Story: 8.5/10

Overall good story, and handles Kosuzu’s introduction well. Cameos are found at least once every chapter (like with Mystia and Yoshika in this volume), enough for knowledgeable Touhou fans to point them out, but none of them bear that much of a place in the story so that it doesn’t confuse people who’re just getting into Touhou or can’t play the games. It’s also an interesting addition to the lore, especially regarding a certain tanuki in the last two chapters. I especially liked the bonus chapter (picture 4).

Art: 10/10

Not much to say about the art here, but Harukawa is incredibly talented with her contributions. (Picture 3, 4)

Characters: 9/10

The cast of main characters is small, probably because it’s the first volume. Of course, there’s Reimu and Marisa, new addition Kosuzu, lore specialist Akyuu, plot instigator Mamizou, and Sakuya the maid (who was fully introduced this chapter but only appears for ≈3 pages compared to her more complete role in early Volume II). It was definitely a good choice to keep the cast minimal for the first volume, since newer fans would want to see the more recognizable characters first.

Omake: 10/10

Each volume comes with translation notes to help some people understand the meaning behind characters’ names and some phrases, concept art of the new characters, plus some bonus easter egg drawings featuring minor details, such as Marisa’s house being shown in her concept pages. Volume I comes with a bonus chapter, II with short 4koma bits, III with an in-character interview with Kosuzu and the designer of a figure included in the Japanese-exclusive Special Edition, and so on. (The bonuses shrink as the volumes go on, not counting the concept art, except for the short music CD included with the Volume VI Special Edition, under the same circumstances as the aforementioned figurine.) Not much is left to be desired, and the bonuses are a good way to round each book out.

Minor Nitpicks:

The short synopsis on the back cover (Picture 2) is written something like a fourth-wall immersing personal message, something I don’t often enjoy with books, similar to the “If you recognize yourself, stop reading” monologue in the first Percy Jackson novel.

Sakuya, despite being given a whole introduction in this volume, only appears in a few pages near the end of the story.

Mamizou isn’t as plump as one would expect from someone who is both an older woman and a tanuki youkai.

The kind of paper used for the cover is different than the kind used for the covers of the other volumes.

In the Thai version, only the first volume is translated.

Overall: 9.25/10

Good story, easy to pick up, and even better to introduce someone to Touhou. It’s episodic, non-serious nature in early chapters make it easier for young eyes/ears, since the more serious chapters are reserved for later on when the seeds of a threat are being sewn. However, some sections are better for seasoned fans, and a few panels may frighten children.

Regardless, a good read that I would recommend to anyone looking for something to start.