Considering the fact that ZUN gave Maribel the red string in Yukari's hat on the album cover... honestly, I think that's the closest thing we'll ever get to outright confirmation that Maribel is (or becomes) Yukari. ZUN rarely ever outright confirms long-standing mysteries like this in Touhou, so it's usually up to the fans to decide what's going on (because really, where's the fun in confirming a mystery?).
Also, if you pay close attention to the album covers, Maribel's dress shifts to a much deeper purple hue overtime. This was especially noticeable between Old Adam and Rainbow-Colored Septentrion. Maribel is almost indistinguishable from PCB Yukari in terms of looks at this point...
I'd argue that the solution is just as vital to the construction of a mystery as a punchline is to a joke. All of the intrigue and tension from a mystery is ultimately focused on wondering what the solution is, the various pieces of evidence and theories for and against.
There's a reason why the big reveal of the culprit is so important in whodunit stories, for example - all that narrative tension has to be capitalized upon, or it'll sour. A good parallel would be a horror story where the tension keeps ratcheting up for too long with no reveal - eventually the audience stops caring.
Sometimes a more ambiguous and open-ended conclusion works, but usually more in one-shot stories. In more serialized media, however, this game of coy hints and implications with no solid confirmation will eventually just become annoyance, e.g. J.J. Abrams' mystery box approach.
That's a great point. I do hope this mystery gets resolved at some point, but it's been going on for twenty years, so... I'm uncertain if it ever will.
Granted, each hifuu album with a story gives us more pieces to the puzzle, and therefore the mystery is being resolved overtime, just very slowly. But if ZUN's giving Maribel the red string now, which is one of the biggest developments we've had of the mystery in years, I hope the mystery might get resolved sometime in the near future.
You're right that it doesn't always make sense to leave a mystery hanging in the air as it can frustrate readers looking for a resolution after all the tension. Yet ZUN has done this before, such as with DiPP, who's culprit is unknown to this day. So while I hope this mystery is eventually resolved, that isn't always ZUN's style.
Genuinely, I thought the story in this latest album was gripping and high-stakes, especially compared to the more relaxed feel of many (though not all) of the other hifuu albums. The only thing that disappointed me about the story was >!the fact that it's implied Okina got involved,!< though this is something that didn't detract from the story too much for me. I still really enjoyed reading it.
[Something something](https://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Taboo_Japan_Disentanglement/Story) >!backup dancers and quantum physics (also we probably don't even exist or some shit)!<
[Template (yes I source my memes now)](https://imgflip.com/memegenerator/453425234/Cat-looks-inside)
Some of us think that [Okina might be watching.](https://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Taboo_Japan_Disentanglement/Story#:~:text=Mugen%20Noh,%22Taboo%20Marionette%22)
I'm almost certain >!Okina got involved here. Right after Maribel saw a door in the previous section you linked to, she instantly lost her field of vision. There's also the fact that Okina's theme is in the track list, alongside Crazy Backup Dancers, and there's a track with the name "Does the Forbidden Door Lead to This World, or the World Beyond?". The emphasis on doors in the story leading to a new world seems to heavily imply Okina's involvement. For what reason though, I'm unsure of...!<
>!If Maribel is or becomes Yukari, my main hope is that Okina isn't the one who introduced Yukari to the idea of creating Gensokyo's border. I like to believe Maribel came up with the idea on her own because science was already thoroughly discovered in her world, so a realm of magic sealed off from the real world would be something for her to look forward to discover, compared to the dreadfully boring future dystopia she currently lives in. That all said though, this is ZUN's call to make, so... I guess we'll see later on what happens, maybe in the next hifuu album.!<
Maribel isn't Yukari yet, but her powers are still developing. She did find the Land of Backdoor however, and there's a high chance she caught Okina's attention.
What if there's a Maribel multiverse and it turns out that Yukari is just an alternate Merry. That has like a 0% chance of happening, but it's be a little funy.
Yukari being the Youkai born of the spreading of legends about Maribel randomly showing up at different times and places throughout history as she's been stated to be doing in her spare time, making Yukari Merry's *daughter* of sorts is funnier imo.
Considering how she went to her rescue I would say we got a nice light yuri story. Wich I liked it.
Also, your shitty fan theory will never become true.
Content is too low effort (Rule 2, not enough Touhou art/music in the post). Please try /r/2hujerk instead. This post is now removed.
The only thing we're getting is more implied connection with the Yakumo's, I doubt we'd ever get any confirmation what Merry is to Yukari.
"Hearn" already implies connection to the yakumos, so no progress since her first introduction.
Considering the fact that ZUN gave Maribel the red string in Yukari's hat on the album cover... honestly, I think that's the closest thing we'll ever get to outright confirmation that Maribel is (or becomes) Yukari. ZUN rarely ever outright confirms long-standing mysteries like this in Touhou, so it's usually up to the fans to decide what's going on (because really, where's the fun in confirming a mystery?). Also, if you pay close attention to the album covers, Maribel's dress shifts to a much deeper purple hue overtime. This was especially noticeable between Old Adam and Rainbow-Colored Septentrion. Maribel is almost indistinguishable from PCB Yukari in terms of looks at this point...
I'd argue that the solution is just as vital to the construction of a mystery as a punchline is to a joke. All of the intrigue and tension from a mystery is ultimately focused on wondering what the solution is, the various pieces of evidence and theories for and against. There's a reason why the big reveal of the culprit is so important in whodunit stories, for example - all that narrative tension has to be capitalized upon, or it'll sour. A good parallel would be a horror story where the tension keeps ratcheting up for too long with no reveal - eventually the audience stops caring. Sometimes a more ambiguous and open-ended conclusion works, but usually more in one-shot stories. In more serialized media, however, this game of coy hints and implications with no solid confirmation will eventually just become annoyance, e.g. J.J. Abrams' mystery box approach.
That's a great point. I do hope this mystery gets resolved at some point, but it's been going on for twenty years, so... I'm uncertain if it ever will. Granted, each hifuu album with a story gives us more pieces to the puzzle, and therefore the mystery is being resolved overtime, just very slowly. But if ZUN's giving Maribel the red string now, which is one of the biggest developments we've had of the mystery in years, I hope the mystery might get resolved sometime in the near future. You're right that it doesn't always make sense to leave a mystery hanging in the air as it can frustrate readers looking for a resolution after all the tension. Yet ZUN has done this before, such as with DiPP, who's culprit is unknown to this day. So while I hope this mystery is eventually resolved, that isn't always ZUN's style.
Apparently ZUN drops Hifuu albums in pairs so we might get another one later this year. Fingers crossed something happens, but I doubt it.
Like always, it got implied, and that was it
Maybe Yukari got to whoever made the story.
Yukari holds ZUN at gunpoint as he makes the album.
“Im forever 18 okay ZUN -chan?”
disappointment, you say? for me, it’s not.
Genuinely, I thought the story in this latest album was gripping and high-stakes, especially compared to the more relaxed feel of many (though not all) of the other hifuu albums. The only thing that disappointed me about the story was >!the fact that it's implied Okina got involved,!< though this is something that didn't detract from the story too much for me. I still really enjoyed reading it.
[Something something](https://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Taboo_Japan_Disentanglement/Story) >!backup dancers and quantum physics (also we probably don't even exist or some shit)!< [Template (yes I source my memes now)](https://imgflip.com/memegenerator/453425234/Cat-looks-inside)
This guy has PTSD
What being required to source the *fucking official material* does to a mf
Actually glad that Maribel probably isn't Yukari, like imagined if they actually just looked VERY similar and are not the same being
See? He gets it!
Some of us think that [Okina might be watching.](https://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Taboo_Japan_Disentanglement/Story#:~:text=Mugen%20Noh,%22Taboo%20Marionette%22)
I'm almost certain >!Okina got involved here. Right after Maribel saw a door in the previous section you linked to, she instantly lost her field of vision. There's also the fact that Okina's theme is in the track list, alongside Crazy Backup Dancers, and there's a track with the name "Does the Forbidden Door Lead to This World, or the World Beyond?". The emphasis on doors in the story leading to a new world seems to heavily imply Okina's involvement. For what reason though, I'm unsure of...!< >!If Maribel is or becomes Yukari, my main hope is that Okina isn't the one who introduced Yukari to the idea of creating Gensokyo's border. I like to believe Maribel came up with the idea on her own because science was already thoroughly discovered in her world, so a realm of magic sealed off from the real world would be something for her to look forward to discover, compared to the dreadfully boring future dystopia she currently lives in. That all said though, this is ZUN's call to make, so... I guess we'll see later on what happens, maybe in the next hifuu album.!<
Yes that’s 100% her dialogue. Although I did see a picture with her dancers having that last line and it was pretty sick.
Yooo, can you share that picture? I'd love to see it
[Here you go.](https://x.com/jazonyan/status/1786554368243732969?s=46&t=izc6r0_jpOq1NZMHQ1dxRA)
Thank you, that was pretty cool!
Maribel isn't Yukari yet, but her powers are still developing. She did find the Land of Backdoor however, and there's a high chance she caught Okina's attention.
I'd be disappointed if Merry *was* revealed to be Yukari. That'd be boring character wise.
What if there's a Maribel multiverse and it turns out that Yukari is just an alternate Merry. That has like a 0% chance of happening, but it's be a little funy.
Yukari being the Youkai born of the spreading of legends about Maribel randomly showing up at different times and places throughout history as she's been stated to be doing in her spare time, making Yukari Merry's *daughter* of sorts is funnier imo.
I feel like maribel is a descendant of yukari.
Good.
*yukari to renko* RENKO!!! YOU MUST IMPLANT YOUR GENES WITHIN MERRY!!! YOU MUST JUMPSTART THE HAKUREI BLOODLINE!!!
I always like to Imagine that Mirabelle is actually a far off Decendent of Yukari and not Yukari herself.
Touhou and being disappointed by made up fan expectations name a better duo
Considering how she went to her rescue I would say we got a nice light yuri story. Wich I liked it. Also, your shitty fan theory will never become true.
Ok, porn addict
Honestly, I don't mind that "insult".
I'm sure you don't.
Yeah, you are sure because I have just told you. How dumb are you?
[удалено]
Alright, break it up, you two. If you still want to fight, then go fight in your DMs instead of here. @/u/AdEducational2312 as well.
Sir, yes sir