Touhou Music Musings: Mysteries and Theories

[@raxelgrande]

You missed that "Memento of the Avaricious Beast" shares the same lietmotif on the clam part of the song with "Alice in Wonderland"

[@nico1520]

I think stuff like Necrofantasia sounding similar to Seiga's theme and Okina's first theme is just a consequence of ZUN using the same musical sequences and key signatures in many of his songs, same thing with Aunn's theme having a similar section to Okina's second theme. In fact, ZUN confirmed in an interview that Okina's theme "sharing" a section of Necrofantasia was just a coincidence (or, in his words, "it just ended being like that lol. lmao"). That sequence is just something ZUN recycles a lot.

[@perkunie9764]

Seiga cuts holes in walls to pass through them which does remind me of Yukari's gaps in a way, so the similarities in their song makes sense.

[@Hijiri_MIRACHION]

I've always had a lingering feeling that Secret God Matara and the Kanto Champion Theme have very similar kinds of progression despite the songs themselves diverging quite a bit. I'm not sure why.

[@noir5515]

I have listened to "The Lost Emotion" from 13.5 more than once, but only today I noticed the similarity of the synth part, which plays from the very beginning and the melodies from the beginning of "Strawberry Crisis"

[@noir5515]

The melody from the unused "Dreamy Pilot", which has been playing in the background 5:00, can be heard in "Legendary Illusion ~ Infinite Bein" in the bass part from the 24th second (in Akyu's Untouched Score it is heard many times better)

[@riguren2hu]

i came here for wriggle, but stuck around for the music IN stage 1 theme really does a great job at creating a kind of eerie atmosphere, doesn't it?

[@steepslopesmm2]

I remember one part of byakuren's theme reminded me of a pc-98 song when I first heard it but I can't remember which one

[@BergmitetheBlueandPointy0712]

I always thought the beginning part for Junkyard Jive from Cuphead, sounds like the beginning part for Shou’s battle theme from UFO.

[@noir5515]

I'm not sure, but it seems to me that in "Depths of the Earth, Ocean of Avarice" from 17.5 (flute part from the 44th second) and "Blizzard of Scattering Possession Flowers" from 15.5 (zunpet part) there is a similar leitmotif, but played at different speeds. One was written by ziki_7, the other by U2, but both games were made in collaboration with Twilight Frontier

[@Robert-vk7je]

Zun just likes to use the same chord progression in many of his pieces.

[@kalenipclaw5683]

the moment you played that section of a pair of divine beasts i just went "OH"

[@Jann75]

5:41 I don't think I can describe in words what feeling Witching Dream gives off

[@seancatacombs]

A more recent theory I heard is that 17.5's theme opens with the leitmotif from UN Owen Was Her as a hint that Flan would be the one to eventually resolve the incident

[@windyryady6367]

4:57 but different protagonist's having different stage theme's aren't uncommon Case in point, Yabusame and Tsubakura's different themes in Stage EX.

[@XtremeRusherXR]

Game Over Theme from Touhou 10-12 might represent the influence of quite new, invader god (Kanako). She after all caused incidents in those games... Because Touhou 12.8 is no longer Kanako related, the Game Over theme got reworked...

[@Chiffonaise]

Well the new player's score BGM is an arrangement of the original so the melody is still part of Kanako's theme.

[@Zackylorin]

gotta love wriggle in the thumbnail

[@spaghettiking7312]

Touhou has the greatest OST in the history of video games.

[@gsunfoxes]

Shouted out in a Megapig video, this is so awesome (Glad i could help!) Also i never realized that part of Aunn's theme was so similar to Okina's second theme, that is really cool and makes me appreciate Aunn's theme a lot more honestly

[@PhantomGato-v-]

The Bamboo Forest leitmotif you mentioned is commonly called Theme of Eastern Story, which stands for Gensokyo as a whole. Every single character with high relations or were born in Gensokyo has this, though it can be random. Example the Tsukumo sisters have it, but also Keiki for some fricken reason

[@BenersantheBread]

He knows. He has an entire video on Theme of Eastern Story and he mentions the leitmotiff usage of it in that video

[@PhantomGato-v-]

@@BenersantheBread ah f.

[@Jann75]

i genuinely view it the song being used in contexts to give a sense of connection, hence why a signifigantly higher amount of bottom sweeper characters have it to important ones. I mentally theorize that ZUN puts it in final boss themes when it just feels right to though lol

[@kevinreynolds7500]

0:40 is similar to chords in the menu themes of 6, 7, and 8. These chords show up a lot, is there a name for them?

[@Megapig9001]

It’s called “Theme of Eastern Story” and is the main theme of Touhou. You can hear it in every non-decimal game menu theme

[@wookywok]

Not gonna lie, I'm still not certain that the stage 4 and stage 4 boss themes from WBaWC weren't switched at some ppint and ZUN just decided to roll with it

[@Hijiri_MIRACHION]

Yuuma's theme eventually ended up resembling the Stage 4 Theme from that game anyway.

[@Jann75]

unlocated hell is defiinitely more intense, but it also has more a stage theme energy, especially with the obligatory stage 3/4 theme banger and or theme song drop

[@Aaa-vp6ug]

Third. Don’t know what to put here, but I want to support you anyway. Thanks.

[@LieselotteXanthippe]

hai

[@LavaCreeperPeople]

Ok

[@abd-animation-22]

Is Wriggle a boy or a girl

[@OxenGazelle]

I bet you wear glasses 🤓

[@OxenGazelle]

You speak like a mouse 🤓🐁

[@mami.quiere.mequetrefe]

I'm honestly curious as to why Alice's midi file has like 10 minutes of drums

[@Fishnberg]

funny midi editing mistake go brrr