Mae, do you actually still enjoy playing or not? I feel like anyone who's properly played the game knows that Citlali's drip marketing isn't the only thing her character is about
You keep looking at the negatives (which is perfectly fine, looking for anything that can be improved) but you seem to be completely forgetting the other positives we got in 5.3
The weekly boss that's design is cool asf and is actually challenging? the archon quest? the tribal chronicles?
I will admit, character designs are pretty meh lately, but the story and scenery is still going strong, so I don't honestly mind
When people call you cringe for playing a game you enjoy healthily, don't give a fuck. Embrace it, tell them you're cringe and you're perfectly fine with it. or just tell them straight out you don't give a dime for what they think of you. Don't give a dime for whoever thinks of you. So what if you're cringe, everyone is at one point or another.
Personally, I haven't played any of the 5.3 story yet, but I'm still willing to look past any fanservice to see the character for what they are besides it and their design. Citlali, who you've bashed twice by now, is like that because the traveler is her first friend who she can be with longer than her human friends. Citlali is an immortal (or at least really long lived) person, and she's seen people come and go. None of her friends have survived as long as her, and her reputation and age make it difficult for her to feel approachable. The traveler however, is someone she can be open to about all her hobbies, which is why she acts so shy, since she's afraid to fumble the ball and sever any chances of the friendship coming to grow. (take this with a grain of salt, this is just my analysis currently, and i haven't done act V or her tribal chronicle yet)