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The original video for Bad Apple!! is one of the most well-known Touhou
videos. Here's the original, together with English subtitles:

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzEUeWnV73U>

Why is the song called Bad Apple? There is an apple in the video but I don't
imagine that's why. It matches the lyrics decently, but it still seems like a
strange name for a song.

Also, all of the characters in the video are black and white silhouettes.
Which characters are represented and in what order?


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touhou-project
What is the meaning of the title "Bad Apple", and which characters appear?


The song "Bad Apple" was originally the stage 3 theme from Touhou 5 Lotus Land
Story. The popular version by Alstroemeria Records is a lyrical remix of that.
Because Elly was the boss for stage 3, she makes an appearance towards the end
of the video despite being a minor character.

There isn't any real explanation in the game as to why the song would be
called "Bad Apple". Many original Touhou music pieces have names that don't
really match the plot in any way, and as far as I know ZUN has never
specifically explained this title. However, it is true that the popularity of
the remix may be in part because it casts the series in a somewhat darker and
more serious tone than the ordinary moe artwork, as the name would suggest.

As for the characters, I'll list them in order of appearance. The times
correspond to when they first appear, and the names link to the relevant
articles on Touhou Wiki.

0:00 [**Hakurei Reimu** (博麗 霊夢)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Reimu_Hakurei)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/cGKER.png)

0:15 [**Kirisame Marisa** (霧雨
魔理沙)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Marisa_Kirisame)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7ghX8.png)

0:28 [**Patchouli Knowledge**
(パチュリー・ノーレッジ)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Patchouli_Knowledge)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/UNBJP.png)

0:36 [**Remilia Scarlet**
(レミリア・スカーレット)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Remilia_Scarlet)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5PfIy.png)

0:45 [**Izayoi Sakuya** (十六夜 咲夜)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Sakuya_Izayoi)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vKY8i.png)

0:50 [**Flandre Scarlet**
(フランドール・スカーレット)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Flandre_Scarlet)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wcJta.png)

0:58 [**Konpaku Youmu** (魂魄 妖夢)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Youmu_Kompaku)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZztOw.png)

1:03 [**Saigyouji Yuyuko** (西行寺
幽々子)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Yuyuko_Saigyouji)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Bu7FR.png)

1:11 [**Onozuka Komachi** (小野塚
小町)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Komachi_Onoduka)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/LQ27j.png)

1:18 [**Shiki Eiki Yamazanadu**
(四季映姫・ヤマザナドゥ)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Shikieiki_Yamaxanadu)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fm2kb.png)

1:25 [**Fujiwara no Mokou** (藤原
妹紅)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Mokou_Fujiwara)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/mSchF.png)

1:32 [**Kamishirasawa Keine** (上白沢
慧音)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Keine_Kamishirasawa)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JoSXq.png)

1:39 [**Yagokoro Eirin** (八意
永琳)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Eirin_Yagokoro)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/okBwN.png)

1:45 [**Houraisan Kaguya** (蓬莱山
輝夜)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Kaguya_Houraisan)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/97I9i.png)

1:51 [**Prismriver Sisters** (プリズムリバー三姉妹), from left to right, Lyrica, Merlin,
and Lunasa](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Prismriver_Sisters)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/oFO4N.png)

1:59 [**Chen** (橙)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Chen)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/aZvrS.png)

2:00 [**Yakumo Ran** (八雲 藍)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Ran_Yakumo)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/k7bO2.png)

2:01 [**Inaba Tewi** (因幡 てゐ)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Tewi_Inaba)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZwEh6.png)

2:02 [**Reisen Udongein Inaba**
(鈴仙・優曇華院・イナバ)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Reisen_Inaba)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/FzGsn.png)

2:05 [**Inubashiri Momiji** (犬走
椛)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Momiji_Inubashiri)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SdyWF.png)

2:07 [**Kochiya Sanae** (東風谷 早苗)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Sanae_Kochiya)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4z0R0.png)

2:11 [**Kagiyama Hina** (鍵山 雛)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Hina_Kagiyama)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/mZwmp.png)

2:12 [**Yasaka Kanako** (八坂 神奈子)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Kanako_Yasaka)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/dhhKo.png)

2:15 [**Moriya Suwako** (洩矢 諏訪子)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Suwako_Moriya)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/WuMbh.png)

2:22 [**Yakumo Yukari** (八雲 紫)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Yukari_Yakumo)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ehgTV.png)

2:27 [**Hinanawi Tenshi** (比那名居
天子)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Tenshi_Hinanawi)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/GGqWL.png)

2:36 [**Shameimaru Aya** (射命丸
文)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Aya_Shameimaru)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zcwyl.png)

2:41 [**Ibuki Suika** (伊吹 萃香)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Suika_Ibuki)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CaMei.png)

2:48 [**Alice Margatroid**
(アリス・マーガトロイド)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Alice_Margatroid)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ffz7z.png)

2:54 [**Kawashiro Nitori** (河城
にとり)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Nitori_Kawashiro)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/HMtT0.png)

3:02 [**Kazami Yuuka** (風見 幽香)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Yuuka_Kazami)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/w6es3.png)

3:09 [**Elly** (エリー)](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Elly)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/YUqU8.png)

3:20 [**Hakurei Reimu** , PC-98
appearance](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Reimu_Hakurei)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/sMPN6.png)

3:24 [**Kirisame Marisa** , PC-98
appearance](http://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/Marisa_Kirisame)

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ALCOc.png)


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Two of your questions have already been answered correctly (1 and 3). To
answer question 2, I believe the song is called 'Bad Apple!!' because of how
the lyrics correspond to the old saying "One bad apple", which refers to a
rotten person, someone who is all around bad, etc. and the lyrics describe
someone who is a "Bad Apple", or someone bad to the point of being worthless,
and the singer in the song wishes to change, and have her hateful heart go
from "Black" to White".


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2013-08-25T16:43:12.130
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As Alana has already suggested, the generally accepted theory is that the
title comes from the saying "One bad apple spoils the barrel"
[[1]](http://dic.nicovideo.jp/a/bad%20apple!!),
[[2]](http://dic.pixiv.net/a/Bad_Apple!!), but I do not know whether this has
been "officially" confirmed by ZUN himslef. AFAIK the only thing ZUN has
[explicitly stated](http://www43.atwiki.jp/tohomusicdb/pages/155.html) about
this song is that it is like his older composing styles, but since it fits the
stage, it should be okay. But then again, ZUN never reveals everything about
his works.

It's also worth noting that this video is based on a very-quickly-made sketch
(MS Paint stuff) by someone else. The original "author" uploaded the
"storyboard" saying "I want to see a video like this. Somebody draw it
please?" This storyboard remained mostly unnoticed until more than a year
later, when somebody with an ability on the level of drawing cool silhouettes
came and uploaded the famous video.

The original "author" never said that the video should be in black & white,
but it works very well. Although the choices, the order, and the timing of the
characters' appearances in that video follows the storyboard almost exactly,
the comparison (<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkHFbIIQ9Tg>) can be quite
amusing.

![comparison of storyboard and the resulting
video](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Xkzu2.png)


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2013-08-26T02:59:37.377
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My theory about the meaning is that the song is telling us that we have to
make a choice in our life. A very heavy and deep choice. The choice gives us
two options. We can have a clean and pure heart, or a very dark heart. The
song tells us either choice we make that we will both lose and gain something.
It tells us to think hard, and don't choose right away. Either way we choose
we will still feel agony and joy. I don't know for sure if it's the real
meaning. It's just the message I feel from the song. I honestly don't care
what the real meaning to the song is because they both are pretty good
meanings. Either way I will still listen to the song because it's a great
song. Tell me what you think it is. I really would like to read your thoughts
you guys!


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Ok so i may be wrong and this might be already writen down so please bear that
in mind.

Im acually listening to lyrics and i believe its saying how the person "aka"
the singer is saying how she's nothing she's nor good or bad she is in between
and she is saying that its pain full

"It will never change",this is one of the lyrics saying that no matter what
she does she will stay the same

In the english lyrics she asks"who are you idk what this is but i think that
the "you" is the bad apple

I also have another theory the theory is that she is a vocaloid and the
creator aka the one that is controling she is telling her to do certen tasks
and she is being abused i think but pls dont hate?

Anyway i thing that the person singing the song is in the middle the ying yang
represents "other people" and the other people in video is her and it changes
constantly that meaning she is not black or white

"You can tell me what to say you can tell me where to but i dout that i would
care and my heart would never know",is on of the lyrics but like i said before
who is "you" thats up to you


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