ZUN (video game developer)
Video game developer & composer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jun'ya Ōta (太田 順也, Ōta Jun'ya), known professionally as ZUN, is a Japanese video game developer and composer, known for creating the Touhou Project bullet hell shoot 'em up video game series through his one-man dojin group Team Shanghai Alice.
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ZUN | |
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ZUN at the Anime Expo, 2016 | |
| Born | Jun'ya Ōta (太田 順也) March 18, 1977 |
| Other names | Hakurei Kannushi |
| Occupation(s) | Video game developer, writer, composer |
| Notable work | Touhou Project |
| Children | 2 |
ZUN developed the first five Touhou Project games for the Japanese NEC PC-9800 computer series, with the first, Highly Responsive to Prayers, released in August 1997; the series' signature danmaku mechanics were introduced in the second game, Story of Eastern Wonderland (also 1997). The release of Embodiment of Scarlet Devil in August 2002 marked a shift to Microsoft Windows. Numerous sequels followed, including several spin-offs departing from the traditional bullet hell format. He has also collaborated with other circles to produce related print works and music albums.
Touhou Project has become more particularly notable as a prominent source of Japanese dōjin content, with the series spawning a vast amount of fan-made works such as artwork, music, print works, video games, and Internet memes. Because of this, it has gained a large cult following outside of Japan. In 2010, the Guinness World Records called the Touhou Project "the most prolific fan-based shooter series" ever created.[1] The popularity of the series and its derivative works has been attributed in part to the few restrictions placed by ZUN on the use of his content. ZUN is also known as the Hakurei Kannushi (博麗神主),[2] which is also the name he uses for his Twitter account.
Early and personal life
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ZUN was born in Hakuba on March 18, 1977, and described himself as a "normal countryside kid." His first exposure to video games was when he was around 5 years old, when he played the Game & Watch and arcade games from Hakuba ski resorts.[3] Later, his parents bought him a Famicom Disk System (an add-on for the Nintendo Entertainment System exclusive to Japan). ZUN claimed that SonSon, Super Mario Bros. and Street Fighter II were the games that left the greatest impression on him during this period.[4] As ZUN was born shortly after his grandfather's death and his parents spent most their time working, ZUN was mostly raised by his grandmother, who was particularly strict, and heavily regulated the time he could spend playing video games.[5]
ZUN's first interest in developing video games came during his high school years.[6] While most shoot 'em up games utilise a military or science fiction theme, ZUN wanted a game with a miko main character and a Shinto aesthetic.[7] ZUN was part of his school's orchestra club, and originally wanted to create music for video games. As he did not know anybody else who was making games that he could put his music in, he made his own games for this purpose. Around 2001, he applied to Comiket as a music group under the name of Shanghai Alice Ensemble, but was rejected.[8]
In 2012, ZUN married a mobile game programmer,[9] whom he has a son and daughter with.[10]
ZUN likes to drink beer, and has said that he drinks at least once a day.[11] He has created his own beer (sometimes called ZUN beer),[12] and written reviews for beers in Comptiq.[8] His favourite brand is Kirin.[13]
Career
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ZUN attended Tokyo Denki University, where he majored in mathematics. It was during university that he created the first Touhou game, Highly Responsive to Prayers. The first five Touhou games were developed for the PC-9800 series of computers, of which ZUN owned the PC-9821 model.[3] While ZUN did make a few games before this, the first one being a copy of Puyo Puyo, these were never published, and are assumed to be lost.[14]
After university, ZUN worked as a programmer at Taito from 1998 to 2007. He got the position by showing his interviewer the Touhou games he had created, after which, he was hired immediately. During his career at Taito, ZUN helped work on Greatest Striker, Magic Pengel: The Quest for Color, Bujingai, Graffiti Kingdom and Exit, as well as some other games that were ultimately cancelled.[15] He left as he did not enjoy working at the company, and Touhou was already successful enough for him to make a living from it.[9] However, he did not initially plan for Touhou to become his life work.[16]
While the Touhou games were initially created as a passion project, ZUN found that they were very successful – the first games he sold were Highly Responsive to Prayers and its sequel, The Story of Eastern Wonderland, at the 1997 Comiket. He brought a combined total of 80 copies, and was surprised when he was able to sell all of them.[17] Touhou games were sold through Comiket until 2004, when the convention Reitaisai was founded.[18] The same year, ZUN wrote Curiosities of Lotus Asia, short stories that appeared in various magazines, which were then put together in a 2010 anthology. This was the first of several pieces of in-universe Touhou literature. Silent Sinner in Blue, the first official Touhou manga, was published in 2007. Literature continues to be produced, with the latest being the on-going Cheating Detective Satori and Lotus Eaters.
Design philosophy
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ZUN has voiced criticism of the video game industry, saying that games have become easier and less mechanically complex when they try to appeal to a wider audience. However, he noted that the dojin game market has allowed for danmaku and other niche genres to still thrive.[19]
ZUN works alone, and each Touhou game was created from the ground up, including the engine.[20] The only exception to this are the fighting games, the first of which was Immaterial and Missing Power, created in 2003 with dojin group Twilight Frontier. In the game's afterword, ZUN mentioned that he disliked having to manage other workers, and that he produced things "six times more comfortably" when doing so alone.[21]
In the addendum of Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost (2023), ZUN lauded the efficiency of generative artificial intelligence (AI) but remarked that "the beasts are the ones building a world of mental enrichment and a palpable sense of life". He referred to the case where the means by which artists create passionately their dojin works, which he calls AI's "opposing symbol of imperfection, organicity, and the importance of 'the process' ...", cannot be comparable to AI works.[22]
ZUN has acknowledged that while the Touhou characters have elaborate stories, little detail is given to them in-game, saying that "danmaku is how the story and characters are communicated."[23] Additionally, he has claimed danmaku is meant to be beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, which is also the main reason why the majority of Touhou characters are female. ZUN believes there is a feminine charm to danmaku, which would be lost with male characters, and that the presence of female characters should not be interpreted as fan service.[24]
Games
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As ZUN Soft
| Title | Genre | System | Release date | Developer(s) | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highly Responsive to Prayers
Tōhō Reiiden (東方靈異伝, lit. "Wondrous Tale") |
Block breaker | PC-98 | August 15, 1997 (Comiket 52) | ZUN Soft
Amusement Makers |
[25] |
| Story of Eastern Wonderland
Tōhō Fūmaroku (東方封魔録, lit. "Demon-Sealing Record") |
Shoot 'em up | PC-98 | August 15, 1997 (Comiket 52) | ZUN Soft
Amusement Makers |
[26] |
| Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream
Tōhō Yumejikū (東方夢時空, lit. "Dream Space-Time) |
Shoot 'em up | PC-98 | December 29, 1997 (Comiket 53) | ZUN Soft
Amusement Makers |
[27] |
| Lotus Land Story
Tōhō Gensōkyō (東方幻想郷, lit. "Fantasy Land") |
Shoot 'em up | PC-98 | August 14, 1998 (Comiket 54) | ZUN Soft
Amusement Makers |
[27] |
| Mystic Square
Tōhō Kaikidan (東方怪綺談, lit. "Bizarre Romantic Story") |
Shoot 'em up | PC-98 | December 30, 1998 (Comiket 55) | ZUN Soft
Amusement Makers |
[27] |
As Team Shanghai Alice
| Title | Genre | System | Release date | Developer(s) | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embodiment of Scarlet Devil
Tōhō Kōmakyō (東方紅魔郷, lit. "Scarlet Devil Land") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | August 11, 2002 (Comiket 62) | Team Shanghai Alice | [28] |
| Perfect Cherry Blossom
Tōhō Yōyōmu (東方妖々夢, lit. "Ghostly Dream") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | August 17, 2003 (Comiket 64) | Team Shanghai Alice | [29] |
| Imperishable Night
Tōhō Eiyashō (東方永夜抄, lit. "Eternal Night Vignette") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | August 15, 2004 (Comiket 66) | Team Shanghai Alice | [30] |
| Immaterial and Missing Power
Tōhō Suimusō (東方萃夢想, lit. "Gathering Reverie") |
Fighting | Microsoft Windows | December 30, 2004 (Comiket 67) | Team Shanghai Alice | [31][32] |
| Phantasmagoria of Flower View
Tōhō Kaeizuka (東方花映塚, lit. "Flower Reflecting Mound") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | August 14, 2005 (Comiket 68) | Team Shanghai Alice | [33] |
| Shoot the Bullet
Tōhō Bunkachō (東方文花帖, lit. "Word Flower Album") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | December 30, 2005 (Comiket 69) | Team Shanghai Alice | [34] |
| Mountain of Faith
Tōhō Fūjinroku (東方風神録, lit. "Wind God Chronicles") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | August 17, 2007 (Comiket 72) | Team Shanghai Alice | [35] |
| Scarlet Weather Rhapsody
Tōhō Hisōten (東方緋想天, lit. "Scarlet Perception Heaven") |
Fighting | Microsoft Windows | May 25, 2008 (Reitaisai 5) | Team Shanghai Alice | [36] |
| Subterranean Animism
Tōhō Chireiden (東方地霊殿, lit. "Earth-Spirit Palace") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | August 16, 2008 (Comiket 74) | Team Shanghai Alice | [37] |
| Undefined Fantastic Object
Tōhō Seirensen (東方星蓮船, lit. "Star-Lotus Ship") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | August 15, 2009 (Comiket 76) | Team Shanghai Alice | [38] |
| Touhou Hisoutensoku
Tōhō Hisōtensoku ~ Chōdokyū Ginyoru no Nazo wo Oe (東方非想天則 〜 超弩級ギニョルの謎を追え, |
Fighting | Microsoft Windows | August 15, 2009 (Comiket 76) | Team Shanghai Alice | [39] |
| Double Spoiler
Daburu Supoiraa ~ Tōhō Bunkachō (ダブルスポイラー 〜 東方文花帖, lit. "Word Flower Album") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | March 14, 2010 (Reitaisai 7) | Team Shanghai Alice | [40] |
| Fairy Wars
Yōsei Daisensō ~ Tōhō Sangetsusei (妖精大戦争 〜 東方三月精, lit. "Great Fairy Wars ~ Three Fairies") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | August 14, 2010 (Comiket 78) | Team Shanghai Alice | [41] |
| Ten Desires
Tōhō Shinreibyō (東方神霊廟, lit. "Divine Spirit Mausoleum") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | August 13, 2011 (Comiket 80) | Team Shanghai Alice | [42] |
| Hopeless Masquerade
Tōhō Shinkirō (東方心綺楼, lit. "Heart Elegant Tower") |
Fighting | Microsoft Windows | May 26, 2013 (Reitaisai 10) | Team Shanghai Alice | [43] |
| Double Dealing Character
Tōhō Kishinjō (東方輝針城, lit. "Shining Needle Castle") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | August 12, 2013 (Comiket 84) | Team Shanghai Alice | [44] |
| Impossible Spell Card
Danmaku Amanojaku (弾幕アマノジャク, lit. "Bullet Curtain Amanojaku") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | May 11, 2013 (Reitaisai 11) | Team Shanghai Alice | [45] |
| Urban Legend in Limbo
Tōhō Shinpiroku (東方深秘録, lit. "Deep Secret Record") |
Fighting | Microsoft Windows | May 10, 2015 (Reitaisai 12) | Team Shanghai Alice | [46] |
| PlayStation 4 | JP: December 8, 2016 | [47] | |||
| Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom
Tōhō Kanjuden (東方紺珠伝, lit. "Ultramarine Orb Tale") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | August 14, 2015 (Comiket 88) | Team Shanghai Alice | [48] |
| Hidden Star in Four Seasons
Tōhō Tenkūshō (東方天空璋, lit. "Heavenly Jade Dipper") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | August 11, 2017 (Comiket 92) | Team Shanghai Alice | [49] |
| Antinomy of Common Flowers
Tōhō Hyōibana (東方憑依華, lit. "Spirit Possession Bloom") |
Fighting | Microsoft Windows | December 29, 2017 (Comiket 93) | Team Shanghai Alice | [50] |
| PlayStation 4 | April 22, 2021 | [51] | |||
| Nintendo Switch | April 22, 2021 | [52] | |||
| Violet Detector
Hifū Naitomea Daiarī (秘封ナイトメアダイアリ, lit. "Secret Sealing Nightmare Diary") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | August 10, 2018 (Comiket 94) | Team Shanghai Alice | [53] |
| Wily Beast and Weakest Creature
Tōhō Kikeijū (東方鬼形獣, lit. "Oni-Shaped Beast") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | August 12, 2019 (Comiket 96) | Team Shanghai Alice | [54] |
| Sunken Fossil World
Tōhō Gōyoku Ibun ~ Suibotsushita Chinshū Jigoku (東方剛欲異聞 ～ 水没した沈愁地獄, |
Bullet hell and platformer | Microsoft Windows | October 24, 2021 | Team Shanghai Alice | [55] |
| Unconnected Marketeers
Tōhō Kōryūdō (東方虹龍洞, lit. "Rainbow Dragon Cave") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | May 4, 2021 | Team Shanghai Alice | [56] |
| 100th Black Market
Barettofiriatachi no Yamishijō (バレットフィリア達の闇市場, lit. "Bulletphiles' Black Market") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | August 14, 2022 (Comiket 100) | Team Shanghai Alice | [57] |
| Unfinished Dream of All Living Ghost
Tōhō Jūōen (東方獣王園, lit. "Beast King Garden") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | August 13, 2023 | Team Shanghai Alice | |
| Fossilized Wonders
Tōhō Kinjōkyō (東方錦上京, lit. "Capital of Greater Glory") |
Shoot 'em up | Microsoft Windows | Expected August 16–17, 2025 | Team Shanghai Alice |
Music CDs
ZUN's Music Collection
- Dolls in Pseudo Paradise (蓬莱人形, Hōrai Ningyō, lit. "Hourai Doll"; 2002-12-30)[58]
- Ghostly Field Club (蓮台野夜行, Rendaino Yakō, lit. "Night Trip to Rendaino"; 2003-12-30)[58]
- Changeability of Strange Dream (夢違科学世紀, Yumetagae Kagaku Seiki, lit. "Changing Dreams in the Age of Science"; 2004-12-30)[58]
- Retrospective 53 minutes (卯酉東海道, Bōyu Tōkaidō, lit. "East-West Tōkaidō"; 2006-05-21)[58]
- Magical Astronomy (大空魔術, Ōzora Majutsu, lit. "Celestial Wizardry"; 2006-08-13)[58]
- Unknown Flower, Mesmerizing Journey (未知の花 魅知の旅, Michi no Hana, Michi no Tabi, 2011-05-08)[59]
- Trojan Green Asteroid (鳥船遺跡, Torifune Iseki, lit. "Ruins of Torifune"; 2012-04-30)[60]
- Neo-traditionalism of Japan (伊弉諾物質, Izanagi Busshitsu, lit. "Izanagi Object"; 2012-08-11)[61]
- Dr. Latency's Freak Report (燕石博物誌, Enseki Hakubutsushi, lit. "Swallowstone Naturalis Historia"; 2016-05-08)[62]
- Dateless Bar "Old Adam" (旧約酒場, Kyūyaku Sakaba, lit. "Old Testament Tavern"; 2016-08-13)[63]
- Rainbow-Colored Septentrion (虹色のセプテントリオン, Nijiiro no Seputentorion, 2021-12-31)[64]
- Taboo Japan Disentanglement (七夕坂夢幻能, Tanabatazaka Mugen Nou, lit. "Mugen Noh of Tanabata Hill"; 2024-05-03)[65]
Akyu's Untouched Score
- Akyu's Untouched Score vol.1 (幺樂団の歴史１, Yōgakudan no Rekishi 1, lit. "History of Yougakudan 1"; 2006-05-21)[58]
- Akyu's Untouched Score vol.2 (幺樂団の歴史２, Yōgakudan no Rekishi 2, lit. "History of Yougakudan 2"; 2006-12-31)[66]
- Akyu's Untouched Score vol.3 (幺樂団の歴史３, Yōgakudan no Rekishi 3, lit. "History of Yougakudan 3"; 2006-12-31)[66]
- Akyu's Untouched Score vol.4 (幺樂団の歴史４, Yōgakudan no Rekishi 4, lit. "History of Yougakudan 4"; 2007-12-31)[67]
- Akyu's Untouched Score vol.5 (幺樂団の歴史５, Yōgakudan no Rekishi 5, lit. "History of Yougakudan 5"; 2007-12-31)[67]
Collaborations with Twilight Frontier
- Immaterial and Missing Power OST (幻想曲抜萃, Gensōkyoku Bassui, lit. "Collection of Illusionary Music"; 2005-08-14)[68]
- Scarlet Weather Rhapsody OST (全人類ノ天楽録, Zenjinrui no Tengakuroku Tōhō Hisōten, lit. "Celestial Music Record of All Humankind"; 2008-08-16)[69]
- Touhou Hisoutensoku OST (核熱造神ヒソウテンソク, Kakunetsuzōshin Hisōtensoku, lit. "Thermonuclear Titan Hisoutensoku"; 2009-12-30)[70]
- Hopeless Masquerade OST (暗黒能楽集・心綺楼, Ankoku Nōgakushū, lit. "Dark Noh Collection"; 2013-08-12)[71]
- Urban Legend in Limbo OST (深秘的楽曲集 宇佐見菫子と秘密の部室, Shinpiteki Gakkyokushū ~ Usami Sumireko to Himitsu no Bushitsu, lit. "A Deeply Mystic Music Collection ~ Sumireko Usami and the Clubroom of Secrets"; 2015-08-14)[72]
- Urban Legend in Limbo OST 2 (深秘的楽曲集・補 東方深秘録初回特典CD, Shinpiteki Gakkyokushū - Ho ~ Tōhō Shinpiroku Shokai Tokuten CD, lit. "A Deeply Mystic Music Collection Supplement ~ Touhou Shinpiroku First Pressing Special CD"; 2016-12-08)[73]
- Antimony of Common Flowers OST (完全憑依ディスコグラフィ, Kanzenhyōi Disukogurafi, lit. "Perfect Possession Discography"; 2018-05-06)[74]
References
External links
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