Hi, I’m one of the writers, Wererat42. Sorry for the late introduction.
We’ve already talked a bit about our plans concerning Marisa and how we intend to characterize her, but the name of the game is Eastern Starlight Romance, so why don’t we talk a little bit about the heroines of the game? One of the most recognizable pairings in Touhou would have to be MariAli, so I’ll start with Marisa’s neighbor in the Forest, Alice Margatroid.
The interpretations of Alice’s personality and background are varied, so we’ve been taking a relatively balanced approach. Don’t expect to see the stuttering, lovesick Alice that pervades most of the fandom or the cold, calculating Alice at the opposite end of the spectrum . We’re aiming towards making her a stronger, less two-dimensional character, rather than just slapping on a label like ‘tsundere’ and being done with it.
Like Reimu, Marisa has known Alice for a while now and they have worked well together in the past, the most recent example being the episode of Subterranean Animism. While they do have their differences, they get along relatively well. So while you can expect plenty of bickering and the occasional duel (usually Marisa’s fault), you won’t have to worry much about Alice turning into a yandere psychopath and try to murder Marisa without warning. Unless you do something incredibly stupid.