The Phantasmagoria soundtracks are often overlooked since they're exclusively character themes, which is a shame since they're damn good ones too. Dim Dream may have some hit-or-miss ending and menu music, but the themes associated with its roster are pretty stellar across the board.
A Dream Transcending Space Time
Another PC-98 game, another stellar title theme. There's isn't much I can say about this one that doesn't also apply to the last two, it's fast-paced and intense in all the best ways, really pumping you up for the game to come. The Akyuu version also brings back the Power Of Darkness chimes which are always nice to hear.
5/5 Stars
Selection
A perfectly solid character select theme that does the job but doesn't really impress since it's mostly just the same melody repeated at different keys.
3/5 Stars
Mystic Oriental Love Consultation
Probably my least favorite of the Reimu themes, but it's still pretty good. There's a real arcade-y feel to it and the fast-paced chorus is especially memorable.
4/5 Stars
Reincarnation
Mima really does have some of the best themes. I do prefer Complete Darkness a bit, but Reincarnation is still a phenomenal piece of music if anything for that ominous and iconic opening riff. The fast-paced chorus is pretty amazing too though, peak PC-98.
5/5 Stars
Dim Dream
Continuing the trend of Marisa's themes being amazing, Dim Dream is underrated as hell. It's not super long but it really makes the most of the time it does have, with a super fast tempo, a menacing intro, and an absolutely jamming chorus. Seriously, that drop has me banging my head every time I hear it.
5/5 Stars
Tabula Rasa - The Empty Girl
Tabula Rasa strikes that extremely difficult balance of making a song that's simultaneously cheerful and deeply depressing. On the surface, Tabula Rasa is a bouncy and incredibly catchy tune but there's a real underlying sadness to it that only grows the more you learn about Ellen's character. Oh, and the chorus is phenomenal, as usual.
5/5 Stars
Visionary Game - Dream War
Dream War is infamous for being the longest theme in the entire series to this date, though that's mostly because it contains two loops. Either way, this is still a pretty great theme. The verse is solid enough, but that grand and melodic chorus is super memorable, and I love the lengthy outro that ends off the track.
4/5 Stars
Vanishing Dream - Lost Dream
One of my favorite tracks in the series, Kana's theme has always been the real show-stopper of this game for me. Similarly to Tabula Rasa, it does such a good job at striking two entirely separate tones. It's fast-paced and exciting befitting a Phantasmagoria fight, but it's also super dour and melancholy befitting the lonely poltergeist girl it's based on. Melodically it's amazing, and the chorus once again ends the track on a high note.
5/5 Stars
Maniacal Princess
While it lacks the complexity, excitement, or sheer emotional punch of some of the other character themes, Maniacal Princess is still a really good track overall. I like the interplay between the fairly muted intro melody and the far more intense and fast-paced main melody.
4/5 Stars
Decisive Magic Battle
This is a weird one, it feels like three songs in one. The intro feels right out of a Final Fantasy game and the main melody sounds like Mystic Oriental Love Consulation, but then after two loops we get this awesomely intense bridge. While this does make the track sound a bit disjointed, I can say that I do still like all these separate bits on their own.
4/5 Stars
Disunified Field Theory Of Magic
Nooooo, it gets off to such a good start! That dramatic intro is so good, but then the actual song kicks in and while the melody is still alright, the PC-98's synths strike again and render this song fairly ear-grating.
2/5 Stars
Sailor Of Time
I adore this song to bits. PC-98 tracks always tend to be a bit on the overly intense side, but Sailor Of Time is especially grandiose. The slow build, the dramatic main melody for the verse, the drum solo, and of course, that godly chorus makes for a song that just feels way more epic than it had any right to be.
5/5 Stars
Love Of Magical Chimes
Okay, that's much more like it. Love Of Magical Chimes is definitely the better pre-battle themes, it's exciting, climactic, and easy on the ears. The only problem is that it's really short, like 30 seconds short.
3/5 Stars
Strawberry Crisis
Strawberry Crisis is probably the most rocking PC-98 theme, with gritty-sounding synths that come dangerously close to sounding grating but don't quite make it. The build-up is a bit long, but the operatic chorus is definitely worth it and fits Yumemi to a tee.
4/5 Stars
Dream Of Eternity
Dream Of Eternity feels like it's so close to being a really good theme. It's got a nice intro, a solid melody, and a calming pace to it, but it feels like it ends just as it's getting good. The lack of any sort of chorus or payoff really leaves this one feeling unsatisfying.
3/5 Stars
Eastern Blue Sky
Eastern Blue Sky doesn't have that same cut short feel that Dream Of Eternity does, but that's because it also doesn't develop much. It's just a nice calming loop, pleasant to listen to but not super memorable.
3/5 Stars
Eternal Full Moon
Easily the best of the three ending themes, with a strong and slightly melancholic melody that doesn't get old. It's still really short but it's not as noticeably short, especially since the ending actually transitions into the start of the song this time.
4/5 Stars
Maple Dream
ZUN brought this one back for Imperishable Night for a reason, it's easily the finest credits theme in the franchise. The main riff is so captivating and pretty, and the calming melody accompanies it so well.
5/5 Stars
Ghostly Persons' Holiday
While probably the weakest of the PC-98 name registration themes, Ghostly Persons' Holiday is still pretty good. It's super atmospheric, with an understated melody that heightens the tone really well.
4/5 Stars
Bonus: Winds Of Time
It takes a bit of time to really get great, but I quite like the chorus of Winds Of Time. It's catchy, the instrumentation is super pleasing, and the minor key shifts are great.
4/5 Stars
Bonus: Starbow Dream
Starbow Dream has that same weird structure as Decisive Magic Battle that goes intro-verse-intro-verse-chorus, but I think it works a lot better here. The different parts flow together a lot smoother, I love how upbeat the verse is, and when the chorus does hit, it makes much more of an impact.
4/5 Stars
Bonus: Phantasmagoria
While not one I remember super well, this is yet another good unused theme. I like the medieval-sounding verse and the reprise of Mystic Oriental Love Consultation in the chorus could've made for a good staff roll theme.
4/5 Stars
As for the characters, I love this cast. Dim Dream easily has the best roster of characters out of any of the PC-98 games, every single one of them is super memorable and inventive. I'm mostly fine with the PC-98 stuff remaining non-canon but the ideas introduced in Dim Dream's story are so freaking cool it's a crying shame ZUN never followed up on them.
Ellen
Interestingly enough, Ellen was actually a parody of a character of the same name from the manga Hatarakimono, and yet he somehow managed to turn her into one of the most tragic characters in the franchise. Ellen is a witch who's immortal, stuck as a young girl, losing her memories at a constant rate, and is completely unaware of her situation. Poor thing...
4/5 Stars
Kana Anaberal
Similarly to Ellen, Kana is a pretty tragic character, a lonely poltergeist of a young girl who's unable to scare people any more. The ramifications of her character aren't quite as haunting to think about as with Ellen, but ZUN still went pretty hard with her backstory.
3/5 Stars
Rikako Asakura
I love PoDD's magic vs science theme, but Rikako is probably my personal favorite of the three scientists. I like the fact that she does secretly also know magic even if she's dedicated to science, and the glasses are a plus in terms of her design.
5/5 Stars
Kotohime
Kotohime is a princess who thinks she's a cop. I love this, how does ZUN come up with these types of characters?
4/5 Stars
Chiyuri Kitashirakawa
Chiyuri and Yumemi are from the Outside World, how cool is that?! We wouldn't have a major Outside World local until what, Sanae? Outside of that though, Chiyuri doesn't have too much going for her character-wise. Her design is a pretty basic sailor outfit and the novelty of her origin is kinda overshadowed by Rikako and Yumemi.
3/5 Stars
Yumemi Okazaki
Yumemi's storyline is so fascinating, she's almost the Touhou version of Indiana Jones. A normal human college professor with enough determination to travel to Gensokyo in search of magic (and on top of that she's one of the hardest bosses). That has so much potential considering not even Renko and Maribel could figure out how to get there. And on top of that, her all-red design and cross-shaped weapons are so visually striking. Absolute banger character.
5/5 Stars
Ruukoto
At the end of PoDD, Reimu gets a robot maid, and then she's never mentioned again. Oh well, at least we have Seihou.
?/5 Stars
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