I think if I were to reduce it to single issue, it wouldn't be the quantity of content, but how fragmented it is. Most large franchises have a core installment or linear series thereof that will give you all the basics, and Touhou lacks that. The games are the closest, but they're not in order, most of them seem very episodic, the emphasis on the story in-game varies wildly, and some aren't even translated. So, if there even is a good jumping-off point, it is very hard to find.
Every single game, manga and spinoff is translated, the series follows an extremely linear timeline (roughly one incident per year), the Touhou wiki is widely considered to be extremely readable, comprehensive and accessible, and even if you're not into that, the TV Tropes page is extensive and has Cliffs Notes on every last character. As a whole, the project is considered accessible and fun precisely because it doesn't hit you with dense, complex lore or devote a hundred pages to explaining the magic system, but encourages thinking for yourself and interpreting various concepts and statements. That's the reason it has so many fanworks- the canon isn't an encyclopaedia so much as a launchpad.
Personally, I think you just seem to have a vested dislike for the franchise, probably because it didn't meet your expectations at an early point. That's perfectly fine- nobody's going to hold a gun to your head and order you to love Touhou. But if you insist on making claims about the series that are objectively wrong and misrepresenting it (to actual fans, no less), you're obviously going to get criticized. If you find it esoteric or weird or meandering or irreverent, then just say so- it's a sentiment that thousands will share, and considerably more honest than lambasting the games for not being 'in order' or translated.
Edit: Just saw your comment, never mind.
last edited at Nov 28, 2020 10:18AM