Legendary Japanese indie shoot-’em-up game series currently eyed by executive producer Rachel Kondo for a “mostly Japanese and Japanese-American cast” live-action adaptation upon completion of Shōgun.
Executive Producer Rachel Kondo, alongside animation and film production company Toei, has expressed interest in adapting the Touhou Project franchise, with Kondo stating she wants to explore the traditional Japanese cultural and historical influences of the series.
Creator and showrunner of the hit FX series Shōgun, Rachel Kondo, recently stated in an interview with Anime News Network (ANN) that she has been in talks with Toei Company regarding a possible live-action film adaptation of the niche yet popular Japanese shoot-’em-up series Touhou Project.
“Admittedly, I wasn’t familiar with Touhou Project until recently. I’m not much of a gamer—I play casually when I can—but it’s not my thing as I just don’t have the time for it (laughs). However, Toei approached me and said they believed that, due to my work on Shōgun and my understanding of traditional Japanese history and culture, I would be a strong fit.”
Kondo went on to explain that Toei introduced her to how many of Touhou’s characters and its overall lore are heavily influenced by Japanese legends, folklore, and historical narratives. One example discussed was the character Kaguya Houraisan, who is based on the 10th-century Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.
“It’s funny, because my grandmother used to read The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter to me when I was a child. As a little girl, I always wanted to be a princess like Kaguya-hime (light laughter). It might honestly be one of the reasons I’ve always had such a fondness for Japanese literature.”
When asked whether Kaguya Houraisan would play a major role in a potential adaptation, Kondo gave a brief but telling response:
Yuki The Snowman 