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Doll

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A Doll (人形 ningyō) is an artificial object most often of small size and with human or humanoid appearances.

Dolls in Touhou

In the Touhou Project, although normally inanimate in the outside world, Gensokyo dolls seem significantly more mobile. This is usually (though not always, as in the case of Medicine Melancholy) due to being magically controlled by a puppeteer, such as Alice Margatroid. The dolls that Alice uses seem unlimited in number, as she regularly sacrifices them in explosive attacks and never seems to run out. It's no wonder certain dolls feel like victims.

In order to perfect a completely autonomous doll, Alice does experiments, and the link to that with the "soul" is detailed. In Phantasmagoria of Flower View, Eirin Yagokoro explained that for a doll to manipulate itself is for a soul to reside in it. Additionally, it is said that dolls that can shed tears and can grow hair are dolls that have acquired a bodily flesh, and by acquiring both the bodily flesh and the soul they are able to move around freely. All of this related to the doll's soul and heart has all been publicly portrayed in many expressions that other characters have said. For example, Yukari Yakumo commented, "a heart dwelling within a human-shaped object. How is that different from a youkai, I wonder?" and Cirno commented, "you keep your dolls close to your heart! You won't find any gaps in a fairy like that!" and Reimu Hakurei also commented, "thought of holding services for dolls? You know, there are lots of things possessing the stuff that's been made into human form". In actuality, it is unclear if and how Alice puts a soul into the dolls.

When a doll becomes a youkai, like its' inanimate counterpart, they have no life span making them immortal in the sense that they won't naturally die from old age.[1]

Characters under this Bestiary

Touhou Project

See Also

References