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Japanese Comedian Collaborates on Touhou Fan CD

Japanese comedian Masashi Tashiro has collaborated with a fan group called Frontier Create to release a music CD based on the dōjin (self-published) shooting game series Touhou Project this month. Tashiro also stars in a promotional video for the album dressed as game character Aya Shameimaru, alongside a Yuka Kazami, a Chen, and a Keine Kamishirasawa (yōkai/monster form).

Tashiro found success as a television comedian in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s, but his career hit a snag when he was fined for voyeurism in 2000, having been caught filming footage up a woman's skirt. Tashiro claimed the footage was for a comedic film he was working on. His agency barred him from working in the entertainment field until the summer of 2001, but in December of that year Tashiro was arrested for drug use and possession. After serving a suspended sentence, Tashiro was prosecuted for carrying a knife and further drug use in 2005, and he served another three-year, six-month jail sentence. He was released in 2008.

The original Touhou shooter game was created by developer Team Shanghai Alice's lone member ZUN and released in 1996. Since then, about 17 games have been released, including one on sale this past weekend at Comic Market 78. Touhou manga, light novels, figures, and other merchandise have been released, as well as an unofficial, self-published anime DVD at Comic Market 75 in December of 2008.

Source: Kotaku