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※However, these evaluation of degree of danger and Friendliness are only opinions from Hieda no Akyuu, another character in Touhou Project.

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Overview

Futo is a comrade as well as a subordinate of Toyosatomimi no Miko, she is also the mastermind behind the religious was between Buddhism and Shinto.

Futo shows a great loyalty and trust to Miko. Here is a good example, Miko was scary of casting the spell to be Shikaisen all by herself, when she asked Futo to let her die first, Futo believed in her power and was willing to be an experimental subject.

The strategy of throwing plates to fight prevails in all of the works. But Miko seems to be the one who pays for it (or from the budget of Shinreibyou). She was distressed about that and said “The money for the plates is not going to be a waste”

In Shinreibyou Stage 5, main protagonists invaded immediately after Futo’s revival, in order to defense the mausoleum, she went to the battle to fight against. However, when Futo noticed the spirits came together after the battle, she realized that Miko was brought back to life, then she left, leaving main protagonists aside.

After the incident, Futo always acts and works together with Miko. Sometimes Futo will choose Human Village to be the place for activities, where she made efforts training herself(to get rid of jet lag) and get used to the environment in Gensokyo, she also claimed, it is delightful to get trained and become stronger

In Hopeless Masquerade, Futo ran around to support Miko, who was about to save the disturbed public mind.

The support means an aftercare for the loser, but the one Futo talked to was a truly difficult person. Futo often failed to have a conversation even if she tried to explain the situation or ask something.

When Futo stopped by Myouren Temple, she tried to set fire casually. And when Miko tried to make a new Bonus Stage, and gave Futo an order to collect everyone’s wishes(in a mentally energetic way), but Futo brought back the gold and silver rather than the metal energy.(She claimed, “That is something that gives everyone hope”). Futo has apparently not changed since Shinreibyou.

By the way, Byakuren seems to have assumed that it might be Futo who set fire in Myouren Temple, Futo responded to her directly “Our temple is completely fireproof”.

In Urban Legend in Limbo, Futo participated actively in the battle for Occult Ball, (in addition to the members of Myouren Temple in Shinkirou), she also fought with various people over various places. The merit of Noritsukkomi was demonstrated in this work, which could also be found in a conversation between Byakuren and Yukari.

In this work, Futo is designed partly based on Mrs. Okiku, who is associated with the Urban Legend. As for Mrs. Okiku, Futo thinks ”the curse was unexpectedly powerful ”, and she became stick to the 10th missing plate. However, there is always a body that meant to be in every plate (or Futo actually likes Mrs. Okiku)

As an aside, about the music theme Omiwa Legend, Mr. Zun said ”I feel anxious when hearing the main melody, and I like the part when it makes me feel a little bit lonely”

According to Antinomy of Common Flowers, with the instruction of Miko, Futo went to investigate the incident with Ichirin. However, She could not determine which one is more professional, thus decided to do it alternatively. This way probably worked well, an unexpected teamwork came along, both of them became stronger rapidly. It might because both of them were convinced that they were the strongest.

Backstory

This story was set in the time when the country was broken because of the religious conflict between Buddhism and Shinto. The Mononobe clan, which believed in Shinto and insist on the abatement of Buddhism, was defeated and destroyed by the Soga clan in religious war. Actually, there was a mastermind behind that, who was manipulating the Mononobe clan yet joined the side of the Soga clan, the ancestors of human, the descendant of Amaterasu. And Futo was that person.

Futo, born as one of the Mononobe clan, a descendant of the God (Nigihayahi no Mikoto), was barely influenced by the Buddhism, which was introduced from the continent, but worshiped the Taoism, which was related to the traditional Japanese religion Shinto. The ultimate goal of Taoism was immortality. And Toyosatomimi no Miko, who was powerful as Futo, was also a believer in Taoism. Then Miko brought a proposal to Futo: Preaching Buddhism to rule the country, and as Shikaisen they could revive themselves secretly.

As a result, Futo incited the Mononobe clan and brought them to destruction, then made Buddhism spreading in Japan by manipulating the Soga clan. In fact, however, this religious war was a fight between ancient Japanese God and Miko, who planned to become the new God through Taoism. Buddhism was merely an excuse to that.

After that, they were waiting for the revival as Shikaisen. But the revival was stopped by the Buddhist monks who were suspicious of Miko’s death, and the revival never arrived

Species

Human? (a Taoist monk who claims herself Shikaisen )

Futo was once an experimental subject for a spell, which was supposed to make Toyosatomimi no Miko to be a Shikaisen, and she was later brought back to life as Shikaisen

Although it could be like that, it is still unclear if the spell was completely successful, because it is merely claimed being successful by Futo.

Anyway, Futo seems to be a「Taoist monk」, who is in the middle of the training as an apprentice.

By the way, Futo uses「plate」as the substitute for her body during the process of the Shikaisen spell

Ability

Ability to manipulate the Fengshui

Fengshui refers to the flow of the air, especially the flowing air depending on environment. The manipulation of Fengshui means altering the flowing air artificially by working on the surrounding environment, to manipulate the luck. It is pretty effective for fixed subjects like streets and houses, but does not work that much for people or animal with instant movements.

However, the real Futo is actually associated with the mysterious spells, which were introduced to Mononobe. The ability to manipulate Fengshui is also an application of the mysterious spells, rather than an application of Taoism. Currently Futo is still learning these spells, and not capable of using them

Personality

Futo seems to be a tactician, considering the Text of the Setting, indicating that she is the mastermind behind the religious conflict, and the episode, where she interfered the revival of Soga no Tojiko. But in the game, she is actually a so-called foolish child, who is frank, easy to be fooled, good-natured , stubborn, and kind of pretentious.

As a stubborn person, Futo often made misunderstanding in the works, such as:

• When main protagonist came to her, Futo thought spontaneous they came to congratulate her revival.

• When Reimu came to her, Futo thought that she came here to be an experimental subject for a complete revival.

• Futo thought Youmu a fellow Shikaisen. Even after Youmu ‘s explanation and her apologies, she still thought that Youmua was a famous hermit.

Taking with Youmu, who usually does not like to explain, Futo would even convinced by herself and took Youmu in at the end.

• When Sanae came and claimed to be the God, Futo thought that Sanae came to take her to the heaven.

And so on.

Futo shows her good nature as she interpreted every invader with kindness

Also,

• After losing to Marisa, Futo made an excuse that she could not use any strength because she was just brought back to life. She said「Wait a minute」 when someone tried to get in.

• Futo lamented why she had slept for 1,400 years so that Reimu could easily defeat her

• Futo set fire in the temples out of the fear for Buddha statues.

In these situations, Futo also showed her weakness.

• Futo will accept it frankly when her thought was denied, with which she was quite confident. She will be upset but still, will apologize for that.

• After defeated by Reimu, Futo said「Well Play! Thank you for that !」

• Although she said that the revival was just for stopping the enemies, but when Tenshi revived, she happily flew there leaving the invaders aside.

Basically, we can get a glimpse of her frankness.

In the battle, for some reason Futo made a decision to hit the ship, additionally, when Toyosatomimi no Miko form Stag 6 used her spell card , “Royal Clan's Chaotic Dance”, Futo lead her to the right and out of the screen, as she would be unable to throw the barrage when out of the screen. Considering these, Futo does have a diverse character

Futo is not good at new things and changes in the environment, and there is still one aspect in Gensokyo that she could not adapt to. For that reason, back to that time (1400 years before), she was actually fear of rather than hostile to the Buddhism, which was a new worldview to her. Also, since she still applies the previous view of her time about Youkai, Futo believes that Youkai are scary and should be defeated as enemies. As a result, there seems to be endless mass around her.

Design

Futo has a head of gray hair mixed with silver, which were tied up into a pony tail, with gray or deep blue eyes.

She also wears eboshi (for the first time a character from Stage 5 with ZUN hat ), dressed in yellow and green and a white attire over it, which would remind people of「Suikann」or 「Kariginu」. Under the skirt is something like a fluffy petticoat in white and translucent. (The petticoat can barely be seen in Shinkirou ).

There are fluttering strings in 5 color on head, neck, sleeves, and shoes. But this is the mysterious part because no one knows for what they are attached, except the one on sleeves, which is usually for Suikann to warp the sleeve.

In general, Tuto is dressed more like a person from the Heian period rather than the Asuka period

Like Miko, Futo seems to be designed with a costume in a modern style at the time of her revival. But Futo did not seem to get the modern style well as she was not good at new things, she ends up dressed in a weird modern style.

By the way, the overall costume shares the same color with the costume for girls from Gekū, Ise (white attire with purple Hakama) (※the Last Spell, “Saint Girl (Omonoimi)” is a girl from Gekū). Also, there are opinions suggesting that the attached “strings in 5 colors” are actually「the wooden wands in 5 colors」(a string of streamers) , which are put around the Omonoimi Girl during the ritual in Ise Grand Shrine.

With「Lunatic」, a Spell Card from Miko, [[ if you put them together in the game screen, she alone looks apparently small >

http://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/61/23/2e73c235340888873a3fd6a114c5ae44.png]]

Because of that, or the image of the word「Saint Girl」, Yukari looks small no matter how

Actually, when Yukari confronted with Reimu in Hopeless Masquerade, she looks a size smaller than Reimu.

Original Character

Perhaps the origin of the name and the character is the Futsuhime, or Futohime, the younger sister of Mononobe no Moriya

• 「Futsuhime」

Futsuhime is the daughter of Mononobe no Okoshi and the younger sister of Mononobe no Moriya, who appeared in Sendai Kuji Hongi , written by Yukari from the Mononobe clan. It is said that she had been a Saigu in Isonokami Shrine, and after the secularization, she married with Mononobe no Nieko, her half-brother, not to the Soga clan.

• 「Futohime」

Futohime is another younger sister of no Moriya, who appeared in the Genealogy book of Kiuji and married to the Soga clan. They had a child named Tojiko no Iratsume (the original character forSoga no Tojiko), who later married to Prince Shotoku, the original character of Toyosatomimi no Miko.

Also , in light of Nihon Shoki, the younger sister of Mononobe no Moriya (no specific name), manipulated the Soga clan to destroyed the Mononobe clan, and took her heritage with a reason of bloodline.

• Family tree

Mononobe no Okoshi (Omuraji of Kinmei)　 Soga no Iname

　 ｜　　　　　　　　　　　 ｜

　Futohime（Futsuhime）┬ Soga no Umako (Minister of Bidatsu)

　　　　　Tojiko no Iratsume ┬ Prince Toyotomimi

　　　　　　　　 Prince Yamashiro

As mentioned above, the original character Futsuhime (Futohime), actually lived in an earlier time, 2 generation ahead of Toyosatomimi no Miko (Prince Shotoku) and Soga no Tojiko (Tojiko no Iratsume) (based on the theory that Futsuhime and Futohime is the same person, then she would be the mother). However, it should be noted that just because Prince Shotoku, a man near 50 years old, is designed into a girl in the work, it does not mean that the original character is the Touhou character itself, after all it is merely a inspiration.

Additionally, it is also possible, that the character Futo was inspired by not only Futohime, but also by Mononobe no Moriya, considering the arrow barrage from Futo. It might because Moriya was famous as a master of arrow.

On the religious issue, Mononobe no Moriya, who insisted on the abatement of Buddhism and the exclusive support for Shinto, was opposed to Prince Shoutoku, the original character for Toyosatomimi no Miko, who was positive to Buddhism. When the conflict between the Mononobe and the Soga became intense later, Prince Shoutoku, who showed his support to Buddhism, joined the army of Soga no Umako despite his young age. He carved a Buddha and prayed for the victory. At the end, Mononobe no Moriya was killed in this war. So did most of his family.(not the entire Mononobe clan, but Moriya's family) It is said that some of his family escaped to other places or changed their names to survive.

Additionally, Isonokami Shrine, where the Mononobe clan worshiped , was a Shrine that enshrined Futsunomitama no Tsurugi (sword)

However, according to Records of Ancient Matters, it is said that in time of kuni-yuzuri (Transfer of the land), Takemi no kata, the son of Okuninusi, was forced into a corner by Takemikazuchi no Kami, the owner of Futsunomitama no Tsurugi (sword), at the Sea of Suwa Kindom in Sinanu Kindom. And based on the interpretation of posterity, When Takeminakata-no-Kami entered Suwa Kindom, he had fought with Moriya, the God of Suwa. That means, it is the Mononobe clan which was responsible for the conflict between Takeminakata-no-Kami, the original character for Kanako Yasaka, and God Moriya, the original character for Suwako Moriya. Probably the reason why Sanae became a Playable Character is more or less related to these histories.

Moreover, about the treasures that the Mononobe clan worshiped, there were「Ten Treasures」among them. Although「Ten Treasures」do not exist anymore, one of them, which named 「The Jade for Revival」, possessed the power to revive someone. It is suggested that「Ten Desires」might be related to that, but actually Shinreibyou has nothing to do with that. If Futo becomes a Playable Character in next works, Ten Treasures may show up as well .

Spell Cards

Shinreibyou

• Heaven Sign "Rainy Iwafune"
• Heaven Sign "Iwafune Ascending to Heaven"

The name of “Iwafune (Huge Rock Ship)” came from the “Sacred Body of the Kami “ in Iwafune Jinja-Shrine: “Iwafune (Huge Rock Ship) form the Heaven”, which is located in Katano, Osaka.

Following the Amano River that flows through Osaka, a huge rock in shape of a ship could be found, which measures 12m high and 12m wide. About that, Mr. ZUN said “This ship was designed deliberately into a ship bowl which is normally used for Sashimi ”. It seems like that he merely wanted to put Yukari on a boat.

Nigihayahi is the God which is worshiped in Iwafune Jinja-Shrine, who is also the Guardian God of the Mononobe clan. It is said that Nigihayahi came to Kawachi Province (the later Katano in Osaka ) from the heaven, with the “Iwafune (Huge Rock Ship) ”. Also, there are opinions implying that it is actually another name for the father of Nigihayahi.

The barrage shows that Futo attacks on the “Iwafune (Huge Rock Ship) ”, and there are also proper attack judgments.

• Throwing Dishes "Mononobe's Eighty Sake Cups"

“Yasohiraka” refers to a number of flat plates used in rituals.

The ancestor of Mononobe, “Ikagashikoo”, was the one who made these plates with an instruction from Emperor Sujin, and that is the reason why this Spell Card named after him. This “Yasohiraka” was something for honoring the Ōmononushi-no-Kami, who was the God worshiped in Ōmiwa Shrine, as well as the original inspiration for Futo’s music theme, “Omiwa Legend”. Also, considering the name and the relationship in family tree, there are opinions implying that Ōmononushi-no-Kami and Kotoshironushi are the same person. Moreover, according to Family History Collection, it is said that, both Tomiyahime (an ancestor of Futo from her mother side), who was the wife of Nigihayahi no Mikoto and the mother of Umasimaji no Mikoto, and her brother Tomi no Nagasunehiko (Nagasunehiko), were children of Kotoshironushi (actually both he and Nagasunehiko are the brothers of Ōmononushi-no-Kami ). Based on these theories, they are also profoundly related to the ancestor of Mononobe clan.

From the possibility that Tomi no Nagasunebiko might be Takeminakata no Mikoto, another name for Takeminakata no Kami, who is the original character for Kanako Yasaka, and from the fact that the relationship between Tomi no Nagasunebiko and Kotoshironushi (as mentioned above, they were siblings) matched with the relationship between Kotoshironushi and Takeminakata no Kami’s brother in Records of Ancient Matters, There is also a theory indicating that Tomi no Nagasunehiko and Takeminakata no Kami are the same person. Following this theory, both Mononobe no Futo and Kanako Yasaka were bounded with Ōkuninushi by blood. Furthermore, the one who assassinated Kanako Yasaka (or she pretended to be assassinated and ran away), might be the ancestor of Mononobe no Futo.

With these histories, the barrage is designed to hit the plate and wall , and then Yukari attacks with the debris.

• Blaze Sign "Blazing Winds of Haibutsu"
• Blaze Sign "Sakuraiji in Flames"

The Mononobe clan, which insisted on the abatement on Buddhism, was opposed to the Soga clan that supported Buddhism.

Many things related to Buddhism were destroyed during the war

Toyoura Temple (Sakurai Temple), a temple located in Asuka-mura, Takaichi, Nara Prefecture, build by the Soga clan as the first Japanese temple in a real sense, was burned down by the Mononobe clan with a reason that it was the curse of Kunitsukami, which came along with the introduction of Buddhism, that brought the later plague.

The barrage demonstrates a fire burning the temple

Shinreibyou

• Saint Girl "Omonoimi's Dinner"
• Saint Girl "Sun Goddess's Sacrifice"＜OVERDRIVE＞

「Omonoimi」was something from Ise Grand Shrine long before, It was one of the Shinshoku (「Omonoimi」), for a girl around 10 years old to be responsible for serving meal to God. When her first menstruation came, she would be replaced, but basically she would be single all her life to serve God

In addition, it is said that this girl would also hold rituals on behalf of Saigu. (It might be merely a guess, but the original character「Futsuhime」was once a Saigu in Isonokami Shrine (mostly adult women), when she was designed into a girl, the original character may probably be the Omonoimi, considering the similar background )

「Saint Girl」is a coined world made by an anthropologist, Yuko Yoshino, to describe the 「Omonoimi」

「The formal meal」means the dinner, it might refer to the Mikesai held at the Gekū of the Ise Grand Shrine

Shinkirou

• Wind Sign "Miwa Plate Storm"

To attack the surrounding in storm, also with plates

• Blaze Sign "Taiyi True Fire"

To bring the fire up and release them downward, the fire spreads around and a number of fire pillars blow up

• Fate "Gate Opening for Catastrophe"

To create a place where the luck slips away, and bring the opponent the misfortune

The change of luck will depends on the number of plates involves in the activation, small things which are considered as ominous, such as flowerpots and liquor bottles, large things which are considered as super ominous, such as gravestones and coin boxes for dead, and a huge UFO, which is seen as a sign of destruction, will fall on the opponent’s head.

• "Inferno Reformation"

Last word, to turn the entire area into a sea of fire.

Futo will not be influenced by the sea of fire, but most of the strength will be taken away, as the opponent approaches the sea of fire

• Throwing Dishes "Kawarake Rotary Throw"

This spell card is exclusive for the Story Mode CPU. There are plates around Futo, (the graphics are different from the one when playing )

• Bow Sign "Star Dragon Bow"

Like the above card, this spell card is exclusive for the Story Mode CPU. To shoot arrow barrage upward on a boat while crossing the screen

Impossible Spell Card

• Old Boat "Ancient Ship"

The original story for the scene name is about a saying, “the boat with many captains will be driven up a mountain” , which means that if there are too many people in the position to give orders, then things would go in a wrong way.

To shoot arrows on a boat while moving left and right, which is designed for Playable Character. The barrage will appear even after the movement.

• Heat Dragon "Blazing Dragon Veins"

The scene name is inspired by the game「Double Dragon」(A Action Game from the Technous Japan Corp)

A long red barrage in a shape of circle are shoot out radially.

Shinpiroku

• * Even in Death, One Plate is Still Missing!*

Kai Last Word To drag the opponent into the well, and Mrs. Okiku will beat the opponent to a pulp.

The spell card is seems to be related to Shinto and God, but Futo acts like a believer in Taoism. That is because she is moving towards being a God , even though she says Taoism is good.

About that, Mr. Zun points out , that is the truth for the image of Yukari, deep inside.

Related Illustrations

Others

Mononobe no Futo