Touhou 8: Imperishable Night - Stage 4 (New Commentary Version)

The forest of bamboo under the moonlight was as eerie as a dream.
Each bamboo tree looked as if it would start glowing at any moment.
Let's be honest here, this stage is completely unfair to Marisa and Marisa alone. If you're playing as any character that has either a homing attack or a wide range attack (see not Marisa) this stage will be a cakewalk. The stage is filled mainly with small easy to kill enemies however the problem is they keep coming staggered in groups from the left and right sides of the screen and if you don't kill them fast they will not hesitate to fill the screen with bullets. With that in mind you're going to have to quickly zip back and forth between both sides of the screen while weaving through what bullets to get blasted about the screen. However your saving grace is that the stage itself is unusually short only lasting for about a minute but all in all formula wise this stage is a weird one. Interesting note the stage theme is a remix of the windows era title themes.
Boss wise this is a big throwback to Touhou 4 in that the boss will be the playable character opposite who you're playing as. If playing as Marisa (or Sakuya) you'll fight Reimu and if you're playing as Reimu (or Youmu) you'll fight Marisa. Also to note technically you've seen their attacks before. You may recall in Touhou 7 there were two play styles for each character with two different bombs for each style making a total of 4 different bombs for each character. Well both Reimu and Marisa use 5 spell cards here and the first four are actually danmaku representations of those four bombs uses back in Touhou 7.
Reimu fights exactly as she did in Touhou 4 with some of her cool down phases even being more modern versions of some of her key attacks back then. Her main strategy is to corner you in a mess of danmaku then quickly pick you off with some well placed shots when you will have the hardest time dodging them. Just keep a close eye on what bullets she aims at you while trying not to feel too claustrophobic when she boxes you in. To continue on the Touhou 4 references her theme as well "Maiden's Capriccio ~ Dream Battle" is also a remix of her theme in Touhou 4 "Maiden's Capriccio"
Marisa acts similarly to how she did in her PC-98 era outings as well though this time borrowing attack styles from not only Touhou 4 but also Touhou 2 and a bit of Touhou 3 even. All in all though the theme is the same all around, organized chaos. She loves having things orbit around her and almost all of her attacks will do that in some way and just like all the way back when she was a red head those orbiting orbs can be destroyed to make the attack easier. Though with the inclusion of Yukari you also have the option of bypassing them entirely to attack Marisa, but you'd have to deal with a tougher attack for longer. A long attack gradually getting easier or a short but difficult attack you decide what fits you best. Also like Reimu's music Marisa's theme "Love-colored Master Spark" is a remix of her theme on her very first outing in Touhou 2 "Love-coloured Magic"
Difficulty - Normal
Team - Aria of Forbidden Magic Team
Characters - Marisa Kirisame & Alice Margatroid
Stage 4 - Legendary Paradise
BGM - Retribution for the Eternal Night ~ Imperishable Night
Boss - Wonderful Shrine Maiden of Paradise: Reimu Hakurei
BGM - Maiden's Capriccio ~ Dream Battle
Spell Cards
5:14 - Dream Sign "Duplex Barrier"
6:07 - Spirit Sign "Fantasy Seal -Spread-"
8:04 - Dream Sign "Evil Sealing Circle"
8:55 - Spirit Sign "Fantasy Seal -Concentrate-"
9:38 - Boundary "Duplex Danmaku Barrier"
10:02 - Divine Spirit "Fantasy Seal -Blink-"
Difficulty - Normal
Team - Illusionary Border Team
Characters - Reimu Hakurei & Yukari Yakumo
Stage 4 - Underneath the Soil containing the Mana
BGM - Retribution for the Eternal Night ~ Imperishable Night
Boss - Ordinary Black Magician: Marisa Kirisame
BGM - Love-colored Master Spark
Spell Cards
15:34 - Magic Sign "Milky Way"
16:17 - Magic Sign "Stardust Reverie"
18:32 - Love Sign "Non-Directional Laser"
19:27 - Love Sign "Master Spark"
19:56 - Light Sign "Earthlight Ray"
20:28 - Magicannon "Final Spark"
Translation's courtesy of the Touhou wiki

[@jadeng.s.2549]

The difficulty spike between Beast Girl & Raymoo is unbelievable

[@RAMEN-db1zq]

I played as Border Team my first time playing IN and died to Erin on her first spell. I played as Netherworld Team my first time playing against Reimu, with two more lives and a lot more bombs. I died to Tewi...

[@prismus6520]

“Bitch, get out the way,” like that. Alice, oh please.

[@goodgizmo8132]

"This stage is completely unfair to Marisa and Marisa alone." Youmu would like to have a word with you. Also people tell me Reimu is a more difficult fight, but I've had *much* more trouble with Marisa.

[@elegant_lilligant]

On Easy and Normal, I find Reimu to be harder than Marisa. On Hard and Lunatic tho, Double Spark can go fuck itself.

[@korohacker]

Still loving Marisa's blunt b word and the shoot and I'll move lines xD But this stage really kicks me in the bottoms even on Easy. I had an easier time with the Stage 5 boss compared to both Reimu and Marisa here Dx Also never realized Yukari makes the (-_-) face here

[@HJSL92]

It´s always fun watch you play and see you making the characters dance while there is a story dialogue.

[@이현중-h8x]

4:05 Marisa SWORE😂

[@Niiue]

my translation hav no b

[@erkicman]

I had no idea that Alice was such a savage

[@KelyxTheMage]

Reimu: "Stop being an idiot and go home" Marisa: "Move bitch, we're saving the fucking world and you aren't invited"

[@elegant_lilligant]

The most difficult thing about this stage is trying not to go fast af because of the music (I always find myself no-focusing through this stage)

[@thekerbalway7303]

A little helpful tip for Earthlight Ray: The arcs that Marisa shoots will never hit you if you stand still. When Marisa fires the tight 3-way, you can inch to the left or the right between the stars (depending on the laser positions) and wait until the next pair of arcs pass, then you can inch again sideward squeezing in between the next 3-way. It's not too hard, but it's difficult to do properly.

[@IdiotNo]

Why it sounds like Nazrin's lazers!

[@gypsysprite4824]

first: milky way, earthlight ray, and ND lazer can go to hell (especially the latter two which are jokes on hard/lunatic)

[@Wizzard220]

I hate how Reimu is easier than Marisa on Normal, since while Reimu's attacks are VERY dense you can grasp the pattern right away, while Marisa is fond of RNG , especially on Milky Way. That said, I do prefer Marisa's cards over Reimu's (I suck at both Fantasy Seals while only Milky Way and Earthlight Ray give me trouble). For Stardust Reverie, you can actually hug the bottom (a little to the left/right depending on how Marisa spawns the stars) and get a good amount of graze as well as just carefully move left/right to dodge the waves. Still prefer Remilia's dialogue with Reimu though, especially the "That scarlet, dark and windowless coffin!" line because it turns out Remilia DOES sleep in one.

[@9thpotatolordo108]

Still feels strange how earthlight ray and non directional lazer are easier on hard and lunatic than on normal Kind of like how clownpiece's spells are easier on difficulties higher than normal

[@Chaos-3326]

In Stardust Reverie, The amount of time item from grazing cover the bullets and I can't dodge.

[@yamahadx7synthesiser]

4:06 we were all gangsta till Marisa said *_bitch_* UFUGJDJSJGJGIH

[@josephraulcabralesaragon9151]

Yukaris a savage damn "Sleep for eternity"

[@paintbrushtape]

Am I da only one which thinks either Shou or Rin will be playable along with these 2 in the new game? I mean their both: 1. Beasts 2. Have really long stick things 3. Stage five bosses

[@xXSpikeMLPXx]

i mean zun already said reimu marisa and youmu

[@_Compound_]

Maybe Momiji will get a chance to shine somewhere in a game finally Somewhere

[@paintbrushtape]

@@xXSpikeMLPXx I just hope that at least one of these is playable

[@jadeng.s.2549]

Pikatron Momiji is weaker than a stage 1 boss therefore will never be playable

[@elegant_lilligant]

I actually never understood why Momij got so popular. She just appeared in one game, and that was just as a mid-boss. It's not like she has something going on for her either. For example, Hatate appeared only once in one game, she doesn't even have a theme, but she had some dialogue between Aya and was playable. Momiji on the other hand is just... there. Don't get me wrong, I'm not shit talking the wolf waifu, it's something that I just never had an answer to.

[@Iris_Descent]

Say hello to "shoehorned in word translation"

[@rinnosuketoes]

tysm for this

[@HB-622A]

16:15 I had died trying to get through that purple line literally every single time I have ever faced Marisa. I did not even think it was possible to get through there, and I was hoping this guide would tell me the route to not get walled in by it. I guess there's no easy way, and it's just one of those patterns were the only solution is another hundred hours of danmaku practice.

[@andrewramlall3560]

I love it when games make you fight a playable character as a boss battle

[@waterized_bottle]

🅱️itch get out the way Get out the way 🅱️itch Get out the way

[@inferno2363]

“BITCH, GET OUT OF THE WAY” -marisa

[@stereoberryes]

I see that no one is talking about 2:26 or 4:06 *Why?*

[@waterized_bottle]

Thats the first time I see a swear word in the game

[@longlivethe9989]

the whole comment section is talking about it, wdym?

[@stereoberryes]

@@longlivethe9989 I was too careless and didn't scroll too far, whoops-

[@kalenipclaw5683]

duplex danmaku field is one of the only non-survival spells in any touhou game that i've actually made an effort to time out (in spell practice for this one because it's tough to actually time out, plus i was using magic team for it) the other one is flash and stripe and that's only because i was in pointdevice with no bombs left and simply could not do it the intended way also stardust reverie is the only marisa spell i can consistently capture, and one of few stage 4 boss spells i can consistently capture in general

[@yuk_ichi52]

4:09 don’t tell me this is what it actually translated too

[@robertvelasquez823]

Does anyone realize that Marisa is secretly alien at 4:05 because she has three arms drawn? WHY YOU DO THIS ZUN?!?!?! Sorry for the All Caps everyone. Edit 1: Same thing at 15:09. Does anyone find that drawing of Marisa creepy? Almost as creepy as Koishi?

[@ShockInazuma]

@@circle3565 Yeah, it’s just the weird style the early games had.

[@BocilTifi]

*rEiMu!¡*

[@Latency345]

Now which is harder? Marisa Boss Battle or Reimu Boss Battle? In my opinion it’s Reimu.

[@DoctorNovakaine]

I always have a hard time with the denser and spread out attacks (I know that sounds self-contradictory but I mean the ones that cover a wider area with denser bullets), so Marisa's are far worse to me. Reimu's have more direction and more space where safety is, the tiny spaces between Marisa's stars a just a nightmare.

[@Glatier]

4:08 she became a rapper wtf