Utsuho Reiuji

霊 (れい) 烏 (う) 路 (じ) 　空 (うつほ) ɾeːɯd͡ʑi ɯt͡sɯho (♫) Utsuho Reiuji Utsuho Reiuzi More Alternative Spellings
Utsuho Reiuji in Touhou Gouyoku Ibun Scorching, Troublesome Divine Flame More Character Titles
Nickname	Okuu (おくう or お空 (くう) )
Species	Hell raven with Yatagarasu
Abilities	Manipulation of nuclear fusion
Occupation	Regulator of the flames in the former Hell of Blazing Fires
Location	The former Hell of Blazing Fires
Music Themes
霊知の太陽信仰　～ Nuclear Fusion (Subterranean Animism, Touhou Hisoutensoku, Touhou Gouyoku Ibun)
Appearances
Official Games
Subterranean Animism (Final Boss) Undefined Fantastic Object (Backstory) Touhou Hisoutensoku (Playable character, possible opponent) Double Spoiler (Scene 8-2, 8-4, 8-6, 8-8 Boss) Hopeless Masquerade (Background Character) Violet Detector (Nightmare Wednesday Boss) Touhou Gouyoku Ibun‎ (Possible opponent)
Print Works
Oriental Sacred Place (Chapter 5, 10, 12 and 18 cameo) The Grimoire of Marisa Wild and Horned Hermit (Chapter 2 Cameo, 27 cameo) Symposium of Post-mysticism Visionary Fairies in Shrine (Chapter 7 cameo, 9.5 cameo) The Grimoire of Usami (Section 2-3) Foul Detective Satori (Chapters 34, 36, 37, 39, 40)

"Lord Yatagarasu, the Black Sun. Thank you for giving me your power.
The sunlight that rains down on the Earth is a nuclear furnace that will create new atoms.
My ultimate nuclear fusion will burn up every body, heart, phantom, and fairy!"
— Utsuho Reiuji (Subterranean Animism Stage 6)

Utsuho Reiuji (霊烏路 空, Reiuji Utsuho) is the main antagonist of Subterranean Animism. She's one of Satori Komeiji's pets and a Hell raven who has lived in the underground world since before it was separated from Hell. Her job is to regulate the flames of the Hell of Blazing Fires.

General Information

Utsuho first appeared as the Final Boss of Subterranean Animism, and was indirectly the main reason that the events of Undefined Fantastic Object occurred. She also appeared as a playable character in Touhou Hisoutensoku, appearing as a boss in Sanae Kochiya and Cirno's scenario. She was a target on Stage 8 in Double Spoiler and appeared in the background of Hopeless Masquerade.

Personality

Utsuho has a simple and direct personality, it can even be said that she's airheaded. In fact, she misunderstood what Kanako Yasaka told her ("We can use that to bring about the wishes of not just the underground, but the above ground as well.") and believed that she had to use her new power to take over Gensokyo. Furthermore, when Sanae Kochiya told her that she is the shrine maiden that serves Kanako, Utsuho said she doesn't know that it's her; and after fighting, Utsuho didn't even remember the purpose of the fight and believes Sanae when she said that Utsuho was following Sanae's orders

Abilities

Manipulation of Nuclear Fusion

Main article: Touhou and Modern Science: Nuclear Fusion as a Source of Green Energy

Utsuho, as illustrated in The Grimoire of Marisa

Her abilities come from the god of nuclear fusion, Yatagarasu, and were granted to her by Kanako Yasaka in the god's attempt to turn the Hell of Blazing Fires into an energy source for Gensokyo. After absorbing the god, Utsuho obtained the left leg "the leg of fission" and the right leg "the leg of fusion", along with the third leg (a nuclear control rod in her right hand). As a result, she is able to manipulate the ultimate energy, nuclear fusion. Essentially, this means that Utsuho's own body actually houses a divine spirit, technically making her into a branch shrine for Yatagarasu. Apparently, the duller the holder of the power, the better they can utilize it. The red eye on her chest is proof that Utsuho obtained the power of fusion by absorbing Yatagarasu because the god's eyes are red, according to Chapter Three of Cage in Lunatic Runagate.

In the outside world, the prospects of putting this to use have still not been reached, and thus can surely be said to be an illusionary power.

Yatagarasu is the Misaki God of the Nihon Shinwa. In Nihon Shoki, as the messenger and envoy of highest sun god of the Nihon Shinwa, Amaterasu Oomikami (天照大神), Yatagarasu is considered the incarnation of the sun. It has been said that Yatagarasu possibly lives in the sun.

That is, it means that she's able to manipulate the same temperature as the the highest heating power in the natural world, the sun (Furthermore, by the spells that she uses, she is also able to spring forth the same gravitational attraction). However, Utsuho can't keep creating energy forever on her own because she would run out of "fusion material" and as explained in one of the endings for Subterranean Animism, she needs to get the atoms used in the fusion process from someone else.

Occupation

Utsuho's job is to manage the temperature inside the Hell of Blazing Fires, by either opening the skylight above the Hell of Blazing Fires's courtyard to lower the temperature, or feeding the fires with the corpses carried by Orin.

Official Profiles

Official Profiles

Subterranean Animism - キャラ設定.txt

○６面ボス　熱かい悩む神の火 　　霊烏路 空（れいうじ　うつほ）（通称：おくう） 　　Reiuzi Utsuho 　　種族：地獄鴉 with 八咫烏 　　能力：核融合を操る程度の能力 　　一際異彩を放つ姿を持つ鴉。 　　　左足に『分解の足』 　　　右足に『融合の足』 　　　そして右手にそれらを制御する『第三の足』 　　彼女はこれらの三本足で究極のエネルギーを操作するという。 　　永い眠りについた火焔地獄跡の上に地霊殿はあった。 　　地底世界が地獄のものでは無くなった今、ここに罪人が落とされる事は無く、今では元々棲んでいた地獄鴉、死体を運ぶ火車、他に物好きな妖怪達と、恨みだけで動く怨霊しか住んでいなかった。 　　さとりは、自分の物となったその場所にペット達を住まわせた。 　　空も燐と同じ、さとりのペットの一匹である。 　　燐は怨霊を、空は火焔地獄跡が暴走しないか見張っていた。 　　彼女の仕事は、少しでも火が強くなったら中庭の天窓を開け、火力が衰えたら燐が運んできた死体を投げ込み、火力を調整する事。 　　毎日毎日、同じ事の繰り返してはあったが、平和で満足のいく生活を送っていた。 　　しかし、ある日を境にその日常が崩れてしまう。 　　何者かが地上から、誰にも気付かれる事なく火焔地獄跡まで一気に入り込んできたのだ。 　　そして彼女に語りかけた。 　　その声は彼女の好奇心を刺激した。 　　『火焔地獄跡には究極にして人類が手のする事が出来る最後のエネルギーを生む秘密が隠されています。 　　　そして、火焔の中に棲む鴉である貴方。 　　　貴方はその究極の力を体に宿らせる事が出来る筈です。 　　　それにより地底のみならず、地上にも希望をもたらしましょう』 　　彼女は光に包まれ、何者かが体に入り込んでくるのを感じた。 　　気付いた時には彼女の姿は大きく変化していた。 　　空は手に入れた力を使うのが楽しくて、気が付いたら灼熱地獄跡は熱さを取り戻していた。 　　その熱は地底の水を熱し、水蒸気の圧力が限界に達した時に間欠泉となって地上に吹き出していたのである。 　　地上から訪れた者。 　　それは何者だったのだろうか、そして目的は。 　　空の小さな頭は、そんな疑問をすぐに吐き出してしまった。 　　――八咫烏（ヤタガラス） 　　　　彼女の体に入り込んだ力とは八咫烏と呼ばれる神様。 　　　　三本足の鴉で、太陽に住んでいると言われている。 　　　　八咫烏が持つ究極の力とは、原子創造の力、核融合である。 　　　　核エネルギーは、未来に残された究極の幻想であった。

Stage 6 Boss Scorching, Troublesome Divine Flame Utsuho Reiuji Nickname: Okuu Race: Hell raven with Yatagarasu Ability: Manipulating nuclear fusion A crow that gives off a conspicuously-colored light. 　On her left leg is the "Leg of fission"; 　On her right leg is the "Leg of fusion"; 　Finally, on her right arm is that which controls this, the "Third Leg" Using these three legs, it's said she can control the ultimate energy. When she awoke after a long sleep, the Earth Spirit Palace stood above what was once the Hell of Blazing Fires. In this time when the underground was no longer part of hell, criminals were no longer banished underground, and the only ones that lived underground now were the hell ravens, the kasha that carried off the bodies of the dead, and various other curious youkai, as well as the evil spirits who only acted out of malice. Satori took the youkai who lived there as her own and raised them as pets. Utsuho and Rin were both Satori's pets. Rin and Utsuho both worked hard at their respective jobs, Rin at controlling the evil spirits, Utsuho at managing the former Hell of Blazing Fires. If the flames became too hot, they'd open the skylight in the courtyard; if the flames became too weak, they'd throw in more of the corpses Rin carried off; they regulated the flames in this manner. They lived out their lives this way, doing the same thing every day but leading a peaceful, satisfying life. However, one day that peaceful lifestyle was shattered. Someone from above stole into Hell without anyone noticing. Then, she began to speak. Her voice stoked Utsuho's curiosity. "The Hell of Blazing Fires hides the secret to the ultimate form of energy that humans can attain. You, crow that lives within the blaze ... You should be able to contain that power within your body. We can use that to bring about the wishes of not just the underground, but the above ground as well." She was enveloped in light, and she felt someone entering her body. When she came to, her body had changed greatly. Utsuho enjoyed using her new power, and before she knew it the Hell of Blazing Fires had regained its original heat. That heat boiled the water in the underground, and when the steam pressure reached its limits it boiled over into the above ground as a geyser. 　The one from above ground. 　Who was she, and what was her purpose? 　Utsuho quickly pushed such questions from her little head. 　 - Yatagarasu, the divine three-legged crow 　　　The power that had entered her body was the god called the Yatagarasu. 　　　It's said to be a three-legged crow that lives on the sun. 　　　The ultimate power the Yatagarasu possessed was the power to create atoms, nuclear fusion. 　　　Atomic energy is the ultimate fantasy left for the future.

Skills

Skills

Name	Translated	Comments	Games	Usage
Total: 12
グラウンドメルト	Ground Melt		Soku	Default 236B/C
ヘルゲイザー	Hell Geyser		Soku	Alternate 236B/C
レイディアントブレード	Radiant Blade		Soku	Alternate 236B/C
フレアアップ	Flare Up		Soku	Default 623B/C
ロケットダイブ	Rocket Dive		Soku	Alternate 623B/C
メルティング浴びせ蹴り	Melting Pummel Kick		Soku	Alternate 623B/C
シューティングスター	Shooting Star		Soku	Default 214B/C
レトロ原子核モデル	Retro Atomic Model		Soku	Alternate 214B/C
核熱の怨霊	Vengeful Nuclear Spirits		Soku	Alternate 214B/C
ブレイクサン	Break Sun		Soku	Default 22B/C
シューティングサン	Shooting Sun		Soku	Alternate 22B/C
地獄波動砲	Hell Wave Cannon		Soku	Alternate 22B/C

Spell Cards

Spell Cards

Name	Translated	Comments	Games	Stage
Total: 35
核熱「ニュークリアフュージョン」	Atomic Fire "Nuclear Fusion"		SA GoM	St. 6: E/N —
核熱「ニュークリアエクスカーション」	Atomic Fire "Nuclear Excursion"		SA	St. 6: H
核熱「核反応制御不能」	Atomic Fire "Uncontainable Nuclear Reaction"		SA	St. 6: L
爆符「プチフレア」	Explosion Sign "Petit Flare"		SA	St. 6: E
爆符「メガフレア」	Explosion Sign "Mega Flare"		SA Soku GoM	St. 6: N Use —
爆符「ギガフレア」	Explosion Sign "Giga Flare"		SA Soku	St. 6: H Use
爆符「ペタフレア」	Explosion Sign "Peta Flare"		SA	St. 6: L
焔星「フィクストスター」	Blazing Star "Fixed Star"		SA Soku GoM	St. 6: E/N Use —
焔星「プラネタリーレボリューション」	Blazing Star "Planetary Revolution"		SA	St. 6: H
焔星「十凶星」	Blazing Star "Ten Evil Stars"		SA Soku	St. 6: L Use
「地獄極楽メルトダウン」	"Hell and Heaven Meltdown"		SA GoM	St. 6: E/N —
「ヘルズトカマク」	"Hell's Tokamak"		SA	St. 6: H/L
「地獄の人工太陽」	"Hell's Artificial Sun"		SA Soku	St. 6: E/N Use
「サブタレイニアンサン」	"Subterranean Sun"		SA Soku GoM	St. 6: H/L Use —
制御「セルフトカマク」	Control "Self Tokamak"		Soku	Use
遮光「核熱バイザー」	Light Cover "Nuclear Heat Visor"		Soku	Use
核符「クリーピングサン」	Nuclear Sign "Creeping Sun"		Soku	Use
光熱「ハイテンションブレード」	Light Energy "High-Tension Blade"		Soku	Use
地熱「核ブレイズゲイザー」	Geothermal "Nuclear Blaze Geyser"		Soku	Use
鴉符「八咫烏ダイブ」	Crow Sign "Yatagarasu Dive"		Soku	Use
核熱「核反応制御不能ダイブ」	Atomic Fire "Uncontainable Nuclear Reaction Dive"		Soku Soku	Use Story
「アビスノヴァ」	"Abyss Nova"		Soku	Use
熱符「ブレイクプロミネンス」	Heat Sign "Break Prominence"		Soku	Story
「ホットジュピター落下モデル」	"Hot Jupiter Descent Model"		Soku	Story
核熱「人工太陽の黒点」	Atomic Fire "Artificial Sun's Spot"		Soku	Story
熔解「メルティングホワイト」	Fusion "Melting White"		DS	St. 8
巨星「レッドジャイアント」	Giant Star "Red Giant"		DS	St. 8
星符「巨星墜つ」	Star Sign "Fall of Great Stars"		DS GoU	St. 8 —
七星「セプテントリオン」	Seven Stars "Septentrion"		DS	St. 8
地霊符「マインドステラスチール」	Earth Spirit Sign "Mind Stellar Steal"	Co-owner with Satori	VD	Nightmare Wednesday - 1
地妖符「式神大星」	Earth Ghostly Sign "Shikigami Giant Star"	Co-owner with Ran	VD	Nightmare Wednesday - 4
地霊符「マインドステラリリーフ」	Earth Spirit Sign "Mind Stellar Relief"	Co-owner with Koishi	VD	Nightmare Wednesday - 6
獄炎「インフェルノバーナー」	Hellfire "Inferno Burner"		SFW
獄光「ディヒューズヘルファイア」	Hell's Light "Diffuse Hellfire"		SFW
「太陽を盗んだ鴉」	"The Crow who Stole the Sun"		SFW

Character Design

Utsuho, as illustrated in Symposium of Post-mysticism

Origin

In ancient Chinese mythology, the three-legged crow is a mythical animal associated with the Sun, thought to be its guardian beast or, more often, the manifestation of the Sun's deity. This explains Utsuho's nuclear fusion power and association with heat.

Name

Her full name is Utsuho Reiuji (霊烏路 空). The characters for Reiuji (霊烏路) literally mean, in succession, "soul/spirit", "crow/raven", and "path". Utsuho (空) means "emptiness/empty-hole/cave" in Old Japanese, in which it is pronounced "utsuho". This is an example of a Japanese counterpart to spelling pronunciation. The character for Utsuho also means "sky" and can be pronounced "kuu" in a compound word.

Because of this, her nickname is Okuu (おくう), which was first used by Rin Kaenbyou to refer to Utsuho in the Extra Stage prologue. At first, only the "おくう" spelling used in Subterranean Animism was canon and "お空" (spelling using the kanji from her actual name) was not, but after Aya Shameimaru called her "お空" in the comment of scene 8-6 in Double Spoiler, both became canon; this was used again in the data files for Hopeless Masquerade. "O-kuu" (おくう) can also be a pun of "Oku-u" (屋烏, lit. "a crow standing on a roof"), though this is likely not intentional.

Design

Utsuho has long dark brown hair. Wears a white short-sleeved shirt with a red "eye" in the center, a short green skirt, and a green hair-ribbon. On her right arm, she wears a device reminiscent of a nuclear control rod. She also wears a cape that's white on the outside and a starry pattern on the inside; the cape is kept aloft by her black wings. Her right foot is encased in congealed matter, representing the "elephant's foot" of Chernobyl, a mass of cooled radioactive material and glass. Her left ankle is orbited by electrons.

On the Interview of Cara☆Mel‎ vol.8, ZUN mentioned that he tried to keep her from being indecent during the design process by adding a cannon on her arm instead of having an additional leg, thus solving the analogy of the third leg of the Yatagarasu.

Appearances

Subterranean Animism

Utsuho's sprite in SA

Before the events of Subterranean Animism, she was told by a voice that she could swallow the god, Yatagarasu, that was hidden in the flames to gain a power that would fulfill the wishes of both the worlds below and above the surface. This power was nuclear fusion. Utsuho misunderstood what the voice had told her, and decided that, using these powers, she would take over Gensokyo. Her friend, Rin Kaenbyou, became worried about Utsuho, and drove evil spirits to the surface to cause an incident among the strong youkai above ground, in hope that they would come down to do something about it and, when they got there, defeat Utsuho and bring her back to her former self. What came, however, was not a strong youkai, but a strong human.

Undefined Fantastic Object

In Undefined Fantastic Object, it is revealed that the geyser she created with her newfound powers wound up blowing Byakuren Hijiri's ship out from the underground and into the sky, thus starting the plot of that game.

Spin-offs

Touhou Hisoutensoku

Utsuho becomes a playable character in Touhou Hisoutensoku. She treats Sanae Kochiya and Cirno as objects interfering in the fusion process that can possibly cause malfunction to the core and attempts to eliminate them, after both fall in the Underground Geyser Center where she lives.

Double Spoiler

Utsuho in HM

In Double Spoiler, Utsuho appeared as a stage 8 target, where she uses a few spell cards and had Aya Shameimaru and Hatate Himekaidou take photos of her and her danmaku.

Hopeless Masquerade

Utsuho made a background cameo appearance in Hopeless Masquerade on the Palace of Earth Spirits and Youkai Tanuki Forest stages. She is seen enjoying the fights.

Touhou Gouyoku Ibun

Utsuho's sprite in GI

Utsuho greets the heroine with fireballs and fights thinking she was the culprit of the petroleum in the reactor. She explains her mission (if the player plays with Reimu), gets confused about why she was fighting before (if the player plays with the Yorigami sisters), request keeping fighting until the player goes through one of Okina's doors (if the player plays with Flandre) or warns her about an enemy that could gobble up the Blazing Hell's flames (if the player plays with Minamitsu).

Literature

Wild and Horned Hermit

In Wild and Horned Hermit, Utsuho's Yatagarasu powers are stated as an imperfect power source by Sanae Kochiya.

Relationships

Satori Komeiji

She's one of Satori Komeiji's pets. In order to maintain the Hell of Blazing Fires and Palace of Earth Spirits working in proper order, Satori appointed various jobs to her pets.

Kanako Yasaka

She tells Utsuho in a dream to consume Yatagarasu and this gives her nuclear powers. However, she misunderstands her and uses these powers in a attempt to take over Gensokyo, which causes the events of Subterranean Animism.

Rin Kaenbyou

Utsuho and Rin Kaenbyou are really old friends, since before the Underworld separated from Hell. They've known each other even before Satori started taking care of them.

Minor Characters

Koishi Komeiji

She is her master Satori's younger sister.

Gallery

Covers

• 

  Cover of Subterranean Animism, featuring Utsuho's silhouette

• 

  Utsuho on the Vol. 7 cover of Foul Detective Satori

Artworks

• 

  Utsuho artwork from Subterranean Animism

• 

  Utsuho artwork from Touhou Hisoutensoku

• 

  Utsuho's pre-battle portrait from Touhou Gouyoku Ibun

Sprites

• 

  Colors from Touhou Hisoutensoku

Illustrations

• 

  Utsuho with Kanako in Symposium of Post-mysticism

• 

  Utsuho with Satori and Rin from the Grimoire of Marisa

• 

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

Screenshots

• 

  Utsuho in Oriental Sacred Place without her arm cannon, cape, and encased leg

Others

• 

  Utsuho's sigil from Touhou Hisoutensoku

• 

  An Ability Card with a reference to Utsuho's spell cards in Unconnected Marketeers

• 

  An Ability Card with a reference to Utsuho's spell cards in 100th Black Market

Additional Information

• A silhouette of Utsuho occupies the front of Subterranean Animism's jewel case.
• Her "Third Leg" resembles an arm cannon. In Touhou Hisoutensoku, it is used as one.
• Utsuho appears to be the only final boss in a Windows game whose goal is explicitly conquering the world. A very common goal for villains in cartoons.
• Utsuho is also the one of the two only final bosses in a game who is a subordinate of an earlier boss (Satori). The other being Shinmyoumaru Sukuna (Seija Kijin)
• Utsuho is one of the two only bosses in a Windows game that gives the player a warning before the spell card begins; "☢ CAUTION!! ☢" appears for a few moments with klaxons blaring in the background. The other one belongs to Koishi, which warning Klaxons blare in the background in the "Philosophy of a Hated Person" spell card.
• Her sprite animations in Touhou Hisoutensoku greatly resemble and are most likely a homage to sprite animation of Souther from the game Fist of the North Star PS2 version. (Comparison).
  • Her spell card "Crow Sign: Yatagarasu Dive" resembles Souther's Fatal K.O. move Nanto Hō-ōh Ken Ougi: Tenshou Juuji Hou. Because of this fans sometimes call that spell card Nanto Hō-Ōkuu Ken Ougi: Tenshou Juuji Hou.
    • "Crow Sign: Yatagarasu Dive" does also resembles one of the Souther's move Houshou Juuji Hou
• In Utsuho's Spell Cards, the background behind the trefoil is a photo of the Carina Nebula.
• Utsuho's spell card background also features a real-world picture of a cat on the trefoil. One reason ZUN might've included this in the background could be because of the wild cats that have colonized the abandoned city of Pripyat. Pripyat was the town created for the families of workers at Chernobyl in Ukraine, and after the disaster that happened there, the population was evacuated. Recent excursions back into the ghost town lead to the discovery of a small community of irradiated wild cats that live comfortably in the foundations of abandoned homes.
  • Furthering the Chernobyl links, Utsuho could be a reference to the so-called Black Bird of Chernobyl not only because of her massive black wings, but also because the red eye in her chest, which was another trait of the Black Bird.
• In the PC-98 game Story of Eastern Wonderland, there was an orange-like shine on Stage 4 in the background that was shaped like the orb that Utsuho points to in her Subterranean Animism portrait. Utsuho's orb also resembles the shining objects, a stage enemy of the same game.

Fandom

Main article: Fandom: Utsuho Reiuji

Official Sources

Official sources

• 2008/08/16 - Subterranean Animism - Stage 2 dialogue; Settings.txt (official profile); Extra Story
• 2009/07/28 - The Grimoire of Marisa - Utsuho Reiuji's Spell Cards
• 2009/08/15 - Touhou Hisoutensoku - Utsuho Reiuji's Spell Cards; Sanae's Scenario, Cirno's Scenario
• 2009/10/26 - Oriental Sacred Place - Chapter 5
• 2010/03/14 - Double Spoiler - Stage 8 Spell Cards
• 2010/08/26 - Oriental Sacred Place - Chapter 10
• 2010/09/25 - Wild and Horned Hermit - Chapter 2
• 2010/12/25 - Oriental Sacred Place - Chapter 12
• 2012/04/27 - Symposium of Post-mysticism

See Also

• Utsuho in Touhou Hisoutensoku wiki