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Arataki Itto (p=Huānglóng Yīdǒu) is a character from the video game Genshin Impact, developed by miHoYo. He was released as a playable character in the game's version 2.3 update in December 2021. He is a young oni from Inazuma and the leader of the fictional group known as the "Arataki Gang". Arataki Itto's character design draws inspiration from the image of the red oni in Japanese mythology. His yōkai heritage as well as his appealing design, together with his presence in side quests and event storylines have been well received by both critics and players.
In terms of character design, Arataki Itto wields a massive spiked club and has a pair of red oni horns on his forehead. His red facial and body markings along with the sizable rope in his back are inspired by Kabuki.
In Japanese mythology, red oni are often associated with extreme passion, wildness and cruelty; in his characterization, Arataki Itto is frequently described by fellow Inazumans as a despicable, domineering hooligan with a strong competitive streak. In Japanese tradition, during Setsubun, children throw roasted Soybean at people dressed as oni to drive away evil spirits. This aspect is also incorporated into Arataki Itto's character: he is allergic to soybeans and their derivatives, such as tofu.
In the Japanese version of the game, he is voiced by Takanori Nishikawa, a singer primarily known by his stage name T.M.Revolution. Nishikawa said in an interview that he found Itto to be a charismatic character who shoulders everything with strength but is delicate at heart, cares for his friends, and treasures the bonds he has with others, traits that Nishikawa felt that he shared with the character. Itto's English voice actor is Max Mittelman, who also voices Ryuji Sakamoto in Persona 5. Mittelman shared during a livestream that he was initially worried that fans would be unhappy with Itto's voice sounding too similar to Ryuji's. However, players ended up being delighted by the similarity, which surprised and relieved Mittelman. His Chinese voice actor is Liu Zhaokun and his Korean voice actor is Song Joon-seok.
During Inazuma's Vision Hunt Decree, Arataki Itto's Vision was confiscated by Kujou Sara on behalf of the Raiden Shogun. Afterwards, he issued multiple public declarations of revenge, all of which Sara rejected. Even after the decree was abolished, Itto still challenged Kujou Sara to a duel. In the first act of his story quest, Itto discovers that descendants of the Blue Oni clan are committing robbery and kidnapping in Inazuma City. He publicly takes responsibility for their crimes while secretly investigating. After finding one such descendant, Takuya, he follows him to his hideout and frees the hostages. Itto persuades Takuya not to forget the pride of the oni nor to give up his life. In the end, both are arrested.
In a limited-time event in version 3.4, players could take part in a beetle-fighting tournament organized by Itto, where victory is determined through the special "Beetle Battle" gameplay mechanic.
Polygon
Diaz praised Arataki Itto's performance in the version 2.6 event quest "Hues of the Violet Garden". She highlighted how Mittelman's improvisation in the English dub brought the character vividly to life. At first, Itto shows little interest in volunteering for the Inazuma festival, but once he learns that a limited-edition cocktail is for sale, he suddenly changes his tune before asking for more details about how to obtain it. After finally winning the cocktail, Itto realizes that it contains beans, triggering his allergy and leaving him doubled over with stomach pain. Diaz described this as a comedic performance that made the entire scene memorable.
According to PCGamesN and Game Rant, the character banner featuring the Wanderer and Arataki Itto generated over US$3.79 million in revenue on its first day of release and more than US$17.43 million in its first week. However, Itto's share of the revenue was estimated to only be about 8%. Players also expressed their fondness for Itto through cosplay, fan art, and fan videos. Game Rant reported that a Malaysian restaurant even offered free meals to customers who owned Arataki Itto in Genshin Impact; all they had to do was show the in-game character screen when ordering their meal.
Because the weapon depicted in Itto's character artwork, the "Oni King's Kanabou", resembles a chocolate-covered ice cream bar, fans edited the artwork to replace the club with ice cream, creating an internet meme. Later in December 2021, the Chinese ice cream brand Suibian announced a collaboration with Genshin Impact, releasing a co-branded chocolate-covered ice cream bar inspired by the meme.
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