Yuugi Hoshiguma

星熊 (ほしぐま) 　勇儀 (ゆうぎ) hoɕigɯma jɯːgi (♫) Yuugi Hoshiguma Yugi Hoshiguma More Alternative Spellings
Yuugi in Touhou Gouyoku Ibun The So-Called Unexplainable Phenomenon More Character Titles
Species	Oni
Abilities	Wielding unexplainable phenomena
Occupation	Manager of Old Hell’s Hot Spring Town
Location	Ancient City
Music Themes
華のさかづき大江山 (Subterranean Animism)
Appearances
Official Games
Subterranean Animism (Stage 3 Midboss, Stage 3 Boss) Double Spoiler (Scene 6-1, 6-3, 6-5, 6-7 Boss) Hopeless Masquerade (Background Character, Marisa's Ending) Touhou Gouyoku Ibun (Stage 3 Boss)
Print Works
Oriental Sacred Place (Chapter 10 cameo) Symposium of Post-mysticism Wild and Horned Hermit (Chapter 2 cameo, 16 cameo) Forbidden Scrollery (Volume 1 omake cameo, Chapter 40 cameo) The Grimoire of Usami (Section 2-3) Lotus Eaters (Chapter 35, 36, 41 cameo) Foul Detective Satori (Chapter 33, 37 cameo)
Miscellaneous Works
Unofficial SA promotional flyer

"Ahahahaha! Why would we want to do that now? This place may have been Hell once, but now it's our paradise. We're even thankful for the sages above ground. They won't let anyone come bother us here. But more importantly, you! You're strong for a human, And it looks like you know Suika, too. I haven't been this excited in a long time!"
— Yuugi Hoshiguma to Reimu Hakurei (Subterranean Animism Stage 3)

Yuugi Hoshiguma (星熊 勇儀, Hoshiguma Yuugi) is an oni currently living in the Ancient City, which is in the Underworld. She has an unexplainable ability. She was once one of the Big Four of the Mountain, along with Suika Ibuki, and she lives alongside many other oni that were forced below ground.

General Information

Yuugi first appears as the stage 3 boss and midboss of Subterranean Animism, which is quite suprising for an oni, and was a target on stage 6 of Double Spoiler. She made a cameo appearance as one of the many background characters in Hopeless Masquerade, but made an appearace in Marisa Kirisame's ending.

Personality

Yuugi is a very firm and straightforward oni. She likes those who are strong and brave, and has no mercy for the weak and cowardly.

Abilities

Strength

Yuugi possesses enormous strength that far exceeds that of any other kind of youkai. She has arguably the greatest super-strength, as even Suika, that was considered the strongest in this sense by the time of Silent Sinner in Blue, admits that Yuugi might be physically stronger than she is. In Symposium of Post-mysticism, it is said that, according to rumors "her superhuman strength is of the level where her footsteps alone are enough to make nearby buildings collapse". She has also shown to be able to easily produce heat by raising her hand, and flatten trees merely by screaming.

Wield unexplainable phenomena

Anomalies, strength, disorder, and spirits (怪力乱神, kai-ryoku-ran-shin) is a metaphor for unexplainable phenomena that originates from the Analects of Confucius, where one of his disciples said "the Master never talked of anomalies, strength, disorder, or spirits." (子不語怪力亂神, shifugo-kairiki-ranshin) Furthermore, Yuugi's title is "the so-called unexplainable phenomenon".

More accurately, Confucius did not talk about unnatural things (strangeness (怪異)), mysterious powers (courage (勇力)), things contrary to reason (devious rebellion (悖乱)), and strange things related to god (fierce god (鬼神)). In other words, "strangeness" (怪異), "courage" (勇力), "devious rebellion" (悖乱), and "fierce god" (鬼神) are why "怪力乱神" is referred to as "anomalies, strength, disorder, and spirits." It's appropriately unclear what exactly this ability allows Yuugi to do, since the ability itself is a metaphor for things that cannot be explained.

Her very name, "Yuugi" (勇儀), might've come from the courage (勇力) that's represented as "strength" in "anomalies, strength, disorder, and spirits."

Occupation

Yuugi spends her time in Old Hell, fraternizing with the other oni, engaging in frequent drinking contests and generally having a rowdy time.

Possessions

Yuugi carries a sake dish called the "Hoshiguma Dish". It raises the quality of any sake poured into it. Kasen Ibaraki later uses this to transform some of her own sake for a party at the Hakurei Shrine. The dish itself is considered a masterwork of the oni.

Backstory

Yuugi was one of the many youkai and oni who moved into the Underworld in Hell when Gensokyo first became isolated from the Outside World. She and the others didn't wish to be chained to the rules that were set up, and decided to move down there. Though a non-aggression pact had apparently been negotiated, Yuugi realized that she wasn't enjoying spending time with humans, so she took up residence in Old Hell to be with kindred spirits. They built their own society and lived there in isolation for a really long time.

Character Design

Illustration of Yuugi in Symposium of Post-mysticism

Name

Yuugi Hoshiguma (星熊 勇儀) is her full name. The characters of Hoshiguma (星熊) mean "star" (星) and "bear" (熊). The characters in Yuugi (勇儀) mean "bravery" (勇) and "ritual" (儀). As said in the Ability's section, "Yuugi" could've come from courage (勇力).

In the legend of Shuten Douji, a particularly vicious oni who lived atop Mt. Ooeyama, one of Shuten Douji's four strongman demons was named Hoshiguma Douji. This may or may not be related to Yuugi's concept.

Design

Yuugi has long, straight blonde hair, red eyes, and a single red horn coming out of her forehead. She wears a white, short-sleeved shirt with red trim at the cuffs, neck, and bottom and a dark blue semi-transparent skirt with red highlights and trim. Her wrists and ankles are manacled with short, broken chains attached to the manacles. In the same interview as mentioned above, the interviewer mentions that her clothes look kind of like a gym uniform and that it'd be easy to do exercises in them. Following that, ZUN also said that Yuugi's skirt actually was semi-transparent.

In Hopeless Masquerade and later Touhou Gouyoku Ibun, Yuugi wears a light blue Yukata with a purple obi, an outfit previously seen in an unofficial promotional flyer for Subterranean Animism by alphes. Additionally, in Touhou Gouyoku Ibun her hair is tied into a ponytail with a blue ribbon (revealing pointed ears), and she carries a jug emblazoned with the kanji for sake (酒).

Appearances

Games

Subterranean Animism

Yuugi's sprite in SA

When the heroine arrives at the Ancient City in Stage 3 of Subterranean Animism, Yuugi rushes out to meet her. After Yuugi's initial attack is repelled, she promises to lead the heroine to the Palace of the Earth Spirits in exchange for giving her a good fight.

Spin-offs

Double Spoiler

Yuugi's sprite in DS

Yuugi's sprite in GI

In Double Spoiler, Yuugi used a few spell cards and had Aya Shameimaru and Hatate Himekaidou taking photos of her and her danmaku.

Hopeless Masquerade

Yuugi with Suika in HM

Yuugi made a background cameo appearance in Hopeless Masquerade on the Human Village stage. She is seen standing on a balcony of the tavern with Suika Ibuki, drinking sake. Also in Marisa Kirisame's ending, she comes back the day after the incident is resolved, and sounds somewhat disappointed that the battles are over.

Touhou Gouyoku Ibun

Yuugi greets the heroine in the Hot Spring Town and explains that the "black water" is called "petroleum" in the surface, and that she heard rumors about obtaining a great wealth with it, but also misfortune. After saying that it's from a place that not even them can reach, she decides to attack the heroine after knowing she wants to investigate anyways.

If the player chooses to use Flandre Scarlet, Yuugi will attack the vampire without an apparent reason.

Literature

Wild and Horned Hermit

In chapter 16 of Wild and Horned Hermit, Yuugi lends the Hoshiguma Dish to Kasen Ibaraki, so that she can raise the quality of the sake that she is going to bring to the flower-viewing party. She also informs Suika Ibuki about Kasen acting as a hermit.

Relationships

Suika Ibuki

Yuugi is old friends with Suika, and presumably with the other two Big Four of the Mountain. According to Satori, Yuugi is jealous of the fact Suika is able to freely travel around.

Kasen Ibaraki

Kasen describes Yuugi as an acquaintance of hers in Wild and Horned Hermit when she used the oni's sake dish to make her own sake better.

Gallery

Covers

• 

  Yuugi on the Vol. 6 cover of Foul Detective Satori

Artworks

• 

  Yuugi artwork from Subterranean Animism

• 

  Yuugi's pre-battle portrait from Touhou Gouyoku Ibun

Illustrations

• 

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

Screenshots

• 

  Yuugi in Lotus Eaters

Others

• 

  Yuugi's sigil in The Grimoire of Marisa

• 

  Yuugi in a promotional flyer by alphes

Spell Cards

Spell cards

Name	Translated	Comments	Games	Stage
Total: 10
鬼符「怪力乱神」	Oni Sign "Anomalies, Strength, Disorder, and Spirits"		SA GoM	St. 3: E/N/H/L —
怪輪「地獄の苦輪」	Mysterious Ring "Hell's Wheel of Pain"		SA	St. 3: E/N
枷符「咎人の外さぬ枷」	Shackles Sign "Shackles a Criminal Can't Take Off"		SA	St. 3: H/L
力業「大江山嵐」	Feat of Strength "Storm on Mt. Ooe"		SA	St. 3: E/N
力業「大江山颪」	Feat of Strength "Wind Blowing Down from Mt. Ooe"		SA GoM	St. 3: H/L —
四天王奥義「三歩必殺」	Big Four Arcanum "Knock Out In Three Steps"		SA GoM	St. 3: E/N/H/L —
光鬼「金剛螺旋」	Light Oni "Adamant Helix"		DS	St. 6
鬼符「鬼気狂瀾」	Oni Sign "Dreadful Raging Waves"		DS	St. 6
鬼声「壊滅の咆哮」	Oni's Voice "Annihilating Roar"		DS GoU	St. 6 —
湧泉「熱鬼掘削撃」	Gushing Spring "Heated Oni's Excavation Strike"		SFW	Story
怨泉「極楽温泉地獄」	Vengeful Spring "Heavenly Hot Spring Hell"		SFW	Story

Additional Information

• Like other oni, Yuugi is ridiculously strong and, in turn, likes strong people. She also enjoys drinking heavily and raising a ruckus.
• Yuugi Hoshiguma is thus far the only boss who stays around after her mid-boss defeat and remains in front of the player throughout the second half of the stage, until the start of the boss fight.
  • Mystia Lorelei and Nemuno Sakata are similar cases, the difference being that they begin the boss fight immediately after the mid-boss fight
• In the interview about Yuugi, ZUN mentions that her act of not spilling a drop of sake is reminiscent of Jonathan from Jojo; although he further adds the two characters are unrelated.
• According to an interview in Cara☆Mel‎ for Cage in Lunatic Runagate 7, ZUN said the theme behind Yuugi was to make an energetic, oni-like oni, since there would be lots of oni in hell.

Fandom

Main article: Fandom: Yuugi Hoshiguma

Official Profiles

Subterranean Animism - キャラ設定.txt

○３面ボス　語られる怪力乱神 　　星熊 勇儀（ほしぐま　ゆうぎ） 　　Hoshiguma Yugi 　　種族：鬼 　　能力：怪力乱神を持つ程度の能力 　　萃香と共に山の四天王と呼ばれた鬼の一人。今は旧都に住んでいる。 　　旧都は昔は地獄の一部であったのだが、地獄のスリム化と共に切り捨てられた土地である。 　　ここには様々な妖怪が住んでいるのだが、その中でも代表的な妖怪が鬼である。 　　鬼は地上の人間に嫌気が差して自ら去り、余った地獄の土地に新しい社会を築いたのだ。 　　鬼達はこの他にも地上で嫌われた妖怪達を率先して受け入れた。 　　その事に危険を感じた地上の妖怪達は、新しい地下都市を認める代わりにある条件を出した。 　　それは地獄の怨霊の封じる事である。それをする代わりに如何なる妖怪も地下都市には入らせないと約束をしたのだ。 　　鬼達は地上との交流を断ち、完全に新しい社会生活を人知れず営んでいたのである。 　　勇儀は鬼らしく、毎日騒ぎながらお酒を呑み、生活を楽しんでいた。 　　強い人間が入ってきたと聞き、呑んでいる途中であったが慌てて駆け付けてきたのだが……

Stage 3 boss The Spoken-of Unexplainable Phenomena (Anomalies, Strength, Disorder, and Spirits) Yuugi Hoshiguma Species: Oni Ability: The ability to wield unexplainable phenomena One of the oni who, together with Suika, was said to be one of the big four of the mountain. She now lives in the Old Capital. The Old Capital was once part of Hell, but it was cast aside during the downsizing of Hell. Various youkai live here, though the oni are the most representative group among them all. The oni left the overworld voluntarily when humans began to shun them, and built up a new society on Hell's excess plots of land. The oni were proactive in accepting even those youkai who have become hated in the overworld. The youkai from above, who felt out of place and in danger, accepted their control over the underground on one condition. That condition was to seal the vengeful spirits of hell. In return, the youkai from the overworld promised not to enter the underground city. The oni have now cut off all communication with the overworld, and have settled into a new society completely unknown to humans. As one would expect from an oni, Yuugi enjoys every day by drinking and raising a ruckus. When she heard some strong humans had appeared, she rushed out while she is still drunk...

Official Sources

Official sources

• 2008/05/25 Subterranean Animism Demo - Stage 3 dialogue ; Trial profile (pre-official profile)
• 2008/08/16 Subterranean Animism - Stage 3 dialogue ; Settings.txt (official profile)
• 2009/07/28 The Grimoire of Marisa - Yuugi Hoshiguma's spell cards
• 2010/03/14 Double Spoiler - Stage 6 spell card comments
• 2010/08/26 Oriental Sacred Place - Chapter 10 (cameo)
• 2010/09/25 Wild and Horned Hermit - Chapter 2 & Chapter 16 (cameo)
• 2012/04/27 Symposium of Post-mysticism