Losing its hype. It's normal with every big thing out there.
I'll put myself as an example: even though Kancolle and GFL are my drugs right now, and WoWs, Hell Let Loose and 2 games are the only things I'm playing right now, I still play the games time by time, hear its music (two of my most listened artists in my Last.fm are Touhou doujin groups) and read its doujins and fanart posted here.
Hype is entertaining because you can easily found other people to talk about that hyped topic.
Another example: Age of Empires II has a extensive fanbase even though the game was launched 20 years ago, to the point of getting a remasterization and updates because the fan kept the game alive. And, damn, those are very dedicated fans. Yet, you don't hear about the game outside of official updates and the E3.
Comiket numbers are going down every year oh nooo (Please ignore that Reitaisai numbers go up every year)
Modern Reitaisai outperforms the number of circles that ever showed up at Comiket, even during its peak. While it doesn't get as many total visitors, nor does it have the total number of Doujin circles spread across the entirety of all media represented there, when it comes to Touhou and visitors specifically for it, it's absolutely enormous. If you're going by doujins that end up being scanned or translated or whatever - the majority of doujin work is fan fiction, first off, not doujinshi or fangames or music, and Reitaisai has a higher concentration of that - it's because less people travel to Japan specifically to check out Reitaisai to pick things up and scan them.
Live in denial and make up all the excuses and justifications you want. Comiket is the mother of all conventions and the general sample of doujinshi scene. If you want to believe a specific small convention where the same 100 people attend every year is "growing strong" or "a religion" then is your biased view of things. Things change, tastes too. You can't force new audiences to like the same old stuff that has existed for 10 years or more (a new Touhou game that plays exactly like UFO, yay!) nor shoving yet another Remilia Scarlet merchandise because there exist interest for many other new franchises in line. If it does not gather new audience then is slowly dying like everything else and the numbers prove it. I would like to believe my friend is popular because only the same few friends attend his birthday party every year too.
And it isn't only Touhou, KanColle is meeting the same fate only slower. I'm not being negative, but realistic. I'll enjoy it while it lasts with the same old people meanwhile the rest of the world moves on.
Oh, just in case. I already know not only 100 people attend. I'm just exaggerating numbers so the fandom blinded can understand in simple terms.
Meh, I will remain a fan 20 years from now. Nothing new. And I will make sure to infect my children with Touhou as well (without forcefeeding it).
I have already succeeded getting most of of nephews and nieces into it so the gen after me that I know already has been infected.
And considering that our generation has a pretty high chance of being one of the first generations to see biological immortality or longevity, I ain't particularly worried personally.
Out of mainstream eye or commonly popular? That's fine. I am content so long as at the very least there are still handful of folk fond of Touhou in existence.
Edit. You know you can remain a fan of something without having to have constant updates for it right? Just like I am a fan of the Lord of the Rings stories without there ever going to be more coming from the author that is now long dead.
I think your being hyperbolic. The fandom is stagnating maybe declining and unless a game (official or fanmade) really takes off, I don't think its going to last another 20 or even 10 years, but its far from dead or dying.
I think your being hyperbolic. The fandom is stagnating maybe declining and unless a game (official or fanmade) really takes off, I don't think its going to last another 20 or even 10 years, but its far from dead or dying.
That is a comment I greatly agree. One thing is for sure, that game that could take off won't come out by ZUN himself. At least not unless he joins forces with a correct new blood. Tohou Cannonball was a failure but maybe some other new game could do it. Another thing to consider is fandoms multiply and diversify in numbers as time goes on. It's not like in the past when your classmates played or were interested on the same games as you. Today is really common everyone play/read/hear whatever you don't, so long lasting fandoms shrink too.
Touhou is a lifestyle, a way of being and enjoying, touhou is not just zun's creations, touhou is the core of all of our joy anger sadness and confusion in life, touhou will NEVER die only evolve.
