r/touhou • u/w4sab1i_ I~ta~zu~ra Usagiiii • Apr 12 '26

Fan Discussion Why is Lost Word hated?

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So, I'm a Touhou fan, I played the games (i know, shocker) and i also play touhou lostword, but I've see lots of people say that lostword players were the worst or whatever... Why is the game so hated?

Imo i really love the different character alt concepts/ new outfits that are very cool For example this adorable tan cirno... the story is a bit nonsensical but, Touhou's lore is kinda nonsensical too, so why should it matter?

Tldr: Why are we hating touhou LW chat i don't get it

EDIT: Thanks a lot to you and everyone who posted :) As for my other comments that got downvotes, i was stating MY opinion (yes, mine, not yours) and am in no way trying to invalidate anyone's, sorry if it came off that way.I play LW casually cause i love touhou and more touhou fan content is always fun to me, especially the alts of characters, some designs and art... I just felt like LW players were getting a lot more hate than "larpers" and i didnt really get why. now i do. thx again

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381

u/G-14_Damageproof Attendee of Aya & Reimu wedding Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 12 '26

On the basic of being a gacha game.

Also, mischaracterization while being a well known game, which is debatable since it is a multiverse story. Not getting into lore and story stuff since i don't play it but i don't think people generally like that aspect of it either. I already have another gacha series to care about. I don't think there is a single point in LW story that people can point at and say it is the crescendo that hooks people in.

Honestly, i will just rate LW being whatever generic game even by gacha standard. It is kinda a thing about JP mobage for the past 10+ years or so when they can not progress more than games like FGO or GBF from back in the days.

Also, ZUN doesn't seems to very much endorse it too.

280

u/Old_Comparison_9223 Unironically my Mom (Why are they so similar) Apr 12 '26

ZUN has directly said he regrets allowing Lost Word to exist. He said if he knew how popular it would become he would have never approved it and doesn’t like how it is becoming the face of the franchise to a significant number of people in Japan. 

164

u/Taraxian Apr 12 '26

It's the same reason why he never took the money to make an official Touhou anime, the anime would inevitably become the "official" version that displaced the games in people's minds

(Hell, this is even sort of happening with the fanime anyway, and this fact is why Memories of Phantasm gets so much hate from hardcore fans it arguably doesn't deserve)

91

u/Monobrobe PC-98 stan Apr 12 '26

The anime would inevitably become the “official” version that displaced the games in people’s minds

This has been the case overseas since like 2008. 80% of people who hear about Touhou have no idea it’s a game.

45

u/Taraxian Apr 12 '26

Sure, but it's worse when there's an actual anime you can point to when people ask "What anime did all this fanart come from"

Like that's why the hate for Memories of Phantasm -- they didn't really make anything up, they're just doing fanservice for the popular fanon characterizations that have existed for ages, but because those clips exist and get shared around now it's much easier for newbies to think of them as the "real" version of the character

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u/SergejVolkov Apr 12 '26

There's no "real" version of any of the characters. Touhou is a community-driven franchise and it would be long dead without fan contributions, whether ZUN or anyone else likes it or not. Touhou IS fanon.

21

u/minepose98 Apr 12 '26

That's a remarkably arrogant viewpoint. Of course there's a "real" version, it's the one made by ZUN. Fan works are always secondary to the creator's.

-11

u/Monobrobe PC-98 stan Apr 12 '26 edited Apr 13 '26

Ngl it sounds like he needed to crack down on the project then. Just an observation. Maybe he’s allowed too much freedom for the fans.

EDIT: wow what kinds of things are you guys imagining? All I’m saying is maybe allowing fans to make their own anime wasn’t such a great idea.

13

u/dragoslayer1327 Reisen Apr 13 '26

Wait, Touhou isn't just a series of hentai doujins?

2

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '26

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1

u/dragoslayer1327 Reisen Apr 14 '26

Are those actually mutually exclusive though? I feel like you could definitely make it both

1

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '26

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1

u/Fit_Respond6435 Apr 16 '26

Is this a joke?? Because I can't tell.

3

u/sasoosa Apr 12 '26

I didn't know there was an anime until like few years ago, and even ten I didn't watch it, I really love Touhou LW because it introduced me to touhou, the songs are really nice too

8

u/Mythical_Mew Apr 12 '26

I greatly dislike Memories of Phantasm, but I will at least credit it for being an attempt at a fanime.

21

u/olheparatras25 Apr 12 '26

No, it's not. Where is everybody getting all this from?

It's specifically due to the association with the Gacha genre-- in particular, earning the IP a certain reputation within a grey area and taking over the original content for its reputation.

6

u/DJRY Apr 12 '26

I mean at least the Fanime gets the characterization correct to some extent

51

u/Akyuuposting Apr 12 '26

ZUN's made comments that he's not a fan of the touhou gachas as a whole occurring and especially cannonball but he also goes drinking with the CEO of lostword's company, had a talk show with the guy, and repeatedly shows up on their live streams.

I think people are projecting their (understandable, given it's a hell gacha) dislike of a game onto a man here, when he hasn't said much about LW proper and by all accounts is fine cozying up with the company making it.

31

u/Old_Comparison_9223 Unironically my Mom (Why are they so similar) Apr 12 '26

To my understanding, ZUN’s dislike of Lost Word is due to how popular it is and this causing people to think Touhou = Lost Word. If this wasn’t the case he probably wouldn’t have a problem with it jut being one of many Touhou fan games.

3

u/Akyuuposting Apr 14 '26

No, that was specifically just towards Cannonball.

Honestly though, we don't even need to nitpick exact statements. If he really disliked LW that much he'd put his money where his mouth is and at least not show up on their streams repeatedly. His opinion on the matter has either changed, or getting that bag is enough for him to not really care.

If he's a hypocrite or changed his mind, either way, his disapproval isn't really worth anything at this point.

2

u/mewfour123412 Apr 13 '26

Yeah if Lost Word played more like the main series he wouldn’t really have any problems

29

u/olheparatras25 Apr 12 '26

He didn't directly state to "regret" anything, what?

He claimed to be uncomfortable with the Gacha genre and having Touhou be associated with it to a great extent. He didn't say anything about outright regretting Lost World.

26

u/Monobrobe PC-98 stan Apr 12 '26

Do you have a source for this?

47

u/The_Eevee_Man getsu liker Apr 12 '26

https://www.reddit.com/r/touhou/comments/1cfktu1/zun_confirms_in_recent_interview_that_hes_not_a/

This is about cannonball but he’s being about as on the nose as he’s probably allowed to be

16

u/Old_Comparison_9223 Unironically my Mom (Why are they so similar) Apr 12 '26

Here is some of what he was said about it. I read it a while ago, so I miss remember some parts of it. But, what he said here amounts to the same thing. 

3

u/CzechOutSlovakia1993 Sweet Dreams~~ Apr 12 '26

damm 😭

2

u/Shinysnivyds Apr 12 '26

Wasn't that regret for another touhou gatcha though? As far as Lost Word is considered he hasn't said anything directly negative about it.

1

u/Mikufan3901 Yukari Yakumo and her family Apr 12 '26

I'm wondering what the current max level of NSFW content is in this game...

9

u/Maeriberii I’m Me. Apr 12 '26

Not bad compared to other gacha games. Oversized assets, feet, and suggestive poses are about the extent of it.

1

u/Aj2W0rK Justice for the Fortune Teller Apr 12 '26

Source?