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Kogasa Tatara

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() () ()   () (がさ)
tataɽa koɡasa (♫)
Kogasa Tatara
Kogasa Tatara
Kogasa Tatara in Sunken Fossil World
The Cheery Forgotten Umbrella
More Character Titles
Species

Karakasa obake

Abilities

Surprising humans, Blacksmithing

Occupation

Scaring Humans, Blacksmith

Location

Human Village[1], Myouren Temple[1] (Cemetery[1][2][3]), Hakurei Shrine[1], Moriya Shrine[1]

Music Themes
Appearances
Official Games
Print Works

"Booooo!
Did that surprise you?"
Kogasa Tatara (Undefined Fantastic Object Stage 2)

Kogasa Tatara (多々良 小傘 Tatara Kogasa) is a karakasa obake who is always trying to surprise people but usually isn't very successful. She was once a normal umbrella in the outside world that was forgotten by her owner that no one claimed over time because the color of it was unpopular at the time. As time went on, the wind swept her away to Gensokyo and she became a youkai. Kogasa first appeared as the midboss and boss of Stage 2 in Undefined Fantastic Object. She later reappears as the Stage 3 midboss in Ten Desires and then as a possible opponent in Sunken Fossil World.

General Information

Personality

As stated in ZUN's Undefined Fantastic Object music comments, Kogasa is a cheery happy youkai, but gets easily depressed when things don't go her way (which is very often), typically when she fails to surprise someone despite her best efforts. She stated she wishes for vengeance on humans for being discarded in Undefined Fantastic Object. However, she's actually quite friendly to humans and her vengeance doesn't go beyond surprising and spooking humans. She gets genuinely pleased when she successfully surprises someone (or thinks she successfully surprised someone).

She despises not being taken seriously. She often attacks the protagonist in Undefined Fantastic Object in a fit of despair when she thinks they're making fun of her. She's displeased with children liking her eccentric design. According to her profile in Undefined Fantastic Object, she is currently reading up on classic ghost stories in order to improve her scaring technique.

Kogasa suffers from self-esteem problems, as she is easily pushed into lamenting about wondering what her purpose is, or that she might be better off if she just went back to being an umbrella. Perhaps due to this, Kogasa is seeking a true purpose of existence for youkai, tsukumogami, and herself. She attempted this by starting a career in babysitting[4] (which did not seem to go very well), surprising people (which also isn't going very well, though she's found some success in the Myouren Temple graveyard), and was even considering going back to being an umbrella just so she can be useful in that regard. She's stated that she's trying to imagine what humans want, and then plans on becoming that something they can use.[1] Deep down, it appears this pitiable illegally dumped object and troubled forgotten item just wants to be desired.

Her depression may also be another attempt at getting attention. She can get so depressed upon failing to surprise someone that it can become "a bother"[1].

Unlike other youkai, Kogasa doesn't eat humans. Instead, she eats their spirit. In her own words, if she doesn't surprise someone, she'll go hungry. In the past, humans apparently feared youkai enough that she'd get a huge portion of their spirit on a successful surprise, as according to Kogasa in Undefined Fantastic Object, even a slight surprise would make a human have difficulty walking straight. This is apparently no longer the case in the present day.

Abilities

Surprising humans

This ability to surprise humans does not appear to be an actual ability beyond what anyone could do, but it's her prime occupation. Kogasa's observed attempts to surprise anyone hasn't really consisted of much more than her screaming "Boo!" or simply attacking someone if pressed. It is the same ability that Chen has without shikigami (ability to the extent of surprising people), so just like with Chen, it might not be an ability of any substance. Also, there doesn't seem to be any humans that have recently come to be surprised, and whatever she does, it is like it is still trial and error. So far, in the things she said in the game, it has come off as more cute than surprising.

Hatate Himekaidou notes that she hides in the darkness to attempt to surprise people, but her hiding places are obvious. Hieda no Akyuu describes her attempts as child's play, to the point where the greater "threat" from her is how bothersome it can be to deal with her after she gets depressed by her failure to surprise someone. It's sometimes better to just pretend to be surprised in order to please her. Considering this, maybe Kogasa is unable to discern between genuine and fake shock, despite how she feeds by surprising people. It is unknown if a person pretending to be surprised provides her with any sustenance, although it does make her happy.

However, Kogasa seems to have some interesting interactions with the fourth wall, such as: her stated failure to defeat Yoshika Miyako in Ten Desires due to a "time out"; her appearance on the Undefined Fantastic Object CD saying "Surprise~" (おどろけー odoroke~) despite being stated by ZUN to not be involved with the story; her appearance as the Undefined Fantastic Object extra-stage mid-boss despite not having any relation to the story, which comes complete with a "Surprise!" sound effect to hammer the point home (the only extra-stage mid-boss in the series with no real involvement in the story); and dropping the first big power-up in Ten Desires upon her defeat. Similarly, she appears on Undefined Fantastic Object's Steam page as one of the preview images, presumably to surprise any would-be buyers of the game. It is unknown if this is an in-story canon ability or just an out-of-story running gag.

Blacksmithing

Surprisingly, Kogasa has demonstrated a mastership for Blacksmithing. She proclaims that no human smith could measure up to her skills, a feat proved true when she perfectly recreated Reimu's throwing needles despite Reimu not remembering where they came from. Kogasa proudly claims that she could make all kinds of wares, from bells to mirrors and more. [5]

Official Profiles

Toggle all
Official Profiles

Spell Cards

Judging by the names and graphics of her danmaku, Kogasa appears to use rain and light attacks in her spell cards (including a rainbow). From a statement by Hatate Himekaidou, the extremely large spinning danmaku orbs that Kogasa throws are actually umbrellas, which creates an awkward sight of an umbrella attacking by throwing other umbrellas. Her train spell cards are actually extremely dense umbrella barages thrown so fast and so close together that they appear to be a train. Her "Karakasa Surprising Flash" seems to be a blinding flash of light. Finally, her "Umbrella Cyclone" spell card and the fact that her rain attacks can be angled may indicate she may use stormy winds as well, but this is uncertain.

Spellcards

Backstory

According to Kogasa's conversation with Sanae in Undefined Fantastic Object, as far as Kogasa could tell, she was an umbrella that was thrown out by her original owner because her design was a little off. Eventually, she was blown away with the wind. Unwanted and undesired, the divine spirit residing within the umbrella became angered after being abandoned. Hoping to get back at the human that threw her out, Kogasa became a youkai. She then (badly) modified her own appearance to look more ferocious and youkai-like, and her quest for revenge on humanity (by surprising them!) had begun.

It is unknown when Kogasa was first abandoned as an umbrella to become a tsukumogami. However, she's expressed to Reimu how she misses the old days when youkai ruled the night, and when even slightly surprising a person made them unable to walk straight. Reimu finds her "old-time" stories uninteresting, and Marisa Kirisame comments that Kogasa is "really behind the times." This would imply that Kogasa has been around for a long time.

Kogasa has been referred to as both an Umbrella, and a Ghost Umbrella. According to Akyuu, the umbrella and the girl are actually the same being and thus inseparable.[1].

Character Design

Kogasa as depicted in Symposium of Post-mysticism

Name

Her full name is Kogasa Tatara (多々良 小傘). The characters for Kogasa (小傘) mean "little umbrella". Tatara (踏鞴) is the traditional Japanese method of smelting iron. Many workers lost an eye checking the colour of the fire to measure its temperature and/or a leg pushing the tatara furnaces. They wore geta to avoid the heat of floor which brought about the tale of the Ippon Datara, a one-eyed, one-legged youkai that somewhat resembles a karakasa obake. Hieda no Akyuu states that Kogasa modified the appearance of her umbrella to resemble this youkai, and believes she derives her name from it.[1]

Design

Kogasa has turquoise hair, one turquoise eye and one red eye. The design purpose of her eyes is likely to be retaining the appearance of Karakasa obake, which is an one-eyed youkai, by blending her right eye into her hair that has the same color, and to high-light the left-red eye as a one-eyed one. For the same reason, she is depicted as standing on one leg in her official art. She wears a blue-green vest with white sleeves and a light blue skirt. She holds a purple umbrella with an eye and a tongue protruding from it.

Appearances

Undefined Fantastic Object
Kogasa's sprite in UFO

She appears twice in Stage 2 trying to surprise the heroine, who doesn't particularly want anything to do with her, as she is slowing her pursuit of the flying object. They engage in a high-speed aerial battle that inevitably ends with Kogasa's defeat and the heroine's arrival at the flying object. She returns in the extra stage under the assumption that it being night is enough to scare humans, and is defeated once again by the heroine. As such, her role is rather limited and she is the only character that is completely unrelated to the story in Undefined Fantastic Object.

Ten Desires

After the events of Undefined Fantastic Object, she has been plotting to go scare Byakuren Hijiri at her newly-built temple. In Ten Desires, she takes to the cemetery adjacent to the Myouren Temple and the surrounding sky, but runs afoul of newcomer Yoshika Miyako. However, after asking the heroine to help her banish Yoshika, she also receives a beating.

Kogasa in HM
Double Spoiler

In Double Spoiler, Kogasa appeared as a stage 3 target, where she uses a few spell cards and had Aya Shameimaru and Hatate Himekaidou take photos of her and her danmaku.

Hopeless Masquerade

Kogasa made a background cameo appearance in Hopeless Masquerade on the Myouren Temple and Youkai Tanuki Forest stage. She is seen hopping with her umbrella.

Kogasa's sprite in SFW
Sunken Fossil World

Kogasa appears as an enemy in the Rainbow Cavern of Earth Spirits when the heroine is on her way to the underground.

If the player uses Reimu Hakurei, Kogasa will pop out of the ground, surprise the shrine maiden, and attacks her; but loses anyway.

If the player uses Minamitsu Murasa, the phantom will encounter Kogasa while she is going underground with the Palanquin Ship and, after Kogasa asks if she can go too, Minamistu attacks her. After losing, Minamitsu explains that she is going to stop the black water, which makes Kogasa lose interest.

If the player uses Flandre Scarlet, the vampire will suddenly attack her and after defeating the tsukumogami will leave using a backdoor, which made Kogasa confused and think that Flandre was one of Byakuren's assassins.

Symposium of Post-mysticism
Wild and Horned Hermit

Kogasa was one of the victims of a mysterious attack in chapter 9.

In chapter 27, she approaches Reimu during Kotoyouka with the implicit intent of terrorizing her due to the latter's weakened weapons. It is later revealed that her real reason for doing so is to offer to replace Reimu's needles with her excellent blacksmithing skills, which she eventually does. Reimu, unable to pay the bill, opts to use her new needles on Kogasa instead.

The Grimoire of Usami

She was one of the contestants during the Hakurei Fireworks Festival and showcased some of her danmaku.

Whispered Oracle of Hakurei Shrine

Reimu Hakurei writes a fortune slip about Kogasa as a way of cleaning up in the aftermath of an incident.

Relationships

Myouren Temple

Kogasa has a neutral relationship with Myouren Temple and is not registered as a member of this faction. Her purpose for staying there is to scare the humans that frequently visit its cemetery.[1]

Minor Relationships

Yoshika Miyako

Yoshika Miyako's presence in the cemetery becomes an unknown threat for Kogasa.

Hakurei Shrine & Moriya Shrine[1]

These locations are listed as places that Kogasa frequents in Symposium of Post-mysticism, but no reason is given. In Undefined Fantastic Object, Kogasa tells Sanae that she is considering going to Sanae's shrine to wreck the place as revenge for Sanae being mean to her, which may indicate a possible reason.

Gallery

Artworks

Illustrations

Screenshots

Others

Additional Information

  • She is the only character in Undefined Fantastic Object that has no role in the story.
  • She is the only Touhou character so far to have two different eye colours, known as heterochromia.
  • In Undefined Fantastic Object, she says "Urameshiya", which means to be jealous or bitter, while "ya" is similar to saying desu or da. It's often translated as "I'm envious," or simply "Boo," which has become her catchphrase in fandom.
    • Ghosts, youkai, and possessed objects (such as Karakasa obake) are said to belong to a lower realm in the Six Realms of Buddhist belief. "Urameshiya" is often said by such creatures to express envy towards humans, whose place in the Human Realm affords them less suffering. Thus, "I envy your life!" would be a more appropriate translation, although it tends to be used in the same context as "Boo!"
  • In Symposium of Post-mysticism, she thinks babysitters fly through the sky with an umbrella, referencing Mary Poppins.
  • In an interview where ZUN was asked about which Touhou character he would want to become. His answer was Kogasa, saying that "I don't want to overthink things; I just want to float through life and enjoy it without care, and scaring everyone a little - that's how I'll live."[7]

Fandom

Official Sources

Official sources

References