While I already loved Embodiment's soundtrack, Perfect Cherry Blossom is an improvement on its predecessor on pretty much every level, and that includes the music. The music in this game has such a wonderfully ethereal feel to it, easily one of the best Windows soundtracks in the series.
Mystic Dream - Snow Or Cherry Petal
Easily one of the best title themes in the series, it's just so calm and peaceful. The usage of almost solely piano really makes for a comfy piece of music, and the way that main riff plays around with the Theme Of Eastern Story by slowing it down is masterful. It genuinely took me until now to realize it even was that theme because of how different it sounds.
5/5 Stars
Paradise - Deep Mountain
Continuing the comfy vibes, Paradise is definitely one of the more subdued and melancholic first stage themes of the bunch, kicking off with a chill acoustic intro, some wistful woodwinds, and a light piano melody. However, it does eventually keep in line with the rest of the series's first stage themes as the percussion kicks in for a slightly more upbeat and energetic second half.
4/5 Stars
Crystalized Silver
Crystalized Silver is another fairly short and simple first boss theme, though with a pretty catchy main melody to it. What really makes this track for me is the intriguing guitar melodies, especially that one in the intro and outro of the song.
4/5 Stars
The Fantastic Legend Of Tohno
The Fantastic Legend Of Tohno is a song of two halves. The first half is intriguing and mysterious, with a twinkly piano melody, a lovely flute bit, and some haunting choirs. The second half is much more energetic and upbeat, with a far catchier melody. Both halves perfectly intersect to create a song that feels adventurous and like it's telling a story. No, a legend.
5/5 Stars
Withered Leaf
Once again, as an early game boss theme, Withered Leaf is pretty simple, but the sheer godliness of its melody more than makes up for it. There's just something so inspiring and ethereal about Withered Leaf's chorus, and the woodwind-piano combo really makes for a beautiful-sounding piece.
5/5 Stars
The Doll Maker Of Bucuresti
The Doll Maker Of Bucuresti is yet another stellar Alice theme. Dark, mysterious, intriguing, slightly haunting, perfectly fitting for the character. The usage of harpsichords definitely creates a spooky vibe, all the while the driving percussion maintains the vibe of a Stage 3 theme. But what really solidifies Doll Maker as a phenomenal piece of music is that godly piano chorus that caps off the whole thing. You know it, I know it, it's a truly chill-inducing melody that feels so quintessentially Perfect Cherry Blossom.
5/5 Stars
Doll Judgement
Doll Judgement is a pretty good theme, even if I think it does pale a bit in comparison to some of Alice's other themes. It has a bit too much of a build-up to it, though the chorus is still absolutely fantastic and deservedly iconic, and the louder more flute-heavy reprise at the end of the track makes sure it ends on a high note.
4/5 Stars
The Capital City Of Flowers In The Sky
Capping in at around four minutes, The Capital City Of Flowers In The Sky is a true epic of a stage theme, perfectly fitting one of my favorite stages in the series (that's right, I said favorite). Despite mostly using the same melody, ZUN manages to keep it fresh throughout the entire length of the song, with a chilling intro, frequent changes in tempo and pace, and a real banger of a chorus. Once the percussion starts to kick in and the synths start blaring out the main motif, it's almost impossible not to bop your head along with the song. Easily one of my favorite themes in the game.
5/5 Stars
Phantom Ensemble
Phantom Ensemble is a brilliantly-crafted theme, prioritizing each of the Prismrivers' main instruments. The intro is piano-centric, the verse is violin-heavy, the chorus is all ZUNpets, and it culminates in a great fusion of all three instruments. And on top of that, the melody itself is fantastic, equal parts melancholic and cheerful.
5/5 Stars
Mystic Oriental Dream - Ancient Temple
I've frequently used the term ethereal when describing this soundtrack, but Ancient Temple is especially so. The haunting choir, the chill-inducing wails, the beautiful piano and guitar plucks, the flute, all culminating in a forceful and formal chorus that perfectly epitomizes Youmu's character. It's just so magical and serene, definitely another highlight.
5/5 Stars
Hiroari Shoots The Strange Bird - Till When?
After such an amazing stage theme, Youmu's boss theme is such a huge let-down, especially since it gets off to such a good start. The intro is super frantic and energetic, and the main melody does fit Youmu in theory. However, the theme never evolves past that, it just keeps reusing that same melody before looping again. For a Stage 5 boss theme, Hiroari Shoots The Strange Bird is far too short and repetitious.
3/5 Stars
Ultimate Truth
Ultimate Truth is a pretty good Stage 6 theme even if it's once again on the short side. There's a real sense of urgency to it that really fits with Youmu's last stand.
4/5 Stars
Bloom Nobly, Ink-Black Cherry Blossoms - Border Of Life
Yada yada yada, perfectly culmination of everything the game has been building up to musically, I probably sound like a broken record here but ZUN's final boss themes really are that good. Everyone knows and loves that iconic main melody, it fits the sheer cherry blossom beauty of Yuyuko's fight and paints her as incredibly grand and imposing. But nothing tops that dramatic and cathartic synth/ZUNpet chorus, capped off with the perfectly jarring transition from the loudest ZUNpet wails in the series to a calming acoustic tune. It's like a sigh of relief after an outpouring of emotions, and it's masterfully executed.
5/5 Stars
Border Of Life
Bad. Ass. The exciting intro, the triumphant reprisal of Border Of Life's melody, and especially that bonkers guitar solo, this is the bar that all final spell themes will strive to meet.
5/5 Stars
Charming Domination
This is a pretty good extra stage theme, even if it isn't one of the most memorable of the bunch. There's a great sense of intrigue with its ominous piano trills, and pretty much everything from the pre-chorus onwards is perfection. We get one of ZUN's first caesuras before the ZUNpets blare out one hell of a chorus.
4/5 Stars
Charming Domination - Who Done It?
Personally, I prefer the original version. I get that Ran's themes are more orchestral while Yukari's themes are more synth-based, but I'm not sure if the synths here work quite as well. Who Done It lacks a lot of the intrigue that the pianos managed to create in the other version. It's still Charming Domination so the melody is still pretty great, but it just doesn't hit quite as hard.
3/5 Stars
Necro-Fantasy
And now, we have the power-duo of Necro-Fantasy and Necrofantasia. I tend to go back and forth on which I like better, but I think it might actually be this one. Necro-Fantasy is a bit easier on the ears, starting off with a bit of a build-up which in turn makes that iconic chorus all the more satisfying and impactful. It doesn't hit as hard when the entire song was already up to eleven. I also love how the song keeps up the pace headed into its second verse, and the way the ZUNpets slowly build back up over the course of the bridge and second reprisal of the chorus is perfect. Necrofantasia may have more going on, but Necro-Fantasy's willingness to hold back a bit makes the moments it lets loose hit a lot harder.
5/5 Stars
Necrofantasia
Necrofantasia, on the other hand, is far louder and more arcade-y. There's no build-up here, it's all melody all the time, and the songs kicks off basically without any intro, just immediately blaring into your ears. On a bad day, it can be a bit ear-wrecking, which is an issue UN Owen also had since it uses the exact same synth lead. Can't wait for ZUN to move on from that instrument next game. However, unlike with Charming Domination, I do think the synths work really well overall, especially with the chorus and bridge. It's chaotic, fitting Yukari, but also a bit more triumphant and exhilirating. The newly added pre-chorus is one of my favorite bits in both songs, a perfect breather within all the chaos. As I said, I do prefer Necro-Fantasy at least right now, but both extra boss themes are phenomenal, easily two of the best themes in the franchise and which one you like better really all comes down to preference. Personally, I think the combination of the two approaches in Magical Astronomy's arrange of Necrofantasia make for the definitive version of the track and one of the best Touhou themes period.
5/5 Stars
Dream Of Spring Breeze
This is my favorite ending theme. There's something so mesmerizing about its melody, from the calm acoustic plucks to the repetitious piano riff, everything comes together for a song that's hard to not completely sucked into despite its short length.
5/5 Stars
Sakura, Sakura - Japanize Dream
While not quite as triumphant as Crimson Belvedere, with a pretty plucky melody that doesn't quite live up to the grand scope of its intro, Sakura Sakura is still definitely one of the better staff roll themes. I can't understate how chill-inducing that intro, and the choir in that bridge is sublime.
4/5 Stars
As for the characters, I'll be honest and say that while Perfect Cherry Blossom does have some great individual cast members, the cast as a whole isn't quite as strong or tightly-knit as the games before and after it.
Letty Whiterock
Letty... exists. Her design is pretty, but like with many first bosses, we don't have much to go off of with her personality. Her powers involving cold also don't do her many favors since Cirno exists and is way more developed and interesting.
2/5 Stars
Chen
. As a character, I find Chen to be not super interesting, but in terms of her fighting style, I'll never forget those hilarious spins she does during her battle. I know Ran does them too, but I associate the spinning more with Chen. Oh, and obligatory CHEEEEEEEEEEEEN!
3/5 Stars
Lily White
All Lily White does is show up, announce spring, shoot an ungodly amount of bullets at you, and leave. That's really it. Because of her role in Gensokyo, she doesn't have much more of a personality than that, so there isn't much for me to latch onto with her.
1/5 Stars
Prismriver Sisters
I quite like the music-themed youkais, even if I generally prefer the Tsukumos to the Prismrivers. Their backstory and the mystery of Layle Primsriver is definitely intriguing, but since there's a whopping three sisters, it's a bit tough for me to really tell them apart. I don't even remember Lunasa and Merlin's names.
3/5 Stars
Youmu Konpaku
Okay, finally, we got to the great characters. I adore Youmu, she's definitely one of my favorite characters in the series. Being a speedy ghost samurai, Youmu is incredibly badass, but it's her relationship with Yuyuko that really solidifies her as great. Her dedication to her task really shines in her actions in the game, and her hidden dorky side that Yuyuko often tries to bring out of her makes for a very endearing character.
5/5 Stars
Yuyuko Saigyouji
As a boss, Yuyuko is one of the best in the series. Super imposing and intimidating, with one hell of a final spell that can and will catch you off-guard. As a character, Yuyuko is also kind of a ditz. The juxtaposition of her regal and childish sides, similarly to Remilia actually, makes for a super fun character. And once again, her cheerful demeanor alongside Youmu's attempted seriousness makes for a very fun dynamic. Oh, and that's not even getting into her shockingly tragic backstory that shows so much whiplash compared to her current personality that you may never be able to look at her the same way again. I may not be big on all of PCB's cast, but the Hakugyokurou duo is a real highlight of the series.
5/5 Stars
Ran Yakumo
Ran is neat but pretty massively overshadowed by both Yukari and even Chen to a degree. She's less enigmatic than Yukari is, and Chen pulled off the spin better. And while Kitsunes are cool, Ran doesn't quite have the majesty or the mischievousness you'd expect of one from that species. I still like Ran well enough, but I think she could've been even cooler.
3/5 Stars
Yukari Yakumo
I can't really decide if I like Yuyuko or Yukari better. Yuyuko's design is a bit easier on the eyes, but Yukari is hands down one of the most fascinating and intriguing characters in the series. Yukari knows everything, her powers are greater than a vast majority of Gensokyo's youkai, and she has no alignment. You never know what Yukari's planning unless she tells it to you, and she has no problem with toying or manipulating you to get what she wants. She can play both heroine and villain at will, or jump between a comedic prankster and a terrifying force of nature. And that's not even getting into the can of worms that is her potential relation to Maribel.
5/5 Stars
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