The Single Greatest Moment in Touhou

To balance out the recent negative thoughts, here's a video focusing solely to the positives.

[Maxmani]

I wish I could relive that moment as if I were new again.

[victim]

Resurrection Butterfly is the most hype moment in any touhou game. While the first exposure can never be experienced ever again, the adrenaline was replicated in a tournament called Touhou World Cup back in 2020. There was a player who managed to clear everything up to that point without dying or bombing. Watching someone face Resurrection Butterfly with a perfect run beforehand in a live broadcast was super tense to say the least. I can't stress how appropriate the Border of Life rearrange is for RB.

Watching that broadcast inspired me to beat PCB on lunatic. I practiced extensively to perfectly do the RB section as the finale but alas, I died once during the run but I still beat PCB as my first lunatic game at least.

[gansmith]

I was past PCB, but still rather green to the series when I got to play LoLK.

Just after a frustrating experience with a comical fairy throwing moons at you, you start hearing calm waves and a melancholic theme suddenly play out. You start admiring the amazing stage background of a empty blue sea at night. Blue lines of danmaku start falling and think little of it. The lines start filling the screen and with the theme at peak intensity and you start to visualize a stream of tears coming from the top of the screen giving a really strange and depressing feel to the stage.

You eventually reach Junko. A majestic being that somehow sounds kinda tired or nonchalant about everything to the point of mocking your flawed run getting to her. Suddenly, right before the fight begins, she calls out somebody named "Chang'e" with passion asking her to watch closely for what she is about to do to you is what is coming for her. The fight starts and you deal with one of the hardest battles of attrition you have ever faced as you keep dying multiple times to a boss not interested in making her danmaku eye catchy for some reason. You then notice that her theme sounds eerily familiar to the stage theme, but more passionate.

You finally overcome such a huge challenge, but are left with the nagging thought of why was the experience so strange and melancholic. It was all seemingly not connected to the previous events that had transpired. You decide to do some outside research and find out about Junko's tragic backstory and are taken aback to the point of actually sympathizing with Junko more than the protagonists. The melancholic tone to the end of LoLK had a purpose.

Despite the valid criticisms the Touhou storylines receive, it cannot be denied that it can still provide some great experiences if you are open to enjoy them.

[PerlDrop]

This video is awesome! One of my favorite moments in the early games, and I'm really happy you took some inspiration from my vid too. Hoping there's now gonna be a new wave of early-era touhou appreciation after the recent negativity surrounding the fandom...

[SonicLion]

Touhou PCB and IN are the pinnacle of Touhou Games and until to this date none other Touhou game surpassed them in terms of gameplay and artcraft. Hell, neither other Bullet Hell games I played reach that level of ZUN's love and creativity (maybe Ikaruga?). My first game was IN and I always want to feel the same things I felt when I heard the Stage 1 ost and saw these odd characters and fairies shooting at me... I love Touhou so much

[fcnth]

Kinda sucks that we haven't had any final spell to the same caliber as Yuyuko's revival spell, in terms of theatrics that is, it's terrifying. Eirin/Kaguya isn't as impactful since you win regardless of whether you survive it or not.

[koishishrimpfry]

Tenshi's scarlet weather rapture also is similar to this moment.. You think you're done but you get pushed up by rocks even higher into heaven and then the last spell theme starts playing.. It's beautiful at first, until you get lasered to death..

[En-cwcl]

Damn, you actually made me nostalgic for a game I have even played
That's some powerful stuff right there

[zereimu]

Never forget that during your fight with Yuyuko at any single moment she could have instantly killed you without conflict and any mortal because she has that authority, and instead chose to abide by the spellcard rules.

[Octav]

This was the moment I fell in love with this series and when yuyuko became my favourite final boss of all time

[kaminozt-t]

nice, i didnt really felt that with the yuyuko since i guess i was just to focused so at the moment it just felt like the final spellcard, specially since i wasnt paying atention to her lives.
for me what really got me was the last stage of EOSD, it showed me what zun could do with the presentation and storytelling in the windows era, coming from the pc98 it felt like i was a kid again. exited for what the new games would bring.

[veryredfumoze]

I despised Yuyuko for giving me an uno reverse card

[bulb]

My first ever normal 1cc was in PCB. I already knew about Yuyuko’s final spell from previous runs, but when I got there without continues I had exhausted all my lives, bombs and had no barrier. I had never captured that spell before so I was already expecting to lose. Maybe it was a stroke of luck or the pressure of knowing that one mistake would lose me half an hour of progress, but I somehow captured it and unlocked my first extra stage that way. It felt unbelievable to me. This was the moment that made me fall in love with this series and proceed to 1cc the other games as well. If it wasn’t for Yuyuko, I wouldn’t love touhou as much as I do now.

[vyllix]

Touhou fans when a tree appears: "OMFG GUYS I CANT BELIEVE THIS, THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE"

[kanyestan]

Epic video dude. When I first 1ccd this I had no lives, no bombs left. Had no idea resurrection was a thing. Somehow I still capped it and won. Amazing memory

[jackpilcrow]

PCB was my first touhou game and this moment always stuck out to me, and the way you described your experience with it sums up my first time 1CC any touhou game. Even still replaying the game as much as I have I still dread going into it with little resources, that pressure always gets to you despite it's simple pattern. Kind of one of the reasons PCB remains my most favorite touhou game. I'm glad I found this video, nice to know someone shares this sentiment.

[leodarkfire]

Ah PCB, I honestly have played that game so many times its just so pleasant to play, however pleasant it is being bombarded with bullets from all sides, but just the thrill of the gameplay along with the music, with so many great stages, the last spell of Yuyuko, even if you know it´s coming, it´s always the best way to end the run. To me the game felt a bit underwhelming because, indeed, the only other Touhou game I had play at the time was EOSD and it took me a lot to even get to Remilia in the first place, while with PCB it was just a matter of 2 tries with every character to 1CC, and It really matters because the challenge and the thrill of battle are defining characteristics of the Touhou games, and I mean it still is hard just not at the level of other games, but even then I keep coming back to the game because it is just that perfectly staged. The exact same case applies to IN, but PCB takes the cake for this one.

[binhomeless]

Great video glad to see some pcb appreciation

[gmc]

It's sad that no other game has had a such top tier moment as this one. The only other bosses i think that match this battle's setting are: Remilia, Okuu, Byakuren and Junko. But this one feels special; because it connects to the plot so perfectly that altmost feels illegal of how good it is. I also have to say PCB best Touhou game :)

[totallyalpharius]

The spell cards exist not to protect the protagonist, but to give the youkai a chance to win against Reimu and her BS ability Fantasy Nature,