Genshin Impact players and fans from Japan have been drawing Paimon in a frog suit as part of a new trend. Paimon is one of the major characters in the massively popular online game, playing the role of both the main protagonist’s guide and companion as well as being the face and voice of the game on social media. Since the release of Genshin Impact last year, fans and players have been split with their opinions on the Traveler’s fairy-like partner, with some seeing her as the worst character in the game while others see her as the opposite.
Genshin Impact is currently a couple of weeks into its 1.6 update, which introduces the game’s Midsummer Island Adventure event, which includes a new set of events as well as its first set of alternative costumes. Both Jean and Barbara have received new summer-themed outfits for the game’s 1.6 update and while Barbara’s Summertime Sparkle costume can be gotten for free during the corresponding limited-time event, Jean’s Sea Breeze Dandelion can only be attained as an in-game purchase.
As for Paimon's frog suit artwork, the trend was started by the character's official Japanese Twitter account when it shared artwork of the character wearing the amphibian-based costume on June 15. Since then, several Japanese artists have shared similar fanart on Twitter, with Paimon’s Twitter account regularly retweeting some of them. Some of the artwork that’s been made by fans even include the Traveler in a frog suit as well.
The reason behind the trend stems from the currently running rainy season in Japan, which occurs from June to July, during which many game developers and anime studios share artwork that is themed around the weather. The frog suit or raincoat is a particularly popular item used during the occasion and has even been used outside of the season. One example is Mario’s frog suit originally from Super Mario Bros. 3, one of many power-ups and costumes that the popular Italian plumber dons.
Both the official Paimon frog suit as well as the fanart that came after it are all pretty endearing, despite one’s feelings on the character. It’s also fascinating how Japan not only has both an official Genshin Impact Twitter account as well as a separate official account just for Paimon, which not only helps the game’s account put more emphasis on official announcements but also allows the character’s account to be more personal and focus on community interaction.
Source: パイモン/Twitter