Touhou 15.5: 東方憑依華 (Eastern Blooms of Possession) ~ Antinomy of Common Flowers

[Gray21oh]

The "erotic" talk you are hearing about is just a twitter joke, 'coz taking over another's body is considered inherently erotic. What ZUN actually did tonight is calling Fushigi no Gensokyo/Touhou Genso Wanderer "erotic."

Also some other jokes made by ZUN before: "Touhou is forbidden to anyone below 24." "If I keep saying 'danmaku are erotic' like that, there might be people who want to censor them. So I should write it down clearly: 'all danmaku in this game are 18 years or older.'"

Okay that clears up a whole bunch for me. I might've made a joke with an overestimation so best I try to clear that up.

Since the title contains 依, it is reasonable to expect Yorihime (依姫) this time. In fact, the name of Tamayorihime, the priestess-goddess she is based on, means "the Noblewoman (hime) Possessed (yori) by Spirits (tama)." Being a vessel for spirits is exactly the goddess' specialty, and consequently Yorihime's.

But we are talking Touhou here. If you expect Yorihime, an all-new character may be what you get.No, ULiL is not needed.

Why must you do this to me?

[Leon゠Helsing]

Considering how this "perfect possession" thing works and that it's central to the plot, could we possibly see something akin to Guilty Gear X Advance's "roman tagging"?

[Plubio]

So when ZUN said he had a new game in the works, is it safe to assume this is what he was talking about? Or should we expect another announcement sometime this month?

If he's working on a main-series game he won't show any screenshot/info till 3~2 weeks before Reitaisai. At last, he can say "ah yeah I'm working on a new game as usual".
So I would wait until April. Nevertheless, it would be pretty strange to only have a non-danmaku spin off on a year.

[Flandre5carlet]

Now that I think of it, which one was the last shmup spin-off? Impossible Spell Card? Three fighting games for 1 shmup spin-off since Fairy Wars. Eh. Well, considering this is 15.5, it's safe to assume that the next game will be a main game too.

[ToyoRai]

The strongest duo will be Hecatia and herself  :V. She wanted to bring her third body in, but she was too lazy to come.

[FinnKaenbyou]

So wait, we might see the Watasukis portrayed at a reasonable power level rather than 'lol danmaku tastes great'?

I might actually be okay with this. If only because I'd have a new dummy for training mode. :V

[andykhang]

Okay, so I just check the name. And just from the first word (Antimony), I found out two thing about them (from Wiki):

1. A chemical element used to be use in drug (?)
2. Self-contradict paradox (Like "there's no absolute duo)

So yeah, we're pretty much going to the weird end of thing already, and it does definitively involve the Alien (If Reisen's storyline isn't clear enough already)

Edit: Maybe the opponent this time is a Youkai that can only confirm it own existence by possessing other? Thus an Antimony of itself.

[Sedrife]

Time for another round of "Mima is coming back"

https://twitter.com/aaaaari35/status/807983252438822913

"So tell me just this, is the new character one that has never been made it to the fighting games?"
"that's right"

[Yatsuzume]

Okay, so I just check the name. And just from the first word (Antimony), I found out two thing about them (from Wiki):

1. A chemical element used to be use in drug (?)
2. Self-contradict paradox (Like "there's no absolute duo)

So yeah, we're pretty much going to the weird end of thing already, and it does definitively involve the Alien (If Reisen's storyline isn't clear enough already)

Edit: Maybe the opponent this time is a Youkai that can only confirm it own existence by possessing other? Thus an Antimony of itself.

The name is "Antinomy of common flowers", not Antimony (which is the chemical element).

Antinomy can only be the second definition you mentioned.

[andykhang]

Funny how you could figure out part of the story even with the wrong word.

And probably that Bull have something to do with all of this (It's an Urban Legend that's famous without telling it story), meaning...NUE IS COMING.

[Gpop]

Oh god, I kinda half-predicted that a ULiL-soku game would be made, but this time it's more of it's standalone thing since the characters will still be relevant. I'm just happy Koishi will still make a return :V

Also, this talk about the "strongest duo", does this mean that the game will actually be tag-team based now? That'll be really interesting in this case. But that also means I can play as Koishi/Kokoro best friends now :V

[ZM]

Information:
- ZUN only decided on the title three days ago
- Continuation of the Occult system
- A standalone game with all ULiL characters plus new characters
- No demo for this Winter Comiket
- Unabara said they also wished to port it to PS4, but this is still undecided

So characters that haven't been playable before along with newly made characters?

[TenPlates]

Yes! I knew that it could be a spinoff fighting game, now I'm hoping for some characters of LoLK to appear!

So characters that haven't been playable before along with newly made characters?

I'm pretty sure that is only going to be one new character and is going to be the final boss, like always.

[Lebon14]

"The strongest duo have joined forces."
"Something bad might be in store for us humans."
"An opponent impossible to defeat by anybody alone?"
Ludicrous rumors are circulating, seemingly out of the fear in human villagers' hearts.

Since the title contains 依, it is reasonable to expect Yorihime (依姫) this time. In fact, the name of Tamayorihime, the dragon princess/priestess-goddess she is based on, means "the Noblewoman (hime) Possessed (yori) by Spirits (tama)." Being a vessel for spirits is exactly the goddess' specialty, and consequently Yorihime's.

But we are talking Touhou here. If you expect Yorihime, an all-new character may be what you get.

Hmm... just let those quotes sink in and see if you think the same than I do.
However, like cuc says, and knowing Zun, it's probably a new character.

[Tiamat]

Yea, IaMP brought about one new character, SWR brought two, HM brought one, and ULiL introduced one new character (not including Kasen)

So one character is most likely, although two is possible as well (but by now there are so many other Touhou characters to draw on that I'd be really surprised if there were resources to spare for a second new character rather than the devs deciding to bring over one more existing character to the HM engine and style)

(I'm not counting Yorihime as a new character, because even if she does show up, I highly doubt she'd be the culprit.  Thus even if Yorihime is in the game, likely as the sub-boss akin to Yukari in IaMP, there would probably be a new character to be the culprit)

[ZM]

So we're going to expect:
-The ULiL roster
-One (maybe two, though most likely one) new character

Will anyone else potentially make it in? I think the line might be drawn there.

[TenPlates]

So we're going to expect:
-The ULiL roster
-One (maybe two, though most likely one) new character

Will anyone else potentially make it in? I think the line might be drawn there.

It's gonna probably be: The ULiL roster, one (Or two) new characters and some old characters of past games (Like LoLK, TD, UFO or EoSD) making an apparition as playable characters.

[ZM]

It's gonna probably be: The ULiL roster, one (Or two) new characters and some old characters of past games (Like LoLK, TD, UFO or EoSD) making an apparition as playable characters.

Sounds about right to me. Hoping for playable Junko, Clownpiece, or Hecatia.

[ToyoRai]

So assuming the "absolute duo" thing amounts to something, I guess now the question is who the teams will be. I guess I will guess some obvious ones or ones what sort of make sense. Of course they could do some absurd teams.
- Reimu and Marisa
- Byakuren and Ichirin
- Miko and Futo
- Koishi and Kokoro
- Mokou and Sumireko

This leaves Nitori, Mamizou, Sukuna, Kasen and Reisen. I guess if we are doing duos, I would see three already existing characters coming into the game, with two of them forming a new duo.

[Suspicious person]

Well ? With the end of the occult balls problem and with the way how ZUN wants the games to conform to the lore, I say it should be pretty safe to say we can kiss the mystery spots goodbye, then ? Maybe this one'll be a less RNGey fighter ? I'm curious to see whether the occult abilities are going to be used like any normal ones or if they are going to depend on something that'll replace the balls... Also, since this game's defining mechanic is expected to have something to do with that "perfect possession" thingy, I'm curious to see how it's going to work : the girls switching among themselves, using some sort of assist-like attack or something else ? If it's the first, it'll be pretty funny to think that ZUN would create a complicated setup for something other fighters'll write off as the other character waiting outside the ring.

Anyway, I'm pretty surprised by this piece of news. I hope this'll bring stuff that wouldn't lose to ULiL extra mode. Looking forward to new updates on this.

[Goomba98]

So does "new characters" mean "characters that have appeared before in Touhou, but not in an aerial fighter yet" or "characters that are specifically new to AoCF"?

[Shizzo]

Going by the tag-team rule, all I can say is that I vehemently hope we get Mamizou and Kasen teaming up and fighting among each other more than against their enemies. 

[TenPlates]

This leaves Nitori, Mamizou, Sukuna, Kasen and Reisen. I guess if we are doing duos, I would see three already existing characters coming into the game, with two of them forming a new duo.

Then that could mean:
-Mamizou and Nue.
-Sukuna and Seija.
-Reisen and either Eirin, Kaguya, Tewi or a character from LoLK.

Nitori maybe can be with Sanae, and Kasen could be with Yuugi (or Suika). But It could be pretty funny if she was paired with Komachi.

[Plubio]

-Reisen and either Eirin, Kaguya, Tewi or a character from LoLK.

ZUN wanted to include playable Kaguya and Mokou on Soku.
Mokou's already playable, so~

[Flandre5carlet]

-Reisen and either Eirin, Kaguya, Tewi or a character from LoLK.

ZUN wanted to include playable Kaguya and Mokou on Soku.
Mokou's already playable, so~

God, yes please. Let this be real. That would make my hype go through the roof as opposed to the current "eh, cool I guess"

As far as the "new" inclusions, Clownpiece/Hecatia would be somewhat of a letdown personally, but I'd be down for a playable Sagume.

Kinda hoping the Yorihime "rumor" is true as well. That'd be really cool.

Also, I was thinking, but maybe the "tag team" thing means that you'd compose your own team, rather than Imperishable Night style fixed teams?
Not sure how that'd work out story wise, though. But gameplay wise it'd sure be really neat.

[ToyoRai]

My personal hopes are for Seiga, Junko and Hecatia. Junko and Hecatia already work as a team, so there's that. I sort of feel like they might want to par as many existing characters together as possible before introducing new ones to fill out the pairs.

Of course the pairing speculation only work if the pairs will make sense. After all, "Those who have made the error of seeing themselves as the strongest duo. This is their bittersweet story.". The teams might end up being unorthodox, and as such not be the "strongest duo".

[TenPlates]

Now that I think about it... If this game is about "Tag Team", does that mean that the final boss is going to be two persons fighting at the same time? Is the final boss going to be an original character and a past character or two new characters?

Also, I was thinking, but maybe the "tag team" thing means that you'd compose your own team, rather than Imperishable Night style fixed teams?
Not sure how that'd work out story wise, though. But gameplay wise it'd sure be really neat.

Maybe fixed two teams in story mode and compose your own team of two in VS mode? You know, like how in Skullgirls you can choose only one character on story mode but you can choose more than one character on Versus mode.

[ToyoRai]

Then again, many tag team fighters tend to have a single character as a final boss. Example would be like in Street Fighter X Tekken, where the final boss is either Akuma or Ogre.  Not the two at the same time, one or the another.

[SuperVehicle-001]

So does "new characters" mean "characters that have appeared before in Touhou, but not in an aerial fighter yet" or "characters that are specifically new to AoCF"?

People seem to be using the latter definition. It's tripping me up a bit because I always use the former.

As for the roster, I'm expecting three "new-to-flying-fighting-games" characters (so that the number of oldtimers is an even number), as well as two new characters that will be the final boss.

[MANoBadAssGar Jr.]

*sniff* it smells nasty, Yukarin gonna be in this mess.
I say pretty high chance Hecatia or Clownpiece gonna be in this, something to do about Heca tellling Clownpiece to stay in Gensoukyo. (It's Touhou! Final part of trilogy fighting series gotta have fairies on it!)
Im also thinking highest chance are one of PCB, maybe the ghost or poltergeist. second place candidate is Komachi, possibly something to back Kasen up (also execuse for PoFV representative). third is from EoSD, tho very unlikely, but we haven't gotten one from that title.
Well, those can be just easily discarded for favor of all-new character.

edit : actually, Aki sisters & Tsukumo sisters really does make a lot of sense to be in this