#fuck I was really looking forward to rukkhadevata and actually tricked myself that she would be different

[magical-xirl-4]

Thinking about Rukkhadevata’s design again in Genshin and how fucking bleak it is. It makes me upset because after Nahida was leaked, I thought the ORIGINAL Dendro Archon was going to look completely different and take actual inspiration from SWANA, because to me she was the TRUE Dendro Archon. I was looking forward to her so much, only to be dismayed when I realised Nahida is the actual Archon, and especially broken up about how Rukkhadevata looked. She is just… nothing. She’s beautiful, sure. But she’s just. Nothing.

She didn’t even have to be that pale!! Nahida/Kusanali (can’t remember which name) is said to be very pale in mythology which, okay fine, make her pale, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ORIGINAL AND HER PREDECESSOR? SHE DIDN’T NEED TO LOOK LIKE A GROWN VERSION OF HER OMG.

#genshin impact #Nahida #rukkhadevata #I actually still feel betrayed over this #we could’ve had it all. it could’ve been so good #I clearly put WAAY too much faith in Hoyo #I’m not even from SWANA but I was looking forward to Sumeru SO MUCH #but they gave us tired orientalist tropes and complete lack of care for visual elements #it’s just so disappointing. I really wanted to love the Dendro Archon but I can’t completely bc of what we got #like it could’ve been so good to see soemthing so visually diverse especially in a genshin character #fuck I was really looking forward to rukkhadevata and actually tricked myself that she would be different #I’m sure it’s because I love how genshin showed fantasy through different cultures. Mondstat was very run of the mill European fantasy #and getting to see Liyue was so enthralling for the first time bc I had never played a fantasy game with heavy Chinese inspiration #with both the setting. music. and characters/designs of them. same with Inazuma but to a lesser extent #bc I was more familiar with Japanese iconography (even then they didn't get the time periods right with Inazuma and Mond was mishmashed too #so SUMERU? I was so looking forward to how diverse the characters would look BC IVE NEVER SEEN THAT IN HIGH FANTASY BEFORE #only for that be totally crushed #now I have a big interest in SWANA. I never have it much thought before but genshin gave that to me #and also Gnosticism (also thanks to FFVII lol) #sumeru and SWANA representation deserve(d) so much better and way more respect in video games and other media #I’d love to see a story one day that faithfully adapts myth and legend and mixes it with accurate design