The Let's Play Archive

Fantasy Maiden Wars E

by BlitzBlast

Part 85: New Music in Chapter 1R

Music

Please note that Blitzblast has provided me with a list of all the songs that are also based on a SRW track, because the game does not mention them.

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01. Fantasy Maiden Wars
Original - Mystic Dream ~ Snow or Cherry Petal
Source - Perfect Cherry Blossom
Author - ZUN
Arranger - Ibiza

The commemorative first piece of music is FMW's title theme. I had delusions of an anime OP as I composed it, and it turned out to be a simple hot-blooded arrange, hehe. When I first met the other staff members over the web, this iwas the song I gave them along with my self-introduction. Even now, it's a great memory!
I hope the simple OP-like intro leading into the awesome part as the logo appears gets everyone pumped up when they get back to the title screen! Indeed, it's time to start the fruit of the staff's love and spirit, Fantasy Maiden Wars!
Please enjoy the main story of course, but do try your best to aim for full completion of music and glossary entries too! ...Hopefully with as much passion as I had!
Not really a fan of this one. Feels like two seperate tracks stuck together instead of an into then a main piece. Probably could have done without the pause between the start and the main part, or possibly just the main part.

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02. Beginning of the Scarlet Dream
Original - A Dream more Scarlet than Red
Source - Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
Author - ZUN
Arranger - cobu

The theme that plays during the title scene of the OP. Since the opening sequence is very familiar, I arranged this song to have a very familiar atmosphere as well.
Speaking of which, EoSD's OP has a very unique atmosphere. Just as you feel yourself drifting into it, the demo suddenly starts up.
This is really good scene setting music right here.

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04. For the Gensokyo of Tomorrow
Original - Wandering about a Ghostly Field at Night
SRW Original - For the Sake of This Star's Tomorrow (SRW Alpha)
Source - Ghostly Field Club
Author - ZUN
Arranger - Ibiza

Yeah... The title alone is enough to get me all exicted! The song is a parody of a certain well-known player phase theme, hehe.
Wandering about a Ghostly Field was very compatible with a marching-like theme, so I think this arrange fits well for the BGM as the player side advances into battle. As a big fan of the Sealing Club's music, being able to use it makes me happy too!
I think Ghostly Field Club is a seriously good piece of work. The mysterious atmosphere it gives off and the worldview it gives is amazing.
This song is used a lot, as it's the bog standard song for the player's moves. It's alright, but feels a bit generic, doesn't really feel very "touhou".


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08. Danmaku Tactics
Original - Satellite Cafe Terrace
SRW Original - Future Running Astray (SRW Alpha Gaiden)
Source - Magical Astronomy
Author - ZUN
Arranger - cobu

A calm enemy phase map theme. A certain trembling sight was referenced for this arrange. The theme's name is due to strategy RPGs tending to involve more battle tactics than shooting games. Danmaku is tactics, yo.
I wonder what it would be like fighting to the BGM of Cafe Terrace though.
Now that's a bit more like it. A calm yet ominous theme for the enemy's turn. Good music bearing in mind how often you'll be hearing it.

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14. Border of Regular and Irregular Days
Original - Legend of Aokigahara
Source - Retrospective 53 Minutes
Author - ZUN
Arranger - Ibiza

An extremely normal conversation theme. Like the intermission theme, I expected this to be heard a lot during the course of the game, so I made it light to keep the player from getting sick of hearing it.
I remembered thinking how great the "everyday" feeling of Retrospective 53 Minutes songs were, so I used them for their utility. As it's completely a BGM (or rather, atmospheric music!?), I hope you enjoy the beautiful scenery and the scenario text that people put their heart and soul into while this theme plays in the background!
Pretty much feels like music I'd hear in a visual novel, so I guess they achieved their aim. That said, this doesn't feel very touhou-like. This seems to be happening a lot with music inspired by ZUN's music CDs.

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22. Specter Buster
Original - Mystic Oriental Love Consultation
Source - Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream
Author - ZUN
Arranger - cobu

Reimu's theme. It was made to give the feeling of Reimu being an ace (hah).
I remember having a lot of trouble coming up with the chord progression for the climax. I tried to show off the coolness of Reimu, the main character who doesn't discriminate between humans and youkai and who never gets ruffled whatever happens, after all.
The song name means both "Someone who exterminates youkai" and "Someone who fixes incidents".
This song owns I often just use Reimu to attack then set other party members to not have attacks animated just so this song never ends.

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26. Steel Brain
Original - Plain Asia
SRW Original - Trombe! (SRW Original Generation), Ice Man (SRW Alpha)
Source - Imperishable Night
Author - ZUN
Arranger - cobu

Keine's theme. Often called "Trombeine!" or "Ice Keine". The "brain" in the title is both to allude to original song's "plain", and can mean "The brains of the team", as well as being "Hard-headed".
In FMW's story, her utter seriousness leads to moments that makes her seem silly at times. It helps establishes her as a fun character. I've completely become a fan of hers now.
Unlike Keine this song is anything but boring. A pretty solid attacking song that I don't hear enough what with the fact that Spectre Buster exists.

Also, Scenario - Reimu Chapter 1

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Chapter 1: "Maiden of Paradise"

It had been a few days since the harmful scarlet mist appeared. Keine Kmishirasawa, a teacher of the human village, sensed impending danger and headed east to visit the shrine there. The shrine where the specialist of incident resolution, the Hakurei shrine maiden resides...

"The shrine maiden who can't fly is a girl of the past. This shrine maiden can fly!"