The Fake Fangame Album – Is it Possible to Adapt?

Last weekend, Touhou Meijinka ~ Song of Divine Tempest was released. While the Prophet Driller was busy in preproduction of his next project, he had one goal for 2024. While that game is being developed, he wanted to adapt the popular Touhou Project fake fangame album Touhou Tengyakushuu ~ Zenith of Antinomic Monarch into a game.

Was it really possible? Drillimation Systems and Studio Emiko contacted Atelier in Wonderland, the company that created Zenith of Antinomic Monarch, for a licensing agreement to adapt such game. Unfortunately, it was denied for the following reasons:

• Game was not fit for creator’s philosophy – Touhou Project is a danmaku shooter game franchise. Atelier in Wonderland develops primarily visual novels and not in other genres. The Prophet wanted Melody Harmonia, who runs Atelier in Wonderland, to direct the game adaptation. However, she was simply too busy to take on that project.
• Studio Emiko wanted to direct and bloat the source material with unnecessary extras – Melody Harmonia did not want this, and neither did I. Emiko Hosokawa wanted to include a scenario involving Raiko Horikawa from Song of Divine Tempest and I vetoed it.

Creating a video game is a lot of work and typically takes the skills and talents of many people. Not everyone has the time and resources to do it all. As an alternative, a composer may compile their songs into a fake fangame album, producing only artwork and a mockup of the game to accompany it.

For example, Touhou Houtenkyou ~ Treasure Castle Labyrinth took nearly a decade from its conceptualization in 2010 until it was adapted into an album in 2014. The first version of its fangame adaptation didn’t release until in 2019 and the game in full until earlier this year in August.

Even if you think copyright prevents copying, think again. It also allows rightsholder to decide how their work would be adapted, such as from book to film. While the gap between the two for some has been short and sweet and taking only a few years, it is sometimes even longer with it reaching into the tens of years. It’s not impossible – we can try again when things align themselves in place or wait until its copyright expires – which won’t be until 2118. Neither the Prophet or Emiko Hosokawa would be alive at that time.

And now, I end with a short Bunker comedy sketch:

Gunsche: I have some important news regarding Zenith of Antinomic Monarch.
Dolfy: Is there going to be a game adaptation for it soon?
Gunsche: Drillimation Systems tried to obtain the rights for it but couldn’t.
Dolfy: I’ve been wanting a game for that album but its owner doesn’t have the guts to adapt it.
I was hoping somebody else would obtain the rights but they instead got denied.
Speer: Hello Traudl.
Traudl: Speer! Drillimation tried to obtain the rights for Zenith of Antinomic Monarch?
Speer: Yes they did. But they failed and is now mad like the Failure.
Linge: Atelier in Wonderland only produces visual novels.
Dolfy: I hate copyright!
Dolfy: I want a game for it at once! Drillimation adapted their own album Song of Divine Tempest into a game but can’t with Zenith of Antinomic Monarch. God dang it. Fegelein must probably run Atelier in Wonderland. FEGELEIN! FEGELEIN!! FEGELEIN!!!
Fegelein: I heard Drillimation tried to obtain the Zenith of Antinomic Monarch rights.
Burgdorf: And you’re likely to blame. You probably convinced her to be protective of the album.
Fegelein: Pardon?