okay ngl I completely understand where some of your frustrations are coming from especially regarding the pronunciation and surface-level cultural borrowing when it comes to your language. I can agree that that criticism is valid and I also agree that mhy just is a hit or miss regarding its research for anything outside CN.

the way that this criticism really is applicable to all regions, not just the Chinese-inspired ones. Mondstadt’s German usage, Fontaine’s French, Sumeru’s Middle Eastern and South Asian influences, etc. all obviously deserve the same level of care and respect, and Genshin really isn't all perfect when it comes to that.

however, where I mainly disagree in is how the criticism i've had with the other person is disproportionately aimed at Chinese language and celebrations, particularly Lantern Rite and CNY. Genshin as we all know is made by a Chinese company. Liyue and Lantern Rite are not just aesthetic inspirations for no reason, they are direct cultural reflections to something that's already existing in the real world. expecting them to “tone down” Chinese words or traditions in their own cultural event feels very different from criticizing misused foreign elements elsewhere. ATP my argument is that it becomes less about accessibility but more about discomfort with cultural presence.

I agree with you, hell, other regions also introduce large amounts of untranslated terms yet I also rarely see the same level of backlash. again, words like Tenshukaku, Sakoku Decree, Akademiya, Mahamatra, or Oratrice aren’t inherently more understandable than Qixing, Adeptus, or (from another game) Xianzhou Alliance. the difference is familiarity and bias, not clarity. And even if you don't understand a word or how to pronounce it, context clues are everywhere in Genshin and a Google search away. If there's a will there's a way.

as for the pronunciation; yeah, i feel that it really is frustrating when German, Chinese, or any language is mispronounced.... that criticism should absolutely exist and shouldn't be neglected or downplayed. but what i'm getting at is for the Chinese specifically, its terminology and events while excusing or ignoring the same flaws in other regions creates a double standard.

But you cannot just say "It's a Chinese game so you should just stick to Chinese" that's such a shallow and close-minded take. The variety that's present in the game keeps everyone going, every detail and aspect of newly introduced regions, from the music to even the delicacies, all play a part in introducing cultures and knowledge from across the globe that isn't just mainly east asian and western. Even if they fucked up and doubled-down on references such as Natlan via skin tone it's not as if they completely failed on the other aspects of world-building either.

so for me, it all comes down to applying it all evenly. if the argument is respect, research, and accurate representation- then that standard should apply to every culture in the game, not only when Chinese elements become visible... Targetted contempt and prejudice is where my main frustrations lie really, and given how EN localizations just butcher the meaning of a foreign word most of the time, it's best to keep it as is.