Conclusion
In this project, I have discussed music remixes with tens of millions of views, high production-quality fan games, and extensive work on translation patches. While it's still hard to argue concretely about the driving factors behind the spreading popularity of Touhou, I've offered a few brief arguments and evidence to suggest that the fanbase does indeed play a critical role. Though ZUN has certainly created great games and invented a beautifully engaging world, it's difficult to imagine the Touhou franchise becoming so popular, both in Japan and especially overseas, without the tireless work of these dedicated independent contributors.
Thanks for reading!
Acknowledgements
I am hugely thankful to CraftyMage from Moriya Shrine and to brliron from thcrap for taking the time to discuss their work with me, and offer their opinions on the Touhou fandom. Thanks also to my friend Dai Yang and my professor Paul Roquet, who pointed me toward many useful sources as I was beginning to work on this project. Finally, I'm very grateful to the community on the Touhou subreddit, for enthusiastically responding to my survey and thereby providing me with some of the little concrete evidence I did have to back up my claims.
Other Sources
Information Sources
Condry, Ian. The soul of anime: Collaborative creativity and Japan's media success story. Duke University Press, 2013.
Consalvo, Mia. Atari to Zelda: Japan's Videogames in Global Contexts. MIT Press, 2016.
Ito, Mizuko, Daisuke Okabe, and Izumi Tsuji, eds. Fandom unbound: otaku culture in a connected world. Yale University Press, 2012.
Lopez, Azario. "Touhou Interview: Creator ZUN Talks Past, Present and Future of his Touhou Project." DualShockers. 26 Aug 2016. Web. 8 May 2017. http://www.dualshockers.com/touhou-interview-creator-zun-talks-past-present-and-future-of-his-touhou-project/
Loveridge, Lynzee. "Doujin Circle Numbers Reveal Top Series at Comiket 89." Anime News Network, 28 Dec 2015. Web. 7 May 2017. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2015-12-28/dojin-circle-numbers-reveal-top-series-at-comiket-89/.97017
Moriya Shrine. Spring 2017. Web. 7 May 2017. http://www.moriyashrine.org/
"Touhou Community Reliant Automatic Patcher." Touhou Community Reliant Automatic Patcher. Touhou Patch Center, 5 May 2017. Web. 7 May 2017. https://www.thpatch.net/wiki/Touhou_Community_Reliant_Automatic_Patcher
Touhou Project Wiki. Web. 7 May 2017. http://touhou.wikia.com/wiki/Touhou_Wiki
Touhou Wiki. 20 Apr 2017. Web. 7 May 2017. https://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Touhou_Wiki
"YAMAHA Corporation." Vocaloid Wiki. Web. 7 May 2017. http://vocaloid.wikia.com/wiki/YAMAHA_Corporation
Image Sources
https://connblank.wordpress.com/why-fandom-is-better-than-official/touhou-project/
http://wallpapercave.com/touhou-background
http://www.figure.fm/en/post/1251/Comiket+Day+2.html
http://www.tomopop.com/comiket-79-plush-roundup-16652.phtml
Condry, Ian. The soul of anime: Collaborative creativity and Japan's media success story. Duke University Press, 2013.
Consalvo, Mia. Atari to Zelda: Japan's Videogames in Global Contexts. MIT Press, 2016.
Ito, Mizuko, Daisuke Okabe, and Izumi Tsuji, eds. Fandom unbound: otaku culture in a connected world. Yale University Press, 2012.
Lopez, Azario. "Touhou Interview: Creator ZUN Talks Past, Present and Future of his Touhou Project." DualShockers. 26 Aug 2016. Web. 8 May 2017. http://www.dualshockers.com/touhou-interview-creator-zun-talks-past-present-and-future-of-his-touhou-project/
Loveridge, Lynzee. "Doujin Circle Numbers Reveal Top Series at Comiket 89." Anime News Network, 28 Dec 2015. Web. 7 May 2017. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2015-12-28/dojin-circle-numbers-reveal-top-series-at-comiket-89/.97017
Moriya Shrine. Spring 2017. Web. 7 May 2017. http://www.moriyashrine.org/
"Touhou Community Reliant Automatic Patcher." Touhou Community Reliant Automatic Patcher. Touhou Patch Center, 5 May 2017. Web. 7 May 2017. https://www.thpatch.net/wiki/Touhou_Community_Reliant_Automatic_Patcher
Touhou Project Wiki. Web. 7 May 2017. http://touhou.wikia.com/wiki/Touhou_Wiki
Touhou Wiki. 20 Apr 2017. Web. 7 May 2017. https://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Touhou_Wiki
"YAMAHA Corporation." Vocaloid Wiki. Web. 7 May 2017. http://vocaloid.wikia.com/wiki/YAMAHA_Corporation
Image Sources
https://connblank.wordpress.com/why-fandom-is-better-than-official/touhou-project/
http://wallpapercave.com/touhou-background
http://www.figure.fm/en/post/1251/Comiket+Day+2.html
http://www.tomopop.com/comiket-79-plush-roundup-16652.phtml