Benben Tsukumo's usual outfit. It features a white shirt and a beige dress.
Rebel Biwa Bassist
Benben's mysterious band costume. She used magic to transform her biwa into a bass guitar.
Pure and Beautiful White Loquat
Benben's Fantasy Rebirth outfit. It was fashioned at Kourindou based on information in the journal.
Tsukumogami of an Aged Biwa
Voice Lines
Gacha Pickup
My name is Benben Tsukumo. I am a tsukumogami of a biwa. My little sister Yatsuhashi and I look forward to working with you.
Introduction
I'm Benben Tsukumo, a tsukumogami of a biwa. Yatsuhashi's my little sister and a koto tsukumogami. Do you like instruments? ...You do? That's good. There would have been trouble if you were the type of person who doesn't treat instruments with respect. I once aimed to try to overthrow those in power with the other tools, but I suppose I could help you protect this transient world instead.
Purple Heart
Are you ready? Let's start with the basics, shall we?
Blue Heart
I guess not everything is as easy as music... Let's learn together, OK?
Green Heart
You've got some talent, but I've still got much more to teach you. How about you show me how determined you really are?
Orange Heart
I want to listen to you sing once in a while. I always end up lamenting over the state of the world whenever I sing, so I'd like to just let go and give myself over to someone else's song for a change.
Pink Heart
I was talking with Yatsuhashi and we realized something. You asking us to teach you how to sing is like what would have happened in a world where we succeeded in overthrowing those in power. I just laughed it off back then, but now I feel quite pleased about it. It's so strange.
Summer
All right, what kind of spooky story do you want to hear? I probably have a whole summer's worth of stories about vengeful spirits who were defeated in the Genpei War.
Login
All right, let's start today's practice. Come on, get ready and sit down.
Enhancement
It's all about practice, practice, practice.
Return
I played a whole lot again this time. Let's take a break with some tea.
Home 1
Oh? I can hear the sound of Raiko's drums. I can't help but want to jam with the beat. Let's give it a shot, shall we?
Home 2
Yatsuhashi is my cute little sister. She came to life next to me right after I did. Our bond is thicker than blood.
Home 3
One time when Yatsuhashi and I were playing together, Kokoro came by and started dancing to our music. We all got lost in the moment and completely immersed in the music.
Reaction 1
You don't know how to play? I'll teach you then.
Reaction 2
You have to sing from your stomach, like this...
Reaction 3
My song was enchanting? ...Hehe, thank you.
Task
You've got a task. Shall I check it for you?
Task Complete
Good job in completing your task so well.
Mail
You've got some mail. Let's take a look.
Errand Finished
It seems that someone has returned from an errand. Let's go and welcome them back.
Start of Battle
All right, let's start playing the song for tonight!
Mid-Wave
Don't just stand there! We need to keep going!
Victory
Oh, is it over already? Then I suppose that concludes my performance.
Defeat
Ahh, that was too much for me. I surrender.
Spellcard 1 Chant 1
All right, listen to this!
It's about the law of impermanence.
Spellcard 1 Chant 2
All things are transient. The weak
will always overthrow the strong!
Spellcard 1 Casted
Heikyoku: Sounds of Jetavana's Bell
Spellcard 2 Chant 1
Everyone knows music pulls
on the heartstrings.
Spellcard 2 Chant 2
But if you let your guard down...
It might tear you apart!
Spellcard 2 Casted
Music Sign: Malicious Musical Score
Last Word Chant 1
You don't know how powerful
a tool's resentment is, do you?
Last Word Chant 2
Magically committing arson
is a piece of cake!
Last Word Casted
Kenjou: Imperial Palace Inferno
Boost 1
Grrr!
Boost 2
Haaaaa!
Boost 3
Take a listen to this!
Graze 1
Ha!
Graze 2
OK!
Graze 3
Take this!
Command A
Right!
Command B
Sounds good!
Command C
This, right?!
Command D
OK, everyone, lend me your ear.
Skill A
I'll play you a tune!
Skill B
Leave it to me!
Shot A
Listen to this!
Shot B
Take this and that!
Damage
Ugh!
Heavy Damage
Urgh!
Guard
Try harder!
Graze Activated
You'll never hit!
Change to Rear
I'll leave it to you!
Change to Front
Let's put on a show!
Buff/Heal
Thanks!
Knocked Out
Ugh... Wait! I can still...
Voice Sets
Tsukumogami of a Biwa
VA: Suzushiro Sayumi
Cool and Collected Older Sister
VA: Kuwahara Yuuki
Law of Impermanence Believer
VA: Hashimoto Chinami
Character Information
Temperament: Shunshou
Shunshou (a Touhou LW original) refers to spring evenings. This is appropriate for Benben who is a tsukumogami of a biwa, a Japanese lute. Benben is endowed with Wood Essence, with the biwa being an instrument made out of wood, and Moon Essence, with her aptitude for adapting to any situation.
The strong and kind Wood Phase resists Water Phase, because water nourishes wood, but it is weak to Metal Phase, because metal carves wood.
The cooperative and indecisive Moon Essence resists the alluring and arrogant Sun Essence, but it is weak to the diverse and uncooperative Star Essence.
Ability/Backstory: Capable of making sounds and performing on her own
This is Benben and Yatsuhashi's ability as tsukumogami of instruments. Tsukumogami are tools that have attained sentience, so being able to make sounds and perform by oneself could be taken for granted, but since the two of them only became tsukumogami recently, being able to perform without a musician is surely a joy. Benben is especially happy with becoming a tsukumogami as it has made it possible for her to have a sisterly relationship with Yatsuhashi and to talk with various humans and youkai. There was a real risk of the two of them reverting to plain old instruments when a past incident was resolved, but Raiko helped make it so that they could retain their human-like forms.
Attacks
Vengeful Spirit Tale
Benben Tsukumo's Spread Shot (a Touhou LW original). In this attack, she plays the biwa while telling a story about vengeful spirits, a priest, and an earless musician. Upon hearing this famous story, you will realize how terrifying vengeful spirits can truly be. However, you will also learn that if you write Buddhist Sutras all over your body, vengeful spirits will be unable to see you.
Bullets
Vengeful Spirit Curse
Monk's Tale
Great Vengeful Spirit Curse
Heike Vengeful Spirit Curse
Heike Great Vengeful Spirit Curse
Biwa Monk's Tale
Score Attack
Benben Tsukumo's Focus Shot (a Touhou LW original). Bullets in the shape of a musical staff are shot out in this attack. The biwa was traditionally played by using its own musical notation, so the fact that Benben knows staff notation means that she somehow gained access to this knowledge from the outside world, or that her biwa was still in the outside world until recently. Regardless, it is thanks to this universal language of music that she can so easily play songs together with Raiko and the Prismriver Sisters.
Bullets
Power of Musical Staves
First Line
Second Line
Third Line
Fourth Line
Fifth Line
Heikyoku: Sounds of Jetavana's Bell
Benben Tsukumo's Spell Card. In this attack, she plays a tune inspired by a classic military epic. The Tale of the Heike starts with the sound of Jetavana's bells, which echo the impermanence of all things. A time comes when all those who live in prosperity must fall. The tsukumogami may have taken this as inspiration in regards to Gensokyo's current regime (the sages etc.) in a past incident.
Bullets
Volume One
Volume Two
Volume Three
Volume Four
Volume Five
Volume Six
Music Sign: Malicious Musical Score
Benben Tsukumo's Spell Card. She shoots out vicious bullets in the form of musical staves. Like tsukumogami, musical staves do not have sentience at first. Staves imbued with maliciousness may be a type of kotodama, a spirit that dwells in words, or perhaps they could be like the musical note bullets, where the bullets are the embodiment of sound itself.
Bullets
Power of Malicious Musical Staves
Malicious First Line
Malicious Second Line
Malicious Third Line
Malicious Fourth Line
Malicious Fifth Line
Kenjou - Imperial Palace Inferno
Benben Tsukumo's Last Word (a Touhou LW original). This attack is a manifestation of the resentment that some tsukumogami have. It is apparently based on a story of an old biwa youkai who takes revenge by burning down its former owner's residence. Tools should be treated with care and given a proper send off when they can no longer be used.
Bullets
Imperial Palace Fire
Imperial Palace Collapse
Imperial Palace Inferno
Blazing Imperial Palace Inferno
Imperial Palace Hellfire
Great Imperial Palace Collapse
Skills
Skill: Secret Song: Youshinsou
The True and Faithful Willow. This is one of the secret biwa songs that was played in the imperial court. The contents of the song itself are no longer known.
Skill: Secret Song: Takuboku
Woodpecker. This is one of the secret biwa songs that were played in the imperial court. The contents of the song itself has been lost to time.
Skill: Secret Song: Ryuusen
Flowing Hot Springs. This is one of the secret biwa songs that was played in the imperial court. The song itself is a mystery...