Mononobe no Futo

Futo is described as being gentle at heart, but unable to adapt to modern times along with modern Gensokyo in general. Hieda no Akyuu points out in Symposium of Post-mysticism that because of it, she has an extremely "hermit-like" personality. Even in ancient times, she clung to Taoism rather than Buddhism, indicating a dislike of change and a favoring of old ways. She is friendly towards humans, even going so far as to save them on occasion, but hostile towards youkai for some reason. Toyosatomimi no Miko describes her as being a scaredy-cat, though her "fear" of Buddhist statues led to her burning them (and temples) down to the ground (as the head of the Mononobe clan).

In speech, she speaks with in an archaic Japanese language. In first person, she uses wa (我, archaic for "I") and in second person, onushi (おぬし, archaic for "you"). In her speech and conduct, she attaches zo (ぞ) to the end of her sentences for emphasis, which is a little old-fashioned. Based on this, it would be no problem to think that she was probably born a long time ago and that she has a certain aura of nobility, never saying anything wild or off-beat.

She says things which indicate that she might have a tendency to misunderstand others a little, for example she automatically thought that the heroine of Ten Desires had come to her for a blessing in order to recover. Thus she is a manifestation of the "idiot child", this may relate to how well she takes her defeat in general, sometimes praising the heroine. After battles, she always makes the excuse that she has not shown her true strength.

Manipulating feng shui Futo is apparently able to manipulate feng shui. This ability is mentioned in Symposium of Post-mysticism, where it is said that it's a power Futo acquired before studying Taoism and that due to the similarities in terms of worshiping nature, it's something almost identical to Shinto. Feng shui is the flow of qi, particularly the flow of qi according to the environment. To manipulate feng shui is to apply some treatment to the surrounding environment and artificially change the flow of qi and it is something that manipulates fate and fortune. Although it has a high effect on fixed things like towns and houses, its effect is thin on things that busily move, like people and animals.

In terms of practical applications, Futo seems able to manipulate dragon veins to change the nearby ground, controlling fire, wind, and water, lowering the amount of fortune in a determinated area or even altering the flow of fortune from other people to canalize it to another person. [

A plate is mentioned as the object Futo used to transfer her soul into in order to become a shikaisen and she seems to carry several plates in Hopeless Masquerade. In addition, she is seen riding a boat during some of her spell cards in Ten Desires, Hopeless Masquerade and Impossible Spell Card.

Futo originated in the Mononobe clan, widely known to be a Shinto-worshipping clan. However, she was actually a worshipper of Taoism. She decided to practice her Taoism in secret, as it lacked political power due to the fact that anyone can undergo the training required to become a hermit. Toyosatomimi no Miko eventually approached her and proposed a plan: Miko would pacify the nation under Buddhism, but she and Futo would die and be reborn as shikaisen. Futo agreed, and managed to ally herself with the Soga clan to get them to follow Buddhism blindly.

After the Mononobe clan caught wind of this, a religious war ensued between them and the Soga clan. The Mononobe clan was eventually defeated after numerous harsh battles that left many Buddhist temples and artifacts destroyed; and thus the nation was united under Buddhism.

Once the battles ended, Futo finally attempted the process of becoming a shikaisen by "dying". Miko soon followed suit and they both ended up in Gensokyo.

Ten Desires Mononobe no Futo has gray eyes, gray hair, and is dressed in a uniform reminiscent of Heian-era clothing such as karigina or suikan, modified with the addition of a purple skirt, with an eboshi on her head. The karigina or suikan was worn as daily wear by male kuge in the Heian period. The ribbons wrapped around the various parts of her outfit (neck, shoes, hat and sleeves) correspond to the five colors of Feng Shui.

Toyosatomimi no Miko Futo has been Toyosatomimi no Miko's faithful servant since before the religious war between Shinto and Buddhism. After they died to become shikaisen together and reappeared in Gensokyo, they remain together. Symposium of Post-mysticism says that they usually act in unison.

Soga no Tojiko Their official profiles state that Futo and Soga no Tojiko get along with each other for the most part, despite their origins as enemies in the religious war. They seem to be united under the fact that they both hate Buddhism. In Symposium of Post-mysticism, it's revealed that the reason Tojiko is a ghost is because Futo tricked her when they became shikaisen, having held a grudge against her during the religious wars. Tojiko, however, does not seem to have a problem with being a ghost.

Ichirin Kumoi Ichirin and Futo have a rivalry with each other thanks to their clashing religious beliefs. Despite this, the two work shockingly well together, able to prove themselves to both Byakuren Hijiri and Toyosatomimi no Miko. Futo holds a notable level of respect to Ichirin, inviting her to practice Taoism along with her. The two got along rather well, but had a falling out after being defeated by Joon Yorigami.[10]

Other Characters Reimu Hakurei, Marisa Kirisame, Sanae Kochiya & Youmu Konpaku Due to her automatically misunderstanding others, she quickly came to conclusions the first time she met Reimu, Marisa, Sanae and Youmu. For instance: with Reimu, she thought that she has come to be an experimental subject for complete recovery; with Sanae, she thinks Sanae has come to deliver her to heaven; and with Youmu, she thought she was a shikaisen (dead nirvana hermit), and therefore continues to think Youmu is a hermit even after the battle.