Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia

東方文果真報 (とうほうぶんかしんぽう) 'Alternative Facts in Eastern Utopia'
Developer	Team Shanghai Alice
Publisher	Kadokawa
Released	2017-03-30
Genre	Official Book
Writers	ZUN
Illustrators	Aoi Kujira Genji Asai Aya Azuma Toshihira Arata ALISON Amamiya Tokuhisa Suichuu Hanabi TOKIAME nyanya Haniwa Akio Hiiragi 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to create a tabloid magazine in the style of those from the Outside World, which she eventually cancelled and left unpublished. 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. 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." Despite Aya's determination to steer various conversations to that end, neither Reimu nor Yukari appear concerned about the new "immigrants", with Reimu rejecting the idea that she "defends" the Hakurei Barrier from outsiders, and Yukari stating that Gensokyo is "accepting of everyone."

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 uses this opportunity to interject with her own biases and 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.

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.

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AFiEU complete book

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Contents

• pg. 1: Memo
• pg. 3: Foreword

Bunbunharu Weekly

• pg. 5: Cover
• pg. 7-9: Article: Sumireko Usami (with Kasen Ibaraki) — A female student who can cross over the barrier!
• pg. 10-11: Article: Prismriver Sisters 1 — The Prismriver Ensemble's break-up!
• pg. 12-13: Article: Clownpiece and Hecatia Lapislazuli — A shocking photo of the invaders' secret talk!
• pg. 14-15: Article: Hatate Himekaidou 1 (about Sumireko Usami) — More fake news from Kakashi Spirit News!
• pg. 16: Article: Shinmyoumaru Sukuna 1 — A Small Challenger to White-Water Rafting!
• pg. 17: Index
• pg. 18-21: Article: Yukari Yakumo — Gensokyo's crisis was calculated!?
• pg. 22-25: Article: Reimu Hakurei — The Hakurei Shrine: Ally to the Outside World
• pg. 26-27: Article: Rinnosuke Morichika — Kourindou's Junk Restocked
• pg. 28-29: Article: Tsukumo Sisters — The Birth of Future Stars! The healing "Two Girls Band"
• pg. 30-31: Dangerous Things — DANGEROUS Things Keep Eating Away at Gensokyo!
  • pg. 32-33: Article: Eirin Yagokoro — The inconvenient “true effects” of overly effective medicine
  • pg. 34-35: Article: Nitori Kawashiro — "Kappa-Approved Hydrogenous Spring Water” and the Maximum Danger that Lurks Within!
• pg. 36-37: Article: Sekibanki — Stange "Smartphone Neck" Disease in Gensokyo!
• Exclusive Bamboo Forest Scoops
  • pg. 38-39: Article: Reisen Udongein Inaba 1 — The dangerous "addictiveness" of the moon's dango and their terrifying "side effects"!"
  • pg. 40-41: Article: Reisen Udongein Inaba 2 (with Tewi Inaba) — Drug seller turns out to be an immigrant!
• pg. 42-43: Article: Aya Shameimaru — “Bunbunmaru News” is HOT!
• pg. 44-45: Article: Toyosatomimi no Miko 1 (with Yoshika Miyako, Soga no Tojiko, and Mononobe no Futo) — Is she President of the Human Village!?
• pg. 46-47: Article: Toyosatomimi no Miko 2 (with Byakuren Hijiri, Seiga Kaku, and Hata no Kokoro) — "MAKE HUMANS GREAT AGAIN!"
• pg. 48-49: Article: Various Youkai — A serious food supply issue is inevitable
• pg. 50-51: Article: Prismriver Sisters 2 (featuring Raiko Horikawa) — From break-up to reformation in just three days
• pg. 52: Interview: Raiko Horikawa — Becoming the Horismriver Ensemble while as a group of four
• pg. 54-55: Article: Hatate Himekaidou 2 (about Seija Kijin) — The impossible "Discovery of the Real Miracle Mallet"
• pg. 56-57: Tengu Quarrel - Toshihira Arata
• pg. 58-63: Novel: Hieda no Akyuu — "M Dies of M" by Agatha Chris Q
• pg. 65-72: Double Page: "When the Tengu Rest Their Wings"
  • pg. 66-69: Illustration by nyanya
  • pg. 70-71: Meeting: Three Tengu — Urgent Meeting! Anonymous Tengu hold a Symposium
• pg. 73-80: Newbie Tengu Shinmyoumaru - Haniwa
• pg. 82-83: Article: Doremy Sweet — The Ominous “Rumors” Surrounding a Popular Pillow
• pg. 84-85: Article: Sagume Kishin 1 (Single) — SUSPICIOUS SHADY CHARACTER is frequenting pharmaceutical facility
• pg. 86-87: Article: Sagume Kishin 2 (with Tewi Inaba, Reisen Udongein Inaba, and Eirin Yagokoro) — A Secret Conversation Sending The World Into Panic - Is this the "Yagokoro Incident"!?
• pg. 88-89: Article: Seiran and Ringo — Even the dango business isn't always cushy?
• pg. 90-91: Article: Shinmyoumaru Sukuna 2 (with Wakasagihime) — Shinmyoumaru's Still At It!
• pg. 92-93: Article: Kagerou Imaizumi — A "guess the human" game has started
• pg. 94-95: Article: Hata no Kokoro — "Ningyo-yaki In Love" is published
• pg. 96-97: Article: Momiji Inubashiri — At last: The countdown to the Aerial Ropeway
• pg. 98: Essay: Tenshi Hinanawi — Luxurious Heavenly Cuisine for the Needy - Tenshi Hinanawi
• pg. 99: Essay: Komachi Onozuka — Next Week's Deaths - Komachi Onozuka
• pg. 100-101: Essay: Marisa Kirisame — Marisa's Lucky Danmaku Horoscope - Marisa Kirisame
• pg. 104-105: Article: Kyouko Kasodani — The Reality of the Sweatshop World of Religion
• pg. 106-107: Article: Kogasa Tatara, Yoshika Miyako, and Seiga Kaku — The Dread of the Urban Legend Incident!
• pg. 108-111: Interview: Sumireko Usami — Whose Side Is The Outsider On? - Sumireko Usami
• pg. 112-117: Interview: Hecatia Lapislazuli — World-Crossing Discourse - Hecatia Lapislazuli
• pg. 118: Colophon
• pg. 120-121: Essay: Aya Shameimaru 1 — Top 100 Famous Hot Springs of Gensokyo - Aya Shameimaru
• pg. 122-123: Essay: Yuyuko Saigyouji — Yuyuko's One Dish One Bite - Yuyuko Saigyouji
• pg. 124-125: Essay: Rinnosuke Morichika — Useless Modern Tools - Rinnosuke Morichika
• pg. 126: Essay: Aya Shameimaru 2 — The secret stores that only Tengu know of - Aya Shameimaru

Advertisement

• pg. 25: Marisa Kirisame 1
• pg. 53: Doremy Sweet
• pg. 64: Marisa Kirisame 2
• pg. 81: Keine Kamishirasawa and Hieda no Akyuu
• pg. 102: Nitori Kawashiro
• pg. 103: Sakuya Izayoi
• pg. 119: Rin Kaenbyou
• pg. 127: Bunbunharu Weekly
• pg. 128: Bunbunmaru Newspaper

Self Reflection

• pg. 130-131: Fact Check: Clownpiece and Hecatia Lapislazuli — 12-13
• pg. 132-133: Fact Check: Toyosatomimi no Miko 1 (with Yoshika Miyako, Soga no Tojiko, and Mononobe no Futo) — 44-45
• pg. 134-135: Fact Check: Nitori Kawashiro — 34-35
• pg. 136-137: Fact Check: Hatate Himekaidou 1 (about Sumireko Usami) — 14-15
• pg. 138-140: Report that Bunbunharu Weekly Is Released to Be Cancelled —

Afterword by ZUN

• pg. 142-143: Afterword

Gallery

• 

  Promotional image featured in Strange Creators of Outer World, with Sagume Kishin. Tagline reads: "I wonder what kind of book it is..."

• 

  Back cover featuring Hecatia Lapislazuli and Clownpiece