Bad Apple!!
{{Short description|1998 video game soundtrack}}
{{Other uses|Bad Apple (disambiguation){{!}}Bad Apple}}
{{multiple issues|
{{unreliable sources|date=February 2023}}
{{Cleanup rewrite|date=January 2024}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Bad Apple!!
| cover =
| alt =
| caption =
| type = song
| artist = ZUN
| album =
| released = {{start date|1998|08|14|df=y}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 1:22
| label = ZUN Soft
| composer = ZUN
| lyricist =
| producer =
}}
"Bad Apple!!" is the sixth track in the soundtrack of the 1998 shoot 'em up video game Lotus Land Story, the fourth entry in the Touhou Project series created by Team Shanghai Alice. The instrumental theme was originally designed to be played during the third stage of the game, as chiptune on the Japanese NEC PC-9800 computer platform, at 161 beats per minute using a frequency modulation synthesis chip.{{Cite web |title=東方幻想郷 |trans-title=Bad Apple!! |url=https://w.atwiki.jp/tohomusicdb/pages/155.html |access-date=21 September 2019 |website=Toho Music database |language=ja |quote=BPM: 160.73 (TimerB：202); 拍子: 4/4拍子; 再生時間: 1:22; 調性: 【0:04～】変ホ短調(E♭m), 【0:58～】ト短調(Gm); 使用楽器: 矩形波、@54、@74、@99、@101、@181、ドラム音 |archive-date=21 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921123347/https://w.atwiki.jp/tohomusicdb/pages/155.html |url-status=live }} The Lotus Land Story version that has more than 1.4 million views on YouTube{{Citation |title=LLS Stage 3 Theme: Bad Apple!! |date=26 August 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kXx6f7qaa8&t=0 |access-date=2022-11-08 |language=en}} is a remake of the song from an official Touhou album named Akyu's Untouched Score Volume 1 and was released on 21 May 2006.
It is known for leading to a much later cover by Alstroemeria Records and a subsequent accompanying black-and-white shadow play video – commonly called Shadow-art. The video became a Japanese internet meme in the late 2000s, correlating with the peak of Touhou's popularity, and experienced a resurgence in the mid-2010s when the black-and-white video was ported to esoteric media such as obsolete hardware, displays created within sandbox video games (e.g. Minecraft), and other unusual media (such as a mechanical television){{Cite web |date=26 February 2023 |title=Touhou - Bad Apple! on 18-line Arduino Mechanical TV (30 FPS) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfiHdziTu4w |via=www.youtube.com |access-date=8 May 2023 |archive-date=7 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507081028/https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=qfiHdziTu4w |url-status=live }} as a graphical test. As of January 2025, it has achieved more than 100 million views on YouTube.{{Citation |title=【東方】Bad Apple!! ＰＶ【影絵】 |date=26 October 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtutLA63Cp8 |access-date=2024-05-26 |language=en |archive-date=19 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119103119/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtutLA63Cp8 |url-status=live }}
Pop song
{{Infobox song
| name = Bad Apple!! feat.nomico
| cover = Lovelight Alstroemeria Records.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Album cover for Lovelight, which contains "Bad Apple!!", depicting Reisen Udongein Inaba.
| type = song
| artist = Alstroemeria Records featuring nomico
| album =
| released = {{start date|2007|05|20|df=y}} (Reitaisai 4)
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = * J-pop
| length = * 5:17
- 3:40 (music video edit)
| label =
| composer = ZUN
| lyricist = Haruka
| producer = Masayoshi Minoshima
| misc = {{External music video|type=song|{{YouTube|i41KoE0iMYU|"Bad Apple!! feat.nomico"}}}}
}}
On 20 May 2007, the day of the 4th Reitaisai convention, a longer cover version featuring the Japanese singer nomico was released on the album Lovelight by the doujin circle Alstroemeria Records, led by Masayoshi Minoshima.{{Cite web |date=2007-05-18 |title=Alstroemeria Records » Blog Archive » ARCD0016,ARCD0018 Release INFO |url=https://alst.net/?p=26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015173427/http://alst.net/?p=26 |archive-date=15 October 2007 |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=Alstroemeria Records}}{{Cite web |date= |title=Alstroemeria Records » ARCD0018 / Lovelight |url=http://alst.net/?page_id=28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015072131/http://alst.net/?page_id=28 |archive-date=2007-10-15 |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=Alstroemeria Records}} It shared little similarity with the original soundtrack, borrowing few melody samples, and was notable as being the only vocal song in the album, and for its lyrics dealing with depression and apathy.{{cite AV media |date=20 July 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QY4ekac1_Q |title=Bad Apple Explained: History and Analysis |publisher=Megapig9001 |via=YouTube |access-date=4 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731221654/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QY4ekac1_Q |archive-date=31 July 2021 |url-status=live}}
From May 2017 to August 2018, Alstroemeria Records released a series of 10th Anniversary Bad Apple!! albums consisting entirely of remixes and covers of their version of "Bad Apple!!".{{Cite web|url=https://alst.net/arcd0056-10th-anniversary-bad-apple/|title=ARCD0056 – 10th Anniversary Bad Apple!!|publisher=Alstroemeria Records|accessdate=2024-10-05|archive-date=7 October 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007100640/https://alst.net/arcd0056-10th-anniversary-bad-apple/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://alst.net/arcd0060/|title=ARCD0060 / Bad Apple!! feat.nomico 10th Anniversary PHASE2|publisher=Alstroemeria Records|accessdate=2024-10-05}}{{Cite web|url=https://alst.net/arcd0065-10th-anniversary-bad-apple-feat-nomico-phase-3/|title=ARCD0065 / 10th Anniversary Bad Apple!! feat.nomico PHASE 3|publisher=Alstroemeria Records|accessdate=2024-10-05|archive-date=7 October 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007100344/https://alst.net/arcd0065-10th-anniversary-bad-apple-feat-nomico-phase-3/|url-status=live}}
= Music video =
On 8 June 2008, a user from Nico Nico Douga uploaded a video of a crude storyboard based on Alstroemeria Records' version, asking for anyone to animate it.{{cite web|last=|first1=|date=8 June 2008|title=【Uploader want to watch】Bad Apple!! PV【Please someone picturize it】|url=https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/nm3601701|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080827083653/http://www.nicovideo.jp:80/watch/nm3601701 |archive-date=27 August 2008 |access-date=1 January 2021|website=Nico Nico Douga}} Several animation videos started appearing, with relatively few successes.{{cite web|last=|first1=|date=21 September 2008|title=【東方】Bad Apple!! PV を描いてみた。ver.1.1【線画だけ】|url=https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm4693242|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081001144843/http://www.nicovideo.jp:80/watch/sm4693242 |archive-date=1 October 2008 |access-date=|website=Nico Nico Douga|language=ja}}{{cite web|last=yange|date=8 November 2008|title=【東方】Bad Apple!! ~ver.short~ PV【完成版】|url=https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm5178867|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228115030/https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm5178867 |archive-date=28 February 2021 |access-date=1 January 2021|website=Nico Nico Douga|language=ja}}
Between October 2008 and October 2009, a collaborative group led by Anira ({{langx|ja|あにら}}) created a shadow-art (black and white) animation video based on the storyboard, which was released on Nico Nico on 26 October 2009.{{Cite web |last=Manry |first=Gia |date=2010-09-11 |title=Daily Video: Touhou 'Bad Apple' Video Collection (Updated) |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2010-09-10/daily-video/touhou-bad-apple-video-collection |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=Anime News Network |language=en |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126034314/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2010-09-10/daily-video/touhou-bad-apple-video-collection |url-status=live }}{{cite web|last=あにら|date=27 October 2009|title=【Touhou Project】"Bad Apple!! feat. nomico" – Silhouette PV|url=https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm8628149|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091030041158/http://www.nicovideo.jp:80/watch/sm8628149 |archive-date=30 October 2009 |access-date=|website=|language=ja|via=Niconico}} It quickly grew in popularity as an internet meme – as of September 2018, the original Nico Nico upload had been viewed more than 26 million times{{Cite web|url=https://originalnews.nico/132086|title=これは便利！ 霊夢・魔理沙etc…『Bad Apple!!』PVに影絵で登場する東方幻想郷メンバーをまとめてみた|access-date=21 November 2021|date=14 September 2018|language=Japanese|quote=As of the time of writing [2018], it has been viewed more than 26 million times.|archive-date=21 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121031345/https://originalnews.nico/132086|url-status=live}} and a YouTube reupload that recently (as of January 2025) hit 100 million views. {{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtutLA63Cp8|title=【東方】Bad Apple!! ＰＶ【影絵】|website=YouTube|access-date=3 November 2022|date=27 October 2009|archive-date=19 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119103119/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtutLA63Cp8|url-status=live}} The video itself depicts many of the Windows-era Touhou Project characters up to Scarlet Weather Rhapsody as they transition between one another.
On 21 May 2020, the animation by the group Anira became the official music video and was released by Alstroemeria Records.{{Cite web |date=21 May 2020 |title=[Alstroemeria Records]Bad Apple!! feat.nomico(Shadow Animation Version)[ACVS.008_Tr.00] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i41KoE0iMYU&t=0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106180535/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i41KoE0iMYU |archive-date=January 6, 2024 |access-date=January 6, 2024 |language=en |via=YouTube}}
{{As of|2025|May}}, the music video has gained 105 million views on Youtube.
= Use of video as a graphical and audio test =
The song saw a rise in popularity in the mid-2010s, when the shadow-art video was ported to several second-generation video game consoles and graphing calculators – presumed to be incapable of playing back full-motion video – for retrocomputing demoscene competitions. Peter Dell, a programmer who contributed to one such port, described the video as having become a graphical equivalent to "Hello, World!" programs.{{Cite web |last=Dell |first=Peter |year=2018 |title=Bad Apple HD |url=https://www.wudsn.com/index.php/productions-atari800/demos/badapplehd |access-date=21 December 2019 |website=WUDSN |quote=Bad Apple advanced to the modern "Hello World" for the retro computing demoscene. It has been converted to even the most obscure platforms including Atari VCS and Vectrex. |archive-date=29 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129113333/https://www.wudsn.com/index.php/productions-atari800/demos/badapplehd |url-status=live }}
- In June 2014, the "8088 Domination" demo included a section rendering the "Bad Apple!!" shadow video on a 1981 IBM 5150 at 640×200 resolution and 30 frames per second.{{Cite magazine |last=Pardo |first=Lisandro |date=23 June 2014 |title=8088 Domination: Vídeo full motion en una IBM PC |trans-title=8088 Domination: Full motion video on an IBM PC |url=https://www.neoteo.com/8088-domination-video-full-motion-en-una-ibm-pc/ |magazine=Neoteo |language=es |access-date=21 September 2019 |archive-date=21 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921150750/https://www.neoteo.com/8088-domination-video-full-motion-en-una-ibm-pc/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|last=Benchoff|first=Brian|date=21 June 2014|title=(Better) Full Motion Video on the First PC|url=https://hackaday.com/2014/06/21/better-full-motion-video-on-the-first-pc/|access-date=22 December 2019|website=Hackaday|quote=display video at 640×200 resolution at 30 frames per second on a 30-year-old computer. … playing the 'Bad Apple' animation on an 8088.|archive-date=22 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222022516/https://hackaday.com/2014/06/21/better-full-motion-video-on-the-first-pc/|url-status=live}}
- In June 2014, about two minutes of "Bad Apple!!" were ported to the Commodore 64 as 2000 frames at 12 frames per second on a single side diskette.{{Cite web |date=30 June 2014 |title=Bad Apple 64 – A mighty impressive C64 demo! |url=http://www.indieretronews.com/2014/06/bad-apple-64-mighty-impressive-c64-demo.html |access-date=4 December 2020 |quote=over 2000 frames packed to a single disk, with each frame packed to around 70 bytes and running at 12fps streaming fully from disk |archive-date=11 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111201720/http://www.indieretronews.com/2014/06/bad-apple-64-mighty-impressive-c64-demo.html |url-status=live }}
- By 2015, "Bad Apple!!" had been ported to the Vectrex console,{{Cite web |last=Fabio |first=Theodora |date=24 April 2015 |title=Extreme Vectrex Multicart Plays Bad Apple |url=https://hackaday.com/2015/04/24/extreme-vectrex-multicart-plays-bad-apple/ |access-date=19 September 2019 |website=Hackaday |quote=audio was possible by having the Vectrex's 8-bit DA-converter perform double duty both for the video circuit and the audio. … volume must be turned to the max … DAC can only output audio in this scenario when vectors are not being drawn,}} Atari 2600, Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, and Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus series graphing calculators.{{Cite magazine |last=Williams |first=Carl |date=16 July 2015 |title=Bad Apple Ported to the Vectrex, Something that Should Technically not be Possible |url=http://retrogamingmagazine.com/2015/07/16/bad-apple-ported-to-the-vectrex-something-that-should-technically-not-be-possible/ |magazine=Retro Gaming Magazine |quote=Bad Apple has also hit the Sega Genesis … Bad Apple hitting the Atari 2600? The Nintendo Entertainment System? Texas Instruments 84+? … Bad Apple has been ported to all of those platforms |access-date=21 September 2019 |archive-date=8 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108203352/http://retrogamingmagazine.com/2015/07/16/bad-apple-ported-to-the-vectrex-something-that-should-technically-not-be-possible/ |url-status=dead }}
- In 2019, Stéphane Hockenhull programmed an Arduino Mega to render the video (without sound) at 128×176 resolution and 60 fps.{{Cite web |last=Day |first=Lewin |date=8 January 2019 |title=Bad Apple!! Via The Arduino Mega |url=https://hackaday.com/2019/01/08/bad-apple-via-the-arduino-mega/ |access-date=19 September 2019 |website=Hackaday |archive-date=21 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921150745/https://hackaday.com/2019/01/08/bad-apple-via-the-arduino-mega/ |url-status=live }}
- In 2023, several Reddit users re-animated "Bad Apple!!" during that year's r/place event. While primarily a collaboration between the Touhou, osu!, and Hatsune Miku subreddits, several other subreddits also assisted with the animation, which took almost 72 hours to complete.{{cite web |last1=Glaze |first1=Virginia |title=r/place recreates iconic Bad Apple music video with jaw-dropping timelapse |url=https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/r-place-recreates-iconic-bad-apple-music-video-with-jaw-dropping-timelapse-2223664/ |access-date=14 January 2025 |website=Dexerto |date=24 July 2023 |archive-date=25 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725022829/https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/r-place-recreates-iconic-bad-apple-music-video-with-jaw-dropping-timelapse-2223664/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Zehrfeld |first=Maik |date=27 July 2023 |title=In r/place 2023 wurde ein komplettes Musikvideo mit Pixeln animiert |url=https://www.langweiledich.net/in-r-place-2023-wurde-ein-komplettes-musikvideo-mit-pixeln-animiert/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230727165741/https://www.langweiledich.net/in-r-place-2023-wurde-ein-komplettes-musikvideo-mit-pixeln-animiert/ |archive-date=27 July 2023 |website=Langweiledich |language=de}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Spoken Wikipedia|date=2023-06-25|En-Bad Apple!!-article.ogg}}
{{Touhou Project}}
{{Standard test item}}
Category:1998 in Japanese music
Category:Video game soundtracks
Category:Test items in computer languages
Category:Computer programming folklore
Category:Internet memes introduced from Japan