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| genre        =Official Book
| genre        =Official Book
| writers      =[[ZUN]]
| writers      =[[ZUN]]
| illustrators =[[Aoi Aioi]]<br />[[Genji Asai]]<br />[[Aya Azuma]]<br />[[Toshihira Arata]]<br />[[ALISON]]<br />[[Amamiya Tokuhisa]]<br />[[Mizunaka Kaho]]<br />[[TOKIAME]]<br />[[nyanya]]<br />[[Haniwa]]<br />[[Hiiragi Akio]]<br />[[Hitori]]<br />[[Masakichi]]<br />[[Mizutaki]]
| illustrators =[[Aoi Aioi]]<br />[[Genji Asai]]<br />[[Aya Azuma]]<br />[[Toshihira Arata]]<br />[[ALISON]]<br />[[Amamiya Tokuhisa]]<br />[[Suichuu Hanabi]]<br />[[TOKIAME]]<br />[[nyanya]]<br />[[Haniwa]]<br />[[Hiiragi Akio]]<br />[[Hitori]]<br />[[Masakichi]]<br />[[Mizutaki]]
| pages        =
| pages        =
| comes with  =
| comes with  =
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}}
}}
{{thtitle|Touhou |Bunka Shinpou|ruby=Word's End True Report|&nbsp;~ Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia|東方文果真報 ~ Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia}} is an official Touhou book released on March 30, 2017. It is presented as [[Aya Shameimaru]]'s attempt to create a tabloid magazine in the style of those from the [[Outside World]],<ref>''[[Curiosities of Lotus Asia]]'' - [[Curiosities of Lotus Asia/Chapter 30|Chapter 30]]</ref> which she eventually cancelled and left unpublished.<ref>''[[Forbidden Scrollery]]'' - Chapter 49</ref> The book features in-universe articles, interviews and advertisements similar to the earlier ''[[Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red]]'', but in a significantly more chaotic and haphazard format. In fact, the magazine ''Bunbunharu Weekly'' or "{{nihongo|文々春新報|Bunbunharu Shinpou|lit. "Aya's Periodical News Report"}} follows the name and design of {{nihongo|週刊文春|Shuukan Bunshun|lit. "Weekly Magazine of Literature Periodical"}}, a notorious high-circulation tabloid published weekly in Japan.
{{thtitle|Touhou |Bunka Shinpou|ruby=Word's End True Report|&nbsp;~ Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia|東方文果真報 ~ Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia}} is an official Touhou book released on March 30, 2017. It is presented as [[Aya Shameimaru]]'s attempt to create a tabloid magazine in the style of those from the [[Outside World]],<ref>''[[Curiosities of Lotus Asia]]'' - [[Curiosities of Lotus Asia/Chapter 30|Chapter 30]]</ref> which she eventually cancelled and left unpublished.<ref>''[[Forbidden Scrollery]]'' - Chapter 49</ref> The book features in-universe articles, interviews and advertisements similar to the earlier ''[[Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red]]'', but in a significantly more chaotic and haphazard format. In fact, the magazine ''Bunbunharu Weekly'' or "{{nihongo|文々春新報|Bunbunharu Shinpou|lit. "Aya's Periodical News Report"}} follows the name and design of {{nihongo|週刊文春|Shuukan Bunshun|lit. "Weekly Magazine of Literature Periodical"}}, a notorious high-circulation tabloid published weekly in Japan.
==Plot==
[[Aya Shameimaru]], a [[tengu]] reporter, decides to change her reporting style to more closely match examples of [[Wikipedia:Clickbait|clickbait]] magazines from the [[Outside World]] in an attempt to further her publication's appeal. To that end, she imports the topical rhetoric of the [[Wikipedia:2016_United_States_presidential_election|2016 United States Presidential Election]], and other hot-button political, social, and "[[Wikipedia:moral panic|moral panic]]" issues into her newspaper.<ref>[[Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia]] - [[Alternative_Facts_in_Eastern_Utopia/Afterword|ZUN's Afterword]]</ref> Additionally, there are several advertisements for local businesses present within the newspaper, such as [[Kourindou]] and the [[Marisa_Kirisame#Occupation|Kirisame Magic Shop]].
In keeping with the 'tabloid' theme, she relies heavily on [[Wikipedia:loaded_questions|loaded questions]] to manufacture a narrative that [[Gensokyo]] is at risk of invasion from "foreign threats", going so far as to imply [[Yukari Yakumo]] and [[Reimu Hakurei]] are collaborators with these alleged conspiring outsiders, such as [[Clownpiece]] and [[Sumireko Usami]], as well as painting "immigrants" such as the residents of [[Eientei]] as "foreign drug dealers."<ref>''[[Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia]]'' - [[Alternative_Facts_in_Eastern_Utopia/Article_and_Interview/Reisen_Udongein_Inaba#Article_2|Reisen Udongein Inaba Article]]</ref> Despite Aya's determination to steer various conversations to that end, neither of Reimu nor Yukari appear concerned about the new "immigrants", with Reimu rejecting the idea that she "defends" the [[Hakurei Barrier]] from outsiders,<ref>''[[Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia]]'' - [[Alternative_Facts_in_Eastern_Utopia/Article_and_Interview/Sumireko_Usami|Sumireko Usami's Interview]]</ref> and Yukari stating that Gensokyo is "accepting of everyone."<ref>''[[Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia]]'' - [[Alternative_Facts_in_Eastern_Utopia/Article_and_Interview/Yukari_Yakumo|Yukari Yakumo's Interview]]</ref>
During a particularly in-depth and intense conversation with [[Hecatia Lapislazuli]], in which the Goddess harshly chides Aya for her [[Wikipedia:Yellow_journalism|yellow journalism]], Hecatia warns Aya that [[Wikipedia:Isolationism|isolationism]] would result in the stagnation and eventual decay of Gensokyo, comparing such an ideology to one held by the antagonistic and elitist [[Lunar Kingdom]]. Hecatia also suggests that the surge in isolationist attitudes that might result from Aya's publication would be advantageous to the [[Lunarians]] by limiting Gensokyo's cultural evolution. This interview in particular seems to convince Aya to ultimately not publish the current iteration of ''Bunbunharu Shinpou'', becoming similarly concerned about aiding the Lunarians.<ref>''[[Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia]]'' - [[Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia/Article and Interview/Clownpiece and Hecatia Lapislazuli|Hecatia Lapislazuli's Interview]]</ref>
In a journal-style afterword, Aya explains the rationale for many of her loaded questions and outright fabrications, viewing it as a way to make her publication "more exciting and attractive" for potential readers rather than being a true believer of any specific ideology herself. Additionally, she felt pressure to compete with [[Hatate Himekaidou]]'s ''Kakashi Spirit News'' publication, or face irrelevance in Gensokyo's sphere of journalism.


==Press==
==Press==
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==Read online (complete)==
==Read online (complete)==
MangaDex: '''[https://mangadex.org/title/24250/touhou-bunka-shinpou-alternative-facts-in-eastern-utopia Touhou Bunka Shinpou ~ Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia.]'''
MangaDex: '''[https://mangadex.org/title/841524ee-2a99-47a6-a71c-1fc61236812f Touhou Bunka Shinpou ~ Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia.]'''


Released by '''Reality Dreamers'''.
Released by '''Reality Dreamers'''.

Revision as of 21:30, 14 July 2021

東方文果真報 (とうほぶんかしんぽう)
Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia
Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia
Developer

Team Shanghai Alice

Publisher

Kadokawa

Released

2017-03-30

Genre

Official Book

Writers

ZUN

Illustrators

Aoi Aioi
Genji Asai
Aya Azuma
Toshihira Arata
ALISON
Amamiya Tokuhisa
Suichuu Hanabi
TOKIAME
nyanya
Haniwa
Hiiragi Akio
Hitori
Masakichi
Mizutaki

ISBN

9784048928625


Touhou Bunka Shinpou(Word's End True Report) ~ Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia (東方文果真報 ~ Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia) is an official Touhou book released on March 30, 2017. It is presented as Aya Shameimaru's attempt to create a tabloid magazine in the style of those from the Outside World,[1] which she eventually cancelled and left unpublished.[2] The book features in-universe articles, interviews and advertisements similar to the earlier Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red, but in a significantly more chaotic and haphazard format. In fact, the magazine Bunbunharu Weekly or "文々春新報 (Bunbunharu Shinpou lit. "Aya's Periodical News Report") follows the name and design of 週刊文春 (Shuukan Bunshun lit. "Weekly Magazine of Literature Periodical"), a notorious high-circulation tabloid published weekly in Japan.

Plot

Aya Shameimaru, a tengu reporter, decides to change her reporting style to more closely match examples of clickbait magazines from the Outside World in an attempt to further her publication's appeal. To that end, she imports the topical rhetoric of the 2016 United States Presidential Election, and other hot-button political, social, and "moral panic" issues into her newspaper.[3] Additionally, there are several advertisements for local businesses present within the newspaper, such as Kourindou and the Kirisame Magic Shop.

In keeping with the 'tabloid' theme, she relies heavily on loaded questions to manufacture a narrative that Gensokyo is at risk of invasion from "foreign threats", going so far as to imply Yukari Yakumo and Reimu Hakurei are collaborators with these alleged conspiring outsiders, such as Clownpiece and Sumireko Usami, as well as painting "immigrants" such as the residents of Eientei as "foreign drug dealers."[4] Despite Aya's determination to steer various conversations to that end, neither of Reimu nor Yukari appear concerned about the new "immigrants", with Reimu rejecting the idea that she "defends" the Hakurei Barrier from outsiders,[5] and Yukari stating that Gensokyo is "accepting of everyone."[6]

During a particularly in-depth and intense conversation with Hecatia Lapislazuli, in which the Goddess harshly chides Aya for her yellow journalism, Hecatia warns Aya that isolationism would result in the stagnation and eventual decay of Gensokyo, comparing such an ideology to one held by the antagonistic and elitist Lunar Kingdom. Hecatia also suggests that the surge in isolationist attitudes that might result from Aya's publication would be advantageous to the Lunarians by limiting Gensokyo's cultural evolution. This interview in particular seems to convince Aya to ultimately not publish the current iteration of Bunbunharu Shinpou, becoming similarly concerned about aiding the Lunarians.[7]

In a journal-style afterword, Aya explains the rationale for many of her loaded questions and outright fabrications, viewing it as a way to make her publication "more exciting and attractive" for potential readers rather than being a true believer of any specific ideology herself. Additionally, she felt pressure to compete with Hatate Himekaidou's Kakashi Spirit News publication, or face irrelevance in Gensokyo's sphere of journalism.

Press

Details regarding the book, including its release date, were announced in the 3rd volume of Strange Creators of Outer World. Preorders opened shortly after.

Read online (complete)

MangaDex: Touhou Bunka Shinpou ~ Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia.

Released by Reality Dreamers.

Direct Download

AFiEU complete book

Download

Contents

Bunbunharu Weekly

Self Reflection

Afterword by ZUN

Gallery

References