Hi everyone.

Today is November 14th, and it’s a special day once again. Not only is it my birthday, but it also marks another milestone in Gensokyo Odyssey’s journey.

Every year, this date reminds me just how far I've come. Gensokyo Odyssey has grown into something bigger and more meaningful than I ever expected, and that’s entirely thanks to the passion and support of this community. Whether you’ve been here since the Renpy version of 2021 or joined along the way, your excitement has shaped the game as much as mine has. As we step into another year of development, I’m proud of what we’ve created and even more excited for what’s ahead.

Throughout the years, mostly in high school, I've made a bunch of student films. A few of you have seen them and immediately connected the dots between those projects and Gensokyo Odyssey. Once you watch them, it’s pretty clear where the ideas, tone, and humor of GO originally came from, and some of those films are even referenced in the game (all of the actors in the live action parts of the game originate from these films, too)! I’ve put together a collection of these films on YouTube, including a few that have never been shown publicly until now.

Please enjoy!

Back in October 2021, I was thinking about a small Touhou fangame we were planning. I’d always felt like something was missing in the Touhou universe; No matter how many characters are added, the roster still felt incomplete. There was a hole in the solemn world of Touhou, in the shape of a suave crime boss woman. I scribbled some rough concept art in a notebook for this character (despite being terrible at drawing), and that scrappy little sketch ended up becoming the spark for something huge. Today, I’m excited to share that original concept art, the first-ever appearance and conceptualization of Kakkoi!​

I am no artist, but with drive and help, we were able to transform an idea into the gambling-addicted tax-evading charming yet blunt mafia lady you all know today. I hope this serves as a testament that (as cliche as it is, partly because it is true) with enough tenacity, anyone can make anything.

Lastly, I'd like to talk about the Laundromat in relation to future events. I've avoided talking about my knee surgery until recently because of the mf grinch knee surgery meme, but it is major surgery and it's impact on development is worth mentioning.

We're set to have most of the assets, filming, and code completed before the surgery, but since I'm the only developer for the game and the recovery is very long, the timeline will most likely be effected by this by (at most) a few months.​ A lot of the script has been fun to write, as had the base game script. I'm eager to see everyone's reaction to it and see more of Kakkoi and Okuu in action as soon as possible. As a reminder, the Laundromat will be a free update to the game.

Thank you all again for your constant support, your patience, and the genuine excitement you bring to this project. Every message, every reaction, even the fan art, it all motivates me more than I say. Here’s to another year of creating, growing, and sharing this wild journey together. I can’t wait to show you what’s next...!