Somehow, I actually doubt that Mamizou would do such a thing to Kosuzu.

Would be kinda heartwarming if she doesn't turn the gold into leaves again, since Kosuzu supplies her a bunch of tsukomogamis once in a while.

tanuki23 said:

Would be kinda heartwarming if she doesn't turn the gold into leaves again, since Kosuzu supplies her a bunch of tsukomogamis once in a while.

Depends if it's in her power. Most Tanuki magic wears off when the transformed item goes away from the caster for a set distance or after a certain amount of time.

I think we misunderstood the image. The gold is that which Mamizou tricked from Sakuya, not fake gold made from leaves. Essentially, she got it for nothing, so it's alright for her to give it all away to Kosuzu.

Astrojensen said:

I think we misunderstood the image. The gold is that which Mamizou tricked from Sakuya, not fake gold made from leaves. Essentially, she got it for nothing, so it's alright for her to give it all away to Kosuzu.

Yeah, just saw the previous strip. Cue Kosuzu showing the gold to Reimu...

I would generally regard "gold created through alchemy" as fake gold.

S1eth said:

I would generally regard "gold created through alchemy" as fake gold.

Alchemy was basically just chemistry that people didn't understand fully due to a combination of bunk superstitious ideas that had never been fully debunked since the Greeks, and the fact that their equivalent of a "scientist" was someone who would keep their research secret from everyone else, rather than furthering everyone else's understanding (forcing a lot fo reinvention of the wheel).

Hence, if it's turned into gold by alchemy, it's probably real gold, in much the same way a laboratory diamond is a real diamond, simply made artificially.

NWSiaCB said:

Alchemy was basically just chemistry that people didn't understand fully due to a combination of bunk superstitious ideas that had never been fully debunked since the Greeks, and the fact that their equivalent of a "scientist" was someone who would keep their research secret from everyone else, rather than furthering everyone else's understanding (forcing a lot fo reinvention of the wheel).

Hence, if it's turned into gold by alchemy, it's probably real gold, in much the same way a laboratory diamond is a real diamond, simply made artificially.

There's also the idea that the original alchemical gold was actually brass, as lead is (or was) often added to brass in order to make it more malleable, in much the same way as gold: hence, "turning lead into gold". In fact, Pinchbeck (a type of brass) looks almost identical to 19 carat gold, and is often used in fake jewelry.

I myself would think they refer to taking gold ores, dipping them in mercury then vaporize it to get gold as a basic of alchemy. Kinda fit with stone to gold and a magical stone that looks like liquid but not liquid at all. *shrug* And as far as I know it, "alchemy" is actually used to refer to the art of making alloy from many metals, not just gold. Doesn't change the fact that alchemical gold might not be real gold or not 100% real gold though.

Bubba970 said:

There's also the idea that the original alchemical gold was actually brass, as lead is (or was) often added to brass in order to make it more malleable, in much the same way as gold: hence, "turning lead into gold". In fact, Pinchbeck (a type of brass) looks almost identical to 19 carat gold, and is often used in fake jewelry.

Today I learned something new.