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Touhou Suzunaan - Forbidden Scrollery. #1
Forbidden Scrollery, Vol. 1 (Volume 1)
Where else would a girl with the power to translate any tome she sets in her lap reside except a library? Sure, some books may be more dangerous than others, but that's far from discouragement for a true bibliophile like Kosuzu Motoori!
148 pages, Paperback
First published March 26, 2013
15 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
About the author
ZUN
137 books49 followersJun'ya Ota (太田順也 Ota Jun'ya), pen-name ZUN, is the sole known member of Team Shanghai Alice, and is the designer, programmer, script writer, and composer of the extremely popular Touhou Project. He is seen to be rather reclusive and it's known that he's very fond of beer. He was employed by Taito Corporation,[1] and had been involved in the production of various Taito titles as a programmer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 22, 2021
I love books.
I love youkai.
I love manga.
This book was a pointless mess. The art was cute, although often hard to decipher the intended action, but the story made little sense and had no structure.
Two girls/women bump into each other. It's not clear now or ever if they've met before. One says "I can take that book off your hands if you want to get rid of it." The other girl says no, she's returning it to the book rental. Why would anyone's first thought on seeing someone with a book be to offer to take it from them?
Why does the book rental have magic books that they use in reckless and cavalier ways?
Why is one youkai exorcist a witch in a pointy hat?
Why is there a character in a French Maid costume who appears on a single page and is labeled "Maid to a Vampire"?
Why are there two fire creatures in a row and no others?
Why does the fight with youkai happen anti-climactically off page?
Why didn't the editor give this author better feedback?
So many questions...
I love youkai.
I love manga.
This book was a pointless mess. The art was cute, although often hard to decipher the intended action, but the story made little sense and had no structure.
Two girls/women bump into each other. It's not clear now or ever if they've met before. One says "I can take that book off your hands if you want to get rid of it." The other girl says no, she's returning it to the book rental. Why would anyone's first thought on seeing someone with a book be to offer to take it from them?
Why does the book rental have magic books that they use in reckless and cavalier ways?
Why is one youkai exorcist a witch in a pointy hat?
Why is there a character in a French Maid costume who appears on a single page and is labeled "Maid to a Vampire"?
Why are there two fire creatures in a row and no others?
Why does the fight with youkai happen anti-climactically off page?
Why didn't the editor give this author better feedback?
So many questions...
December 26, 2017
This is soooo cute that I want t love it and do cosplay as most of the characters... Except that I don't really "get" any of them, motivations or backstory or anything. Sad reader is sad.
March 11, 2018
Love the art for this one and really anything about books will always win, but overall I found myself getting too distracted reading it. This is kind of a quiet fantasy, somewhat in line with ANTIQUE GIFT SHOP though so far, less spooky.
Fine enough but easily forgettable.
Fine enough but easily forgettable.
November 16, 2020
If you haven't played any Touhou games, you will probably be lost. There is minimal introduction to characters in the book that we know about from games (like Reimu and Marisa). Thus, to me the initial installment is fine, to someone just looking for something to pick up who knows nothing of Touhou will most likely be in need of some background stories from the Touhou Wiki.
January 30, 2020
The art and character designs are pretty cute, but the storytelling is clumsy, and it's apparently a tie-in to a game I know nothing about.
July 29, 2022
2.5 stars
July 2, 2018
Forbidden Scrollery is definitely a good read for fans of Touhou Project. This manga is well written and drawn, but it was primarily written for people that were already familiar with the characters and setting from the Touhou Project video games, so it may disappoint readers that read this who are not a fan of the series.
Background and context: Forbidden Scrollery is one of the four manga series written by 'ZUN' that directly connect to his long running video game series, Touhou Project, and is the first to have an official translation in English. Touhou Project currently consists of 24 games (of which most are produced entirely by 'ZUN', a single person), along with four manga series and a few books. Due to a extremely lenient copyright policy and a dedicated fan base, there a prolific amount of fan-made works for Touhou that include manga, music, fangames, and even a few fan-made anime.
WARNING: SPOILERS
Now, for the actual review of volume one of Forbidden Scrollery.
This manga had a good story that focuses on events happening around or because of Kosuzu Motoori, a bookseller in the humar village of Gensokyo. The protagonists are Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame, who are also the main protagonists of most other Touhou literature or games. Plot is pretty straightforward, and easy to follow. Here was no fast action or intense battles, but rather a slow paced investigation, which really suited the tone and context.
The tone is lighthearted, and I enjoyed the subtle humor in some of the characters. Despite being a derivative of Touhou Project, the story of Forbidden Scrollery was quite original, and it stands as manga on its own merits, given that you understand the setting. It does not gloss much over the setting and context, which might be confusing for some readers, but given its niche, it is assumed that the reader is buying because he is a Touhou fan.
As for the art, Moe Harukawa illustrated excellently! Buildings and landscapes are well drawn, the characters look accurate, and their facial expressions looked good as well. Outlines are not harsh, and the shading is well done. The 'Character Design Collection' at the end was a pleasant addition to the manga.
Summary: excellent illustrating; slow but engaging story; for a niche audience.
Background and context: Forbidden Scrollery is one of the four manga series written by 'ZUN' that directly connect to his long running video game series, Touhou Project, and is the first to have an official translation in English. Touhou Project currently consists of 24 games (of which most are produced entirely by 'ZUN', a single person), along with four manga series and a few books. Due to a extremely lenient copyright policy and a dedicated fan base, there a prolific amount of fan-made works for Touhou that include manga, music, fangames, and even a few fan-made anime.
WARNING: SPOILERS
Now, for the actual review of volume one of Forbidden Scrollery.
This manga had a good story that focuses on events happening around or because of Kosuzu Motoori, a bookseller in the humar village of Gensokyo. The protagonists are Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame, who are also the main protagonists of most other Touhou literature or games. Plot is pretty straightforward, and easy to follow. Here was no fast action or intense battles, but rather a slow paced investigation, which really suited the tone and context.
The tone is lighthearted, and I enjoyed the subtle humor in some of the characters. Despite being a derivative of Touhou Project, the story of Forbidden Scrollery was quite original, and it stands as manga on its own merits, given that you understand the setting. It does not gloss much over the setting and context, which might be confusing for some readers, but given its niche, it is assumed that the reader is buying because he is a Touhou fan.
As for the art, Moe Harukawa illustrated excellently! Buildings and landscapes are well drawn, the characters look accurate, and their facial expressions looked good as well. Outlines are not harsh, and the shading is well done. The 'Character Design Collection' at the end was a pleasant addition to the manga.
Summary: excellent illustrating; slow but engaging story; for a niche audience.
January 17, 2021
As a massive Touhou fan I was so excited to finally read this manga, I already adore the glimpses of Gensokyo you get to see in the games, so seeing a more casual side of the land and how the characters interact in this manga is so fascinating. There’s not as much action or conflict as the incidents in the games but it’s enjoyable regardless!
I can’t wait to read the other volumes ❤️
I can’t wait to read the other volumes ❤️
September 21, 2018
I entered the reviews below, and apparently people are giving it low reviews because they have no idea what is happening. Which is actually pretty miserable! I love this series, and even though I've read *Way* ahead and gotten a few spoilers, Touhou Project is such a cool franchise to get into!! If you're giving this a low review because you don't know that's going on;
KEEP READING. GET INTO IT.
It has a really high emphasis on Eastern Folklore, mostly Japanese, and getting into the lore is really interesting. If you're into music and want to expand your playlist, there's a remix for every single song! Touhou has one of the biggest fanbases music-wise, my favorite group right now is Akatsuki Records. My favorite character from the franchise is Yuuka, mostly for her importance is PC98 canon and her overall reputation in Windows canon. There are other sources that do this better, but LISTEN. Want to know more about Nitori or Mamizou? Good news! They're both in games and they're both playable in fangames and the fighting game spinoffs!
If you like folklore of Japanese Mythology.
Read this book. Get into Touhou Project.
By the way, the most recent game as of Septermber 2018 is Violet Detector! It's much harder that older games though, and I haven't gotten a full grasp on the story, but so far ZUN said mentioned it's much creepier! So if you like Monster Girls and Mythology, READ THIS BOOK> ENTER THE FANDOM. thanks have a nice day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KEEP READING. GET INTO IT.
It has a really high emphasis on Eastern Folklore, mostly Japanese, and getting into the lore is really interesting. If you're into music and want to expand your playlist, there's a remix for every single song! Touhou has one of the biggest fanbases music-wise, my favorite group right now is Akatsuki Records. My favorite character from the franchise is Yuuka, mostly for her importance is PC98 canon and her overall reputation in Windows canon. There are other sources that do this better, but LISTEN. Want to know more about Nitori or Mamizou? Good news! They're both in games and they're both playable in fangames and the fighting game spinoffs!
If you like folklore of Japanese Mythology.
Read this book. Get into Touhou Project.
By the way, the most recent game as of Septermber 2018 is Violet Detector! It's much harder that older games though, and I haven't gotten a full grasp on the story, but so far ZUN said mentioned it's much creepier! So if you like Monster Girls and Mythology, READ THIS BOOK> ENTER THE FANDOM. thanks have a nice day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 31, 2017
This is an odd little manga. I thought it looked cute and bought it on a whim (because buy 3 get 1 free sale required I get one more).
I was right that it was cute, and it was silly, and a few of the characters looked familiar. Turns out, this is a Touhou spin off, a shooter game I've never played and only vaguely know about because anime club back in the day. Thankfully, no real knowledge of Touhou is required to enjoy this silly book.
It centers around a handful of characters. Kosuzu Motoori owns a book rental shop that specializes in youkai books, magical books that may or may not contain youkai (ghosts, demons, etc.). She is also the cause of most of the chaos in this book, as youkai seem to either escape from her books (sometimes with her help) or youkai are after her books. There aren't any great battles or gruesome discoveries as a result. It's more of the chaos that might result from the song "who let the dogs out" becoming reality. No one gets hurt, nothing really gets damaged. There's the threat of house fires, but the smoke youkai is comically ineffective and really just leads to a wild goose chase rather than any real threat.
At $13 a book, I'm not sure this is worth price of admission, but it is a charming little first entry that had me giggling and contemplating buying the next volume next time there's a sale.
I was right that it was cute, and it was silly, and a few of the characters looked familiar. Turns out, this is a Touhou spin off, a shooter game I've never played and only vaguely know about because anime club back in the day. Thankfully, no real knowledge of Touhou is required to enjoy this silly book.
It centers around a handful of characters. Kosuzu Motoori owns a book rental shop that specializes in youkai books, magical books that may or may not contain youkai (ghosts, demons, etc.). She is also the cause of most of the chaos in this book, as youkai seem to either escape from her books (sometimes with her help) or youkai are after her books. There aren't any great battles or gruesome discoveries as a result. It's more of the chaos that might result from the song "who let the dogs out" becoming reality. No one gets hurt, nothing really gets damaged. There's the threat of house fires, but the smoke youkai is comically ineffective and really just leads to a wild goose chase rather than any real threat.
At $13 a book, I'm not sure this is worth price of admission, but it is a charming little first entry that had me giggling and contemplating buying the next volume next time there's a sale.
October 11, 2022
Reading some of the low ratings here, I realized just how damn confusing this stuff can be for people who aren't already into Touhou and aren't familiar with these characters beforehand. Forbidden Scrollery (doesn't help that the "Touhou Suzunaan" title is left out, just for extra confusion) is one of several manga written by ZUN and illustrated by Moe Harukawa, and both do a great job in my opinion. I really enjoyed the entire series, but I'll agree with other readers that it isn't exactly newcomer-friendly -- I can't blame you for wondering what the deal is with this shrine maiden and that witch, and what the hell is going on with this "human village", and what youkai extermination involves.
If you read the entire series, all seven volumes, you'll get a better feel for all of the above, but Forbidden Scrollery throws you in the deep end. I totally disagree with the lower scores here, but this is coming from a fan perspective, so take that into account.
If you read the entire series, all seven volumes, you'll get a better feel for all of the above, but Forbidden Scrollery throws you in the deep end. I totally disagree with the lower scores here, but this is coming from a fan perspective, so take that into account.
December 29, 2024
So I love the art. It's very beautiful. The characters are adorable, but I felt the book had a neuro spicy brain like me. Now I can understand where people find my talking unfinished so often. I want to get attached to these characters, but I'll need to read some more volumes since every character tory seems unfinished. I found myself going back many times trying to figure out what I read or who said what. I see in pictures like a movie when I read, it was like my reel kept getting stuck. Anyway, I still give it 4 stars because it was a sweet mellow read, I love the art, and I want to continue to see where it goes. It has a lot of potential to be a cute story if it explains more going forward. I will see!
February 6, 2025
I was a bit disappointed with this volume, as I expected it to be even more fantastical and revolving around a library of magical books. Yes, there are some in the story, but I was expecting something a bit different. Nonetheless, it was an interesting read. The characters were well written and they have their own quirks.
I did enjoy the fantasy side of the story and I could see the potential of this series. Not much happened plot-wise, but it was a good introduction to the story's world and characters.
I still recommend this book!
I did enjoy the fantasy side of the story and I could see the potential of this series. Not much happened plot-wise, but it was a good introduction to the story's world and characters.
I still recommend this book!
December 15, 2018
3/5 Stars
While this was adorable, I don’t think it was anything super unique. I rather enjoyed the characters, but I think this just needed something more. Whether it was more background or more world building, I think more would’ve helped make this better. It was still enjoyable, I just think it needed more. The art was decent, but could’ve been shaded more to make the lines more distinct.
While this was adorable, I don’t think it was anything super unique. I rather enjoyed the characters, but I think this just needed something more. Whether it was more background or more world building, I think more would’ve helped make this better. It was still enjoyable, I just think it needed more. The art was decent, but could’ve been shaded more to make the lines more distinct.
February 8, 2022
I picked this up because of the cute art and intriguing synopsis. Unfortunately the storyline was pretty confusing at first, and I ended up rereading the first chapter a few times as a result. Once I moved past that though, the plot quickly picked up and I actually enjoyed it. Despite the characters not being very developed, the story moves along just fine due to its having more of a slice-of-life factor.
December 17, 2017
Definitely a nice read for Touhou fans, or people looking to get into the series. The story is pretty nice, and the translation work is pretty well done (except for the questionable Romanization of Akyu's name- Akyu Hiedano? Really?)
December 28, 2017
A wonderful addition to the ever growing lore of the Touhou world, though clearly struggles to exist in its own plain without the aid of the already established canons of the games and other graphic novels.
January 16, 2018
From reviews on Amazon I learned this was based off a video game and might be confusing to readers. I found it slightly confusing at times but overall got a good feel for the story. Enjoyed it and looking forward to the next two coming out this year.
August 19, 2018
The art is cute, but the story is very lacking, and the characters have very little personality--they all seem very 2D. I know it's a tie-in to a series of games, but for a game series with such a cult following, it was still disappointing that the manga wasn't really worth reading.
February 10, 2019
A good read that I, as a Touhou fan, have been waiting for! Though I don't know all of the references with background characters, the main cast get enough exposition to get through the manga. I felt that this volume dragged on at certain parts, but otherwise I highly recommend this manga!
August 23, 2020
It’s a touhou book, for touhou fans. Unless you already know a little, it’ll be hard to get into properly, so I wouldn’t recommend it too much outside of that. Or I will, and will also say to just read more about touhou in general.
January 23, 2025
I understand the publishing logic, and I don't think you need any previous knowledge to enjoy the book, but it is very amusing that the official English release only mentions once in the addendum that this is a Touhou product. Some cute japanese inspired ghost stories.
July 20, 2025
Pretty much a middle of the road manga to me personally. Not bad, but nothing particuarily good/rememberable either. I'll give it a couple of more volumes to see if it picks up or not.
I enjoy the artsyle.
I enjoy the artsyle.
February 17, 2018
CONFUSING STORY. but. It's about a library, so I have to love it?
June 23, 2018
Supernatural and cute. Simple as that.
August 13, 2018
Characters aren’t very engaging and the plot shambles along at an awkward pace
December 18, 2018
A very confusing first volume. Some characters look very similar making it difficult to determine who is who. It also kind of jumps in and makes the reader feel like they missed a volume.
December 22, 2018
4 stars because overall I enjoyed it, but the art is super distracting. There’s too much going on in each panel!
May 8, 2019
Pretty great manga, awesome art and great story 👌😁💕
December 25, 2019
*read as part of #JolabokaflodReadathon*
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews