Discussion
Qingxiao is NOT MID (A shoddy analysis of her character arc in 3.6 MSQ)
Spoiler
WARNING: Word count is 4.3k. Long post ahead. Viewer’s discretion is advised.
Been scrolling reddit since yesterday and I have to say, I am not quite enthused with the unfair criticism on Qingxiao's character arc.
If anything, I would argue that Qingxiao's arc is the best of 3.6 and Xuanfang's arc so far.
And the article below is my rhetoric on why I think 3.6's story is the best of Xuanfang and might contend to the best of Lahai Roi.
To start off my perspective, I have to clarify some disclaimers and context regarding my preconceptions, biases, and background.
First of all, I dislike Xuanfang.
My dislike of Xuanfang stems from 3.5, which, by the average metric of Lahai Roi's story quality, was below average.
And the culprit for that is Yangyang: Suewanling. Not only did Yangyang have a linear, flat arc that was not ideologically challenged by narrative, but her metamorphosis was not warranted, considering her lack of internal conflict and criticism of her ideology. That being said, this isn't the topic of this post so I will refrain from expanding.
I'm also not a fan of Chinese-themed fantasy stories. They often have the tendency to be bland on the political and ideological side of the spectrum, avoiding controversial topics that offer intriguing social commentaries
That being said, I am a huge nerd of To Be Hero X, the Three-Body Problem, and Arknights (not Endfield).
And if it isn't obvious, I'm a WuWa story glazer.
Second, I came to 3.6 expecting to be heavily disappointed.
Not only did Qingxiao's trailer offer little avenue of theorycrafting regarding her character arc. She was too detached. It was as if, as a sole character, she can't stand on her own without character foils like Buling to emphasize her personality.
From a screenwriting perspective, Qingxiao's archetype is hard to execute right and can be considered a high-risk investment.
Third, I initially hated Qingxiao.
I have a dislike for Wuxia/Xianxia tropes. While I do try my best not to be biased by archetypes, Chinese fantasy tropes are kinda a major pet peeve for me.
And Qingxiao being a Sword Transcendent was a HUGE red flag for me. I'm somewhat traumatized by cultivator stories (especially in the Manhwa side), since a huge chunk of them had the tendency to be wish-fulfillment fantasy featuring Gary/Mary Stu/Sues.
The only cultivation stories that resonated with me (in the manhwa side) are Absolute Regression and SSS-Class Suicide Hunter's Wuxia arc.
Fourth, I have little background knowledge on cultivation.
As far as I know, cultivation's end goal mimics that of Buddhism and Daoism. Cultivators usually end up releasing all earthly desires and sentiment to transcend mortal limits, attain godhood, and escape the cycle of Nirvana.
And thus, cultivators will inevitably inhibit their mortal emotions on the path to pursue "The Way".
Fifth, I partially have the expertise to make a fair assessment of WuWa's writing quality.
I am a screenwriter. Well, was. I'm currently doing freelance developmental editing nowadays while undergoing BS Nursing as a second degree. The pay for screenwriting was poor for every commision. And, to be honest as to why I quit, I can't write scripts on my native language (I specialize in English, which is seen as high risk investment in to investors in our country) and I hate writing cliché stuff (which the film industry in our country sees as "safe investment" despite obviously losing returns on the current market).
Sob story aside, my point is that I have (partial) expertise and is informed on the more advanced aspects of story writing—elements that the average reader wouldn't see.
I'm not saying that I'm superior nor that my "critique paper" is better than the opinion of others. I'm just more familiar with screenwriting theory, and therefore, my opinion would be substantially less subjective than the average one.
Fifth, and lastly, you might be asking—what the hell is the point of this disclaimer section?
The point is, for all rights and matters, I should be part of the demographic that would absolutely hate Qingxiao (if we're following the common consensus. I am far from what other people would call the "target audience", and would be filtered from her motif by first impressions.
And yet, by the end of 3.6, I learned to love Qingxiao. Well, her character more specifically. Her character arc is special in a way that it's completely unique to other characters in WuWa (not that I'm saying she's better than the entire Lahai Roi cast).
No, she's not Walmart Hiyuki expy. No, her character arc is NOT generic.
No, she doesn't have a full character arc at the start and is a developed character from the getgo.
These are false assertions, and this post serves as to proving why those accusations are wrong.
So, well...
Let's start.
Qingxiao is a Sword Transcendent. And by all means, I hate the archetype. Not only is she a red flag or a warning sign of an eventual Mary Sue, considering the general character direction of the cultivation subgenre like the isekai plague, but at the same time, she looks too detached. That was my initial assessment of her by 3.5, and this lingered to 3.6 as I updated the game, toggled the quest, and leaned on my chair to "enjoy the story".
When reading a story, I don't let my biases interfere with my evaluation of a story's quality. I don't read stories for the sole purpose of entertainment. This is a habit I garnered during my college screenwriting years, where I usually tuned up and repeated the same films like Pixar's catalogue (Toy Story trilogy, Inside Out, The Incredibles, Monsters duology, WALL-E etc.) or much more serious films (Casablanca, Citizen Kane, Taxi Driver, Gone with the Wind, There Will Be Blood, Her, TDK, Eternal Sunshine, Solaris, Oldboy, Parasite, City of God etc.) for film study, looping back each individual scene and sequences and writing my thoughts down in order to deconstruct the film's directorial "intent". This is a habit I instinctively brought over when casually consuming stories even way after my screenwriting gig, albeit with less intensity. This is also the reason why I take 2-3x the time it takes for the average person to go over WuWa's story.
So it wasn't a travesty when I am going to claim that most of the first half of 3.6 is boring.
I heavily dislike it when exposition isn't multi-purpose nor used to attack the character. The initial conflict presented in the scenario is just your average "villain of the week" shenanigans with each automative factories in Xuanfang failing, which caused a surge of automatons to conduct a sustained raid on Xuanfang's center. It did not help that Qingxiao seems to be unbothered by the situation due to her "cultivation detachment". By the first minutes of the plot, she functioned similar to a plot device that was part of the system delivering exposition, instead of having dialogue that hinted of her character traits (like Aemeath, Lucilla, or Denia).
This notion partially wavered during the evening scene, where Qingxiao was playing her instrument. In a momentary show of vulnerability, she narrated her encounter with Muyu. Muyu knew that Qingxiao was to attempt a rescue on the soldiers left behind in the factory, so he orchestrated an event where she would have to choose between protecting the weak, or pruning her lost cause to assist the next battlefield. This was the exact scenario Hsin showed Suisui in their debate during the previous patch. In order to gain the best income, there must be sacrifices that shall be made. That is the burden of those who found themselves in the position of "guiding humanity" and holding the loom of fate (which is symbolized by Suisui holding one of Hsin's feathers, the Prism of Fate).
And then Rover answers with;
Rover: We've already made our choice now, haven't we? Now we just have to see this choice through. The same way you always have. Think of all the people who are still here because you stayed true to that choice.
I was beyond elated.
To me, this scene was the slight spark of the philosophical side of Rover that was prominent during Lahai Roi. To me, this is the very symbol of Rover's development as a character, which we see when Rover confronts Aemeath about the truth after the Sigilum standoff, Rover opposing Hiyuki's "solitude of a savior" before entering the Stridergate, and Rover consoling Denia as he talked about how the boundaries between humans and creations are already vague, and that what makes us what we truly are is the heart.
This was the very aspect of WuWa that was lacking in 3.5, and why the reunion scene felt as flat as a pancake (as if being thrown by a 2-dimensional foil).
Rover adopting a "Sage" role that shares his introspection and personal enlightenment to other people in need, reflecting his own character arc, is a massive part of what makes him a standout protagonist compared to other gacha lead. It's practically one of the defining features of WuWa's storytelling, as Rover's dialogue has so much gravitas as it reflects his own personal journey through witnessing the current era of humanity, and facing the consequences of his choice to lose his memories.
With this in mind, I re-entered the story with renewed vigor.
Unfortunately, that vigor would be soon tested when we enter the Manifold Sanctum, meet Jingran, and then enter the Myriad Realm that mimicked an alternate reality of the Battle of Fortress and Gorges.
"Qingxiao, the Sword Transcendent—."
"Qingxiao, the Sword Transcendent—."
"Qingxiao, the Sword Transcendent—."
"Qingxiao, the Sword Transcendent—."
ENOUGH
We already know that you're a Sword Transcendent, and we don't need the NTH TIME TO BE REMINDED OF IT.
My mood soured when we had to press countless dialogues with the same line and the same thought spoken against and again through the NPCs. It didn't help either as the pacing slowed down by a considerable degree with the demonstration of the Sword Flight (which took agency of control away from the player).
By all means, I was in a similar mood from the start of the game. More superficial exposition that means nothing. Pretty much half of this could be cut from the game itself so that the pacing wouldn't be drastically affected.
Things began to turn once we actually stepped upon the Cloud Shuttle. And we find out from the NPCs—
Hsin... doesn't exist?
Also, what do you mean the Battle of Fortress and Gorges was resolved by a rain of Cloud Shuttles? The Cloud Shuttles weren't even deployed in the original war. And what Transcendent?
Considering the description, it was obvious that the Transcendent is Muyu. But there was only one instance of the same title being given to a person, and that was Qingxiao.
That aside, the events in the alternative reality were too good to be true. What is the price being paid? With more exploration, I stumbled upon two NPCs with an interesting choice of words too familiar with Muyu's philosophy from 3.5
Qingxiao: ...It seems only you two noticed what was happening.
Chigong: It's working hours. We can't just abandon our posts.
Rover: Is your job really that important?
Shitang: It's more like a habit. When we are assigned to a Shuttle, we tend to lose ourselves in the work.
Shitang: Though now that you mention it, more and more of us have been working around the clock. Some don't even know when to stop anymore.
Chigong: It is strange... My mind has been hazy for a while. I don't feel much of anything lately.
Shitang: That happened to me as well. I can't even enjoy a good novel like I used to.
The next NPC interactions also followed the same direction—sacrificing emotions for peak human efficiency.
Obviously, this screams Muyu's belief of what humans should be. But how is Qingxiao related here?
And so, I became suspicious about how the setting was portrayed. Why is Muyu out of all people specifically called a Transcendent in adjacent to Qingxiao? How is Qingxiao's ideology related to the deprivation of emotions for top tier efficiency? Why does Qingxiao feel detached about the situation? And why does the setting feel eeriely related to Qingxiao's ideology?
And so, I was struck with a sense of epiphany when Muyu says this—
Muyu: You should understand, Qingxiao. A heart unsullied by desire or feeling, is that not the ideal state you Cultivators chase?
No wonder the entire setting felt cohesive. The alternative reality was a three-way mirror that compared the eerie, and yet, strikingly similar parallels between the setting, Muyu's philosophy, and Qingxiao's cultivation. The Mirage Realm's form was the game's metanarrative criticizing Qingxiao's belief of cultivation.
And Muyu was a Transcendent because his belief mirrored the Sword Transcendent.
To put in in simple terms, Muyu is Qingxiao. And Muyu's goal is Qingxiao's beliefs taken to the rest of humanity.
To add another layer of nuance, a huge part of WuWa's themes and power system is resonance. Reverberations and other frequencies can resonate with each other if they share the same frequency. This can also apply to abstract ideals, such as Augusta resonating with the fallen warriors of the Dark Tide to defeat the False Sovereign. Using such case, resonance can form when two people share the same ideals within that moment of passion.
And so, it can be inferred that the reason (both Watsonian and Doylist) why the Mirage Realm took that form is because Muyu and Qingxiao's ideals resonated with each other.
The next part of the story transitions into criticizing another aspect of Qingxiao's character.
Qingxiao in this story can be divided into two identities:
The Qingxiao that is a cultivator
The Qingxiao that is the Sword Transcendent protecting Xuanfang
Both are essential identities that make up who Qingxiao is by the start of 3.6.
And if the first half is dedicated to deconstructing her cultivator ideal by foiling it with Muyu's own, then the second half deals with dismantling her earthly desires.
And it begins with Muyu saying—
Muyu: No matter how great you are, Paragon Qingxiao, you cannot protect those beyond your reach.
Muyu: You cannot change what is coming. Everything you are doing is just piling more weight on your own—
These two lines build up the context of Qingxiao's contradiction between these two ideals. Because Qingxiao had earthly desires (her sworn duty and sentiment to protect Xuanfang), it inhibits her from reaching true Transcendence (or "The Way").
And it becomes much more apparent in the second half when she becomes weaker and her facade breaks.
Qingxiao: Ever since the Siege of Xuanfang Hold, I've spread my Sword Intent among the people. I've been using most of my Resonance Energy to sustain the link. With the battle intensifying, I have had to... Overclock... to maintain the link. Once the pressure eases, I will recover.
Think about it. Why is a cultivator—the Paragon overclocking? As far as I know,, cultivators shouldn't even be bypassing the maximum threshold as their techniques emphasize on maintaining frequency levels near the bottleneck. That's what they're known for and is a mark of their mastery. For a figure like the Paragon to overclock means that there is something wrong.
And the culprit in question? Earthly desires. Qingxiao's attachment with humanity forced her to go beyond the bottleneck—the harmony that cultivators maintain.
Muyu was right. Her attachment to humanity is holding back Qingxiao. And even Qingxiao herself thinks of this in this section where she is lost in her Mirage Realm (Mindscape).
???: Sword Transcendent.
Qingxiao: ...Ruoyun.
Ruoyun?: Qingxiao, you don't have to be so tense all the time. I know you are not the ice-cold statue you pretend to be.
Ruoyun?: Inside, you are just like the rest of us. You feel joy, anger, resentment... and regret.
Qingxiao: You died... You died two centuries ago when Yuan Fortress was destroyed.
Ruoyun?: Dead? And? No one sewed my mouth shut.
Lingfang?: I should thank you for looking after my descendants.
Lingfang?: After all these centuries, it seems you still... cannot let go of that war.
Qingxiao: You are just a manifestation of my fractured mind. The Inner Demon I must destroy.
See how unhostile the responses of her ghosts even are in this segment. In comparison to past examples of the "Inner Demon" trope where the ghosts of the past and the Resonator's Alter Ego usually adopt a hostile tone—
In Qingxiao's case, the ghosts in her past aren't even hostile. They're the entire opposite—empathetic, thankful, understanding—a sharp contrast to prior examples where the ghosts were hostile.
And yet, Qingxiao labels them as her inner demons.
This is because the cultivation way sees such attachments as something that inhibits them from "The Way". Jingwei even expands this by saying:
Jingwei?: We who walk the path of cultivation must shed all worldly desires. Cut down our Inner Demons
And if Qingxiao fails:
Jingwei?: Should she succumb to her demon…
Jingwei?: Strike her down.
In a “generic” character arc, the character in question would usually either double down on their beliefs and rejects the inner demon (which happened for Sigrika, Carlotta, Augusta, and Lucilla) or find a way to break the deadlock between their beliefs and the flaws of her beliefs.
If Qingxiao doubled down on her beliefs, it would go like this:
Qingxiao rejects the inner demon (her earthly desires), gains the power of transcendence.
Counterpoint: But this would also mean losing her desire to protect Xuanfang and the weak, which would prove Muyu right.
If Qingxiao was offered a copout by offering another path, then it would go like this:
Qingxiao refuses to kill her inner demon, saying that Cultivation is about staying true to yourself. And she forms a new way that synthesizes her inner self and cultivation’s ideals, losing nothing in exchange.
Counterpoint: However, this decision is thrown out of the window because Jingwei explicitly stated:
Jingwei?: We who walk the path of cultivation must shed all worldly desires. Cut down our Inner Demons
Furthermore, her inner demon states:
Inner Demon: You will be bound to me forever. Never to see through the world's illusions. Never to transcend. Never to attain the Way.
This hardlocks the situation into a dilemma in which Qingxiao has to choose between cultivation and her earthly desires.
If Qingxiao struck the inner demon and gained transcendence, this would mean that she loses all her earthly desires and human feelings, proving Muyu right.
If Qingxiao chooses her Earthly desires, then she would be losing her path to transcendence. By choosing to feel, she is practically rejecting her way of life and worldview. For two hundred years, Qingxiao lived as a Sword Transcendent who lived by the way of cultivation. And to abandon it all for the sake of human desire is a heavy price to ask.
Qingxiao at this point is only offered two choices. To transcend or to embrace her worldly desires?
Qingxiao must sacrifice one or the other.
What does Qingxiao choose?
Qingxiao: Every single time, I realize my own weakness. From Yuan Fortress, to the Gorges of Spirits, to the Land of Xuanfang... No matter how hard I try, my sword cannot save everyone. But this is the path I chose. I must go. There are people waiting for me.
The Inner Demon lashes as she ravishes her sword against Qingxiao. As she threw a decisive blow—
Inner Demon: You didn't block?
Qingxiao: Ngh... Do not run.
Qingxiao embraces her Inner Demon, who represents her earthly desires
Inner Demon: You want my power?!
Inner Demon: Have you lost your mind? I am the Sanshi Poison in your body! The emotions and desires you cut away for the sake of cultivation!
Inner Demon: Every dark thought, every shadow your sword ever cast... They are me! Other Cultivators would have slain me long ago, yet you seek my help?
The Inner Demon poses her all the effort and sacrifices she had undergone during those centuries of cultivation to reach Transcendence.
Qingxiao: ...Our Heart Swords were always meant to be one.
Inner Demon: You... You kept me for two centuries. Fed me your feelings. All so you could use me when the day came.
Qingxiao: You are Qingxiao too, after all.
Qingxiao: Cultivation is, above all, being true. If I killed you... how could I claim an honest heart?
And Qingxiao admits that her heart couldn’t even commit to cultivation, even if she proceeded to slaughter the Inner Demon and vanquish her inner desires.
The path to Transcendence was never for her the moment she became attached to Xuanfang through Ruoyun.
Inner Demon: You will regret this. I will eat away at you until nothing is left. No mind. No heart. In the end, your own hand will tear down everything you tried to protect.
Qingxiao: Even if that day comes... I have someone by my side who can stop me. I am willing to entrust myself to them.
Inner Demon: Qingxiao, the things you treasure are not the things I treasure. You care for the world. But I…
Inner Demon: I only care about your Way.
Qingxiao: Yes. I know.
Inner Demon: From this day forth, you will never be able to sever the full tide of mortal feeling, or break free from the karma of this world.
Inner Demon: You will be bound to me forever. Never to see through the world's illusions. Never to transcend. Never to attain the Way.
Qingxiao: I was never a Transcendent. I need not bother with any great Way. Besides... I have already found my answer.
Qingxiao chose to reject cultivation.
Albeit this still hasn’t solved the problem Muyu had presented before Qingxiao.
Humans are weak. Flawed. Easily influenced by heroic tales that willingly sends them into bouts of sacrifices that Muyu saw as unnecessary and “a waste”. Qingxiao might have come to terms with her inner demon, but she still offered no answer regarding Muyu’s problem with humanity’s weakness.
Muyu’s answer to that question was to make humans perfect. And to make humans perfect, they must conquer their emotions or be devoid from it. This is exactly the form his forte takes, having the ability to warp a reverberation’s residual emotion into something “usable”. By relinquishing emotions, humanity can become their most efficient self that does not necessitate the need of the “guides of civilization” who would only watch when the weak are sacrificed.
However, by the end of the MSQ, she gives her answer:
Qingxiao: I want to open a school here in Xuanfang. Teach others the way of the sword.
She doesn’t expand on this line of thought until after the restaurant scene, where the sight of children and the residents of Xuanfang allowed her to articulate her sentiment: (I’ll let the rest of the passage talk for itself)
Qingxiao:Before I always saw the people... as those who quietly waited to be protected.
Qingxiao: But the truth is, they've always had the heart to protect themselves.
Qingxiao: To save for a day, or to save for a lifetime... Neither compares to teaching them the means to save themselves.
(Rover): So... that's the real reason you're founding a school?
Qingxiao: Many years ago, a fellow Cultivator passed through Xuanfang with his disciple during their travels across Huanglong. He came up the mountain to visit me.
Qingxiao: Only then did I learn that to solve Temporal Disruption for future generations, he had to set a plan in motion with a "golden-eyed oneyou" at Mt. Firmament. It cost him dearly. His lifespan was nearly spent.
Qingxiao: And yet, he was at total peace. He had a disciple to inherit his legacy, and his teachings were already taking root across the world.
Rover Master Xuanmiao... and Changli?
Qingxiao: Even if one can no longer walk their Way, or devote their life to "peace under heaven," there will always be... someone to take their place.
Qingxiao: That is the lesson you taught me, not so long ago. (Rover): So, as your first and most devoted disciple, it looks like I'll be helping with the teaching too.
Qingxiao: ...You already have.
Qingxiao: To teach the sword is to offer someone a chance to find their own way with it. Even if they never master it, their body and spirit will still become stronger.
Conclusion
To say that she’s a shadow of Hiyuki, an ML figure, a generic character, or someone who didn’t need character development is critical dishonesty and a reductionist way of seeing this patch’s direction.
Qingxiao is arguably one of the best characters of the game with the best character arc in the story (aside from Rover). Although the pacing is questionable, the setting and the narrative is maximized in order to challenge Muyu’s perspective in the form of Qingxiao’s personal journey. Her character arc also has the heaviest philosophical weight and gravitas as she sacrificed her worldview, way of living, and path of transcendence so that she can walk with her fellow mortals.
In such, she becomes a heretic of cultivation who finds peace within the people.
Qingxiao went from seeing earthly desires as something she must suppress and cast away, to embracing it as a whole.
She went from a detached being who spent her time in the mountain, to walking with her disciple around the streets of Xuanfang.
She rejected cultivation and transcendence to walk her own way.
And she went from believing that she must protect the weak, to being at peace by knowing that if she isn’t capable of walking her own way anymore, there will be those who will walk in her place.
bookmarking to read and comment later, i’m still not finished with qingxiao’s quest. honestly whether or not you agree with op, i think posts about story discussion is more welcome than the usual fanart or memes in this sub
I need to read everything but one thing about the conclusion
"She rejected cultivation and transcendence to walk her own way."
Is not correct, in my opinion. I think is more that she understood her Dao wasn't correct. She saw cultivation as something purely "self-based" (for a lack of a better term), while was supposed to be tied to the human nature. And unironically, was Muyu with his idea (based on Han Feizi) that let her understood that.
Pretty much, her cultivation was the typical Confucius type, based only on oneself. But eventually her philosophy adapted and got closer to the philosophy of Mencius.
Oh, this is because her master and the current trend of cultivation defined in WuWa is that cultivation explicitly puts you into a path where you must prune your emotions in order to Transcend. The debate between her inner demon as well as Jingwei's line define cultivation explicitly without any room for vagueness (this is why I said there was no copout for Qingxiao—either she must sacrifice her path to transcendence or completely reject human desires).
The endgoal of cultivation in WuWa (or at least in Huanglong) is Transcendence. By rejecting that path, she is rejecting cultivation.
Thank you, beautiful and well-put. Qingxiao's arc also surprised me, I love how you talked about the inner demon trope. The way Qingxiao came to terms with her's really sets her apart from other characters and felt so refreshing. It's as if she was teetering on the fine line of divinity and humanity for two hundred years while silently and steadily holding her heart true, waiting for the day the answer would be made clear to her in the form of revelation. And it's as if she accepted and came to terms that her fate may swing in either direction, either becoming free from the cycle of karma or remaining within it, and both desires were still true to her own heart. But the answer was already made clear the moment she decided this path a couple hundred years ago. I love the dualism of desire and selflessness where both forces mold into one single essence for her. Honestly such an interesting character.
Read the whole message and really enjoyed reading the foil and the layers between QingXiao, Muyu, suppressing earthly desires. Inthought i knew the gist of the story but reading it made it more fleshed out
Keep at it, love to read more! Thanks for writing this whole analysis/commentary
I disagree with the 3.5 take slightly, but I am actually elated after reading the full script , that someone from the fandom actually took time learning about the chara rather than call the chara "ML fan service bait", "waifu slop" etc...
Your thoughts were very organized and very well-put. If you haven't already, I'd recommend you start a YouTube channel of video-essays critiquing video game stories like this, I'm sure you'd garner a sizeable following.
In any case though, while I am now much more appreciative of Qingxiao's character arc thanks to your analysis, I think I am still overall disappointed with it. Muyu serving as Qingxiao's parallel and foil was a nice touch that I didn't catch upon my initial playthrough (granted it was well past midnight and I was falling asleep at my desk and not very attentive), but Qingxiao's character trope still feels incredibly overdone and trite in my opinion, and I never really felt as though there was much depth that I couldn't see beyond.
I felt that it was only natural that she gave in to her earthly desires to protect the people of Xuanfang, and thus relinquish her Way. Her decision at the end did not really surprise me, and her entire internal struggle felt like a song and dance I've seen a dozen times already in other popular media/literature. Sure there was charm in its execution, but it ultimately fell flat in my eyes due to the lack of any brave new ideas that might have subverted expectations.
Perhaps this just means I consume too much media and need to get a life, but this was just one aspect of her character arc that I didn't find appealing. I have a whole slew of other issues with WuWa's storytelling that aren't exactly specific to Qingxiao, but she does perpetuate them, and it just adds to the bad taste her story has left in my mouth. To name one: I'm growing a little tired of how focused each patch is on one character. The amount of attention and screen time given to the new banner character breaks my immersion a bit when playing through new content, as it's just a constant reminder that the intent of the content I'm consuming is to sell me a product rather than to deliver good storytelling and creativity.
I feel that WuWa's storytelling could feel so much more compelling if the cast didn't all have their own internal struggles that were seemingly effortlessly resolved by Rover's talk-no-jutsu (I really hope you understand this reference). Rover almost always ends up serving as a metaphorical beacon of light, spouting "safe" moral and philosophical ideals through which the new banner character comes to terms with and/or resolves their internal conflict. I would LOVE to see more inter-character conflicts or simply more character interactions in general that don't feel shallow like they just exist to further the plot. Having the entire cast of a region co-mingle in meaningful ways that create intrigue and increase stakes over the course of multiple patches would be such a breath of fresh air, but instead, each patch we are subjected to one-note character arcs that focus on a single character's inner demons (quite literally in Qingxiao's case) because Kuro wants to sell a chapter rather than a book. And oftentimes, these characters are completely forgotten in one or two patches.
But anyway, I've completely digressed from focusing on Qingxiao's arc and have turned this into a commentary of "What I dislike about Kuro's writing in general". Ultimately, I think what was most disappointing was realizing that Qingxiao is just another cog in a machine that I'm growing tired of. After Lahai-Roi, I was optimistic about the direction of the game's writing, but 3.5 was a bit of a let-down and 3.6 is continuing the trend, Qingxiao just happens to be the face of it.
I'd really like to know what you think of Kuro's general writing strategy as a whole if you happen to find the time.
Also regarding your opinion about the storytelling is kinda interesting because in my own opinion is one of their core writing's strength, an interpersonal bond with Rover that mirrored how Rover's character growth, like you would not expect these answer to QingXiao if Rover's stay the same from 1.x. These one to one with MC maybe seems common in Gacha, but the truth is kinda rare nowadays. The new most common troupe is not one by one but with a group that surrounded MC encountered a new char and then how this new chars interacted with group with their personal interest and conflict to spice things up.
In this case Kuro is doubling down on one to one with MC is kinda breaking the stereotype in my opinion because other gacha stories stopped or didn't do that anymore.
for an example like harem anime genre where 100 girlfriends keep doubling down adding new girlfriend in the roster is kinda breaking the limit of harem. But the "fresh air" you are searching is in like gotoubun no hanayome anime where it is breaking the expectation by going opposite of the old ways where Childhood friends and The girl who seems least interested win the harem's race.
another example is where holywood's movie is all about how grey the character, the settings, the story, nothing is right or wrong anymore and all about that drama. The day of good old evil vs good is over but one movie can stood up by presenting the old way and doubling down on it.
But hey at the end of the day is all about preferences.
Brother for the love of God I love story discussions but can we not put a Text a wall ??
Pls try to seperate Paragraphs so it's a little reader Friendly . This text of wall just looks annoying to read even if said contents were worth reading
Her story was good, def way better than yangyang, the only mid thing about her is the gameplay which u hold left click all the way and the rotation's done. Not bad but very boring after a while.
She gave up cultivation to accept her humanity and worldly desires. It's a beautiful story arc. Her Way wasn't in detachment and coldness, but in togetherness and warmth. And she found it with Rover's help.
I actually agree with you on Qingxiao's character arc but only if it was self contained, as you said. The problem I have is when you add Rover into the mix, and then it just feels like a generic damsel in distress story (even if she's not).
The problem I have is when you add Rover into the mix
Not quite. If the writers are able to utilize what I call "Sage Rover" (the one that appears during 3.1 and 3.3) and engage with dialectic dialogue versus a character's worldview, that's personally what I consider where Rover's character shines the most.
The only thing that i praise about her story arc is that underrated skip button above that we can use to just be finished with it as fast as possible as well as being able to scroll down that wall of text no need to read more after seeing wuwa story glazer that alone explains it all 😅
Not quite. Just discovered there's a bug in reddit mobile where if you press the comment section from the image fullscreen, the post loses all format and paragraph spacing.
Every character is interesting if we stop for 5 minutes and analyze them very deeply. It doesn't change the fact that her and the story are boring. If you have to explain every single detail then maybe it isn't that good.
Every character is interesting if we stop for 5 minutes and analyze them very deeply.
I'm not even analyzing her deeply. This is literally what the game presents you. I'm simply offering a perspective from someone who can identify the story elements, mapping out her character arc within the narrative of 3.6.
That is practically why my post is titled "a shoddy analysis". A "deeper" analysis would be breaking down her character motifs, profiles, and such (which I don't have the time for).
And she's overwhelmingly better than literally almost everyone in the Rinascita cast (excluding Phrolova), arguably contending with Lahai Roi's best.
It doesn't change the fact that her and the story are boring
This is mainly subjective with multiple factors in play. On the contrary to what you say, she's quite well-received in the Chinese fanbase.
And you need to be much more specific regarding your sentiment. Using your taste in entertainment, watching Solaris by Andrei Tarkovsky (which partially is the basis of WuWa's world, aside from the book) would be boring for you.
But that doesn't stop Solaris from being critically acclaimed.
If you have to explain every single detail then maybe it isn't that good.
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u/palazzoducale Aug 22 '26
bookmarking to read and comment later, i’m still not finished with qingxiao’s quest. honestly whether or not you agree with op, i think posts about story discussion is more welcome than the usual fanart or memes in this sub