Genshin Impact has taken the world by storm since its release, and the constant stream of fresh lore, characters, and story events never ceases to keep fans’ chins from wagging, and their keyboards from tapping. But the latest Genshin Impact update has taken the traveler’s cake, with a tail (woof) revolving around an illusive columnist called Ms Hina, and how she relates to a certain doggy general and an intrepidly charming half-oni.
The two characters announced for Genshin Impact’s next banner have already stirred up a storm. Genshin Impact’s Itto is an Inazuman, and the oafish but loveable leader of the Arataki gang, possessing oni heritage – a rare breed in the world of Teyvat. Oni are considered a dying race due to the events of the cataclysm, and as such, we’ve not seen another playable oni character before, despite masks and symbolism being pretty much everywhere (I did think Thoma was half-oni for an embarrassing amount of time, but we needn’t get into that – his horns are a lie).
Of course, there’s also his design – towering over the crowd as one of the tallest playable characters, Itto has a wild mane of hair, fangs, horns, and washboard abs that are, naturally, permanently on show (Geo tum-tum visibility is a thing, and I’m not mad about it). Needless to say, he has plenty of players swooning and saving up their primos already.
On the other hand, Genshin Impact’s Gorou is the leader of the Watatsumi resistance, answering to Princess Kokomi. He’s described as sincere, determined, and courageous, and despite his youthful appearance, he’s greatly respected among his troops due to his level head, and knack for offering advice (even if he doesn’t really know what he’s doing himself, which is pretty relatable, to be honest).
He has Shiba blood, as shown by his fluffy ears and tail, which have already been a source of adoration from fans. In Gorou’s dialogue, it was revealed that the soldiers believe it to be good luck to rub his ears, which greatly displeases him, leading to some pretty adorable – or awkward, depending on how you look at it – whining when they’re touched. How the voice actor kept a straight face while making those noises, we’ll never know.
But Itto’s obscene abs and Gorou’s fluffy extremities aren’t the only things that are making waves. With them both being geo wielders, and Gorou’s niche but seemingly OP stats, the duo have might just have the power to change the current meta – hinting at the potential rise of Geo mono teams, which have been somewhat lacking so far. So, with these boys both sharing a banner, hailing from Inazuma, having unique genes, and wielding the same element – we’re getting some pretty strong hints that they are just made to be pals, huh?
But how does Genshin Impact’s Ms Hina tie into this? Well, beware, spicy spoilers lay ahead. In Gorou’s hangout event, it’s revealed that the doggy general’s ability to dish out advice surpasses just his troops. Somewhere along the line, Genshin Impact’s Yae Miko roped the amicable pup into posing as an agony aunt for her popular magazine, ‘That’s Life’. Under the alias of Ms Hina, Gorou runs a column that offers advice and support to readers, helping them in their times of need. So, while Diluc may run around smacking Hillichurls as the Darknight Hero, Gorou essentially moonlights as an emotional support dog – he’s the true MVP.
But much to Gorou’s chagrin, the popularity of Ms Hina’s column snowballed, leading to people all across Teyvat falling for the kind, wise, (and imaginary) lady. And, surprise surprise, the usually tough and arrogant Mr Itto just happens to be her biggest fan.
In a line of in-game dialogue, Itto says:
‘If you ever have something on your mind, you can always try writing in to “That’s Life” magazine’s advice column. Ms Hina always manages to come up with an encouraging and heartwarming response for all her readers. Just look at me – I used to be a lost soul, but not anymore, and it’s all thanks to her. Oh, that reminds me, I managed to sign up for one of her upcoming meet-and-greets! I’ve been counting down the days – wish it would go faster.’
So it seems the gang leader has grown a bit of a soft spot for the columnist after building up an emotional connection with her through their letters. Now, he’s over the moon to have managed to snag a ticket to her exclusive meet-and-greet, and is buzzing like a former emo kid who’s secured a spot to an MCR reunion show (I will never give up hope).
But, if Gorou is the one writing the column, and Ms Hina doesn’t really exist, how is there going to be a meet and greet, you ask? We hear you barking, big dog – but the answer is, we don’t know yet. Yep, we’ve been left on a bit of a cliffhanger. But that’s where that strange billboard that’s been making the rounds on social media comes in – pamphlets and cutouts showing Ms Hina’s supposed appearance have been dotted around Teyvat, promoting her meet-and-greets.
Yes, that’s just a more… Voluptuous version of Gorou. The supposed ‘Ms Hina’ may be wearing a dress and boasting luscious long curls and plenty of curves, but she still looks remarkably Gorou-like. How anyone could possibly see that image and not connect the dots, we’ll never know. It’s even implied that Itto and Gorou have crossed paths in the past, due to the leaked voice line where Itto says:
‘Oh yeah, the doggy general in the resistance. Hey, I’ve gotta hand it to him, he may be on the small side, but he’s got quite the fighting spirit. Also, he gives off this vibe that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, almost as if he understands my innermost feelings… I mean, I’ve barely met the guy, so that’s kinda weird.’
While Itto doesn’t appear to be the sharpest tool in the shed, it’s pretty beyond belief that the uncanny resemblance and personality traits shared between Gorou and Ms Hina haven’t at least raised one of his fabulously over the top eyebrows. Perhaps, like the rest of the Ms Hina fan club, he believes they’re simply blood relatives?
Honestly, this plot feels like something straight out of those sappy BL mangas or a telenovela, and whether you ship Itto and Gorou or not, it’s definitely going to be fun to watch the situation unfold. At the very least, we can hope that this is the start of a great friendship between the kind-hearted doggy general and his soft-centred oni fanboy, despite any potential embarrassment when the truth is revealed. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to start scraping primos – I need these two cuties on my team.