I’ve got a feeling that Lyney, Lynnette (and maybe Freminet) were designed early on in the game’s development since the level of detail on their outfits is surprisingly pleasing with a limited colour scheme too.
(….no yeah of course. The first two were in the Teyvat storyline preview video)
Wine-red, teal, and gold (edit: secondary colours), with black/white (edit: primary colours) and some muted secondary (edit: tertiary) colours to tie it together. It’s nice (maybe it’s just the type of colour scheme/ratio I like in character designs haha)
(I’d rather they have long pants though)
Now compare them to some other characters, whose designs seem cluttered with high contrast and excessive metallic details as per the Genshin Impact standard level of detail in character design. Quite unnecessary (and visually distracting) to have that much skin showing for Lisa, Yelan, and Shenhe (where am I supposed to look? The face? Arms? Thighs? Too much contrast.) Exactly why must their hips be so pronounced? Both Lisa and Yelan have only some cloth falling between their thighs, and Shenhe…
Shenhe doesn’t even have that much non-form-fitting clothing. A disciple of the Adeptus Cloud Retainer hailing from a clan of exorcists! Dressed like that? The red strings are supposed to be “binding/locking” her soul/bloodlust (it’s common in traditional Chinese culture to tie red ropes around supposedly possessed items—like vegetables—to prevent their “escape”) but their positions with this choice of outfit seem so much more suggestive than it should. Should she really train in the mountains dressed like that?
Neuvillette and Kaeya share some shapes for their upper body (large lapels, collar, asymmetrical hairstyle, something that fans out around shoulder parts, etc) but compared to the Fontainian trio above they still seem overdesigned.
I learned in a graphic design class once that, if you put too many different fonts together, then nothing stands out. In a similar way, too many details together can make the designs feel cluttered or distracting. I’m sure as fans of the game we get used to the level of detail in the character designs, but the moment the Fontainian trio got their key visuals released, I remembered just how effective simple outfit designs can be for this game.
Though, Dainsleif, Neuvillette, and Zhongli have rather similar shapes and value ratios in their outfits (highest contrast is face/chest area, tight sleeves with symmetrical coat/cape that splits out at the ends, broad shapes around shoulders pointing down, metallic accents compliment rest of colour temperature, etc)… Neuvillette is so pale that I think, if he was Black (with white/pale hair) for example, it’d allow more representations of dark-skinned people and his hair would contrast more, thus drawing attention to his face better.
Strange… Shenhe and Neuvillette both have white/silvery hair but their canon skin tones are even more pale… In the end, it’s quite boring to look at on some level
"I hope it's okay," Marilyn says.
"Fine," I say, and it's embarrassing that I'm talking to not even a plant but a picture of a plant on someone else's phone, but I can't help myself. "Look at you. You're growing up. And you're surrounded by so many sexy ferns."
Huge, primordial ferns rise from the ground around him.
"He was all cooped up in that pot," Marilyn says. "There was no room for him to grow. I mean, his poor little roots were traumatized. I hope I did all right."
Fine won't be coming with me anymore. He won't sit on his perch and watch TV with me ever again. He isn't mine anymore.
"It's great," I tell Marilyn. "It's perfect. I think I was holding him back."
"There's a lovely pepper bush in there waiting to come out," Marilyn says. "He's going to just grow and grow. Next time you see him, I bet you won't even recognize the little guy."
You see, I tell Fine inside my head. You're going to be better than ever.
"And now you've got an excuse," Marilyn says.
"For what?"
"To come visit," she says.