Silent Sinner in Blue


Developer : ZUN / Aki★Eda
Publisher : Comic Rex / tankoubon
Released : April 9, 2008 (Vol.1); December 9, 2008 (Vol.2); October 10, 2009 (Vol.3)
Writers : ZUN
Illustrators : Aki★Eda
Comic artists : Aki★Eda
Chapters : 21

Touhou Bougetsushou Silent Sinner in Blue (東方儚月抄 ~ Silent Sinner in Blue, lit. "Ephemeral Moon Vignette from the East") is a manga drawn by Aki★Eda and written by ZUN, serialized in the magazine Comic Rex since June 2007.

東方儚月抄 (Touhou Bougetsushou, "Eastern Ephemeral Moon Vignette") is a loosely interconnected storyline about the Lunarians that includes Silent Sinner in Blue, Cage in Lunatic Runagate, and Inaba of the Moon and Inaba of the Earth. Bougetsushou (儚月抄) can be translated as "Ephemeral Moon Vignette": compare with 東方永夜抄 ~ Imperishable Night (Touhou Eiyashou) which translates to "Eternal Night Vignette from the East".

★Story Summary
Silent Sinner in Blue follows the efforts of Reimu Hakurei, Marisa Kirisame, and the residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion as they attempt to send a rocket to the moon, purportedly in order to invade the Lunar Capital.

★Additional Information
In the July 2007 issue, in parallel with Chapter 1, an interview report with ZUN was published.
The first of three volumes of the graphic novel compilation (tankoubon) went on sale on April 9, 2008, accompanied by a soundtrack CD. The second volume was released on December 9, 2008. And the third on October 10, 2009.
The names of volume are "Upper Volume" (上巻 Jou-kan) - "Middle Volume" (中巻 Chuu-kan) - "Bottom Volume" (底巻 Tei-kan), which is a little odd; on Japanese, or Kanji culture, the traditional order of three books is named normally as "Upper - Middle - Lower", so they should call it normally not "Bottom Volume" (底巻 Tei-kan) but "Lower Volume" (下巻 Ge-kan). This irregular names are derived from Sumiyoshi Sanjin, which appears in the first volume.

★東方儚月抄 Silent Sinner in Blue Vol.1

Developer : ZUN / Aki★Eda
Publisher : Comic Rex / Ichijinsha (tankobon)
Released : April 9, 2008
Writers : ZUN
Illustrators : Aki★Eda
Comic artists : Aki★Eda
Pages : 172
Chapters : 8
Followed by : Vol 2
Comes with : Silent Sinner in Blue (CD)

The first volume of Silent Sinner in Blue was released on April 9, 2008, and published by Ichijinsha during its serialization in the Comic Rex magazine. It covers the first 1/3 of the chapters of the series, and includes the prologue, as well. In addition, it was printed alongside a music CD by ZUN which contained three FM compositions to fit the theme of the story.

★Summary
The first volume of Silent Sinner in Blue covers the very beginning until when Reimu seems prepared to grant power to the space rocket. 
It starts by introducing Reimu and Marisa, and then depicts Reisen arriving on Earth for the first time. As the lunar rabbit makes her way to Eientei, Yukari Yakumo and her familiar Ran propose an alliance with the residents of the Scarlet Devil Mansion to invade the moon and take what they can. They attempt to get Yuyuko Saigyouji to join, but she refuses. Through all this, Reimu is undergoing serious training at Yukari's behest. After a few months, Sakuya reveals to Reimu the plan for their rocket, which will use the power of the gods to reach the moon. Finally, Reisen returns to the moon and the two lunar princesses, Watatsuki no Toyohime and Watatsuki no Yorihime are introduced.

★SSiB Prologue
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Arsen
Summary : Reimu and Marisa relax at the Hakurei Shrine and reminisce about the people they have encountered.

★SSiB Chapter One
Translated by : Solamarle and Tanin
Edited by : Arsen
Summary : The saga begins with Yukari dispatching some crow shikigami over a sea. She then heads to the Hakurei Shrine and tells Reimu to start training herself, which Reimu notes is strange (this event is referenced in Curiosities of Lotus Asia ch26). At Eientei, as the rabbits pound mochi, Eirin talks with Kaguya about the latest rumor from the moon: a new force has appeared on the moon, removing the American flag and sending it back to Earth (where it was found by the Three Fairies of Light in Eastern and Little Nature Diety). Eirin speculates this may be the start of another lunar war. Meanwhile, at the Hakurei Shrine, Reimu finishes her training for the day when a rabbit collapses at her feet. Back at the sea, Yukari continues her preparations, and Ran gives her a report on the actions of the various factions of Gensokyo.

★SSiB Chapter Two
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Arsen
Summary : The rabbit Reimu met in the previous chapter wakes up in the Hakurei Shrine. She notices her lunar veil is missing, and looks for it when Reimu comes in holding it. Though Reimu intended to keep the cloth for herself, the rabbit takes it back. Afterwards, Reimu treats the rabbit to snacks and tea. Reimu mentions after giving the rabbit her futon she went to see the doctor, Eirin Yagokoro. (Their meeting is described in the first chapter of Cage in Lunatic Runagate.) Because she gave her futon to the rabbit, Reimu didn't sleep that night, and thus proceeded to take a nap. The rabbit then leaves the shrine after hearing a mysterious voice calling to her. In the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, the rabbit meets with the source of the voice, Eirin. The rabbit asks Eirin to hide her after she ran away from the moon, and she tells Eirin a rumor that claims Eirin is behind the unrest on the moon. Completely uninterested in lunar affairs, Eirin senses the rabbit is still attached to the moon and refuses to take her in. However, she does give the rabbit a letter to Watatsuki no Toyohime and asks the rabbit to go back to the moon and give it to her. Back at the shrine, Marisa wakes Reimu up. Disappointed the rabbit has disappeared with the robe, Reimu tells Marisa about her encounter with the rabbit, who Reimu believes is actually a tanuki or kitsune. She then starts her training when she and Marisa observe a "rising shooting star" (which is actually the rabbit using the lunar veil to go back to the moon).

★SSiB Chapter Three
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Arsen
Summary : One month after the first chapter, the inhabitants of the Scarlet Devil Mansion reminisce on Ran's visit, where she asked them to help Yukari infiltrate the Lunar Capital and steal its technology. Remilia refused, and now plans instead to build a rocket and reach the Lunar Capital herself before Yukari's trip. Lacking reference materials on rockets from the Outside World, Patchouli sends Sakuya to buy some from Kourindou. She returns with books on the Apollo programme (plentiful due to "lunar landing hoax" conspiracy theories), leading Patchouli to believe that the critical component of space travel is building the rocket in three stages. It's revealed in this chapter that hundreds of years ago Yukari invaded the moon with an army of youkai (the "Lunar War" previously mentioned), but was defeated and forced to flee.

★SSiB Chapter Four
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Arsen
Summary : Another month later, Yuyuko and Youmu sit down to watch the harvest moon while eating dumplings, but the moon is hidden by rain. At the Scarlet Devil Mansion, the rocket is about 70% complete but Patchouli is having trouble creating rocket fuel. Sakuya travels to the Hakurei Shrine to ask Reimu to lend them the power of the gods. It's revealed that after visiting the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Ran asked Yuyuko to keep an eye on them, since if they reached the Moon first then the Lunarians would defeat them and be on alert for Yukari; Yuyuko refused, considering it too unlikely. Back in the present, Yuyuko says that Ran didn't seem to understand what Yukari really wanted her to do. Youmu tells Yuyuko that she's been spying on the Mansion herself and reveals their progress - Yuyuko is surprised but oddly pleased, and gives Youmu a message for Reimu. She explains that Yukari must have started training Reimu in channeling the gods so that the rocket would succeed...

★SSiB Chapter Five
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Arsen
Summary : The events of Mountain of Faith are mentioned to have taken place in the time since the story began. The SDM's rocket has been remodelled, and now resembles a house with three cylindrical floors stacked crudely on top of each other. Sakuya arrives at the Hakurei Shrine and tells Reimu that their rocket requires a three-staged cylindrical magic power as propellant. Reimu is baffled as to how she can help until Youmu arrives, saying that since a rocket is basically a ship, the fuel could be something related to sailing. Reimu then realises that she could power the rocket by chanelling Sumiyoshi, the three-part god of voyages. The chapter ends with one of Yukari's crows watching Patchouli as she declares that "Project Sumiyoshi" is sure to succeed.

★SSiB Chapter Six
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Arsen
Summary : Reimu practices invoking Sumiyoshi, while explaining some of the nature of Shinto gods to Marisa. Patchouli makes the finishing touches to the rocket, including "borrowing some style from the shrine" by placing ofuda and shinenawa on the upper portion. Yukari receives her crow's report and mentions that neither her power nor a rocket from the Outside World could easily reach the Lunar Capital, but since it's a Gensokyo-like realm then a rocket from Gensokyo might have a chance. One of her crows is seen flying towards the Lunar Capital, but dies as its surroundings blur and become the airless Near Side of the Moon (this scene is also shown in Chapter 3 of Cage in Lunatic Runagate).

★SSiB Chapter Seven
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Arsen
Summary : The moon rabbit from the beginning of the story rushes through the streets of the Lunar Capital to meet the Watatsuki sisters, but is denied an audience. Watatsuki no Toyohime, however, arrives at the gates and tells the guards to let her through. The sisters are happy to receive Eirin's letter, and explain that while officially their former teacher is a criminal they must capture, they don't think she did anything wrong and have no interest in hunting her down. They then "punish" the rabbit for abandoning her mochi-pounding duties by adopting her as their pet, naming her Reisen after their old pet. As they start to read the letter, something in it shocks them.

★東方儚月抄 Silent Sinner in Blue Vol.2
Developer : ZUN / Aki★Eda
Publisher : Comic Rex / tankoubon
Released : December 9, 2008
Writers : ZUN
Illustrators : Aki★Eda
Comic artists : Aki★Eda
Pages : 183
Chapters : 7
Followed by : Vol 3

★SSiB Chapter Eight
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Arsen
Summary : The moon rabbits of the Lunar Defence Corps relax and gossip, but quickly return to their drills when they see Watatsuki no Yorihime approaching. She introduces Reisen as a new member, explaining that they've had to take her in for her protection, and tells them that they must train in preparation for an enemy who will soon arrive from Earth. Later, the Watatsuki gaze at the Sea of Tranquility as they ponder Eirin's letter and the warning it contained. Toyohime demonstrates her powers by throwing a stone at the Earth's reflection in the water and making it fall through a Yukari-like gap to Earth. On Earth, Patchouli explains the journey plan to Reimu and that she will remain behind as navigator. Meanwhile, Eirin and Reisen Udongein Inaba sneak into the Scarlet Devil Library to see the rocket - while Reisen laughs at its absurd appearance, Eirin says it's "almost perfect" and realises that someone else must have told them the Sumiyoshi method. She then hides a piece of cloth among the offertory slips on the rocket's roof so that it will be drawn to the Moon.

★SSiB Chapter Nine
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Arsen
Summary : With the rocket finished Remilia holds a party to celebrate, to which most of the named characters in the series are invited. Reimu is suspicious of Yuyuko, but she plays innocent and insists that Youmu's mention of sailing was her own idea. Remilia asks for submissions for names for the rocket - Eirin comments that giving pet names to a vessel of the Sumiyoshi gods might prevent it from reaching the moon, especially if they're unsuitable names, and has Marisa submit Mintaka/Alnitak/Alniram (the stars of Orion's Belt, associated with the Sumiyoshi). Yuyuko leaves the party after hearing that Eirin knows about the rocket's power source, telling a confused Youmu that she's a spy; Reimu is also suspicious but Eirin lies and says Remilia mentioned it earlier.

★SSiB Chapter Ten
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Arsen
Summary : The moon rocket is launched, carrying Remilia, Sakuya, Reimu, Marisa and three fairy maids, but a round trip will take from two weeks to a month. Eirin explains things to the Eientei residents, including the cloth she attached to the rocket (revealed to be a piece of a Lunar Veil). She says she hopes that Remilia will reach the Moon so she can "find the real culprit trying to invade the capital", and laughs at Reisen for not having figured out who's behind everything.

★SSiB Chapter Eleven

Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Arsen
Summary : The first stage of the rocket detaches on Day 5. Realising that they left the heating oil behind on it, Sakuya borrows Marisa's Hakkero. Noticing that the air is becoming thinner, Sakuya opens a window to see if it's different outside, resulting in strong winds blowing inwards. Marisa finds it odd that they still have air and their weight hasn't changed. Back on Earth, Eirin asks Patchouli how the expedition is going; they discuss how the distance varies depending on the method of travel, and Patchouli mentions that the journey was timed so that they'd arrive at the time of a full moon when the Lunar Capital's barrier had an opening. Eirin threatens Patchouli to tell her where she learned that, to which Patchouli retorts that she knows about the piece of Lunar Veil Eirin attached to the rocket, and that she wants the journey to succeed too. Even Remilia knew that her run of good luck was because she was being manipulated, but went along with it out of boredom. On Day 12 of its journey, the rocket's final stage crash-lands in a lunar sea.

★SSiB Chapter Twelve
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Arsen
Summary : Reimu and Marisa look out on the Sea of Prosperity and the wreckage of their ship. Remilia explores the surrounding area, but is bored to find only peach trees. At that point a member of the Lunar Defense Corps appears, pointing a rifle at her back. Reimu and Marisa are about to try fishing, but Watatsuki no Yorihime appears to tell them that there is no life in the "pure" seas of the moon. Pointing a sword at Reimu she asks if she was the one who summoned the Sumiyoshi gods, and on receiving an answer she uses "the power of Lord Gion, which seals away the goddesses" to trap the two in cages of blades. A moon rabbit arrives to tell Yorihime that her group was defeated by Remilia (actually they just got scared and ran), followed shortly by Remilia herself. Yorihime tries to attack Remilia but Sakuya stops time and grabs her, before freeing Reimu and Marisa. Remilia announces her intention to conquer the moon.

★SSiB Chapter Thirteen
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Arsen
Summary : Yorihime transforms her arms into fire, forcing Sakuya to release her hold; she explains that it's the divine flame of Lord Atago, which can burn anything. Reimu realises that Yorihime has the same power to channel the gods that she does. Yorihime correctly notes that Reimu has only started doing so recently and says that Reimu's channelings have been blamed on her, before using Gion's power to trap the entire party. Marisa convinces Yorihime to let them settle things with a spell card battle, promising that they'll go back to earth quietly if they lose. After a demonstration of the rules where the fairy maids fight a moon rabbit, the first duel begins - Yorihime versus Sakuya.

★SSiB Chapter Fourteen
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Arsen
Summary : Yorihime has a flashback to Eirin's letter, where she predicted that the enemies who appear at the Sea of Tranquility are only a decoy but could be used to clear her name. She opens the fight by channeling Honoikazuchi, a seven-pillared dragon of lightning. The lightning seemingly engulfs Sakuya, but she "teleports" behind Yorihime unharmed, before sending a storm of knives towards her from all directions. Yorihime channels Kanayamakiho, disintegrating Sakuya's attack and then recreating it under her control. Sakuya stops time again, but is defeated when she cannot find a way through the walls of knives and lightning. Yorihime tells the rabbits that she realised that Sakuya's power wasn't teleportation after she singed her skirt while escaping her first attack. The chapter ends with Marisa stepping up for the next duel.

★東方儚月抄 Silent Sinner in Blue Vol.3
Developer : ZUN / Aki★Eda
Publisher : Comic Rex / tankoubon
Released : October 10, 2009
Writers : ZUN
Illustrators : Aki★Eda
Comic artists : Aki★Eda
Pages : 175
Chapters : 7
Followed by : Cage in Lunatic Runagate

★SSiB Chapter Fifteen
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Arsen
Summary : Marisa opens the fight with her Stardust Reverie spell card, but finds that her stars don't twinkle in the moon's atmosphere; Yorihime dodges them easily and even eats one. Marisa then tries Event Horizon, but her opponent parries each projectile and counterattacks by channeling Amatsu-Mikaboshi. Reimu expresses doubt towards Remilia's ability to defeat Yorihime, as well as her own chances when she's the one causing trouble rather than solving it. Marisa attacks with Final Spark only for Yorihime to cut it in two, then Double Spark which she reflects with Ishikoridome-no-mikoto's Yata Mirror. Marisa concedes her defeat, and Remilia declares herself the next challenger. The chapter ends with Yuyuko and Youmu walking near a lake, watching the full moon; Yuyuko says that now that Remilia's party has successfully reached the Moon there's only one thing left for them to do.

★SSiB Chapter Sixteen
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Arsen and Nietz
Summary : Yukari and Ran fly low over each of the lunar seas in turn, trying to reach the entrance to the Sea of Sages before the full moon closes "and the sages' trap is sprung". Remilia is apparently getting the upper hand in her fight with Yorihime... until one of her wings starts smoking from exposure to sunlight. On Earth Yuyuko points Youmu to the moon's reflection in the lake, which is divided in two. Recognising Yukari's handiwork, Yuyuko steps through it and emerges in the lunar seas. Finding Yukari's umbrella lying battered, she remarks that she "can't turn down a request from an old friend like that", and that the umbrella is pointing in the direction they should go. Yorihime says she's been holding off on attacking until she sees Remilia's spell cards first - Remilia uses Queen of Midnight, which Yorihime avoids by channeling Ame-no-uzume-no-mikoto. When Remilia attacks again she channels the sun goddess Amaterasu-oomikami, defeating the vampire instantly.

★SSiB Chapter Seventeen
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Nietz
Summary : In Gensokyo, a gap opens in the Bamboo Forest of the Lost. On the Moon, Yukari and Ran arrive at the Sage's Sea and find no one there. Yukari opens a small gap and leaves one of her gloves in it, then declares that they'll steal some treasure from the sage's home. When Ran asks if this sufficient revenge Yukari responds that it's enough, and that the Earth can't hope to stand up to the Moon in terms of power. Reimu is losing her fight with Yorihime, with Marisa saying she's not acting like herself. While complaining about how she prefers fighting youkai to gods, Reimu casually tosses a black ofuda. Yorihime reacts with alarm and destroys it. Reimu responds that she has found her weak point - if she channels Oomagatsumi, god of impurity, then Yorihime will have to prevent any of her attacks from touching the Moon's surface or have its impurity spread. Ran realises how much Yukari planned things out, and that she knew the sage's house would be empty when they arrived. Yukari opens a gap to the house and they walk through, but arrive in the Bamboo Forest of the Lost instead. While Ran looks around in confusion, Yukari starts laughing and throws away her other glove. The gap leading back to the Moon suddenly closes as Watatsuki no Toyohime and Reisen approach, revealing that over 1000 years ago Eirin tampered with the moon's rotational period to shorten how long the path would remain open.

★SSiB Chapter Eighteen
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Nietz
Summary : Toyohime confronts the Yakumos, mocking them for thinking themselves clever and noting her disgust at the Earth as a place soaked in death. Yorihime is hard-pressed by Reimu's impure attacks, but manages to counter them by channeling the miko goddess Izunome. Back in the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, Toyohime asks if Yukari wants to fight, explaining that her fan is a Lunarian weapon capable of obliterating the entire forest. Yukari bursts into laughter and surrenders, saying she'd never have stood a chance against her in direct combat anyway, and her plan was doomed once her decoy was defeated. She then kneels before Toyohime and begs that since she is the only one who sinned, that the rest of Gensokyo be left alone. Toyohime responds "It's quite impossible for the creatures here to be without sin. Simply living and dying on Earth is sin enough.", but decides that this is also punishment enough and agrees. She then has Reisen prepare to bring the Yakumos back to the Moon for punishment.

★SSiB Chapter Nineteen
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Nietz
Summary : After Reisen ties up the Yakumos, Toyohime explains that the rope is made of femtofiber, an indestructible material that can seal the movements of the impure. Yukari accuses the Lunar Capital of using femtofiber shimenawa to seal enemy gods, identifying the large shimenawa at Izumo's shrine to Ookuninushi and the Moriya Shrine as the likely prisons of Lord Daikoku and his son Take-minakata respectively; Toyohime does not respond to this, but her expression darkens. Reisen receives a report that Yorihime has defeated the rocket group and need her assistance to send them back to Earth. Toyohime says to respond that she's finished too - they've caught all intruders they've found traces of. At this line, Yukari's worried expression becomes a smirk. Rather than bring the Yakumos to the Moon as she said earlier, Toyohime leaves them tied up. Reisen wanders through the forest asking the rabbit youkai for Eirin's location, and Tewi agrees to pass on a message. Eirin is happy to learn that the invasion was foiled, but can't help but feel that things went too well, and worries about how the Watatsukis are doing. On the Moon, Yuyuko and Youmu come upon Yukari's glove still hanging in a gap.

★SSiB Chapter Twenty
Translated by : Solamarle
Edited by : Nietz
Summary : Aya Shameimaru arrives at an empty Hakurei Shrine, noting that it's been 10 days since the lunar expedition returned but Reimu wasn't with them. After pondering whether a new shrine maiden is needed, she travels to the Scarlet Devil Mansion but isn't able to gather much information. Reimu eventually returns to the Shrine, greeted by a curious Marisa and Aya. She explains that Yorihime made her stay on the Moon to demonstrate her power of channeling gods and clear her own name, also describes some of the things she saw in the Lunar Capital, including that she caught a glimpse of someone who looked oddly familiar. Some moon rabbits discuss Yorihime's actions and how the fact that someone was channeling gods was apparently what sparked rumors of rebellion in the first place; they're then approached by Yuyuko asking for more information.

★SSiB Chapter Twenty One
Translated by : Nietz
Edited by : Nietz
Summary : Reimu says that the person she saw in the Lunar Capital was a ghost, but doesn't understand what a ghost would be doing in a place where people don't die. Remilia arrives to greet Reimu and invite her to a "sea" as apology and thanks. Aya notices a nearby crow take flight. The crow travels to a frustrated Yukari - on hearing what it has to say she smiles and declares that this was her first great victory in a long time. Yukari meets up with Yuyuko, explaining that she had to pretend to be angry for a while because the Lunarians were keeping an eye on her. Ran is confused about what happened - Yukari explains that she made herself a second decoy so that both Watatsuki sisters would be occupied at the same time, and relied on Yuyuko knowing her well enough to figure out her plan and perform the actual task. As ghosts Yuyuko and Youmu possess no impurity, so they were able to hide in the Lunar Capital for a month until Yukari could extract them. While Yuyuko was supposed to steal a valuable treasure, she actually stole a bottle of the Watatsuki sisters' sake; Yukari decides that this was actually a greater victory, since once it's drunk they can't take it back. They drink some of it before travelling to share it with the Scarlet Devil Mansion, where the "sea" turns out to be a swimming pool set up in the library.

★Silent Sinner in Blue (Complete)
★東方儚月抄 Silent Sinner in Blue Vol.1
SSiB Prologue
SSiB Chapter One
SSiB Chapter Two
SSiB Chapter Three
SSiB Chapter Four
SSiB Chapter Five
SSiB Chapter Six
SSiB Chapter Seven

★東方儚月抄 Silent Sinner in Blue Vol.2
SSiB Chapter Eight
SSiB Chapter Nine
SSiB Chapter Ten
SSiB Chapter Eleven
SSiB Chapter Twelve
SSiB Chapter Thirteen
SSiB Chapter Fourteen

★東方儚月抄 Silent Sinner in Blue Vol.3
SSiB Chapter Fifteen
SSiB Chapter Sixteen
SSiB Chapter Seventeen
SSiB Chapter Eighteen
SSiB Chapter Nineteen
SSiB Chapter Twenty
SSiB Chapter Twenty One