Disciple of Bishamonten
Shou Toramaru's usual outfit. It features a waistcloth with a tiger pattern resembling Bishamonten's statues.
Famous Detective's Famous Assistant
Shou's detective assistant outfit. The cane isn't an accessory, it's a weapon!
Shou Toramaru's usual outfit. It features a waistcloth with a tiger pattern resembling Bishamonten's statues.
Rinkou (a Touhou LW original) refers to a Brocken spectre, a shadow surrounded by a halo of light that can be observed when you have your back to the sun and look toward an empty field or a surface of water on a foggy day. It is a fitting temperament for a disciple of Bishamonten. Shou is endowed with Metal Phase, the element of treasure, and Sun Essence, the symbol of firm belief. The cold and silent Metal Phase resists Earth Phase, because earth bears metal, but it is weak to Fire Phase, because fire refines metal. The alluring and arrogant Sun Essence resists the diverse and uncooperative Star Essence, but it is weak to the cooperative and indecisive Moon Essence.
An appropriate ability given her status as the avatar of Bishamonten. Bishamonten is one of the Seven Gods of Fortune. Shou is rarely seen collecting treasure (possibly because she does it when people aren't looking). It is safe to assume that Shou's clothing and equipment are valuable, since Bishamonten is adorned with valuable treasures from head to toe. Buddhist statues are purposefully created to be ornate and beautiful in order to reflect the majesty of Sukhavati (Amitabha's Pure Land). Her pagoda, while also being valuable in its own right, has the ability to fire beams of light that transform whatever they hit into gems, leading to Shou's reputation for attracting treasure. There is nothing more tantalizing than material wealth in this modern world, which is why Myouren Temple is so popular among humans even though it is a temple of youkai. Myouren Temple's strategy of attracting followers with Shou's ability and retaining them through Byakuren's sermons admonishing those drawn to easy profits is terribly effective! While Shou's ability is to gather treasure, in a past incident, she ended up losing her treasured pagoda during the confusion of trying to gather flying treasures in the sky. However, she managed to regain her pagoda thanks to her underling, Nazrin's efforts. Shou and Nazrin have a complicated relationship, and perhaps it could be said that they become a full-fledged God of Fortune when they support each other.
Shou Toramaru's Spread Shot (a Touhou LW original). She unleashes the light of dharma as bullets from her Dokkosho. A Dokkosho is a type of vajra. It is used in rituals, as a weapon, and is considered a valuable treasure. It can dispel bad thoughts and smite enemies of the Buddhist faith.
Shou Toramaru's Focus Shot (a Touhou LW original). Her bullets take the form of tiger cubs and assault the enemy. It appears that tigers may have been an important symbol in the mountains that Shou originates from. Or perhaps the temple that she served at in the outside world. This symbolism was probably of the tiger from the Chinese Zodiac, which denotes the east rather than the animal itself since there are so few tiger youkai in Japan. The regional cultures that worshipped her as a symbol of their faith gave her the name and form that she still retains today.
Shou Toramaru's Spell Card. Her pagoda unleashes a barrage of light. A pagoda is a kind of Buddhist tower that may be based on the idea of the sun climbing high in the sky. Shou's pagoda can fire light as brilliant as any shining jewel. Anything hit by said light will become a jewel—wonderful, but scary!
Shou Toramaru's Spell Card. She fires the absolute light of justice that looks like an amidakuji (a lottery in which you connect lines between a lattice pattern to determine a winner). It also resembles the pattern of the halo behind the Amitabaha buddha, known as Amidanyorai in Japan, which is where the amidakuji may trace its origin. Like the sun's rays, this Spell Card shines light down on Earth.
Shou Toramaru's Last Word (a Touhou LW original). A tank laden with a two-story pagoda launches an all-out assault on the enemy. While it does represent an astounding amount of force, it also follows the Buddhist teaching of "protecting ideologies through force when necessary." This may appear to go against the idea of not harming others, but justice cannot be served without power to back it up, much like a country protecting itself with armed forces. It is the same mindset that any monk practicing martial arts would need to succeed.
A type of club meant to attack enemies of the Buddhist faith. May also dispel unfavorable thoughts.
A three-pronged spear. Shou normally wouldn't be seen using this weapon.
It shoots beams of light that chase away the dourness in the world. According to legend, this pagoda was orignally some sort of flying vehicle like a UFO...