#tbh i feel like zun should have committed just a lil bit more to making her yamanba gyaru. jsut a lil bit more

[occasionaltouhou]

For a random stage 2 boss to rotate for a little while, how about Nemuno Sakata? One of the major themes of the HSiFS characters was that they had relationships with established characters rather than to eachother. However, while I can easily envision the other three bosses of the first four stages hanging out with their associated seasonal protagonist, Nemuno seems to be characterized more by how she doesn't spend time with Aya, to the point where her (or anyone else, for that matter) even visiting is unwanted. At the same time though, she gives us a better idea of politics on youkai mountain. There are places even tengu aren't allowed, for one. Makes me wonder how she'd react to Sanae showing up if she'd been playable, or perhaps her relation to Nitori/the kappa in general.

first, it's still really funny to me that the other three protags get a new friend but aya doesn't. too insufferable

ANYWAY yeah i think that nemuno is a really interesting addition to the politics of youkai mountain because like, we kind of knew there were other youkai up there but they hadn't really gotten any focus before. the fact that the yamanba are explicitly kind of isolationist also makes you wonder how many of them are up there

the thing about nemuno though is that unlike most of the rest of the hsifs, she didn't get a follow-up later, so we only really have what she says and does in the game. which tells us that she's relatively friendly and easy-going, but also that she's firm about the tengu's contract with her and that she attempts to kidnap reimu. the reimu thing is actually the most intriguing to me - she seems to not have heard of the hakurei shrine maiden before (though you can argue if that's the best translation of "知らんな" for that statement), which is incredible for someone who in another route is discussing negotiations of land with aya. the implication here being that she simply doesn't have any interest in the world outside her world, and that whatever happens at the bottom of the mountain doesn't affect her - which is, of course, true, and plays into the problem. she simply isn't the type of character who shows up to things.

in terms of her relationship to others... again, that's the problem, isn't it? she kind of doesn't have one. maybe she does some trade with the kappa, but it would be business on both sides of the arrangement. for sanae, it could be something dismissive along the lines of sannyo's "what are you, a cop?" or complete disinterest at the machinations of the mountain god. she's a tricky one to use, unfortunately. i do actually wonder somewhat if that's why zun introduced sannyo - a second crack at the same idea, but who's a bit more connected to everything else