I loved his story quest SO MUCH. Especially after recently going through Escoffier's... I think I just mashed the A button to skip the whole thing. It was so ass. I love that it got kinda surreal. And weird. Running around in a white void of nothingness and pondering existence. It wasn't very developed dialogue or introspection from Durin, and it doesn't offer anything outside of intext knowledge and characterization. But that's okay. It was still beautiful. Natlan was so fucking shit I am so glad good writing is back in Genshin. I was on the verge of tears during the latest archon quest just like in Fontaine. Durin's story quest isn't as good, but its the same level. Same touch. I realised upon completion of the quest part of why I love Genshin characters so much. I often hate a lot of mental illness representation in media because the characters never move past it, and the writers end up pushing some bullshit "uh uhhhh its a part of you embrace it " and yeah but you're also missing the point. Environmental and social factors are such a massive part of mental illness, as much as symptoms are a part of the individual, they are also a symptom of the world they live in. It feels very harmful when that narrative has become so prevalent, to the point people who don't understand the implications like social workers with bare bones understandings of psychology.
I always think of Celeste. Celeste is fine. I don't think is revolutionary or anything. But its good and an okay use of the story beat I'm talking about. But it gets used in the wrong context so often. I find that this reduces the possibilities for characters and story telling, and probably also has greater societal consequences I can't be assed writing an essay about right now. While playing Genshin I realised that its exactly what I was looking for but couldn't articulate. Characters embrace the parts of them that are actually them: The responses to their environments, and their desires. I imagine that in a less based piece of media We'd have some weird Durin that's still the Dragonspine Durin because its Durin too. The message would be to accept the evil Durin inside, rather than just admitting it takes violating every rule of reality to deny the abyssal power within that will take everything you love away from you. Durin's not the only character. Scara (mouche) ofcourse also manages to implement themes of rebirth and growth in response to an undesirable self in an actually good way.
I'm sick and tired of shitty mental illness media, and 'health professionals' inspired by it telling me to just accept the way I am because its me - 1. its not all me (see Kimura Bin to understand me truly) and 2. holy shit bro. leaf me alone. 3. Very bold of you to say this when you don't even accept the worst parts of me (eye roll emoji x3) I often feel lost in regards to being a 'recovered' mentally ill person, and like I did it all wrong. Like the things I tell myself that coincidentally make me the happiest version of myself are unfounded, and I shouldn't be expressing them outwardly. I feel a subsequent worry for younger people or my friends when I see them struggling with internal conflict about the kinds of messages that will be told to them by media and public zeitgeist; That there is no way they'll be able to consider the kind of beauty and happiness I have becuase its not real. Then I play Genshin. And I feel better.
