It's semantically the same thing. Killed, *Ding*, back to normal with full memory for the event. Their soul never dies in spite of their bodies destruction. I would call that immortality.
It's not as attractive an option of invulnerable immortality, in which the body cannot be destroyed either, but it's still immortality.
Catloaf said: It's semantically the same thing. Killed, *Ding*, back to normal with full memory for the event. Their soul never dies in spite of their bodies destruction. I would call that immortality.
Nobody knows just how fairy resurrection is supposed to work, though. Most fairies can't talk, so asking whether or not they remember dying is pointless.
We do know they're "less immortal" than Kaguya and Mokou, though, because fairies are nature spirits. If something seriously fucks up Gensokyo's ecosystem, fairies no more.
Catloaf said: It's semantically the same thing. Killed, *Ding*, back to normal with full memory for the event. Their soul never dies in spite of their bodies destruction. I would call that immortality.
It's not as attractive an option of invulnerable immortality, in which the body cannot be destroyed either, but it's still immortality.
Umm no, that's never been stated as fact so far as I know. It's a fact that fairies apparently can't be permanently killed, but the mechanics behind this are murky. The "instant video game style respawn" is so far as I know a fanon, like such vast swaths of "common knowledge" in touhou, take on the topic. Really there’s very little reason for it to work that way when in most cases of mythological reincarnation the result is the loss of more or less all memory of the former life.
This is if the "can't be killed" thing isn't more methpohical al together. It's possible that since faries are linked closely to the land they will always exist to some level so long as it does. Hence faries as a species or class are impossible to drive to extinction without very badly damaging the land, but indivudal faries need not have any particular brand of immortally. They can be killed, but they'll always be replaced in effect.
Sort of like ants, you can kill all the ants you want, but good damn luck driving them to extinction without rendering the earth uninhabitable. The ants that replace the ones you will of course be more or less indistinguishable from the other ants, but they'll still be different ants all the same.IMO this is supported by the smarter fairies having a noticeable fear of bodily harm by stronger entites, this to me does not speak of someone who will instantly respawn as if nothing happened. The sucidal behavior of lesser faries then can probably be attributed to stupidty.
Though perhaps not the most compelling argument the games themselves also seem to point against this. If the fairies could never die, or even really be seriously injured how could you possibly defeat them, on mass no less, in the games? Indeed why would they flee any confrantion when it's impossible for them to suffer any sort of lasting harm?
Whatever the specifics it seems to me at least that the commonly espoused video game respawn method has some very serious flaws and is probably not an accurate account of how it works.
Didn't Cirno remember that Flower Festival when everyone else had forgotten though? Which do you think is more likely; that she could avoid being killed for 60+ years or that she retains her memories?
without quoting Robert's wall of text, Perfect Memento in Strictest Sense states it quite plainly that they die, and their bodies can be mutilated beyond recognition, and then come right back again
garyseven said: without quoting Robert's wall of text, Perfect Memento in Strictest Sense states it quite plainly that they die, and their bodies can be mutilated beyond recognition, and then come right back again
Does PMiSS mention their memories cuz' it really is strange. In the 3 Fairies spinoff manga the three michievous fairies clearly fear being killed by more powerful beings. If they come right back, memories and all, it seems rather strange for them to fear death. Maybe fearing the pain, but it seemed pretty clear to me that they feared actually dying.
OmniGman said: Does PMiSS mention their memories cuz' it really is strange. In the 3 Fairies spinoff manga the three michievous fairies clearly fear being killed by more powerful beings. If they come right back, memories and all, it seems rather strange for them to fear death. Maybe fearing the pain, but it seemed pretty clear to me that they feared actually dying.
Well, I'd imagine it's more the principle of the thing than anything else.
Steak said: Didn't Cirno remember that Flower Festival when everyone else had forgotten though? Which do you think is more likely; that she could avoid being killed for 60+ years or that she retains her memories?
Take your pick; I'm guessing she retains her memories personally.
Does PMiSS mention their memories cuz' it really is strange. In the 3 Fairies spinoff manga the three michievous fairies clearly fear being killed by more powerful beings. If they come right back, memories and all, it seems rather strange for them to fear death. Maybe fearing the pain, but it seemed pretty clear to me that they feared actually dying.
