As soon as I started Act V, similarities between Sumeru and Inazuma Archon Quests became apparent to me.

• Archons detached from their people. Both quests' main conflict hinge on the fact that the land's archon is detached from personally overseeing their lands and having a corrupt governing body do the ruling for them (Tri-Commission/Bakufu for Inazuma, The 6 Great Sages for Sumeru).
• Resistance from the people of a dead god. As the corruption within the government grows, revolution brews from the opposite area of the land, as lead by people of a bygone deity (Orobashi and Watatsumi Island, and King Deshret and the Eremites)
• Influential power. Both lands' corrupt governing bodies influence the avatars of their chosen gods to have a sizable influence over the land. The Tri-Commission influenced the decisions of the Raiden Shogun, and the Great Sages literally creating their own god.
• An oppressive system. Both lands controlled the people in invasive means. The Vision Hunt Decree in Inazuma stripped everyone of their ambitions, and the Akasha system in Sumeru stunted the wisdom of the people by limiting their access according to their ranks, effectively creating a caste system where the scholars are at the top, and the desert-dwelling people are at the lowest.
• Power from the people. The final battle against The Balladeer also bears close similarity to the final battle against Ei. In both battles, Traveler is given a significant power-up: from the visions inlaid on the Inazuman statue, and from the Akasha terminals of the people of Sumeru.
• "I cannot fix the nation without fixing myself first." Both Nahida and Ei had the same conclusions by the end of their respective archon quest and story quests. Nahida had to have a conversation with Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, a branch of Irminsul in the previous samsara, as a representation of all she thought she couldn't be—a good archon. She had to do the right thing and delete all memories regarding the Greater Lord to cure all of Sumeru. Ei had to come to terms with the Raiden Shogun, a person she literally created to be stagnant to withstand the test of time. She had to defeat this puppet in a very poetic 500-years battle to put her past behind and try to move herself and her nation forward.

This makes me feel like they're trying another go on the Inazuma storyline, or at least the major ideas. Because of the mess that was Inazuma's subpar execution, a great concept was not given time to develop. Inazuma AQs had a lot of things to say, I think, about politics and how those in power affect the people under them. I also think it's a very good concept to explore how good intentions can harm a nation's subjects. Gray areas are very interesting when given enough time to be explored.

To sum all of this up, the Sumeru AQs have been a delightful several hours of my day. I have been nothing short of satisfied. This questline is a masterpiece I am so glad is permanent for all the new players in the future to experience. This is good storytelling.