#I’m tired of Mihoyo’s bullshit

[tea-cat-arts]

(Disclaimer incase some of y’all don’t have the “Honkai spoilers” and “Genshin spoilers” tags blocked: This post will contain some pretty major spoilers from both games. Also this post is more of a repeat shower thought of mine than a proper analysis)

Something I find… disappointing about Mihoyo’s writing is that it only ever seems to be people who are already in positions of power and authority who get redemption arcs, where as characters who were genuinely just forced into these terrible situations will get villainized and killed off.

Examples:

Ei, leader of a nation and a god, hunted down poor and middle class vision holders (technically a minority group) and stripped them of their will or killed them if they resisted, but the story goes out of its way to show us her grief and hardships, which are supposed to make her worthy of redemption

Dr. MEI, main leader of her era, committed way too many war crimes to list here (main one being experimenting on soldiers and sending them to their death without their consent) and defunded or distracted at least two of the leading scientists working on alternatives, but the story frames her actions as noble and a necessary sacrifice

Otto, part of a ruling lineage and leader of a government party, also committed too many war crimes to list here but we’re gonna focus on the part where he kidnapped and tortured children for science, was given a story the centered around showing us his humanity, motivations, and good intentions/ outcomes

Sirin/HoV one of said children Otto kidnapped and tortured, lashes out and attacks the ones responsible for her pain and those who defend them. Killed off

Kevin, literally just some guy pulled off the street who stepped up when nobody else would, took on a task that was way too big for him to handle, watched almost all his friends die, watched as he was powerless to stop the world from being destroyed, and went along with a desperate and incredibly dangerous plan that he hated, but thought was the only way to prevent what he already lived through from happening again. Deemed a monster that has to be killed

La Signora, a young village woman who’s lover died in a pointless war between gods, had her home destroyed, turned her body into liquid fire, and joined the side that was looking to take down the people who caused her all this pain. Presumably killed off probably not gonna stay that way though so we can come back to this one in a couple years

Some potential exceptions to this trend/ less straightforward examples:

Fu Hua and Kujou Sara (arcs handled similarly, so I’m lumping them together). Though they are both technically leaders, they aren’t by any means the one in charge. Their motivations, reasoning, and potential for redemption is established incredibly early on and the story is quick to show us that even though they’re on the bad guy team at first, they have noble intentions. They also spend the majority of their time in the story actually doing the leg work to prove they’re a good guy

Scaramouche. Though he is technically the child of a god, he’s still a parental abuse victim and the story repeatedly puts him in positions of powerlessness and servitude. He also spent the majority of his life living in poverty. Though he hasn’t exactly been redeemed for his war crimes yet, the story is giving him a chance to work for it

The grand sage. Example of a corrupt person in power we actually did get to take down. Though it should be noted that the story frames it as though that power was never rightfully his in the first place

Idk, it’s not enough for me to go and try and accuse Mihoyo of anything, nor am I trying to say that all these stories were handled poorly (and yes, I’m fully aware that a lot of my descriptions were oversimplifications of the canon). It’s just a pattern that I’m side-eying Mihoyo for. A trend that does make me straight up go “hey, Mihoyo, what the fuck-“

Why is every scientist tampering with human biology and evolution depicted as some puppy-kicking lunatic? Why does the story focus so heavily on demonizing their areas of research and acting like those are the problem, not the fact that they’re committing several OSHA violations? I know I’ve ranted about this point before, but I just find it incredibly strange

[yestrday]

― YANDERE! GENSHIN ACADEMY AU. pt one | two | three | four | five

⇢ scaramouche, thoma, arataki itto, gorou / gn! reader

introducing! this academy has plenty of cultures mashing together, and what would it be without inazuma? hailing from the land of eternity, three eccentric characters join their fellow inazuman kazuha as well as your mentally unstable harem to fight for your heart. some of them… don’t exactly mesh well, but their goal for your heart to be theirs eternally are the same!

warning! yandere, obsessive & possessive behavior, unhealthy relationships, delusional behavior, scaramouche is here do i really need to explain it to u, mentions of violence, brief mention of collaring 

author’s note! i refuse to make scara anything else but the dirty lil grime boy that he is. he goes absolutely fucking feral, that man. killed off my teppei. lil shit im gonna punt u so hard once u become playable. Make sure u die next to signora and childe you fuckin shit. /holds up this 4’11 sonovabitch/ /immediately chucks him into the pacific/ mihoyo if his voicelines aren’t him cussing out traveler and bitching about every little thing im suing for false advertisement

— SADISTIC TYPE. scaramouche | 散兵

[ “hmph, lowly little thing. and what do you think you’re staring at?” ]

⇢ scara (derogatory). no redeeming qualities. pure fucking evil. he’s been a constant thorn in your side ever since you entered the academy and has been that way since forever. what sort of prestigious academy allows a no-name rat like you to enter, hm? it takes all of your willpower to not throw a punch at his face.

⇢ he’s not arrogant for nothing. although the two of you are in the same year, he’s completely in another level of his own. he can throw down the strongest of people in your school, is the top student in your level, plays multiple traditional instruments, and has abilities super-fucking-incomprehensible that you stop to think if he really is human. if only he’d keep his mouth shut, then his graded behavior wouldn’t drag him down.

⇢ when you’re seatmates… god, it’s just pure torture. scaramouche doesn’t need to listen to whatever these plebeian teachers have to offer, but he needs the attendance or else his big sisters ei and makoto will berate him at home and he’s too tired to put up with their shit. he likes poking you with the sharp end of his compass, or if long enough, will tug on your hair to annoy you. actually fuck that, he will pull on your hair no matter what the length.

⇢ if you talk back, archons, you’re in for a time. there is nothing he hates more than being embarrassed. he’s already had enough of being compared to with his third-year sisters who are oh so divine and elegant and charming and fucking bullshit. makoto he can slightly put up with, but ei? oh how he’d love to see her destroyed. everything he’s worked so hard for was natural talent for ei, and every time he had caught up to her she ascended levels he thought was unreachable. but destroying her was too big of a plan, so you’re here, under his hands, as his little stress ball.

⇢ how delightful :) he just barges into your home unannounced, playing the part of an agreeable young man and wearing a pleasant smile on his lips for your family. he watches in quiet amusement as you squirm uncomfortably on the sofa while they fawn over your supposed ‘boyfriend’ and how you shouldn’t let such a handsome man go. once the two of you are alone in your bedroom, the smug smirk on his face is hard to miss.

⇢ “you hear that?” he croons, taking your hands in his and pressing a kiss against your knuckles, as if mocking you with his gentlemanly play. “they say i’m your boyfriend.” the way he manhandles you next, how he makes you crawl and tug you by your collar, is so far from the act he was playing, but he still smiled at you innocently as he ground the heel of your shoe into your stomach.

⇢ what a cute little toy you are, really.

[ “now, now, no need to be so frustrated. you should be charmed to be mistaken as my lover.” ]

— MALEWIFE TYPE. thoma | 托马

[ “oh dear, i told you not to stay up too late, but you wouldn’t listen!” ]

⇢ always fussing and naggy, but never overbearing. he’s been with you ever since the two of you entered the academy, bonding over your similarity as two no-namers. you’ve both gone on to create a name for yourselves in your different fields, with you as a rising star and thoma creating connections that could envy senior diluc’s. still, you two remained friends these past two years.

⇢  whenever the two of you catch each other in the cafeteria, he’s either offering to share his bento box with you or treating you to today’s special. you don’t turn it down, only because you’re comfortable enough with leeching off him. he always manages to make you laugh with his stories, of how his senior ayato got him wrapped up in another of his schemes or how your mutual friend ayaka got flustered to the point of speechlessness. he’s cozy, for lack of a better word. like a fireplace you can’t pull yourself away from. 

⇢ thoma absolutely respects and adores you. senior ayato always tells you how much thoma fawns over you whenever you’re not there, and thoma’s bright red blush confirms that he’s telling the truth. you’re… just so perfect in your own little way! sure, you have your flaws, but thoma loves them about you. every time he pats your head, he can’t seem to fight the fond grin off his face. 

⇢ so that respect often translates to protectiveness, but to the most extremes. he cannot tolerate any sort of disrespect towards you, because who are you to deserve that. there’s absolute passive-aggressiveness coming from him whenever you come across one of your harem members who like to tease/insult you wayyy too much (ie childe, SCARA, xiao sometimes). but he can’t actually touch those people, because they’re close to you AND they’re under a contract. but to those who aren’t? hoo boy. 

⇢ he cleans them up faster than the kamisato estate. and as a good house helper should, he does it good. cleaning is his hobby after all. you could say he enjoyed the experience. while he closes in his victims, there’s his ever polite smile plastered on his face and cleaning supplies in both hands, though they seem to be a bit… bloody. well, no matter! he’s about to take out the trash, and that’s all that should matter. 

⇢ he enjoys taking care of you, really, but he can’t actually take care of you when you’re not in need of helping. he’s always, always warning you to look after yourself and not to do this and that. but somehow!! you managed to do just exactly what he’s warned you against. when you come to him crying and in need of help, he likes to put on a mother hen facade, tsking at you for your clumsiness (‘i warned you! you should really learn to listen to others!’) but you think he’s enjoying this a bit too much. the way he wipes down your body is far too intimate, and his lips close into yours sometimes. but you stay still. after all, this is toma we’re talking about! you’re being a bit paranoid, is all. 

⇢ it’s a bit sweet, toma thinks, how you cling to him and sob in pain. but that’s okay! toma will fix you in no time!

[ “there, there, you’re all grown up now, aren’t you? you shouldn’t be shedding tears over something like this!” ]

— HIMBO TYPE. arataki itto | 荒泷一斗

[ “wahahaha! little one, today’s your lucky day! i’m about to take you out for a ride!” ]

⇢ idiot. a loud idiot. sometimes you wonder how this manchild is older than you. he has challenged everyone— everyone— at least once. you’re pretty sure that senior tengu from the archery club is about to backhand itto into unconsciousness. he skips classes, causes mayhem, and there’s not a day that goes by when he’s being berated by the student council or being sent to detention. when he catches you in the hallways, it’s only a matter of time before he slings you across his broad shoulder and marches you straight outta school grounds to hang out with him and the gang. 

⇢ hopefully the teachers buy your excuse that you were kidnapped. 

⇢ he likes how enormous he is compared to you. to be honest, almost everyone is— it’s the oni blood. but there’s a special sort of charm when he places his hand on your head and it covers almost everything. you’re so light it’s entertaining. he likes catching you off guard when he sweeps you off your feet and into a bridal carry, watching you blush as everyone in the hall looks and your cute pleas and squeals for him to stop manhandling you. he laughs ever so boisterously. do you really think he’s gonna listen to you?

⇢ but despite his bullheadedness, itto is still the loyal and upright young man that you know. he doesn’t stand for injustice and his doubts have never faltered him. perhaps that is why, even with the chaos that he brings with him, he still has the admiration of many of his juniors. it’s hard to call him the bad guy, when he’s proven time and time again that he’d stand up for those in need whenever and wherever. 

⇢ still. least you need to be reminded again, arataki itto is an oni through and through. he has their temperament and their natural habit to mark territory. sometimes you think how tight his hands are around your waist and how you can’t breathe. and even though he has a reputation of a righteous fool around these parts, the way his yellow eyes glower at those who approach you while he’s around. to hybrids with more sensitive senses, it’s clear as day that he’s marked you as his, but to the you who was oblivious to all this scenting business, you only think that he’s being overbearingly clingy. 

⇢ sometimes (most of the time, actually), he imagines sitting you on his lap while the rest of your harem watch and stew in their frustration. he daydreams of scenarios where his large and rough tongue traces your nape and his sharp teeth break skin. he imagines you crying and begging him to stop, but still shamelessly pulling him closer to your body’s heat with a wild blush adorning your tear-streaked cheeks. there is an overwhelming need to dominate, an unquenchable thirst that he’s afraid will never be satisfied. 

⇢ arataki itto is greedy and short-tempered, as expected of those from the oni bloodline. and yet, he still has his senses. you’re lucky that someone who can easily crush your fragile body is one of the saner people in the group. for now, he’s content to make you laugh and protect you. 

[ “hmm, you humans really are flimsy and fragile ones, especially you. most of the time i want to protect you, but other times… ah–! forget it!” ]

— RELIABLE TYPE. gorou | 五郎

[ “as your friend, you can always rely on me all the time! you’re precious to me and i want to help you…” ]

⇢ one moment responsible and the next an absolute blushing mess around you, the sight of gorou never fails to put you to ease. although he likes to look like the cool and collected type, gorou’s tail and ears immediately spring to life whenever he sniffs out your scent. it’s adorable the way he sniffs you out from the crowd and squeezes himself to your side, offering to help with whatever you’re doing. his fluffy tail swishes back and forth happily, sometimes tickling your skin.

⇢ as one of the student leaders in school, gorou tends to be overworked as he tries to monitor the student body every day. so he destresses by seeking you out and curling up in your lap, letting you groom his tail and his soft ears. you remember the days when gorou’s pride wouldn’t allow anyone to touch them, stuttering and blushing as he insists that he doesn’t need to be taken care of. but now he’s obediently letting your fingers detangle his fur, leaning into your touch as he happily hums. 

⇢ he’s more than happy to help you out! anytime and anywhere! although he’s a little bit clueless when it comes to personal things like love (you catch the way he shyly glances at you before looking away), other things he’s confident! he’s a high-ranking student, and he’s happy to help you out in places you’re not familiar with! as the two of you study together, his tail hesitantly nears your thigh, quivering in doubt for a short while before straightening with confidence and bringing you closer to him. you giggle at the rather daring move, but according to the berry-red state his face is in, it’s obvious that it took a lot of willpower just to pull that move. 

⇢ his family is one of the many families under the thumb of the sanganomiya clan, a powerful religious family that also is in charge of the military might of their territory. as such, gorou is well-versed in acts of self-defense and… violence. of course, he won’t use this knowledge to his own selfish advantage! but sometimes… he listens to you ramble about your troubles, about the people who’s given you a hard time… it’s hard not to bring up the bow and arrow and shoot it through their head. 

⇢ he has a hard time reeling his violent instincts in. it’d be upsetting if you realized that he killed those scummy bastards for you. but he also can’t just stay still and let you suffer under them. he’s a fleet-footed thing, able to dart from space to space and never alerting anyone of his presence. whenever you’re around people he trusts (toma, kazuha, aether, itto??) he lets his guard down, but he can feel his fur stand on edge when someone other than them approaches you. he’s being paranoid, he knows. not everyone is out to get you, but he honestly can’t help it. 

⇢ when it comes to you, he lets his imagination run wild. two rings in a pawnshop’s window make him blush as he thinks about a full-on marriage ceremony. the slightest hint of your bare skin makes him faint from the nosebleed as images that aren’t quite safe for work invade his mind and leave him sleepless the entire night. the more he spends time with you, the more the littlest of affections feed into his imaginations and make him delusional. sometimes he has to stand back and remind himself of reality, but whenever you’re near… well, it’s only animal instinct to lose himself.

[ “a-ahh! don’t do stuff like that…! i-i might misunderstand you even more…!” ]

[khaenriah-prince]

I barely managed to get 15k in this event (and pushed the last 200 points just because the card IS pretty)

meaning i will not be able to clear the shop for the first time in 5 patches

because this is the first time mihoyo tied currency to high scores instead of challenges.

It has been a very irritating event, trying to find the right buff and debuff to clear stuff.

Geovishaps are everyone’s bane due to their bullshit movement. Ruin Guards can spin and K.O in 2 seconds. Herald can get perma healed if you fail the dps check. Stangely, the only easy one was the fatui+hilichurls combo.

I am soooo tired of Mihoyo making dps checks with debuff and gimmicks. Like..my man...pick one. 

‘Just permafreeze the ruin guard’s sure let me DPS with my level 70 kaeya against level 90 enemies.

Which leads to another problem: at this point I have a good array of usable characters to help my main dps....but it means I don’t have 4 characters that can clear stuff despite Mihoyo’s bullshit.

Then again Mihoyo is pushing contents that forces you to have flex comps...which most of us don’t have due to resin and grind and artifacts....

mihoyo is going way to fast in ramping difficulty. I know lately the memes are ‘spiral abyss is hard because whales complained’ and I’m like...I don’t care if spiral abyss is hard -it’s end game content that gives shitty reward it can be hard.

But events? Events should be fun, not frustrating