Now is the perfect time to read the Genshin Impact manga

polygon.com:

Upon entering Genshin Impact’s Sumeru region, you’ll meet Collei, a new playable character. Collei is quickly revealed to have connections across the cast. A Fatui Harbinger — the title members of the Fatui leadership — named Il Dottore previously kidnaped Collei, and she befriended characters from Mondstadt such as Amber during her escape. But in-game, Genshin Impact doesn’t really explain her story, mostly having Collei add color-commentary random bouts of dialogue. To properly understand Sumeru, you’ll need to read the Genshin Impact manga.

If this is the first time you’ve heard of the manga, that’s likely because Hoyoverse released it approximately two years prior to the official game. Chapters began dropping in 2018 and ceased in 2020, and it can be read on Webtoon, Tapas, or the Genshin Impact website. Hoyoverse designed the story as a prequel to introduce readers to the world. Specifically, the manga introduces readers to the first region in Genshin Impact, Mondstadt, where the game’s prologue is set.

At a glance, the region appears far thinner in lore than the ones that follow. The manga fixes that. Early-game characters gain significant depth. Kaeya’s relationship with Diluc is given additional backstory. Venti’s reign as Archon is explored. Most importantly, the manga is the story of Amber coming into her own. By deepening the cast’s stories, the manga adds narrative heft to Mondstadt, a section that can usually be written off as “a tutorial with some story.”

The best time to read the manga was before Genshin Impact launched. The second-best time is right now.

In addition to deepening the first region’s story, the manga lays the groundwork for Sumeru. Collei’s entire backstory is explained in the manga. It