Well, it's been a while, but I finally got around to finishing up with reviewing the spinoffs and their soundtracks, along with the extensive lineup of Touhou characters not from the mainline games. Prepare for a beefy one, we have a lot to cover here.
Shoot The Bullet: As I said in the Phantasmagoria Of Flower View review, I love the specific kind of sound ZUN has made for Aya. Energetic, fast-paced tracks with breezy piano, romantic ZUNpets, and driving percussion. ZUN stated that he wanted every song in this game to sound like the enemy is fighting Aya rather than the other way around, and yeah, it shows. This is basically Aya: The Soundtrack, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Tengu's Notebook - Mysterious Note
One of if not the weakest title theme, though by no means bad either, it's just not super memorable. Similarly to the PoFV title screen, Tengu's Notebook tries to go for a more atmospheric vibe, with rain sound effects and echoing notes.
3/5 Stars
Wind Circulation - Wind Tour
While the weakest of the stage themes, Wind Circulation does a good job of feeling both like a great first stage theme and a great Aya theme. It's fast-paced and carefree tune with loads of piano, ZUNpet, and that good old PoFV percussion, with a pretty lovely moment of calm right before the chorus.
4/5 Stars
Tengu Is Watching - Black Eyes
What an absolute bop. Tengu Is Watching's main melody is so smooth and catchy, the accompaniment is so bouncy and fun, and the chorus is just climactic enough while still feeling upbeat. The single ZUNpet gives the track a slight elegant feel to it that I like a lot.
5/5 Stars
Sleepless Night Of The Eastern Country
Definitely the most energetic track in Shoot The Bullet, with a blisteringly fast and catchy main melody, some sick-sounding distorted keyboards, and even a Theme Of Eastern Story appearance. You can tell ZUN intended this to be the game's show-stopper theme, and given it's the most popular one, he definitely succeeded.
5/5 Stars
Retrospective Kyoto
And yet, these songs just keep getting better. Retrospective Kyoto is one of my favorite tracks in the series for how relatively peaceful it by this soundtrack's standards. It's still got the driving percussion, but the verse has a more calming flute melody, and there's a more melancholic vibe to the whole song compared to the other stage themes. The piano chorus is especially magical, tender but still quintessentially Aya.
5/5 Stars
Wind God Girl
Already reviewed this one, I still think it's amazing.
5/5 Stars
Double Spoiler: In case Shoot The Bullet's soundtrack wasn't great enough, Double Spoiler manages to one-up it with longer and more complex tracks, a greater sense of atmosphere, and a unique blend of Ten Desires' trance style and Undefined Fantastic Object's more naturalistic instrumentation. The tracks are a bit longer and more complex too, it really is an underrated gem of a score.
Newshead
Okay, yeah, this is a way better title theme. It keeps the atmospheric rain sounds of Tengu's Notebook but adds in a way catchier melody with fun piano riffs, Ten Desires-esque bass, a ZUNpet chorus, and even claps. It feels almost like a prototype of Spirit Of Avarice, one of my favorite title themes.
The Mystery In Your Town
A bit more of an atmospheric first stage theme than Wind Circulation was, with a slightly slower pace and a more serious tone. It's still pretty great though, the main melody in the verse is super pretty, the ZUNpets are used super well to heighten the drama in the chorus, and recognizing the chimes from UFO Romance was a pleasant surprise.
4/5 Stars
Youkai Modern Colony
Like with Tengu Is Watching, the second theme is a really head-banger. The main melody is so jazzy and catchy, the UFO saxophones are used in a pretty great chorus, and the choir and chimes in the background help maintain the sense of atmosphere that Mystery had.
5/5 Stars
Nemesis Stronghold
THAT CHORUS. I love how dramatic and sweeping Nemesis Stronghold's apex is, between the wailing ZUNpets and the distinct clanging chimes that this track employs. The whole song is amazing, with some great piano flourishes and even more of that atmospheric vibe, but the chorus is the real highlight here.
5/5 Stars
Bell Of Avici
Masterpiece. An easy Top 10 track, everything in Double Spoiler's soundtrack was building to this. The smooth piano melody, the intense guitars, the UFO saxs, the rhythmic percussion, the clanging bells, the godly chorus, everything comes together so perfectly to create a song that's equal parts catchy, atmospheric, upbeat, relaxing, and melancholic all at the same time.
5/5 Stars
Youkai Mountain - Mysterious Mountain
Unlike Wind God Girl, Mysterious Mountain actually had some changes made for its reappearance in this game, that being the Ten Desires percussion. Not gonna lie, it kinda slaps.
5/5 Stars
Great Fairy Wars: Great Fairy Wars is so weird in hindsight. A spinoff based on a Touhou manga? Definitely can't see ZUN doing that nowadays. Either way it's a great game with a pretty great soundtrack, even if it's not quite on the same level as the Aya spinoffs.
An Ice Fairy In Spring
This is a pretty great title theme, with a super cheery melody and icey instruments that really scream Cirno. GFW's main leitmotif is just super catchy and fun.
4/5 Stars
The Refrain Of The Lovely Great War
This is an amazing first stage theme, genuinely one of the best. The heavy usage of violins is super distinct and gives off real Seihou vibes, and the bouncy piano solo is insanely good.
5/5 Stars
Staking Your Life On A Prank
I'm not a huge fan of this one, sadly. It does fit the three fairies with how goofy and light-hearted it is, but the main melody is pretty short and repetitive, and the track overall is far overshadowed by the final boss theme and all the fairies' album themes.
Year-Round Absorbed Curiosity
Pretty good second stage theme, super energetic and fast-paced, and it brings back the game's main leitmotif which I've already praised. The chorus isn't super amazing, but otherwise, a solid track.
4/5 Stars
A Midnight Fairy Dance
Now this is a fantastic theme. The weird time signatures and rhythmic nature really makes this track feel like a dance, with a catchy piano verse and a dramatic Theme Of Eastern Story reprisal in the chorus for good measure. Definitely my favorite stage theme in the game.
5/5 Stars
The Great Fairy Wars - Fairy Wars
Now this is a weird final boss theme, it's so light-hearted and upbeat compared to the rest of the series. I can't say this doesn't fit the three fairies pretty well though, and I really like the triumphant intro and whimsical flute that permeates the track.
4/5 Stars
Loose Rain
Now this is a great extra stage theme, super intense, energetic, and dramatic. The whole soundtrack has hints of Ten Desires, but nothing is more blatant than this track using the (great) Welcome To Youkai Temple synth.
4/5 Stars
Magus Night
This is the Marisa theme in my book, both incredibly intense and exciting at the same time. The key changes, the catchy guitar, the intense guitars, the powerful ZUNpets in the chorus, it all just screams Marisa in all the best ways.
5/5 Stars
An Ice Fairy In Spring - Still
The title theme but calmer and more ethereal-sounding, so I do prefer this version a bit over it. It has the heavier melancholy vibe that you'd expect from an ending theme while still being super pleasant and peaceful.
4/5 Stars
Impossible Spell Card: Being based on my favorite Touhou character, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that I adore Impossible Spell Card. It's easily my favorite of the bullet hell spinoffs and one of my favorite Touhou games in general, and part of that is due to its intense techno soundtrack, perfectly fitting one of the edgiest and punkest characters in the franchise.
Raise The Flag Of Cheating
What a banger of a title theme, one of the best in my opinion. It's so propulsive and exciting, with a spacey lead synth, hard-hitting percussion, a violin bridge, chiptune sound effects, and an incredible drop right before the chorus. It's like a cross between DDC's more dramatic compositions with the techno from Ten Desires and I'm all for it.
5/5 Stars
Cheat Against The Impossible Danmaku
An incredibly energetic first stage theme with some really unique distorted-sounding synth leads that I absolutely adore. There's something so off-kilter about how this track sounds that perfectly fits Seija, and the great electric guitar and percussions give the track a nice rock edge.
5/5 Stars
Midnight Spell Card
The weird thing about Impossible Spell Card's themes is that they can often feel relaxing and intense at the same time. It makes sense considering Seija rarely ever seems to actually worry about anything, but it leads to unique tracks like Midnight Spell Card, which juggles both naturalistic instruments like flute, piano, and ZUNpet, along with synth leads, rock-sounding percussion, and heavy Ten Desires-esque bass. It's both chill and a banger.
5/5 Stars
Romantic Escape Flight
Romantic Escape Flight is the weakest original ISC track by a pretty wide margin, and I think a big reason for that is the electric guitar which just doesn't sound quite as good as it usually does. It's a shame too because the main flute melody is genuinely great, so we ultimately get a song that I only really like 50% of.
3/5 Stars
Eternal Transient Reign
Generally considered to be the highlight of Impossible Spell Card's soundtrack and, yeah, it absolutely is. It's both super calming, focusing on pianos, flutes, and that spacey LoLK synth, and really climactic, with a super dramatic main melody and powerful chorus. It's super lengthy too, with a long build-up to its fantastic final reprisal of the chorus.
5/5 Stars
Mermaid From The Uncharted Land
The first of three DDC tracks brought back, and sadly the weakest.
3/5 Stars
Reverse Ideology
Still great, would've been disappointed if they hadn't brought it back.
5/5 Stars
Illusionary Joururi
It's no Reverse Ideology, but it comes pretty close.
5/5 Stars
Youkai Mountain - Mysterious Mountain
Just the Double Spoiler remix again.
5/5 Stars
Violet Detector: Violet Detector popped up during the weakest period of Touhou music, which I call the Elementic era after the drums ZUN used. However, despite not liking the game itself very much, it boasts a surprisingly solid soundtrack with a strong sense of atmosphere. Dare I say, it might be one of ZUN's best in the late 2010s.
Nightmare Journal
Nightmare Journal is a solid title theme, super moody and atmospheric which fits the game really well. However, it's also quite short and simple, and... well... do I need to mention the drums?
3/5 Stars
Lucid Dreamer
ZUN used a lot of glissandos in his tracks around this time, but they really work for Lucid Dreamer. Between the slurring notes and unconventional tempo, Lucid Dreamer sounds dizzying and dreamy in all the right ways, perfectly capturing the game's surreal tone. It also has just the right amount of energy to make for a great first stage theme.
4/5 Stars
Lunatic Dreamer
Lunatic Dreamer has a fantastic intro and chorus, super energetic and chaotic befitting the massive difficulty spikes that are the wrong weeks. The verse is a bit less memorable, but the overall high energy of the track and the fantastic piano bridge make for another strong track that keeps up the momentum quite nicely.
4/5 Stars
Nightmare Diary
Nightmare Diary is held up by a lot of people as the best track in VD and one of the best recent ZUN tracks period and I definitely can't deny that, it's great. Nightmare Diary sounds incredibly climactic, starting off tense only to ramp up in intensity with every verse, culminating in that iconic high-note-to-piano-solo transition. From then on, the rest of the track is almost exhaustively powerful.
5/5 Stars
"Old Adam" Bar
For what I believe is the first time, ZUN brought a Hifuu album theme to an actual game, and "Old Adam" Bar was a great choice. I'll talk more about it when I get to the albums, but it has this fun and spacey energy to it that fits Sumireko's situation quite well. Sadly, the album rips ended up having to be shortened, but thankfully, most of the best parts of "Old Adam" Bar remains intact.
5/5 Stars
The Darkness Brought In By Swallowstone Naturalis Historia
Unfortunately, the other album rip does not fare nearly as well. I was never a huge fan of this track to begin with, but even I can agree that its best part was the weird and memorable ending, which is unfortunately completely cut. As a result, this version of the track only contains the pretty grating opening section. What a waste...
1/5 Stars
Eternal Spring Dream
Brought back from LoLK. Loved it there, loved it here.
5/5 Stars
The Concealed Four Seasons
Still a pretty great final boss theme.
5/5 Stars
100th Black Market: You can tell ZUN has been experimenting with his instrumentation and music a lot lately, which is far from a bad thing as I felt Touhou 19's soundtrack was a big improvement over the last few. However, his soundtrack for 18.5 felt a bit too experimental and not in a good way. It's far and away ZUN's weakest score, with barely any of its tracks really vibing with me.
The Collector's Melancholy Afternoon
This is a pretty laid-back title theme, but maybe a bit too laid-back. The main motif feels a bit aimless and weak, and while the solid percussion and usual Theme Of Eastern Story reprisal do their best to carry the track, this is still one of the weakest title themes for me.
3/5 Stars
An Exciting And Familiar Gensokyo
I can see what ZUN was trying to do here. This track is silly, frenetic, and breezy, which fits Marisa quite well. However, the fact that the ZUNpets are used as the main instrument for the entire track means it just doesn't hit like it should.
3/5 Stars
Youkai Hook On
Okay, this track is actually really good, and a strong boss theme. The glitchy notes, high pitched synths, and heavy percussion makes for a really energetic and hype track. Sadly, it's a bit too short.
4/5 Stars
Black Markets Can Happen Anywhere, Anytime
This feels like more of a traditional Touhou track, and you know what? That's not a bad thing. It's got a catchy melody, it's heavy on the piano, the drum beat sounds good, it's just a really fun track, if a bit unremarkable.
4/5 Stars
Take Thy Danmaku In Hand, O Bulletphiles
I don't think this track is very good. It's trying really hard to be fast-paced and energetic, but the shrill high notes, abrupt tempo shifts, and that horribly messy intro really kills the vibe. Sorry, but this one's a rare miss for me.
1/5 Stars
The Hundredth Black Market
This track is so forgettable to me. It's not actively bad like the last one, but it feels like the most generic, impactless Touhou track you could possibly think of. None of it stuck, even after over a year since 100th Black Market came out. I was really hoping this soundtrack would grow on me, like most Touhou OSTs eventually do, but nope. And the fact that I immediately became enamored with 19's soundtrack just confirmed it, 18.5's music just does nothing for me. Oh well, at least we have the remixes.
2/5 Stars
Lunatic Dream
I literally just talked about this track, but yeah, it's good.
4/5 Stars
Lunar Rainbow
Still one of my favorite recent Touhou tracks, nothing's changed here.
5/5 Stars
Where Is That Bustling Marketplace - Immemorial Marketeers
Similarly, Chimata's theme is still incredibly hard.
5/5 Stars
A Rainbow-Colored World
I don't have much to say about ZUN bringing back an ending theme. It's still solid.
4/5 Stars
As for the characters, I thought this would be a better time than any to go through a bunch of the characters that aren't in the mainline games, so not just these spinoffs, but the fighting games and mangas as well.
Rinnosuke Morichika
Rinnosuke is the one major male character in the series, and he's a pretty good one too. I think the decision to make the sole male character a tired tsukkomi who only observes the antics of the rest of the cast is brilliant, and his dynamic with Marisa in particular is the closest we've ever gotten to learning more about her family. On top of that, the fact that his shop sells items from the Outside World, many of which he doesn't even understand, is such a cool set-up with a ton of interesting story potential. Rinnosuke is just such a cool character, it's a real shame we haven't seen much of him lately.
4/5 Stars
Tokiko
I literally just found out Tokiko exists. The only thing she's ever done in canon is get beat up for wanting to read, and yet somehow she has a bit of a fanbase? I mean, her design is pretty cool but... why?
2/5 Stars
Heida No Akyuu
Akyuu started off as the cute poster girl for ZUN's remasters of the PC-98 soundtracks, only to turn into her own character with some of the saddest lore in the franchise. The fact that Akyuu has to reincarnate every 30 years gives her desire to experience and record everything Gensokyo has to offer so much extra meaning. From what I can tell, if the Touhou series progresses in real-time, Akyuu is meant to die this year! We'll see if ZUN goes through with it, but she's such a likable presence within the series that I hope he extends the timeline a bit.
Oh, and though I'm not properly reviewing it, her theme Child Of Are is magnificent.
5/5 Stars
Renko Usami
Finally, it's RenMerry time. I love these two so much, they're such a charismatic pairing that easily rank among my favorite Touhou characters. I've always liked the archetype of weird students forming a club where they investigate mysteries together (I need to watch more Scooby Doo), and Renko and Maribel fit into that niche perfectly. But the best thing about these two is their phenomenal banter. They play off each other so well, and I could read Renko and Maribel's lofty but casual philosophical tangents all day. It should not come as much of a surprise that these two are the most popular ship in the franchise, they're practically inseparable.
That being said, I do like Renko ever so slightly better than Maribel. She has that same scrappy energy that I enjoy about Marisa, as she doesn't have the blatant magical abilities of her partner. She's also the more scientific and analytic of the two, which I definitely relate to more. And out of all the silly Touhou hats in the franchise, I think Renko's might be my favorite.
5/5 Stars
Maribel Hearn
Maribel is a more fascinating character than Renko due to her uncanny resemblance to Yukari and her ability to see boundaries and visit Gensokyo in her dreams. There's a lot to unpack here and I don't even know if ZUN will ever confirm any of it, so I'll just say that she definitely has some of the most interesting lore in the series. Otherwise, as a character, Maribel is a strong foil for Renko, being a bit calmer and more subjective. They're both fantastic characters and it's always a joy to get another album story with them.
5/5 Stars
Suika Ibuki
When I started working on this, Suika had not been in any mainline Touhou games, but... well... Touhou 19 happened. Either way, I'll stick to talking about her here. Suika is one of the first spinoff characters but she became a pretty prolific series mainstay, and for good reason. She is a truly chaotic gremlin of an oni with an infectiously jolly personality, and one of the greatest walking cycles in any fighting game. Like many onis, what you see is what you get with Suika, but that's not at all a bad thing.
5/5 Stars
Iku Nagae
To this day, I still don't know much about Iku. Her design is awesome, but she always kinda felt like she was playing second fiddle to Tenshi.
3/5 Stars
Tenshi Hinanawi
Speaking of which, Tenshi is a great character. Being a sheltered celestial, Tenshi is introduced to the series as an absolute brat who causes a natural disaster just because she's bored. However, as the series has gone on, Tenshi actually started to kinda grow as a character. The big turning point was likely when she met and befriended Shion in AoCF, and she shows up in WaHH with a much chiller attitude and even plays a large part in resolving that comic's conflict. Pretty cool stuff.
5/5 Stars
Hatate Himekaidou
Aya is obviously the more developed and fun character, but Hatate is still yet another fun reporter tengu. Her slightly more withdrawn personality, thoughtful articles, and cynical view of her own job parallels Aya pretty well, and their rivalry in general is a ton of fun.
5/5 Stars
Hata No Kokoro
Kokoro is an incredibly well-executed character on a thematic level. The concept of a completely emotionless character is so hard to pull off, but ZUN nails it both with Kokoro's inventive design, dialogue within the games, and her phenomenally haunting theme. And like many of the best fighting game characters, we get to see Kokoro slowly work to stabilize and develop her emotions, culminating in her being the one to solve the game's incident... by beating up Reimu, Byakuren, and Miko. Also, her rivalry with Koishi is very cool.
5/5 Stars
Sumireko Usami
Ah, Sumireko, arguably the most divisive character in the franchise. To
some, she's another charming nerd with interesting connections to Renko.
To others, she's a spotlight stealing cringy teen. I generally align
with the former opinion. Sumireko is a fun character and her being kinda
cringe is part of the appeal. I may prefer Sanae and RenMerry as far as the Outside World characters, but she's still a charming presence in the series at worst. And at best, there's her debut game.
Okay, I need to rave about Urban Legend In Limbo's story for a sec. Between Double-Dealing Character, Wild And Horned Hornet, Impossible
Spell Card, Urban Legend In Limbo, Legacy Of Lunatic Kingdom, Forbidden
Scrollery, and Visionary Fairies In Shrine, the mid 2010s were easily ZUN's peak as a writer... and Sumireko's arc still stands out. ULiL really dives into and deconstructs what being transported to Gensokyo would actually be like for a chuuni fangirl like Sumireko, and the final battle where she forces Reimu into the Outside World and threatens to sacrifice herself to destroy the barrier and expose Gensokyo's secrets is just... holy crap!
5/5 Stars
Joon Yorigami
The Yorigami Sisters are money-themed gods who steal a lot, though they're also polar opposites. Joon is the rich, affluent pestilence god, which in turn can make her a bit too static. Seeing Joon consistently ham it up, flaunt her wealth, and own being an unrepentant jerk can be fun, but only for so long.
3/5 Stars
Shion Yorigami
Shion, on the other hand, is way more interesting than her sister, in my opinion. Shion is the poverty god, plagued with bad luck powers that leave her disheveled and often hungry. She's also far less vain than Joon, secretly wanting to become independent from her. And lo and behold, that's exactly what she does. In AoCF, she goes off on her own and befriends none other than fellow character developer Tenshi, and becomes a nicer person as a result. I also like how Shion is so desperate for food that even the slightest bit of good luck will make her day, it really makes you sympathize and want her to be happy. She's the definitive "must protect" character in the franchise.
5/5 Stars
Yuuma Toutetsu
Similarly to Suika, Yuuma is yet another spinoff character who ended up in a mainline title. However, while I always liked Suika, I wasn't huge on Yuuma at first. Back in 17.5, she felt kinda... there. Thankfully, her role in Touhou 19 increases her likability by a lot. Despite being the leader of an animal faction like Yachie and Saki, Yuuma does not act like it. She's a laid-back gremlin who likes to eat a lot, but behind that unassuming front still lies a pretty cunning character who's always plotting something.
4/5 Stars
Sunny Milk
I really warmed up to the fairies of light once I read their manga, they really start to grow on you. Their friendship is heartwarming, and they work as a perfect comedic trio. Sunny Milk is the schemer, the energetic and confident pranker who constantly gets in over her head. She's a fun bit of comic relief and the fang is a nice touch.
4/5 Stars
Luna Child
Triangle mouth, enough said. Okay seriously though, I wasn't expecting Luna Child to be my favorite of the trio but she is an absolute riot. From her snarky personality to her hilarious klutziness to that aforementioned chestnut mouth, Luna is an incredibly fun and entertaining character.
5/5 Stars
Star Sapphire
My least favorite of the trio but still pretty fun. Star Sapphire is the spaciest of the fairies, but she's got a hidden clever side to her, sometimes coming up with the most successful pranks (or the most successful ways to get out of doing pranks). Her blue space-themed design is also very pretty.
4/5 Stars
Reisen 2
Reisen 2 was kinda underused in her sole appearance in Silent Sinner. Despite the cool concept of another moon rabbit escaping to Gensokyo, she got sent back up to the moon pretty quickly. Her side story in Cage In Lunatic Runagate did help to give her a bit more personality, but still, I don't have much to latch onto here.
2/5 Stars
Yorihime Watatsuki
The Watatsuki Sisters are very divisive within the fandom for how easily they took down the heroes, their racist attitude towards Earthlings, and their implied abuse of Reisen. While I do agree that the latter can be a bit tough to stomach, I also think they collectively get a bit too much flack for winning. They are not Mary Sues, they are not deus ex machinas the fact is that as far as the Silent Sinner In Blue story goes, the Watatsukis are kinda the good guys her. They're just defending the moon from invaders, which becomes more apparent when you read CiLR.
I found myself quite liking Yorihime in particular. I thought it was fun to see someone unfamiliar with the spell card rules, but willing to play along anyway. While both Watatsukis are quite prideful, Yorihime definitely felt a bit more down to earth compared to her sister, and her cool samurai design is very fun.
4/5 Stars
Toyohime Watatsuki
On the other hand, I didn't like Toyohime at all. Toyohime's whole shtick is that she's a wolf in sheep's clothing, seeming ditzy and gentle on the outside, but is in actuality the vainer and more cruel of the two. I just found Toyohime really unlikable in SSiB. Unlike Yorihime who at least tried to be on the same level as Remilia's team, Toyohime spends most of her screentime talking down to people. That infamous "all Earthlings are sin" line was from Toyohime.
1/5 Stars
Kasen Ibaraki
As far as manga protagonists go, Kasen is pretty much in the middle of the pack for me. There is quite a lot I like about her, such as her straight man dynamic with Reimu and Marisa, her friendship with animals, and her secretly being an oni. However, her more serious personality can mean she isn't quite as compelling on her own. Kasen is at her best when she has another character to bounce off of and preach to, or when she's just being ungodly levels of badass like in Urban Legend In Limbo.
4/5 Stars
Kosuzu Motoori
Kosuzu is easily the best manga protagonist. She's charismatic and likable enough to work as a strong lead, and her arc about grappling with her fascination towards youkai is really well-done. Kosuzu has enough compelling and well-realized friendships with humans like Reimu and Akyuu, as well as youkai like Aya and Mamizou, that this central conflict feels really engaging. As far as pure writing goes, she might be one of ZUN's most well-executed.
5/5 Stars
Miyoi Okunoda
Miyoi is... fine. She's cute and likable, but she's very much a bystander in Lotus Eaters, which in turn makes her a pretty weak protagonist. It's a shame too because it's not like ZUN can't write an engaging bystander, I praised Rinnosuke for being just that, but Miyoi just doesn't have enough to her even after over 50 chapters
3/5 Stars
