 | "Alex" by Akira
(2010-09-02) |
Since first two panels are just close ups of Alex and Onii-chan, I didn't have any problem with them. Since there are four people in third panel, maybe I spent the most time in this panel. Fourth panel, I drew with my last energy. Onii-chan's left hand looks weird because of that.
Please write your comment to this strip at pOnju forum
 | "Looking into Touhou with detail - Hong Meiling" by Totaku
(2010-09-02) |
As we go deeper into EoSD we finally get into the main area of the story.... the Scarlet Devil Mansion, or rather... just outside of it. Here we get introduced to the 3rd boss of EoSD, Hong Meiling.
Hong Meiling
As the team proceed to the island in the middle of the misty lake, they are confronted by youkai doorguard who attempts to keep them from entering the mansion that's up ahead. Unlike the rest, she depended on the power of her chi and her martial arts to keep Marisa and Reimu out. And proved to be a bigger challenge compared to the rest. She was known as Hong Meiling, a youkai that comes from China and serves the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Most players find her to be the first real challenge has her danmaku becomes surprusingly harder compared to Cirno and Rumia as it becomes thick, but still with plenty of openings (Just mainly have to be alert.) Needless to say she's still beaten down as the team press further inside the mansion.
Even after the events of EoSD, Meiling still sit outside and guards the mansion as that's pretty much her responsibility at the mansion. And also seems to be treated as a gag charater most of the time...
Most of Meiling's spellcards are mostly themes related to chinese and rainbow color and clearly show as the they are extremly colorful. And thanks to her comical personality fans became an interesting charater from the fans. And was popular at one point. Thus it allowed her a chance to return in a few games.
Regardless of her returns, Meiling is still treated with the blunt end of the stick as that charaters never give her much respect at all except thinking of her as a lazy and imcompetent door guard.
Even to the point that when giant shadows appear they just tell her to go back to her post and eventually leads to strange dreams where she fights giant catifish. :P
Fans even debated on her name long ago due to the Kanji that was used on her name which them they debated that her could actually be "Kurenai Misuzu". The argument ensued to the point that evetually one person on the message board suggested that perhaps we should simply call her "China".
Oddly enough, China was the nickname fans ended up adopting for Meiling and so through most of her days she mainly is reffered to as China. Considering her Crimson red hair and green Chinese uniform that too seem to add to the "China" feel. ZUN even once admitted that she reffered to that too and it eventually took off. Regardless, ZUN also clear up that her true name is indeed "Hong Meiling."
Being a youkai she is of course feared, but Meiling isn't exactly feared on the same level as she is fed well at the Scarlet Devil Mansion so being eaten is not what one should worry about. The main thing people fear of her is her sheer strength as she is incredibly strong and since she's skilled at martial arts to boot, she can put down a trespasser with ease. As long as one doesn't attempt to sneak into the mansion grounds, she will not attack, but otherwise be prepared for a world of hurt.
As she apppeared in laters games such as IaMP and Hisotensoku, she was treated as more of a charater like Dan back in his early days of Street Fighter, but was later given a more balanced fighting style by Hisotensoku.
Meiling's popular was pretty strong back in the past as back in two years during a Touhou Saimoe tournament. She managed to come in first twice. But slowly disappered afterward due to new charaters.
In the fanon world, Meiling is often still protrayed as "butt monkey" by everyone especially at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. No one calls her by her real name and simply reffer to her as "China". And obviously she takes offense to that and tries to clear it up. But otherwise she's still treated like dirt there, especially with one member of the mansion that'll be introduced later on...
Course even if she does fail to get the respect she deserves, she at times does get her crowning moments of awesome in certain doujins, proving to be a worthy protector of the mansion. Even if she's never reconized for it. :P
Either way, Meiling is pretty much simply your typical door gaurd youkai that just doesn't get enough love by the read of the mansion.
I think that'll conclude this discussion. Next time we will turn focus on the stage 4 boss of EoSD. The librarian, Patchouli Knowledge.
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