Best Touhou Podcasts (2024)

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Neutral Game Episode 50 – Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising (Part 2)

7M ago

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Today in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, 2B was released as the latest DLC character! Don't expect thoughts on her in this episode recorded last Thursday, but we have plenty of other thoughts about the cast of GBVSR, the modes and tutorials, the missteps, and the future of the game. Our artwork for the show is drawn by @WistWhistley! You can find …

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Neutral Game Episode 49 – Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising (Part 1)

7M ago

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The original Granblue Fantasy Versus, high-budget fighting game adaptation of the popular gacha game Granblue Fantasy was... imperfect, to phrase it kindly. Netcode, balance, systems, there were some shortcomings that could use addressing. Unfortunately, the game hit at the worst possible time, and its life was squashed out of it- not given a chanc…

1
Neutral Game Episode 48 – Street Fighter 6 (Part 2)

1y ago

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Our Street Fighter 6 breakdown continues with discussions of the other half of the roster, modes, tutorials and training, handicap settings, World Tour discussion, and more. Plus, what's this about Rashid being legal at Evo despite how soon after his release that tournament will be? All this and more as we conclude our thoughts on SF6... for now! O…

1
Neutral Game Episode 47 – Street Fighter 6 (Part 1)

1y ago

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Neutral Game is back with a new cohost to cover a 2023 hit! Street Fighter 6 has been eating up a lot of time over at Scanline Media, as many normal hang sessions quickly become SF6 lobbies. Where does this new game fit in the legacy of Street Fighter, how is it a response to the lessons of 4 and 5, and what makes it just so electric? These questio…

1
Neutral Game Episode 46 – BlazBlue Centralfiction

2+ y ago

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The power of a rollback netcode update has revived an old favorite! Six and Miodrag bonded in early days over BlazBlue, and yet somehow have never done an episode on a main series entry- only the Cross Tag Battle spinoff. How does it fair when approached with a 2022 mindset, and does this new netcode do the job? Our intro and outro music is Boss 06…

1
Neutral Game – DNF Duel

2+ y ago

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For this special episode, Six is joined by fellow Scanline Media staffer Kyrie to talk about the DNF Duel beta! The first 8ing fighting game in a long time has Kyrie buzzing with excitement, and Six a little anxious though enjoying it. Let's talk new systems, new characters, new stuff! Miodrag will be back on the next episode, this is just a side t…

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Neutral Game Episode 45 – Touhou 12.3: Hisoutensoku

3y ago

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Conventions deserve to be challenged in every medium, that's how we truly explore the form. It's in that spirit we are checking out Touhou 12.3 Hisoutensoku, the expansion to Touhou 10.5 Scarlet Weather Rhapsody. As you might guess, it's a Touhou fighting game. It's not the first, and it's not the last. And if the others are anything like this, the…

1
Neutral Game Episode 44 – Guilty Gear Strive

3y ago

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This is an extension of our coverage of the beta, which you can find here or on the RSS as episode 42! Strive has now been out for almost a month, and met with great sales success. But how does the game hold up for our two genre fan hosts? Unusually, the podcast is split: Miodrag is pretty onboard, and Six is quite skeptical. Don't forget to check …

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Neutral Game Episode 43 – Learning to Lose

3+ y ago

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To pursue the way of fighting games is to pursue mastery. You aim to be stronger, faster, smarter, all in pursuit of the win. And thus, most fighting game education is around teaching you to win, making you more likely to win. But the reality that folks don't want to talk about is no matter how good you are, you're going to be doing a LOT of losing…

1
Neutral Game Episode 42 – Guilty Gear Strive Beta

3+ y ago

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NOTE: This podcast was recorded before the announcement of Guilty Gear Strive's delay. The year's most anticipated fighting game briefly opened its doors and let us inside! Miodrag is a longtime Guilty Gear fan, whereas Six runs more hot and cold on the series. This beta of the newest entry offers a LOT to love, but some structural choices that don…

1
Neutral Game Episode 41 – Deckcember 2020

3+ y ago

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Another year has come and gone, and so has another Deckcember! Miodrag spent another month streaming tons of fighting games, and is here to report about a bunch of classic and forgotten fighters, as well as the current state of Fightcade 2's multiplayer services. Don't forget to check out Six and Miodrag on Twitter at @sixdettmar and @mdkii respect…

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Neutral Game Episode 40 – Marvel vs Capcom Infinite

4y ago

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An unlikely year ends with us checking out an unlikely game! The followup to the beloved Marvel vs Capcom 3, Infinite was the punchline of many jokes at the time of its release. And certainly, its presentation is a proper mess. But if you look beneath the surface, there's some cool gameplay to be found. Don't forget to check out Six and Miodrag on …

1
Neutral Game Episode 39 – Ninja Master’s

4y ago

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Even further into uncharted waters we go, as 2020 continues to offer little in the way of new fighting games. But glad we are for the shortage, as it has given us the occasion to explore gems of old. Few remember the name Ninja Master's: Hao Ninpo Cho, but this little-known Neo Geo fighter has gameplay and ideas beyond its age. Don't forget to chec…

1
Neutral Game Episode 38 – Bloody Roar 2

4y ago

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Mankind knew that they could not save society. So instead of reflecting on themselves, they blamed the zoanthropes. In this long fighting game drought we're living through, Miodrag and Six turn to the past for another classic. The Bloody Roar series doesn't have a lot of life these days, but if 2 is any indication, it deserves a lot more love and a…

1
Episode 33 - Ms. Not Appearing In This Series 53:46

4y ago53:46

53:46

This week(!), the Outside World Occultists take a look at youkai who haven't appeared in Gensokyo. From invisible walls to giant combining skeletons, we talk about some examples we'd like to see as well as some gameplay concepts that might work with them. We might do another episode like this in the future, so if you have anyone you'd like to see, …

1
Episode 32 - Unsealing Club: Ghostly Field Trip 36:31

4y ago36:31

36:31

This time on the Unsealing Club, the Outside World Occultists do a read-through and analysis of the first Sealing Club CD, Ghostly Field Club, in which Merry and Renko hang out at a graveyard without stealing any bones. This is a non-commercial, non-profit fan-made podcast. Touhou Project is the property of ZUN and Team Shanghai Alice. Thanks to ba…

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Neutral Game Episode 37 – Capcom vs SNK 2 & Kensei: Sacred Fist

4y ago

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In the middle of a strange year, Miodrag and Six take a look back at some... classics? That title might be a little generous to one of these titles. Capcom vs SNK 2 is a much beloved, never imitated team fighter classic, and Kensei: Sacred Fist is a video game that you can play! Make time for old fighting games, friends: they have a lot to teach yo…

1
Episode 31 - Shrugged Atlas 44:44

4y ago44:44

44:44

This week, the Outside World Occultists try their hand at cartography, producing our best-guess estimation of what a map of Gensokyo could, given what we know, look like. We begin with core landmarks such as the Hakurei Shrine and the Human Village and continue all the way to the unexpectedly large number of nameless hills. The map itself and the r…

1
Episode 30 - Side-Effects May Include Large Structures, Taller Than They Are Wide 52:12

4y ago52:12

52:12

This (week? month? epoch?), the Outside World Occultists take a look at a longer-term solution to our scheduling problems and delve into Touhou's various methods of immortality. From eluding the Death IRS to taking three sips of moon juice, we walk through the options before revealing which ones we, personally, would choose. This is a non-commercia…

1
Neutral Game Episode 36 – Street Fighter V

4y ago

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Miodrag and Six are back to talk fighting games, and this time, V has come to(o). Street Fighter 4 was a WILDLY successful game that helped usher in a revival of the fighting game genre. After several years of expansion and patching, how does the legacy of its sequel stand in the line of a series that has defined the genre for decades? Don't forget…

1
Episode 29 - The Youmu Effect 49:15

4+ y ago49:15

49:15

This week, the Outside World Occultists look back on the latest in a long line of THWiki popularity polls. Congratulations to this year's first-place dark horse, Konpaku Youmu! Other topics include a comparison to last year's results, the relative importance of first-place votes, major poll voting blocs, and questions you should never ask a mathema…

1
Episode 28 - Philosophy of the Despised 56:19

4+ y ago56:19

56:19

The Outside World Occultists rise from their hibernation to delve deep into the youkai mind. Following up a prior listener question about youkai neurodivergence, we analyse what we know or can infer of youkai psychology and how it differs from humans. This is a non-commercial, non-profit fan-made podcast. Touhou Project is the property of ZUN and T…

1
Neutral Game Episode 35 – Granblue Fantasy Versus

4+ y ago

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Neutral Game is back with the hottest pull in 2020 fighting games! The prolific veterans Arc System Works have adopted the Japanese gacha game juggernaut Granblue Fantasy into a fighting game. Will this olive branch extended from anime fighters towards Street Fighters stick the landing? Listen and find out! Don't forget to check out Six and Miodrag…

1
Episode 27 - The Cool Ranch Theory of Literature 1:01:33

4+ y ago1:01:33

1:01:33

This week in the vicinity of Outside World Occultism, we take a step into the abstract to talk about the concept of "deconstruction", and what it's come to mean in media and in fandom. We start by determining our definition of the term, followed by an analysis of how it's used in Touhou fan work for good and for ill. And occasionally we remember we…

1
Episode 26 - Last Word "Touhou Will Never Die" 49:45

4+ y ago49:45

49:45

This week a couple months ago, the Outside World Occultists delve back into the mailbag to answer more listener questions. From favourite fighting-game characterisation and fanworks to our thoughts on the 25th anniversary (informed somewhat notably by it being February when this was recorded), we answer everything you've asked us that we'll answer!…

1
Episode 37 - Reintroduction of Scarlet Devil 47:53

4+ y ago47:53

47:53

This week, the Ochre Mansion Obsessed set aside contentious issues to return to their roots, with an introduction of the major characters of the Embodiment of Scarlet Devil franchise. From the belovedly absent Satsuki Rin to the almighty Kurenai Misuzu, we review the cast of EOSD1, the game that started it all. This is a non-commercial, non-profit …

1
Episode 25 - Hi Mom! 56:48

4+ y ago56:48

56:48

This [period of time], the Outside World Occultists seek to harness the mystical form of power known as "mom energy", and examine its history in Gensokyo and elsewhere. In short: Here is an episode where we talk about what Touhou characters we would like to be our moms, and a second copy of that episode in case you throw it in the garbage. This is …

1
Episode 24 - All Hands, Abandon Ship! 1:04:11

4+ y ago1:04:11

1:04:11

In our slightly belated Valentine's Day episode, the Outside World Occultists look to each other and listeners for advice on unusual Touhou ships. A few occasionally contradictory definitions of "unusual" later, our audience's cosmic crania bring us a variety of Touhou ships with a varying degree of supporting materials. Also shout out to a few oth…

1
Episode 23 - Unsealing Club: I Trapped Myself In Another World For Internet Clout?! 53:35

4+ y ago53:35

53:35

This week, the Outside World Occultists turn back the clock on the Unsealing Club to take a look at its founder and senior light-novel protagonist, Usami Sumireko. Starting with a broad look at her character, we move into comparing her with her [precise relation redacted], Renko, and consider how her role in expanding the setting relates to ZUN's o…

1
Neutral Game Episode 34 – Tekken 7, Revisited

4+ y ago

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The Neutral Game crew is back to re-evaluate Tekken. How have the shifting meta, changes to the game, and new insights into how the game works affected their thoughts on the most popular 3D fighter in the world? Also, is Virtua Fighter ever coming back? (Probably not.) Don't forget to check out Six and Miodrag on Twitter at @sixdettmar and @mdkii r…

1
Episode 22 - Causing Problems on Purpose 56:48

4+ y ago56:48

56:48

This week, the Outside World Occultists grow out their best pointed goatees as they look at the nature of villainy and villains in Touhou, and how they've changed over the years. In no particular chronological order. From the sages to the Seishins, we try and resolve the question of whether or not a given Touhou antagonist is a villain, and possibl…

1
Episode 21 - Everyone is Gay in Gensokyo 1:00:35

4+ y ago1:00:35

1:00:35

In this week's episode, the Outside World Occultists take one of the most venerable Touhou memes at face value, discuss the nature of text and subtext, and examine the past and present of the yuri genre. Apologies for the late release, but at least we're not a whole week behind again... This is a non-commercial, non-profit fan-made podcast. Touhou …

1
Episode 20 - Emperor Mickey Fiddles While The Vault Burns 54:15

4+ y ago54:15

54:15

By outsideworldoccultism

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Episode 19 - Hotline TORIFUNE 1:10:45

4+ y ago1:10:45

1:10:45

This week, the Outside World Occultists take a long, hard look at the mass of papers in their "in" box, and dedicate a whole episode to answering questions from you, the listeners. Here's to 2020! From the mailbag: Why don't we have an intro? What's our favourite obscure reference? Where would we divide Touhou into "classic" and "modern" eras? Is t…

1
Neutral Game Episode 33 – BBTAG 2.0

4+ y ago

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The Neutral Game cast is revisiting BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle in the wake of its 2.0 update! More RWBY! More Persona! More UNIEL, more BlazBlue! ...A boobie ninja and a tank? Wow, this roster got weird. How has this tag fighter changed in the last year, and what do these new characters bring to the table? Don't forget to check out Six and Miodrag o…

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Episode 18 - Unsealing Club: We Wish You A Merry 1:00:15

4+ y ago1:00:15

1:00:15

In a very merry episode of the Unsealing Club, we follow up our look at Renko with a turn for the Sealing Club's purpler half, the ever-untranslatable マエリベリー Hearn... but like, ideally, actually about her this time, not her thematic implications. (A promise we only half keep.) Starting with her presumed background and theories on how she met Renko,…

1
Episode 17 - Me Hoy Miyoi 1:00:36

5y ago1:00:36

1:00:36

In this week's episode, the Outside World Occultists look at the other new manga, Touhou Suichouka, which we mostly call Lotus Eaters. Starting with the manga's sinister atmosphere, we move through the first chapter with only a few brief digressions into Greek-English linguistic drift and completely forgetting about what we were talking about (appr…

1
Episode 16 - Loose Cannon Satori 54:39

5y ago54:39

54:39

Today, the Outside World Occultists take their (collective) first look at the first of the new official manga, Cheating Detective Satori. While Rin and Satori start their investigation into who didn't quite kill Patchouli, we marvel at TH6 characters having speaking lines. From the mailbag: What are our favourite flowery Touhou titles (off the top …

1
Episode 15 - Welcome ♥ Old Hell 54:55

5y ago54:55

54:55

In a schedule-adjusted backup episode, a quorum of the Outside World Occultists prepare to discuss Cheating Detective Satori with a look back at the story and cast of Subterranean Animism stage-by-stage, from spider construction workers to the suspicious and highly unorthodox lack of an extra stage boss. Regular-timed episode releases should resume…

1
Episode 14 - Unsealing Club: Lotus Child 1:01:42

5y ago1:01:42

1:01:42

In this month's (December? November? who knows at this point) Unsealing Club, the Outside World Occultists take off their Merry-tinted glasses to talk about the other half of the Sealing Club. We start with a discussion of Renko's role in the story and outlook, have a sophomoric discussion of timelines, and eventually abandon any pretense of restra…

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Episode 13 - Evil Women Being Bastards 1:09:45

5y ago1:09:45

1:09:45

This week, the Outside World Occultists celebrate their quarter-year anniversary and unluckiest episode number yet. After a brief digression into being very very wrong about the then-mysterious Chireikiden, we venture carefully through the thorny brambles of the gender vine to talk about the role it plays (or doesn't) in Touhou and in Gensokyo as a…

1
Episode 12 - Mobagensokyo 1:03:28

5y ago1:03:28

1:03:28

This week, the Outside World Occultists strap on their wellingtons and dungarees and wade out into the vast, muddy farmland of mobile gaming to talk about Touhou Cannonball, the first official unofficial Touhou gacha game, now available on all your favourite Android emulators. With a nervous eye on all the other mobage we are all individually trapp…

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Neutral Game Episode 32 – Them’s Fightin Herds

5y ago

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There ain't no cryin at THIS rodeo. The team at Mane6 making a My Little Pony fighting game discovered that while Friendship is Magic, legal action beats magic. And so they were forced to shelve their project... until an unlikely solution presented itself. The fruit of their efforts, Them's Fightin Herds, is in early access and plans to release by …

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Episode 11: Funny Reimu Drink A CoLA 1:10:13

5y ago1:10:13

1:10:13

Just shy of two weeks ago, the Outside World Occultists were meant to have tackled Touhou's longest prose work, Curiosities of Lotus Asia. Now, at long last, we find the time to face off against a deadly four-pronged attack from rambunctious teens, dadbod twinks, a brief digression with an unfamiliar voice, and sensible but wildly inaccurate assump…

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Neutral Game Episode 31 – Ultra Fight Da Kyanta! 2

5y ago

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By popular demand, Miodrag and Six checked out Steam's hottest early access fighting game: Ultra Fight Da Kyanta! 2. It is possible you think you are prepared for what this game is. You are mistaken. It's a meme, it's a chaotic fast fighting game, it has interesting mechanics, surprisingly fun writing, unusual character designs. JUMPANG with us int…

1
Episode 10 - Unsealing Club: They're Lesbians In A Society, Harold 59:15

5y ago59:15

59:15

In this week's episode, the Outside World Occultists attend another meeting of the Unsealing Club to talk about the remaining albums that we just glossed over in the last one because of that ever-persistent illusion we call time. We dive deep into ZUN's vision of a dystopic future, and take on such persistent questions as the meaning of science met…

1
Episode 9 - Welcome ♥ Bullet Hell 1:13:01

5y ago1:13:01

1:13:01

This week, the Outside World Occultists doff their genteel lore hats and don the tie-dyed judicial wigs of game design to take a look at Touhou's approach to danmaku. After a brisk introduction to how it fits in the setting, and a cordial roast of certain misconceptions about it, we break down our favourite, least favourite, and most love-to-hate s…

1
Episode 8 - Fly Me to the Moon 1:12:50

5y ago1:12:50

1:12:50

This time around, the Occultists explore the world of rabbits, clowns, moms and moons that is Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom! As we discuss the story and characters, we talk about Touhou powers, the Shinto concept of kegare, America, trauma and recovery, and agree that JunHeca is a very good ship.By outsideworldoccultism

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Episode 7 - Unsealing Club: Introduction 1:12:09

5y ago1:12:09

1:12:09

Welcome to the Unsealing Club, a monthly mini-series about the Hifuu Club and everything related to it! In this episode, the Occultists walk through the Hifuu CDs, ponder the future of their home, discuss dreams, reality, and Japanese art history, and talk quite a bit about Renko's personality, as well as RenMerry. From the mailbag: Yukari's origin…

1
Episode 6 - And Then There Were Three 1:01:45

5y ago1:01:45

1:01:45

This week, an increasingly small quorum of the Outside World Occultists discuss the first music CD story, Dolls in Pseudo Paradise. (As with all things DiPP, content warning for a variety of forms of murder and suicide.) Deerstalkers and corncob pipes in hand, we get to the bottom of several parallel mysteries: Who killed who? Whose humanity was le…

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