Genshin Impact is full of fun anime clichés. Here we present the biggest and most obvious of them to you at MeinMMO.
Genshin Impact came quite unexpectedly and has taken the players of the world by storm. Even those who would never usually tackle mobile games or the infamous gacha games are suddenly enjoying this RPG. Genshin Impact does a lot right and especially hits the nerve of anime fans. The game is full of references and clichés that are mainly known from the world of anime. Here are the 5 biggest of these clichés:
The Isekai Setting
In the last decade, one genre has dominated and made the anime market mainstream like no other: Isekai.
Isekai is basically just a term for “Another World” and usually deals, at least in anime, with the idea that the protagonist has been brought into a world that is not their own in some way. Well-known representatives are the famous “Sword Art Online”, “Re:Zero”, or even “Overlord”.
Sure, this basic setting has appeared in gaming more often. The entire “Star Ocean” series is fundamentally similar and often deals with exploring foreign worlds while already having a technological advantage.
But Genshin Impact makes it particularly easy here. The entry into the story is comparatively banal. The two siblings – one of whom becomes our character – fight against a strange goddess and are defeated. Our character has landed in the world of Teyvat, but originally came from another world. It’s not explained much why we specifically land there.
Narratively, this is a relatively simple method to logically justify why other characters explain everything to us and our character as if we are new to the world: We get to know the game world together with the protagonist, and it doesn’t feel forced when characters explain who the Ameno God is or what it’s about with the Adepti.
If our character were a native in the world, they would already know that, and no one would have to explain it to them.
German Terms Without Mercy
If you enjoy watching anime in the original Japanese, you occasionally have to grin as a German viewer. This is because Asians delight in the sound of German words and like to incorporate them into their series. However, since only a few voice actors have learned to speak German properly, the pronunciation often sounds a bit strange.
However, this does not stop anime from repeatedly incorporating German terms or phrases in the form of spells, like in this example from the series Bleach:
Genshin Impact also does this without mercy. The big city “Mondstadt” is called that not only in the German version but also in all other translations. When the characters then talk about “Monstadt” in the Japanese or English voice acting, you just have to grin. The same goes for the “Holy Lyre of Heaven,” which is a strange mixture of German and English.
Finally, the S-Tier heroine Fischl apparently has quite a fetish for the German language. Otherwise, she wouldn’t call herself the “Princess of Condemnation” – which is also the case in all other languages.
If you pay attention, you will find a few more such terms in the game.
The Absurd Rules of Anime Design
Genshin Impact takes advantage of anime aesthetics, not only in the design of the characters but also in the overall presentation of the game. Occasionally, there are scenes in the game where the actors just act to look “cool” and not because it makes sense.
When Diluc strolls towards the oncoming horde of Hilichurls in complete tranquility, you are immediately reminded of protagonists from numerous anime who no longer fear such small threats.
Even the dramatic “I stretch my hand, crawling toward the villain before I faint” scene has made it into the game.
But even the characters within the game world deal with this odd concept as if they had already internalized it. For instance, Kaeya explains during a quest that it would be quite normal to inherit an eye patch from his father. It would be just as normal as getting one’s parents’ hairstyle as a child – another typical anime cliché where children often have the same hairdo as their father or mother.
The Annoyingly Cute Mascot
Even though this primarily occurs in anime with a younger audience, many “more adult” series also include a mascot. This is often cute but also has a lot of knowledge about the world and simply provides a conversational partner to make exposition less silly.
The most famous example here is probably Meowth from Pokémon, who assisted Team Rocket and always provided a lot of background information. Luna the cat from Sailor Moon is also quite famous (even if the “real guys” among you might deny ever having watched Sailor Moon!).
Genshin Impact relies on Paimon here. The little floating lady has been in this world longer than we have and thus is perfect for dazzling us with explanations and food for thought.
At least Paimon is a character with her own personality, which comes out repeatedly in the quests. She is gluttonous, too honest, and sometimes a bit cheeky. Although, of course, we all know that Paimon is actually just emergency rations.
The Archetypes of the Anime Female World
The last point is probably not surprising. After all, Genshin Impact is a gacha game where collecting characters is the focus. It is only logical that among all the “waifus” numerous anime archetypes are represented.
- There is Amber, the positive whirlwind with a heart in the right place and a strong sense of justice.
- Lisa, the clearly more mature witch who plays with her charms and whose “Ara Ara” has probably sent quite a few pleasant shivers down Weeb’s spines.
- Barbara, the far too cheerful priestess, who reminds more of a Japanese idol.
- Ningguang, the graceful and somehow unattainable beauty who always seems out of reach.
Particularly Jean is an example that stands out. Her entire character design strongly resembles Saber from the Fate/Stay series. She is a knight, fights with a sword, and when you look at the faces or designs of both, the parallels are more than clear.
This is not intended as a real criticism of Genshin Impact. After all, the anime clichés are a charm that makes the game appealing to many.
What clichés from the anime world have you recognized in Genshin Impact?
Genshin Impact also has some problems. One of the biggest is the controversial resin system.
