johnprovart7764]

If you're a fan of the Zunpets, you should check out Solar Sect of Mystical Wisdom - Nuclear Fusion! It takes the Zunpets to the extreme!

[@mratheimperfec1033]

I mean, it isn't like Hartmann where it show Koishi's childish, mystery, and kinda haunting personality, and UN Owen where it show Flandre's chaotic fun nature. It's just Mokou being carefree and stronk being immortal like a phoenix (looping life, or, tracks) so she'll just do whatever she wants, like helping people escort at Bamboo forest, fighting some stronk guys, and killing battle againts Kaguya And tha's why the title are Reach for The Moon Immortal Smoke. Also one of my favourite Zunpets are at Prismrivers's Theme, Phantom Band Phantom Esemble. Like, Merlin literally plays a frickin trumpets

[@killingzero]

Normally I find people because of Touhou music. You're the first person I found first and then started doing Touhou music to my surprise. And I love your takes on them.

[@ジバコイルにはしません]

妹紅は私の最も好きなキャラクターなので、このような動画がある事がとても嬉しいです！ Mokou is my favorite character，so I’m really happy that thare are videos like this!

[@LTA_BR]

Today, ZUN turned 46 years old! If I could recommend some songs, I would suggest: "Voyage 1969" loved at first hearing, "Lost Emotion" and "Interdimensional Voyage of a Ghostly Passenger Ship", both from being so different from ZUN's usual style, would be interesting to analyse Also, South America 🇧🇷 is only 1% of Touhou community! Vamos Brasil!!

[@ARNAL.PRINCH.]

yooo i relly like your reaction this is my favorite theme of all universe thanks to ear it :)

[@Badbadgerboy]

She gave herself Immortality specifically for the purpose of Continuing a childish feud It can't be anything other than that because they're both immortal

[@defective4]

It would be interesting to watch you review any "final boss" themes (like "Flight in the Bamboo Cutter ~ Lunatic Princess" from the very same game), as they often express many, many emotions and are overall way different. And every stage's boss has different music "convention" in general.

[@sigonasr2]

Can't wait to hear your take on Necrofantasia. I love these videos!

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

There is always that little bit of YM2608 FM synthesis that never left the soundtrack.

[@kiwixz12]

Idolatrize world neeeeeeext neeeeeeeext plz

[@allenearl1514]

You can't talk about ZUNpets without at least mentioning Touhou 15. I'd personally recommend looking at 'The Sea Where One's Home Planet Reflects' and 'Pure Furies - Whereabouts of the Heart' to see if you can understand a bit about the character that they are tied to.

[@alejandropena2941]

All themes that you have listened until now are Battle themes, I recomend to you 'The maid and the pocket watch of blood" or "A dream more scarlet than red" both from touhou 6, one is a stage background theme and the other one is the menu theme. PD: Mokou is my favorite character, she and her theme are the reason why I discovered Touhou PD2: If you want to hear Zunpets shine I recomend you "Wind god girl"

[@byssted]

If you like Touhou Drums, I almost want to recommend Raiko's theme, Primordial Beat ~ Pristine Beat. It's a drum-focused song more than a melodically focused one, though! (If the title didn't key you in to that.) Other non-extra boss themes I recommend to give you a broader Touhou Scope (since other than Eirin's theme, you've mostly done Extra Boss themes), no order: - The Gensokyo the Gods Loved - Merry, the Magician (not from a game but from a supplemental CD) - The Sea Where One's Home Planet Reflects + Pure Furies ~ Whereabouts of the Heart (these go together) - Eternal Shrine Maiden (particularly if you can use the CD Version as well) - Desire Drive - Bloom Nobly, Ink-Black Cherry Blossoms ~ Border of Life

[@fachrezaaz4004]

Again another great review of touhou theme song. It's great that you can find the character personality and identity just from their theme song even I as a touhou fan never analyze a theme song this deep, Also I want to suggest "Emotional Skyscraper ~ Cosmic Mind" it's a great theme song from the last boss of Touhou 12 and to me its make me emotional listening to it.

[@roykooper902]

Its great hearing you get into the music and whistle! I love when people get excited over my favorite music.

[@Glash_]

Night Falls ~ Evening Star VERY HARDBASS

[@OxoOrz]

The unique high trumpet sound of "ZUNPETS" always remind me a chinese instrument is called "suona horn(嗩吶)"

[@heartmanstriker8890]

You need try more Zun crafts to feel his trumpet!Every characters got her own theme!

[@NaueTV]

You're very right! Every time I hear this song I feel the need to whistle it!

[@creec.winceptor]

I would love to hear your thoughts on a very popular song from Touhou 11 Subterranean Animism (same game as your first video about Koishi) called "Utsuho Reiuji's Theme - Solar Sect of Mystic Wisdom ~ Nuclear Fusion". It should be very different again from all three songs you have analysed until now. Please check it out eventually!

[@LunaPrincessNinjato]

🤣Zunpets, I love that name for that sound

[@Shyraeno]

Thank you so much for not only reacting to the songs but also giving insight to structure and reasoning to how different instruments give different feels. Hope you keep enjoying the music as much as I enjoy listening to these videos. There are many more popular ones to get through, and I would personally love to see one made on "voyage 1969."

[@Umbralon]

I do like how Mokou stands out as a more somber character compared to the other EX bosses.

[@Hakurei_Reimu_lostword]

​@donhimesamadaifutariAt least most of her spellcards aren't that hard so the non spells don't bother me

[@Hakurei_Reimu_lostword]

@donhimesamadaifutari I guess the Gengetsu final timeout attack is supposed to be impossible

[@Dukstless]

@Donhimesama Daifutari Does LLS even run at 60fps? I thought it was more like 30fps.

[@gawrshurab1035]

you still need to listen the 2 best themes ever made, beloved tomboy girl, akka the 9 and Marisa sto...... Doll Judgement

[@somebody9917]

I second doll judgement

[@nooglenebbs448]

that was a great analysis! seeing someone be able to pretty much understand the character from an initial listen is really special when a piece of music does that, and yes zunpets are amazing. most tracks use the funny zunpets but i'd personally recommend checking out... - Inchlings of the Shining Needle ~ Little Princess - Pure Furies ~ Whereabouts of the Heart - Entrusting This World to Idols ~ Idolatrize World - Emotional Skyscraper ~ Cosmic Mind they're all final boss tracks and are mostly more recent compared to the other tracks you may have heard (all but one of them at least) but to me they're "peak zunpets", also shoutout to "Primordial Beat ~ Pristine Beat" thats another favourite!

[@themasterdou]

We now have 3 extra bosses theme, my personal recommendation for the next song analysis would be "The Gensokyo the Gods Loved" from the third stage of Mountain of Faith

[@XxguaxinimxX.]

8:10 - Yes, basically it is! Also, if you want another Touhou music with Zunpets: Wind God Girl (Aya's theme) from touhou 9 (I think)

[@Srvader160]

"Entrusting This World to Idols ~ Idolatrize World" is one hell of a banger if you plan to kept going with touhou

[@saellanya]

I freaking love earing your analysis of touhou's musics. They alway made me feels a lots of things, and seeing you talk about them allows me to better understand why and how they achieve such effect on me. Thank you for doing it. Also, I would love one on "septet for a dead princess"... scratch that, one all majors theme :D

[@momsaccount4033]

I would really LOVE to see how much you can glean from a given character based on how their theme is composed. Please react to more Touhou stuff!

[@ngjoko]

Native faith from mountain of faith is fun

[@waterhorse928]

He got a taste of the Zunpets and Piano spam! I can't wait to see what he discovers next.

[@yume2727]

10:22 when you said Infinity it hit me like a rock. How music can tell a story that accurate. Acording to the Touhou Lore Mokou is imortal so she has to go forward, to accept her imortality

[@Z.626]

曲だけでキャラクターをイメージできるのが凄い…

[@JeY_k]

If you want premiere ZUNpets, I have to recommend Voyage 1969.

[@drag0n_f1re]

Loved this melody! So far my favourite of the Touhou playlist. I feel like the Zumpets are a fusion between trumpets and strings, more like a violin. Also I love to hear you whistling, haha

[@calibula95]

You are going to do all the extra boss themes LOOOOL. IMO these are some of the most intense themes, with certain exceptions. They are all 10/10 for me.

[@ryuukafujiwara]

Try this: Kobito of The Shining Needle ~ Little Princess

[@EeoGamer137]

You've done three boss themes, but that's only half the music these games have to offer: there are actual stage portions leading up to these bosses, and their themes are great in their own right. I have a few recommendations: Lullaby of a Deserted Hell (TH011, Stage 5) Retribution for the Eternal Night (TH08, Stage 4) A Soul as Red as a Ground Cherry (TH06, Stage 1) I've found myself hooked on this little series you've created, and the rest of your videos are a treat to watch. I hope you keep doing this!

[@waterhorse928]

My Touhou song recommendation for today is Dullahan Under the Willows. Fun song, great character. I've been trying to decide on a favorite Touhou character recently and right now it just has to be Sekibanki. She's just so cool and her attitude in a ton of the doujin works is just so relatable to me. Akatsuki Records just went and completely solidified all those ideas with the new song they put out featuring her, Rock 'n' Rock 'n' Beat.

[@Roosauec]

Listen to Green Eyed Jealousy if you want a good cry.

[@eggwah]

as always, good and somehow disturbingly accurate review about Character's story and personality just from their theme alone Can't wait for the Necrofantasia!

[@Lugmillord]

Touhou boss tracks are also so hype. I always like your insights.

[@MasterSonicKnight]

It just amazes me how the first 2 touhou songs u reacted to were from the 2 most maniac characters. most of the other character's themes are elegant in one way or another

[@gligar45]

I really want to hear what he thinks about "Solar Sect of Mystic Wisdom - Nuclear Fusion"

[@thelostician]

So Davi, I’m actually really glad you chose Immortal smoke to listen to today. This song was the second song in the touhou project I ever listened to, my closest friend introduced me to this song, because it was his favorite. So there is one thing that you should keep in mind for EVERY TRACK IN THE SERIES, that being, none of them loop back to the beginning of the track. This is important, because the way that the bosses and levels in touhou work is that they perfectly line up with the music, this is because Zün makes the music first and levels second, so when the music ends, so does the boss, if you’ve survived to get there. If you were wondering what my first track was, “Lunatic Red Eyes- Invisible Full Moon” It’s still one of my favorites even if it’s a little more simple. I do recommend it though.

[@burnttrash9712]

I would highly recommend you check out beloved tomboyish girl from touhou project 6 because of how strange it is

[@Marin_Dago]

Touhou: Composer: This is a Boss! Welcome to Zun's music 🤙

[@chainsofscarlet9054]

Everyone is a boss, including you.

[@Lunamegane]

この曲大好き クレラップが聞こえてくるけど...

[@hunter00143]

6:15 that's really cool, using both the Minor V and the Major V, then a Picardy third to resolve the bVI-bVII-i we heard at the start of the sequence. Don't be afraid to get into the theory, more than just happy/sad chords

[@eriolhiiragizawa7]

Can't wait for "Idolatrize World" or "Pure Furies"