ZUN on Touhou and derivative works
ZUN posted a bunch of stuff about Touhou and doujin stuff last week.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to post about this because the English speaking Touhou community is pretty active and they’d probably do the same with much more details anyway, but I was told that some other site had posted an article about ZUN and Touhou and tried to portray him like he was an asshole. So yeah.
One-day licenses for figures
ZUN has been asked a lot about one-day licenses and he has decided he’ll follow event rules and require applications for one-day licenses, but it’s basically done just for the sake of it, and he has no intention of disapproving anything unless there’s a really big problem about it.
Goods by commercial corporations
Goods featuring unofficial renditions of Touhou characters have been sold through many commercial corporations recently, and for these cases, he has been allowing them to do so if they give him prior notice and only sell these goods through doujin events, doujin shops, or online doujin stores. Basically all the doujin related stores which would also deal in the original Touhou game or other Touhou goods.
Whatever the commercial corporations want to do with Touhou stuff is basically up to them as long as they tell him, and all the commercial goods on the market have been approved by ZUN.
Doujin goods becoming commercialized
There have been a less resistance recently in using doujin works in commercial work, and ZUN wishes to have some guidelines to what is acceptable and what is not. For example, if somebody wants to have a remixed Touhou track on his commercial, or wishes to play it in a concert, it’s not a problem as long as it says where the original is from. There are also no problems with featuring Touhou stuff as a parody or being used as a motif for an original work.
But Touhou doujin works being sold through the commercial market as-is is not desirable and basically will not be approved. (doujin shops and online doujin stores are not considered part of the commercial market)
About the anime
ZUN was asked by an editor about the doujin anime and what he thinks about it, and the editor was worried that the anime might be mistaken for being an official work as it used so many famous voice actresses.
ZUN says that basically there are no problems at all if it’s doujin work, but if there is too much trouble around a doujin work it’s not good for both ZUN and the circle. Especially with anime when the main market are guys that probably never played the game, and may mistake the anime for being an official work.
Guidelines regarding doujin works to avoid confusion
- Clearly mark the works as being unofficial
- Don’t go overboard with the advertising (especially not to people that would not have even heard of Touhou)
- Limit the distribution channels
Also, the site for the doujin anime by Maikaze is up now.
December 15th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Eh, that site doesn’t know what it’s talking about. It just scribbles whatever 2ch is saying -> voila -> el posto.
December 15th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Yeah, a certain site that post other people’s porn to get hits can’t even get this doujin thing right. sigh.
December 15th, 2008 at 11:58 am
There is no need to hide it. I know that I like posting other people’s works without permission. I know that I’m a sensationalist who likes to draw out the worst from Japanese police logs and place blame on otakus in order to generate pageviews. I’m so sorry that you didn’t think of these ideas first and that my website is now on its way to becoming the largest Japanese pop-culture website, soon to surpass even the great Danny Choo, and that my loyal followers will believe anything that I post, even if it is frequently one-sided and tabloid in nature.
December 15th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
You ZUN worshiping wretches seem intent on flattering us with your scorn. How it must be galling to be in your shoes.
I should note that substantive differences in the translations are lacking. The difference is in the interpretation, which you do not attempt, at all. Come and offer your argument as to why ZUN is acting reasonably in trying to restrain the anime and similar developments.
And coming from a bunch of doujinshi reading, raw watching Nico viewers, the tired copyright criticisms ring exceedingly hollow…
December 15th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
There’s not much to argue. If you “get it” you would know the difference between what you’re saying and what ZUN is saying. Of course, much of that is personal interpretation at the end of the day, but there is still an overarching consensus in which ZUN is playing by.
December 15th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
the comments on here today FUCKING FAIL IT.
big time.
December 15th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Fail comments are fail.
I think I understand ZUN’s point. It makes sense.
December 15th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Man, thanks for finally posting a very clear summary of what ZUN is actually talking about. Now maybe even retards can figure it out.
December 15th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
I thought that people had jumped the gun too early. From my point of view, it would not make sense to me that ZUN, who was very lenient until now, suddenly turns control freak.
December 15th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
BAWWWWW… Hey Anonymous and serial, what’s the matter? Disappointed that your new favorite website is not as godly and straightforward as you thought it was?
Anyway, back to the topic… It is important for people to know that what they are watching is a fan work. Right now, there are some people who have never taken interest in Touhou ever before who are suddenly checking out the anime, not knowing that it is by a doujin circle. Check out its entry on AniDB. Since when have fan works been given the honour of appearing on arguably the internet’s largest anime database? What if someone stumbles upon that entry, misses the tiny note below the picture, and thinks they are viewing an official work? The anime is not and will not be canon, and part of ZUN’s intentions is to keep it that way. Sounds good to me.
December 15th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
The Sankaku trolls are a riot.
December 15th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
@sibladeko
Can’t help but agree XD
December 15th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
where is NOYFB when you need him.
December 15th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
LiveJournal Article:
http://tyrenol.livejournal.com/140243.html
December 15th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
stop spamming faggot
no one cares
December 15th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Christ, can’t you guys just shut the fuck up and let us enjoy our loli shootan games?
December 15th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
I for one think that ZUN is being completely reasonable; as an artist, I know exactly what quandary it is when people do fan work but get credit for original work. Sucks hard. It’s good that he set up ground rules, especially given the sheer volume of people doing fan work based on his stuff.
December 15th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Thanks for doing a decent article on the blog post, linking the other one hurt a little on the inside
December 15th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
I like the people who assume that ZUN is a lazy bastard who’s just in this for the money. The same people who have never purchased a physical doujinshi in their lives.
Sorry, did I say like?
December 15th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
@Shii: I don’t think ZUN is in this purely for the money. Why would setting up guidelines on selling derivatives of his creations bring him more money? He isn’t going to increase sales of his games since people have already bought those anyway. If he really wanted more money, I think he *should* commercialize on Touhou. But he doesn’t. He’s strongly against it, as this post has shown.
December 15th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Oh, for Haruhi’s sake, can’t we just let this situation play out and evolve on its own? The future of Touhou will whatever it will be, do we really need to dissect ZUN’s motivations to enjoy the whole fandom?
…Sorry for the bile, just had to vent a little. Apologies.
December 15th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Artefact, you seem rather quick to brand us as ZUN worshippers when you yourself take a polar opposite stance while providing weak and delusive reasoning. What is the real reason the contents of all of your articles are slanted in a sensationalistic manner, thereby generating hysteria amongst your own worshippers? And while we’re at it, why are there such a disproportionate number of articles focusing on heinous crimes and why do you forcefully relate them to anime and manga? Do you wish to further ridicule your otaku readership and mark them as societal isolates? All of this is because you enjoy the pageviews, right? Normally, it would not of issue if your readers raged amongst themselves on your site, but unfortunately, the hysteria that they generate all too often spills over into other forums of news and taints the truth of the matter. But all the better for your site, no?
It’s too bad that you use your site to underscore certain deceitful viewpoints for your own benefit, further generating a rift between otakus, not to mention between otaku culture and mainstream, “normal” individuals. No wonder you are so poorly respected among the anime blogging community.
December 15th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
i think this discussion should be closed, read only, etc
December 15th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
as well as all comments deleted
December 15th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Uh oh, butthurt Anons are butthurt. Don’t worry, I’ll stop hating on your god now. I was just providing some food for thought anyway.
December 16th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Lol, Anime blog drama.
December 16th, 2008 at 12:34 am
No man, you’re just providing drama.
Yeah, disable the comments. Take the drama to the forums.
December 16th, 2008 at 9:06 am
I don’t know much about Artefact except for the fact that his pages show some good pRon and that he hates UNICEF because it gets in the way of his “being a registered child rapist.” I, for one, an amazed at how morally high some people are despite getting tastelessness and tastefulness backwards.
And yeah. Butt-hurt “too sheeple to come up with an original name” is butt-hurt. :P
December 16th, 2008 at 9:08 am
By the way, why is ZUN worried about the anime getting too much non-Touhou exposure anywho? Is it going to be broadcast on TV or something? I was under the impression that it’d just be sold at events, meaning the audience would be the same as any other doujin work, music or print.
December 16th, 2008 at 11:30 am
He’s worried because the doujin scene is in the state it is no longer surprising when popular successful doujin works get commercialized, or when large advertisements are carried out for doujin works that reach out even to markets where people that are not familiar with doujin stuff at all.
Distribution would end at events or doujin shops if it’s not popular, but if it turns out to be selling really well, chances are some normal anime dvd stores would start showing interest in having a display for it by the counter.
December 16th, 2008 at 11:35 am
all I have to say is that shit needs to stay underground. fuck motherfuckers who sell out and go mainstream.
the people that can stay under the radar just enough to still continue what they do get massive respect. the faggots that sell out and fag themselves out are a bunch of bitches. my favorite example: SOUND HORIZON. fuck revo and whoever he has on his shitty team these days. I’m glad aramary got out of that faggot circle.
December 16th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
I really like ZUN’s appreciation for grassroots works. I think it’s really easy to forget where you are from and what you are all about and instead sell out for profits. Especially these days, where money is tight and it’s becoming harder and harder to find good source material. Why not head to the doujin circles for ideas? Not on ZUN’s watch. Bravo for him! Hardly seems like an asshole to me.
December 17th, 2008 at 10:24 am
ZUN ZUN, dere dere. And ZUN is back to tsun.
December 18th, 2008 at 1:33 am
Whatever, Tyrenol. You’re just butthurt because you ran crying from Canned Dogs to Sankaku Complex, but they didn’t like your whiny ass either, so now you’re back here whining about it. You really are such a little bitch.
December 18th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Stop talking about yourself, SageGrass. Stay on topic, dammit.
December 18th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
This topic is all about pointless internet drama, which perfectly describes you and your history here on the Canned Dog as well as on Sankaku Complex.
January 17th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Tyrenol how’s liking generic shit and young boys working out for you
April 18th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
bump