Minamitsu Murasa

村 (むら) 紗 (さ) 　水 (みな) 蜜 (みつ) mɯɽasa minamit͡sɯ̥ (♫) Minamitsu Murasa Minamitu Murasa More Alternative Spellings
Minamitsu Murasa in Touhou Gouyoku Ibun The Ghost Left From the Shipwreck Accident More Character Titles
Nickname	Captain Murasa (ムラサ船長)
Species	Ship Phantom
Abilities	Causing water-related accidents
Age	Dead
Occupation	Captain
Location	Palanquin Ship/Myouren Temple, Misty Lake, The Wind God's Lake, Genbu Ravine, Sanzu River
Music Themes
キャプテン・ムラサ (Undefined Fantastic Object)
Appearances
Official Games
Undefined Fantastic Object (Stage 4 Boss) Double Spoiler (Scene 5-2, 5-4, 5-6, 5-8 Boss) Hopeless Masquerade (Background Character) Touhou Gouyoku Ibun (Playable Character, Possible Opponent)
Print Works
Oriental Sacred Place (Chapter 12 cameo) Wild and Horned Hermit (Chapter 9 cameo) Symposium of Post-mysticism (Article, Part 3 cameo) Forbidden Scrollery (Volume 1 omake cameo, 16 cameo) The Grimoire of Usami (Section 1-7, Section 2-4) Lotus Eaters (Chapter 17 cameo)

"I'm headed towards a completely submerged and sorrowful hell.
Those who can't make use of the water would just get in my way.
Even if it's Lady Hijiri."
— Minamitsu Murasa (Touhou Gouyoku Ibun Stage 2)

Minamitsu Murasa (村紗 水蜜, Murasa Minamitsu) is the spirit of a young drowning victim who became a notorious ship-sinking youkai. She is currently the captain of the Palanquin Ship, searching for the fragments of the Flying Storehouse. She meets the heroine of Undefined Fantastic Object as she is completing the preparations to travel to Makai. Her unique weapons include the anchors she uses, as well as her ladle, which is bottomless, according to an interview with ZUN and her spell card comments in Double Spoiler.

General Information

Minamitsu is a ghost who died long ago in a shipwreck. She first appeared as the Fourth stage boss of Undefined Fantastic Object, and as a playable character in Touhou Gouyoku Ibun.

Personality

While Minamitsu is a rather fearsome phantom, she is still kind-hearted with a bright personality. Mainly due to her ties with the Myouren Temple, she could empathize with humans and her victims, and thus chooses them more carefully. She also chats with the victims she capsizes.

Abilities

Causing water-related accidents

Minamitsu possesses the ability to cause water-related accidents. Her ability appears to be odd compared to a regular ghost, which is because she drowned at sea a long time ago. Due to a certain attachment to the ocean she kept capsizing passing ships. She can also drown anyone near water, which goes as far as drowning someone who is bathing in hot spring water, or sitting peacefully near a river's edge. This is also why she is seen around places with a lot of water. However, Gensokyo does not have any seas, so this ability seldom plays a major role.

Occupation

She is the Palanquin Ship's captain, having accepted the job from Byakuren Hijiri during their first meeting, though she claims there's little for her to actually do in recent days. Currently she is a follower of the Myouren Temple.

Possessions

She carries her own ladle, which she uses to flood the ships of her victims with water. In her early ghost years she used to ask for a ladle. She also carries an anchor which she uses in battle.

Backstory

After her death, Minamitsu became a spirit, bound to the ocean due to her lingering attachment to the world. Because of her spite, she eventually became renowned for capsizing ships. Many feared her, and tried to think of ways to somehow restrict her actions, but it wasn't until the monk Byakuren Hijiri was asked to do something about it that the situation changed. Minamitsu, knowing how famous the monk was at the time, believed she would be able to extend her influence even farther by sinking her, as well, and perhaps even escape her connection to the ocean and attack humans on land.

However, when Byakuren appeared before her on the seas completely defenseless, Minamitsu sunk her ship easily, prompting the spirit to wonder why. Byakuren then reappeared on the surface atop a shining ship, which she had constructed using the ship Minamitsu had died on as a design. Moved by the monk's insight and her own sense of nostalgia, she accepted Byakuren's offer to captain the shining ship.

After Byakuren was sealed away, Minamitsu was "buried" into the ground along with her ship. Having been long forgotten, Minamitsu and the rest of the youkai were pushed above ground in Gensokyo by a geyser - likely due to the events in Subterranean Animism – along with the palanquin ship and the fragments of the Flying Storehouse.

Character Design

Murasa, as illustrated in Symposium of Post-mysticism

Origin

Minamitsu is a ship phantom (船幽霊, funa yuurei), the ghost of a girl who drowned at sea. These types of ghosts are famous in Japanese folklore for capsizing and sinking ships, which inspired her character background and spell cards. Her ladle corresponds with the folklore; the ghost would approach a victim and demand a ladle, who could avoid death by giving them a ladle with a hole in the bottom.

Name

Her full name is Minamitsu Murasa (村紗　水蜜, Murasa Minamitsu) Her given name "Minamitsu" (水蜜) is a word that usually refers to the type of peach suimitsu tou (水蜜桃) or the peach itself (literally, it means "water honey"). Her surname "Murasa" (村紗) is taken from the type of ship phantom called murasa (ムラサ) known in the Oki District, Shimane. Similar to Satori Komeiji and Nue Houjuu whose names are also taken from their species' name, it's assumed that when she's referred by the name written in kanji, it's referring her by her own name, while using the name in katakana, she is referred by her species. She is also known as "Captain Murasa".

Design

Minamitsu has short black hair and a teal eye color. Her clothes are designed after a regular sailor's outfit, with a white shirt and skirt with blue lines. Around her neck she has a neckerchief. In some of her spell cards, she is seen with a green aura. ZUN stated in an interview^{[citation needed]} that the design for Minamitsu was the hardest to finish; he had far more sketches of Minamitsu with different hairstyles and colors in comparison to the other characters from Undefined Fantastic Object. He also couldn't decide whether a long or short skirt was better for Minamitsu. Fans got confused whether she wore a skirt or short pants due to ZUN's drawing of her portrait in Undefined Fantastic Object, however, this varies from her appearances across different works.

In Touhou Gouyoku Ibun she wears short pants with a belt, and is also seen with a black coat with gold trims and white gloves. Her red tie also has an anchor on it.

Story

Games

Undefined Fantastic Object

Minamitsu's sprite in UFO

In Undefined Fantastic Object, Minamitsu meets the heroine as she is making preparations for the ship to go to Hokkai via Makai, where Byakuren Hijiri is being sealed. Along with Nazrin, Ichirin Kumoi, Unzan and Shou Toramaru, she is one of the youkai trying to unseal her. Unlike Ichirin, she learns that the heroine doesn't have any particular motive to help the group, and attacks in order to take the fragments of the treasure back. Though she loses out in the end, she had already placed the ship in auto-pilot, so it was too late for the heroine to escape.

Spin-offs

Double Spoiler

Murasa in HM

In Double Spoiler, Murasa appeared as a stage 5 target, where she uses a few spell cards and had Aya Shameimaru and Hatate Himekaidou take photos of her and her danmaku.

Minamitsu's sprite in GI

Hopeless Masquerade

Murasa made a background cameo appearance in Hopeless Masquerade on the Palanquin Ship stage. She is seen standing on the ship with an anchor.

Touhou Gouyoku Ibun

Minamitsu goes underground to investigate the black water that appeared near the Myouren Temple, and to do so she floods the underground, which annoys Kanako Yasaka and Utsuho Reiuji, but the goddess lets her continue after hearing her explanation and Utsuho warns Minamitsu about a "monster that can even gobble up the Blazing Hell's flames in one bite" that she will encounter if she continues. After going all the way underground, she enters the Hell of Blood Pools, where she encounters Yuuma Toutetsu. After explaining that she already knew the petroleum was blood, Yuuma attacks the captain, but is defeated.

Relationships

Byakuren Hijiri

Minamitsu has a very strong relationship with Byakuren, as she is pretty much the Minamitsu's savior. After reappearing in Gensokyo, she swore to return the favor and rescue Byakuren.

Shou Toramaru, Ichirin Kumoi & Nazrin

She is a colleague of both Shou and Ichirin, though it's unknown exactly how or when they met.

Gallery

Artwork

• 

  Minamitsu's artwork from Undefined Fantastic Object

• 

  Minamitsu's pre-battle portrait from Touhou Gouyoku Ibun

Illustrations

• 

  Minamitsu in Symposium of Post-mysticism

• 

  Minamitsu from Who's Who of Humans & Youkai - Dusk Edition

• 

  A picture from Wild and Horned Hermit

• 

  A picture from Lotus Eaters

Spell Cards

Spell cards

Name	Translated	Comments	Games	Stage
Total: 16
転覆「道連れアンカー」	Capsize "Dragging Anchor"		UFO	St. 4: E/N
転覆「沈没アンカー」	Capsize "Foundering Anchor"		UFO	St. 4: H
転覆「撃沈アンカー」	Capsize "Sinking Anchor"		UFO	St. 4: L
溺符「ディープヴォーテックス」	Drowning Sign "Deep Vortex"		UFO	St. 4: E/N
溺符「シンカブルヴォーテックス」	Drowning Sign "Sinkable Vortex"		UFO	St. 4: H/L
湊符「ファントムシップハーバー」	Harbor Sign "Phantom Ship Harbor"		UFO	St. 4: E/N
湊符「幽霊船の港」	Harbor Sign "Phantom Ship's Port"		UFO	St. 4: H
湊符「幽霊船永久停泊」	Harbor Sign "Phantom Ship's Eternal Anchorage"		UFO GoU	St. 4: L —
幽霊「シンカーゴースト」	Phantom "Sinker Ghost"		UFO	St. 4: N
幽霊「忍び寄る柄杓」	Phantom "Dipper Creeping Close"		UFO	St. 4: H/L
錨符「幽霊船長期停泊」	Anchor Sign "Phantom Ship's Long-Term Anchorage"		DS	St. 5
浸水「船底のヴィーナス」	Flood "Venus of the Bilge"		DS GoU	St. 5 —
「ディープシンカー」	"Deep Sinker"		DS	St. 5
時化「ストーミーセーリング」	Stormy Weather "Stormy Sailing"		SFW
沈没「強欲な亡者達の海域」	Sinking "Ocean Region of the Greedy Dead"		SFW
「舟符「キャプテンムラサの不幸な出航」	Boat Sign "Captain Murasa's Misfortunate Embarkation"		SFW

Additional Information

• Her stage theme has a distinctive Windows XP balloon hint "pop" around 2:10, which probably got in the recording, as stated in ZUN's Twitter.
• Like Aya Shameimaru in Mountain of Faith, Minamitsu Murasa doesn't seem to have a gimmick/variation based on the playable character (which is something usual in stage 4 bosses). Though, both have a timeout spell card on Normal, Hard and Lunatic.

Fandom

Main article: Fandom: Minamitsu Murasa

Official Profiles

Undefined Fantastic Object - キャラ設定とエキストラストーリー.txt

○４面ボス　　水難事故の念縛霊 　　村紗 水蜜（むらさ みなみつ） 　　種族：舟幽霊 　　能力：水難事故を引き起こす程度の能力 　　遥か昔、海で舟が転覆して亡くなった人間の霊。 　　未練から海を離れることが出来ず、そこに通りかかった舟を転覆させる毎日を送っていた。 　　彼女は人間から恐れられた。 　　人間の恐怖の念が彼女を妖怪に変え、ますます自分の自由な行動が制限されるようになった。 　　その妖怪は、彼女の名前からムラサと呼ばれた。 　　そんなある日、彼女に転機が訪れる。 　　彼女の元にムラサを退治して欲しい、と依頼された一人の僧侶がやってきたのだ。 　　彼女にとっても願ったり叶ったりであった。 　　もうただの人間を乗せた舟を沈めても、妖怪としての力（恐怖）は上がらないと思っていたからだ。 　　その僧侶、聞けば大層名のある僧侶だと言う。そんな僧侶を乗せた舟を沈めれば、当然妖怪としての格が上がるだろう。 　　それが成功すれば、私を縛る呪われた海から離れて人間を襲う事も出来るかも知れない。 　　――数日後、彼女を退治しにやってきた僧侶を乗せた舟が近づいた。 　　舟には僧侶の他にも数人の人間が乗っていた。 　　彼女はありったけの力で、脅してやろうと思った。 　　ありったけの力で、僧侶の法力を破ってやろうと思った。 　　しかし彼女の予想が外れ、僧侶は完全に無防備であった。 　　ただの人間より手応えが無かったのだ。 　　あっという間に舟は沈み、数名の人間は全て海に投げ出された。 　　彼女は落胆した。 　　こんな手応えの無い相手を倒したって何の自慢にもならない。 　　そう思っていた彼女の眼に信じられない光景が映った。 　　僧侶は海の上に居た。 　　さっき転覆させた舟とは異なる、光り輝く舟に乗っていたのだ。 　　しかもその舟は、遥か昔私が乗っていた物であった。 　　「貴方はこの舟を探していたのでしょう？ 　　　だから違う舟は全て転覆させてきた」 　　僧侶は自分の法力で光の舟を創りだしていたのだ。 　　「その舟は……！ 　　　ああ懐かしい……なんで」 　　妖怪となった彼女には、剣や矢よりも精神的な攻撃の方が怖かった。 　　僧侶はその事を知っていた。 　　「私達を乗せてきた舟は、不慮の水難事故で沈んでしまいました。 　　　私の法力で新しい舟を創りましたが、これは特殊な舟で操れる者が居ません」 　　僧侶は、水から離れられない私に手をさしのべた。 　　「この舟を操るのは貴方です」 　　その言葉で、彼女は呪われた海を捨てる事が出来た。 　　それから数十年後。 　　妖怪を救う白蓮が、人間達に捕らわれ封印されてしまった。 　　それと同時に、白蓮に関わる物品も、地底奥深くに埋められてしまった。 　　村紗もまた、飛倉と共に埋められてしまったのである。 　　まさか間欠泉と共に再び地上に現れる事になるとは、彼女自身も予想していなかった。 　　そして誓う。 　　今度は私が白蓮を救う番だ、と。そう、白蓮が生み出した舟に乗って。

○Stage 4 Boss　　The Ghost of the Shipwreck Accident Minamitsu Murasa Species: Ship phantom Ability: Causing water-related accidents The spirit of a human who fell off a ship and drowned in the distant past; due to her lingering attachment to this world, she was bound to the ocean and spent her days capsizing passing ships. Humans feared her. Their fears turned her into a youkai, and over time, her ability to act freely was getting more and more restricted. People called her Murasa, based on her original name. And so one day she reached a turning point. A Buddhist priest who'd been asked to vanquish Murasa appeared. It was everything she'd wished for, too. She didn't think she could expand her power of fear as a youkai just by sinking ships with normal humans on them anymore. The monk that appeared was apparently very well known. Her status as a youkai would surely rise if she could sink the ship the monk was on. "If I succeed," she thought, "Maybe I can even free myself from this cursed ocean and attack the humans." ―― A few days later, the ship bearing the monk who'd come to defeat her approached. There were a few other humans besides the monk on that ship. She thought she'd use all her strength to threaten them. She thought she'd use all her strength to destroy the monk's Buddhist powers. But, contrary to her expectations, the monk was completely defenseless. She got no response from her beyond that of a normal human. Before she knew it, the ship was sunk, and all of the people on it were flung into the sea. This discouraged her. There was no pride to be taken in defeating someone so powerless. As she thought that, an unbelievable spectacle unfolded before her. The monk was floating above the ocean. "She's riding a shining boat—and it's not the one I just capsized. In fact, that's the ship that I rode in so long ago." "You were looking for this ship, right? That's why you sunk all of those other ships." The monk had made the shining ship using her own powers. "That ship ... ... ! Ah, how nostalgic ... ... but why?" A youkai like her was much more afraid of spiritual attacks than swords or arrows. The monk knew this well. "The ship that brought us here was sunk in a shipwreck. I've used my powers to make a new ship, but this is a very special ship, so there's no one that can captain it." The monk extended her hand out to me, into the oceans to which I was bound. "But you can captain this ship." And with those words, she was able to leave these cursed oceans behind. A few decades passed. Byakuren, the youkai saviour, had been captured and sealed by humans. At the same time, anything related to Byakuren was buried deep beneath the earth. Murasa, too, had been buried deep beneath the earth with the Flying Storehouse. She never imagined she would be sent flying back above ground by a geyser. And so she swears an oath: "Now it's my turn to rescue Byakuren. Yes, aboard the ship that she created!"

Official Sources

Official sources

• 2009/08/15 Undefined Fantastic Object - Stage 4 dialogue; Reimu A ending; Settings and Extra Story.txt (official profile)
• 2009/08/15 Touhou Hisoutensoku - Marisa's VS. dialogue (not named)
• 2009/12/25 Interview on Undefined Fantastic Object with Chara☆Mel
• 2010/03/14 Double Spoiler - Stage 5 spell card comments
• 2010/12/25 Oriental Sacred Place - Chapter 12
• 2011/11/25 Wild and Horned Hermit - Chapter 9 (cameo)
• 2012/04/27 Symposium of Post-mysticism