Is it just me, or does the new land, Shengui Guo, seem too similar to the land Shenkuu from Neopets?

It's not just because they're both based on Chinese/Japanese culture. The names are similar, the color schemes are similar, and the ways that they were discovered are similar too. Both were discovered through a plot.

I can understand a new land that's based on Chinese/Japanese culture, but this just feel too similar to Shenkuu. At least the Neopets plot had elements that hinted at a new land and at what theme the new land had. The reveal of Shengui Guo is so sudden and so out of place that it feels like a poorly concealed attempt to rip off Shenkuu. I'm hoping that's not what it actually is, but it still kinda feels that way.

EDIT: I am NOT making the comparison just because they are both Chinese. I am NOT saying the land should have been introduced out of the blue instead of a plot. My biggest issue is actually the location of this island on the world map, which drives a lot of why I feel it is out of place. I also do not ACTUALLY think that it is absolutely a rip-off, that was just a vibe I was getting about it, whether or not it was the creators' intention.

EDIT x2: I'm gonna just add this quote to the first post here so people will hopefully stop replying with "omg they're both Asia themed so of course they're similar you idiot"

Which seems like a copy of some asian cultures, I guess we are all influenced by something

Neopets is made for children, so yeah, their hints are going to be more obvious.

If you know some of the basics about Asian beliefs regarding the dead and such, there were actually a ton of clues throughout the plot and just in Kiyo's art alone. Though it seems like a lot of the people who are complaining that it seems random and disconnected didn't actually bother to read the dialogue or what was even being said in the news, lol..

I'd like the land, if it wasn't from the name.

It's apparently downright chinese (mandarin?), and it clashes atrociously with the rest of the lands on site. Something that is asian inspired is cool, but just giving it an asian name makes me feel...we're going backwards, by going back to real world references and holidays, rather than original Subeta lore.

Hooray for another "BUT NEOPETS DID IT FIRST" board

Yes because an Eastern Asian fantasy land is so original to Neopets. The colors are 'similar' because if you look at a lot of Eastern Asian architecture, they consist of those colors. Certain colors meant certain things is almost all cultures. You make it sound like Subeta stole the color scheme from Neopets. I now own the red/green/gold color scheme nobody else can use it.

It doesn't remind me of Shenkuu at all, and I didn't even remember Shenkuu exists (despite still having a Neo account I check up on every other day) until people started comparing it to the new land here.

Copying? Really unlikely. I don't know how much time the staff spends on Neopets, probably not that much. I do know that they have deliberately moved away from doing things that were too similar to Neo and have changed many things that were. In my rp admin experience, it's really hard to introduce a new land without a plot of some sort and this one makes pretty good sense to me (although I could use deeper lore). They've been teasing this since the beginning of summer, releasing art and items that stuck closely to this theme. I don't feel that it was rushed at all and I'm completely enjoying it.

But hopefully Subeta can resolve this. I suggest a Lawful Evil solution. Some imperialism and Opium Wars here and there and the destruction and carnage (and the looting, lest we forget) may add some needed changes to the landscape. So many candidates to add some much needed quality storytelling... perhaps a brutal invasion by Maleria or a couple of orbital strikes by Calvin Blackmoon. For once we might be able to give a plot a bit of spice that it deserves.

I was thinking it reminded me more of Kung Fu Panda, what with the flowering tree on the cliff.

I barely remember Shenkuu as I haven't been to the other site in years, but no, I'm still not seeing much similarity myself.

uhhhhh no?? it's not?

Shengui Guo literally means shen = gods/diety gui = demons/monsters/ghosts/onii guo = kingdom/nation/country

Basically it means Kingdom of Spirits. In Chinese. I have no idea what Shenkuu is supposed to mean in Japanese(?if that's even the source language for this in Neopets), but the name and the place and everything is connected in the plot. I guess we didn't get rEALLY OBVIOUS HINTS that this was coming, but like, I don't see a problem with that? Subeta is good with pleasant surprises.

Also, , what's wrong with Latinated Mandarin? It's not like the site has converted into Simplified Chinese and OH NO you can't read it at all! And like... languages tend to borrow terms from each other. Like all the time. And as far as I know, nations generally respect each others' self-given names.

hi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhangjiajie

bye

I don't remember Neopets even having this land. Guess some things have changed there in the last decade...

what is neopets

Also, while the pic is cool, I would rather have waited for Connor to come back, and to have at least bare bones content.

Right now, we have a map and nothing to do on it. That's a little anticlimatic.

I would rather have had something named with a language that's not a real world one. I always had this issue with Delphi, but Delphi was created in like, 2004?

Inspired, not copied. You get me? For me, it's steps backwards from the ideology of "Subeta is its own world with its own cultures!" to go and use real mandarin to name an asian land.

I think it would be weird for the land to have just popped up with nothing going on. So I think it is great they did a mini-plot, makes a lot more sense than 'Here is this new land'. Plus 'googled' shenkuu because it has been FOREVER since I have played neopets, they do not look a like hardly at all. Yes they share the asian culture (similar building type) but the colors of the land are not that similar (red/gold vs pink/purple). And how it can it be a rip off of neopets when um.... asian culture has been around for how long???? neopets didn't come up with it.

friend saherimos is like straight up greek this is not new

I never liked the name Saherimos either. Delphi and Saherimos are far inferior names things like Meneb.

Hell, even Centropolis is a better name than Saherimos.

My sentiments exactly.

uNFORTUNATELY the site doesn't really revolve around your interests LMAO the point is that this is not a new development nor is it out of the ordinary