Genshin [borrowed that mechanic from/was inspired by] another genre, namely fighting games¹).

And you got to admit, some (boss) fights in Genshin feel like they could come straight out of Soulcalibur.

So yeah, leading animations can definitely be a fun and interesting gameplay element, especially if you throw in cancels.

¹) https://streetfighter.fandom.com/wiki/Cancel