I asked grog for thread summary

Character Discussions

Lauma: A new character whose advertising in China may be censored, raising concerns about potential in-game censorship. Some users like her animations and find her "flashy" and "regal," while others are worried about her kit, particularly the potential need for a "designated support" like Nefer to reach full potential.

Nefer: A new Dendro DPS character. Users debate her kit and whether she needs Lauma to be effective, with one comment claiming a "40-60% DPS loss without Lauma." She's been described as a "Dendro Heizou" and "Dendro Skirk." Her design is called a "dyke slay queen yaasss design," and others call her a "green Jane Doe."

Flins: Another character who seems to require a specific support (Ineffa) to be viable. One post compares his performance to Nefer's, noting his premium team damage is significantly higher than his non-supported teams.
Other Characters:

Nahida: One user regrets pulling for her, stating she was only useful for about a year.

Nilou: She is considered an "easy skip" for some players, particularly those planning to pull for Nefer and Columbina.

Columbina: Mentioned as a potential best-in-slot Hydro character for "lunar teams" and a character that could push teams to a new damage baseline.

Skirk: Mentioned as a baseline for high damage and a popular character for "ritualposting."

Gameplay and Mechanics

Character Synergies: The central theme is the frustration with new characters being designed to require other specific, often premium, characters to be effective. This is referred to as "doubling down" on a problematic design trend.

Lunar-Bloom: A new type of damage or reaction is mentioned, distinct from traditional Dendro reactions like Hyperbloom. This new mechanic, which requires a specific support (Lauma), is a source of concern and debate.