Team Shanghai Alice

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Team Shanghai Alice logo

Team Shanghai Alice (上海アリス幻樂団 Shanhai Arisu Gengakudan?, meaning "Shanghai Alice Ensemble") is a Japanese dojin game developer specializing in 2D shooter games. Their only releases thus far have been the Touhou Project games and related merchandise. It is not based in or related to the Chinese city of Shanghai.

Contents

[edit] Productions

[edit] Games

Main article: Touhou Project

[edit] Music soundtracks

The soundtracks are mainly composed of ZUN's synthesized music remixed from his games and original tracks. Although there are no direct references to the Touhou Project in the stories in the CD jacket, the CDs are still considered part of the Touhou Project.

  • Dolls in Pseudo Paradise (蓬莱人形, 2002)
  • Ghostly Field Club (蓮台野夜行, 2003)
  • Changeability of Strange Dream (夢違科学世紀, 2004)
  • Gensōkyoku Bassui (幻想曲抜萃, 2005) - Collaboration with Twilight Frontier.
  • Akyu's Untouched Score vol.1 (幺樂団の歴史１, 2006)
  • Retrospective 53 minutes (卯酉東海道, 2006)
  • Magical Astronomy (大空魔術, 2006)
  • Akyu's Untouched Score vol.2 (幺樂団の歴史２, 2006)
  • Akyu's Untouched Score vol.3 (幺樂団の歴史３, 2006)
  • Akyu's Untouched Score vol.4 (幺樂団の歴史４, 2007)
  • Akyu's Untouched Score vol.5 (幺樂団の歴史５, 2007)

[edit] In print

  • Curiosities of Lotus Asia (東方香霖堂)
  • Eastern and Little Nature Deity and Strange and Bright Nature Deity (東方三月精)
  • Bohemian Archive in Japanese Red (東方文花帖)
  • Perfect Memento in Strict Sense (東方求聞史紀)
  • Touhou Bōgetsushō (東方儚月抄), which consists of:
    • Silent Sinner in Blue
    • Cage in Lunatic Runagate
    • The Inaba of the Moon and the Inaba of the Earth (月のイナバと地上の因幡)

[edit] Member

There is only one member of Team Shanghai Alice, who goes by the pseudonym "ZUN" and is the main programmer, scriptwriter, artist, and composer. His real name is believed to be Jun'ya Ota (太田 順也), as seen in the credits of his early games. Fans respectfully call him "Kannushi" (神主), a name he has sometimes used to refer to himself.

While not using the Team Shanghai Alice name, ZUN has also participated in the making of the following dojin games for Amusement Makers:

  • Highly Responsive to Prayers (1996) - Part of Touhou Project
  • Story of Eastern Wonderland (1997) - Part of Touhou Project
  • Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream (1997) - Part of Touhou Project
  • Lotus Land Story (1998) - Part of Touhou Project
  • Mystic Square (1998) - Part of Touhou Project
  • Shuusou Gyoku (2000)
  • Kioh! Gyoku (2001)
  • Torte Magic - A dojin shooter for the manga 10 Carat Torte!

ZUN also works for Taito Corporation, and has participated in the production of their games such as:

In 2007, he was in a team named "The Drinking Party" (呑んべぇ会?) to make "Uwabami Breakers" (黄昏酒場～Uwabami Breakers～?), a shoot'em up game about drinking — one of ZUN's greatest passions.

[edit] Name

The name "Team Shanghai Alice" was chosen to fit the overall theme of the Touhou games. "Shanghai", in ZUN's mind, is a multicultural city where the East and the West meet. "Alice" can be a child living in the foreign concessions, but the name Alice also suggests a fairy-tale element. So together, "Shanghai Alice" encompasses the blend of oriental and western aesthetics along with fantasy. As for "Ensemble" (幻樂団, in the team's Japanese name), ZUN originally intended his team to be a musical ensemble so he named his team as such.

[edit] References

  • The Dawn of Touhou (東方の夜明け), ZUN's Meiji University Touhou lecture.

[edit] External links