Brooding, melancholic, and depressing type of music is something one won’t commonly associate with the Touhou series. ZUN’s works usually either try to convey the feeling of Japanese mysticism or upbeat battle between girls in frilly clothes. However the eleventh entry to the Touhou series decided to break the routine and started a new trend not with one but TWO musics with heart-rending atmosphere. They are ‘Green-Eyed Jealousy’ and ‘Satori Maiden~ Third Eye’. The latter has become one of representatives of ZUN’s music as one can see from the myriad remixes and arrangements and is I personally consider as the theme music for the whole Chireiden group in SA yet the former has not yet reached the same height as Satori Maiden… and it fits well with the whole theme of the music.
Green-Eyed Jealousy is the battle theme of Mizuhashi Parsee, one of the rare tragic characters in a ensemble cast full of tea-drinking, frill-waving, silly hat-wearing overpowered girls. She’s a youkai who guards the bridge to former hell with dominion over jealousy due to her tragic past life. ZUN is not shy exposing her weakness through the music because you can instantly be overwhelmed by the tide of tragedy despite the cheery dialogue leading to the battle. Just like one of Parsee’s moves, Green-Eyed Jealousy is a monster yet many tend to overlook it because of its status as a second stage theme. While ‘Kappa of Ryuunosuke Akutegawa~ Candid Friend’ manage to enjoy great popularity thanks to its length and upbeat theme despite being a third stage theme, Green-Eyed Jealousy will, just like our dear Mizuhashi Parsee, sulk in jealousy towards the other themes. It’s pitiful because I’m certain those who listened heartily to the theme will definitely agree that it’s a rare find of green-glistening emerald among petals of sakura. Mizuhashi Parsee, despite being only a second stage boss with little exposure, is one of my favorite Touhou characters and nothing represents her more than a simple heart-rending music to accompany the danmaku battle.