"ZUN Soft" was originally created as a generic developer name for each Touhou Project game. After Touhou's PC-98 era, ZUN changed the name of the team to "Shanghai Alice". According to ZUN, this name was chosen to fit the overall theme of the Touhou Project. "Shanghai", to him, is a multicultural city where Western and Oriental styles meet, and "Alice" evokes a feminine or gothic lolita feeling.[1] "Fantasy Ensemble" (幻樂団 Gengakudan) stems from ZUN's unsuccessful attempt to register the group as a music circle for Comiket 61 in December 2001; he decided to keep the name while applying as a game circle for Comiket 62, where he would release Embodiment of Scarlet Devil.[1]
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, lit. "Unperceiving of Natural Law ~ Chase the Enigma of the Gargantuan Guignol")
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)[49]
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)[50]
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)[51]
Team Shanghai Alice consists of a single member, ZUN, who serves as the programmer, writer, artist, and composer for the group's productions. His real name is Jun'ya Ōta (太田 順也, Ōta Jun'ya); he picked the pseudonym due to its similarity to his given name.[52] He was born on March 18, 1977, in Hakuba, Nagano,[52] and is well known among fans for his fondness of beer and his penchant for wearing flat caps. He has sometimes playfully referred to himself as the "Hakurei Kannushi" (博麗神主, lit. "head priest of the Hakurei Shrine").[53] In 2012, ZUN revealed that he had recently married a programmer, with whom he has 2 children.[54]
His interest in creating music began in elementary school, when his parents gifted him an Electone as a birthday present.[55] In junior high school, he played the trumpet in a brass band and began composing his own music.[55] In 1995, he began developing a series of bullet hell video games under the name "ZUN Soft" while studying mathematics at Tokyo Denki University.[52] The games, which would become the first five entries in the Touhou Project series, were developed for NEC PC-9800 personal computers and published by Amusement Makers, a student video game development club:[56]
During this period, he contributed soundtracks to several games developed by his junior classmates in Amusement Makers, notably the Seihou Project (西方Project, Seihō Purojekuto, lit. "Western Project"), a series of bullet hell games for Microsoft Windows by Shunsatsu sare do? (瞬殺サレ道？).[57] The series was intended as a counterpart to the Touhou Project, featuring highly similar gameplay as well as cameo appearances by Reimu Hakurei, Marisa Kirisame, and Yuuka Kazami:
Shuusou Gyoku (秋霜玉, lit. "Autumn Frost Orb", 2000) - part of the Seihou Project
Torte Le Magic (トルテルマジック, Torute Ru Majikku, 2001) - a bullet hell game by Pietoro (ぴえとろ) based on the manga 10 Carat Torte! [ja][58]
Kioh Gyoku (稀翁玉, lit. "Rare Venerable Orb", 2001) - part of the Seihou Project
ZUN's Strange Works (その他の作品, lit. "Other Works", 2000–2001) - a collection of six MIDI tracks for the Roland SC-88 Pro, including unused music from Shuusou Gyoku[59]
In 2007, he left his job at Taito to focus on the development of the Touhou Project.[60] Later that year, ZUN provided programming for Uwabami Breakers (黄昏酒場, Tasogare Sakaba, lit. "Twilight Bar Room"), a beer-themed bullet hell game published by "The Drinking Party" (呑んべぇ会, Nonbe-ekai).[61] The game uses the same engine as Mountain of Faith and shares many similar gameplay features, including a "Beer Gauge" that increases shot power based on damage dealt.
In addition to the Touhou Project games, ZUN has provided writing for several official Touhou Project print works, produced in collaboration with various illustrators and publishers:
Curiosities of Lotus Asia (東方香霖堂, Tōhō Kōrindō, lit. "Fragrant Rain Temple", 2004–2007, 2015–present)
Lotus Eaters (東方酔蝶華 ～ ロータスイーター達の酔醒, Tōhō Suichōka ~ Rōtasuītā-tachi no Suisei, lit. "Drunken Butterfly Flower ~ Drunkening and Sobering of Lotus-Eaters", 2019–present)
The releases of Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red, Perfect Memento in Strict Sense, Strange Creators of Outer World Volume 2, and The Grimoire of Marisa were accompanied by bonus CDs containing arrangements and compositions by ZUN. Additional CDs were included with several tankōbon releases of official manga: Eastern and Little Nature Deity (2007), Strange and Bright Nature Deity (2008, 2009, 2009), Silent Sinner in Blue (2008), Oriental Sacred Place (2010, 2011, 2012), and Forbidden Scrollery (2016).
Rarely, ZUN has collaborated in the production of unofficial Touhou works, creating tracks for two fangames and four dōjin albums:
Cradle (東方幻樂祀典, Tōhō Gengaku Shiten, lit. "Fantasy Musical Festival", 2004) - album by sound sepher
Seasonal Dream Vision (東方紫香花, Tōhō Shikōbana, lit. "Incense of Violet Flowers", 2005) - compilation album by Comic Toranoana, included with Seasonal Dream Vision fanbook
Magus in Mystic Geometries (神魔討綺伝, Shinma Tōki Den, lit. "Legend of God-Devil", 2008) - shoot 'em up game by D.N.A.Softwares
Touhou Unreal Mahjong (東方幻想麻雀, Tōhō Gensō Mājan, 2009) - mahjong game by D.N.A.Softwares
Touhou Unreal Mahjong OST (東方幻想麻雀オリジナルサウンドトラック, Tōhō Gensō Mājan Orijinaru Saundo Torakku, 2009) - album by Disaster and D.N.A.Softwares
8BIT MUSIC POWER FINAL (8ビットミュージックパワーファイナル, 8-Bitto Myūjikku Pawā Fainaru, 2017) - album by Columbus Circle
Since December 2009, ZUN has written the monthly column "Which Came First, Hakurei Kannushi's Games or Beer?" (博麗神主のゲームが先かお酒が先か, Hakurei Kannushi no Gēmu ga Saki ka o Sake ga Saki ka?), in which he discusses his favorite locations for food and beer, his daily life, game development, and topics related to the Touhou Project. The columns are often accompanied by photos and/or guest artist illustrations; it was serialized in Comptiq magazine until July 2013, and in Comp Ace since September 2013.
^ZUN (29 December 2005). "冬コミ情報". Invisible Games and Japanese. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ZUN (3 March 2010). "東方Project 第12.5弾". Invisible Games and Japanese. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ZUN (23 July 2010). "夏コミ情報". Invisible Games and Japanese. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ZUN (15 April 2014). "東方Project 第14.3弾". Invisible Games and Japanese. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ZUN (20 April 2017). "東方Project 第16弾です". Invisible Games and Japanese. Archived from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ZUN (18 July 2018). "東方Project第16.5弾です". Invisible Games and Japanese. Archived from the original on 14 October 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ZUN (17 April 2019). "東方Project第17弾です". Invisible Games and Japanese. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^"東方剛欲異聞 ～ 水没した沈愁地獄". Twilight Frontier. Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
^ZUN (27 February 2021). "東方Project 第18弾". Touhou Yomoyama News. Retrieved 3 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ abcdef"上海アリス幻樂団". Team Shanghai Alice. Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
^ZUN (7 May 2011). "急に例大祭が来たので". Invisible Games and Japanese. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ZUN (15 April 2012). "comic1 に参加します". Invisible Games and Japanese. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ZUN (23 July 2012). "C82 頒布物情報". Invisible Games and Japanese. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ZUN (13 April 2016). "例大祭の新譜情報です". Invisible Games and Japanese. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ZUN (22 July 2016). "夏コミの新譜情報です". Invisible Games and Japanese. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ZUN (15 December 2021). "丹波山村のPR曲 ＆ 冬コミ情報". 東方Projectよもやまニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-12-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^"例大祭情報です". 東方Projectよもやまニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-06-08.
^ abZUN (11 December 2006). "そりゃ筋肉痛にもなりますよ". Invisible Games and Japanese. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ abZUN (11 December 2007). "大晦日頒布物". Invisible Games and Japanese. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^"幻想曲抜萃". Twilight Frontier. Archived from the original on 9 November 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
^"全人類ノ天楽録". Twilight Frontier. Archived from the original on 16 October 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
^"核熱造神ヒソウテンソク". Twilight Frontier. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
