I like how the pivotal, key piece of evidence is a piece of clothing she didn't have at the relevant time.

C-light said:

I like how the pivotal, key piece of evidence is a piece of clothing she didn't have at the relevant time.

Well, how could the plot happen if the characters came to that reasonable questioning?

I feel like this is poking fun at all the "Dragon Meiling" theories

NegativeSoul said:

Well, how could the plot happen if the characters came to that reasonable questioning?

To be fair, considering how much of a big shot a Dragon is in Gensokyo it could be argued that only the mad, the foolish, and the powerful would be strong or stupid enough to claim themselves "dragon".

You're all fool, everyone knows that a Touhou's true identity is in their hat.

This is merely an extrapolation of that fundamental truth.

I always understood this as Yuuma counting on Yachie taking the bait cause of the hat, not that it was proof of anything.

Thruthfully... Kicchou's theory & argument & flashback & Hong's Meiling's oldest memory and partial flashback tie-in with hers during the past few pages...is beyond a funny multiple exploitable misunderstanding at all ... another story or at least appendage should shed trur light,but it coull well be a truth,or mostly so minus "the eating",compensatingthe major demi-comedic plot-effect about the ,because at the bottom there is still that additional grain of truth :"Dragon-Named Star Badge on Hong's Hat?! Clearly a Dragon!" and " (Kicchou's really active imagination?) Meiling ? -> Mei Long(Sleeping Dragon) !".