Where's the doomering balding ojisan representation?Having so many start to know about Touhou during Covid (WBaWC-UM era) is kind of funny too since that's the point when Touhou numbers in Comiket/Reitaisai went down for obvious reasons, and doomposting about it was prevalentbut its clear that lots were introduced to Touhou during that time
>>51218865>42.68% since WBaWCPretty good. I think the best counterargument would be that a greater amount of people have left Touhou in that time than have joined, but this would be very hard to prove. On the contrary, in 2019 there were 23,883 valid character votes versus the 64,454 votes that were placed this year. In fairness, 2016 had 42,419 valid votes.It would look like Touhou is seeing a massive resurgence, and is bigger than ever before. I think the EoSD remake shows a strong demand for a more accessible franchise, which indicates a large following. Although the new games are shit, I'd say the future is looking pretty bright for Touhou!
>>51218865>>51219048I was first exposed to Touhou when I was a kid and got into it when I was 16. Current polls reflect this, with the highest density other than 18 (which I'm certain is propped up at least a little by kids lying about their age because they're embarassed about it or something -- 20 has a noticible uptick compared to what it's around as well). Maybe not in Japan but global zoomer populations exceed gen X and prior ones. Moreover, globally teenagers have much more access and exposure to otaku culture and its output than they used to. As older Touhou fans either lose interest, move to Gensokyo, or have other more important things going on, sure they will decrease on polls but just because the original fanbase is slowly decaying doesn't mean it's completely gone, nor that the fanbase as a whole is.Moreover, teenagers are very vocal about things they haven't spent much time with, and their attentions usually quickly jolt other things as they become actual adults. How many teenagers did you know that loved Haruhi and Code Geass, then still liked them but not as much in college, then fast forward to now where they in all likelihood barely remember them? But at the same time, how many kids now are learning about and getting into them, on top of the true diehard otaku who haven't literally died yet that hold them as dearly in their heart as when they were brand new?
>>51219048Probably true, but I think the simpler answer is sampling bias. Someone who started playing Touhou in 1995 is not terribly likely to be answering online polls about it over 30 years later.
>>51218865>WBaWC triggering a resurgeance eraClear indication ZUN needs to stop being a pussy and go back to putting Youkai women with youkai features in everything, and focus more on the stage 6 boss themes being a memorable highlight of the games. ZUN also always peaks when he backs off a bit from the raw shinto fanboyism a bit. Just look at EOSD with the western themes for the last 25 years and WBaWC with the characters of blatant Chinese origin.
>>51219426It's understandable to be skeptical of the staying power of the underage fanbase, but I doubt there will be a rugpull moment: where a fleeting young demographic loses interest en masse, leaving only a decaying "original fanbase" (supposing such a thing can be meaningfully defined). The majority of fans have always been casual, and what usually happens (instead of complete abandonment) is the interest is simply put on the backburner. This happens to fans both old and new. Teenagers who go through a Touhou phase might not stay so vigorously attached to the franchise as before, but will likely stay in a general otaku sphere; still interacting with the franchise consistently, just not frequently. New fans will also arrive, as the current crop of teenagers grow into adults, and a new batch of children start to develop their sense of identity.>>51219432Very true. Regardless, the number of votes is increasing every year and is at an all-time high. While some of that can be attributed to the poll gaining more notoriety within the existing community, another portion could just as easily stem from the community itself expanding.
>>51219461Correlation doesn't imply causation. t. someone who has (re)discovered Touhou at that time.
There's still at least 72 chads who were there since PC-98. If they are honest and not trolling, then I fucking kneel.
>>51219827Why would anyone lie on the Internet
>>51218865>>51219048Yeah, I mean, look at the ages of the people that voted. I have to admit it's impressive that Touhou just keeps getting new fans, and the fanbase isn't populated with just 40-somethings.
>>51221292I'm surprised that you find that somehow unexpected. Touhou's fanbase has always been on the younger side. And as long as Touhou isn't completely dead there will always be a revolving door of fans. With the old ones getting bored while the new ones discover years of content to keep them interested, at least for a bit.
