From 15 August, Genshin-maker MiHoYo’s lawyer-themed mystery otome game Tears of Themis (未定事件簿) will be releasing a series of 5 collaboration videos with none other than the Shanghai Bar Association (上海律师协会). All videos feature actual lawyers from the association and discuss cases in the game.
The video series will be released every two days, and the format resembles legal literacy programmes on TV. Five lawyers from the association will dissect five cases and discuss what laws are involved in each case. A prize draw for viewers will also see MiHoYo giving away copies of legal literacy books. The collaboration hashtag “Tears of Themis legal literacy programme” (#未定事件簿普法栏目#) garnered 15.57 million views on Weibo, China’s Twitter equivalent.
The game is an otome game where a female playable protagonist is surrounded by male love interests with whom she interacts and chooses to date, but with a mystery and courtroom twist. Tears of Themis is set in a futuristic 2030, where the protagonist, a female defence lawyer from a law firm called Themis, joins an investigative task force called NXX Investigation Team and meets the male characters. Mysteries and conspiracies follow.
Launched in 2020, the game is MiHoYo’s first foray into otome games and it has retained its popularity. The game is also currently running collaborations with the bottled beverage Duo Duo Lemon Tea and the American brand Hormel’s Light Life Thin-cut Beef Jerky. However, the team-up with the Shanghai Bar Association stands out as it involves real lawyers discussing present-time laws in China, being educational while entertaining. Not only does this partnership make use of the themes of the game, but it also helps to show a positive and educational image for video games.
