Before the OP: Nameless Faces PV was released...
Inside MiHoYo, Aglaea, who had just joined, was leading everyone from the theater troupe in a script workshop, studying the script together with the rest of the team.
They had already been given a copy of the Amphoreus script by Xia Wen when they joined the company.
It included the complete version, as well as the detailed segmented drafts. To be honest, this script exceeded everyone's expectations.
Not only did it preserve the essence of Amphoreus that they had envisioned before, it also blended perfectly with the world of Honkai: Star Rail.
Every character was astonishingly aligned with their original expectations.
Titans and Aeons. The deep fusion between Amphoreus and Star Rail, everything was perfectly self-consistent.
No matter how many times they read it, they couldn't help but marvel at Xia Wen's vision.
"Let's end today's discussion here," Aglaea said.
"We must memorize the lines thoroughly. According to the boss, our schedule is likely going to be extremely tight."
Aglaea closed the script reluctantly. No matter how many times she read it, she still felt unsatisfied.
"Every reread feels like opening it for the first time...."
There was a look of intoxication in Tribios's eyes as she spoke.
"The framework we originally conceived is still there, but Xia Wen, has infused it with flesh and blood."
"The Titans are no longer cold legends, but ancient wills interwoven by Paths."
"The Amphoreus we wrote feels like it has truly become something that breathes, that suffers."
After Tribios finished speaking no one present objected.
Even Anaxagoras, who had always been extremely picky, nodded, his tone filled with unconcealed admiration.
"Tsk. I thought I was already rebellious enough, but I didn't expect the boss to go even harder."
"He actually inserted philosophical reflection straight into Star Rail, using the radiance of the Paths to illuminate every corner of human nature."
"This script... it doesn't feel like it's asking us to act, it's asking us to become."
"After reading it, I even felt like it wasn't us who chose Amphoreus, but Amphoreus that chose us."
Everyone nodded even more emphatically.
When reading this script, they didn't need to force any emotional immersion, it was as if they were already living inside the world of the script itself.
They chalked this strange sensation up to the fact that the complete Amphoreus script incorporated stories they themselves had written.
But not everyone experienced it with such ease and awe.
Among everyone present, the one under the greatest pressure was Phainon.
The young man remained silent, staring blankly at the Amphoreus' symbol on the script's cover, his mind a tangled mess.
Back when he was still at the theater, the character written for him in Amphoreus was an ordinary man born in a small village, who, after countless adventures and hardships, eventually became a hero.
A very simple, upright, and kind character. However, in the script provided by the boss, Phainon was still that kind of person, but what he experienced was far more brutal.
The despair of uncovering the truth after salvation. The erosion and rage accumulated over tens of millions of cycles.
Every line of description in the script made Phainon's heart tremble.
While reading it, the name that surfaced in his mind was Okhema Theater.
"Isn't this... us?" Phainon said silently to himself.
Watching everything you cherish, the theater into which they had poured all their effort, the place they called home, their shared dream, be slowly strangled by unreasonable external forces.
Utter powerlessness. That was exactly how it felt back then.
As Phainon recalled the oppressive atmosphere of that time, his breathing grew rapid.
He remembered punching the wall in frustration, desperately checking the fire safety equipment again and again, only to be met with utterly futile responses under that rigid system.
The initial dream of Phainon in the script was just that simple. How was it any different from himself back in Okhema Theater?
The only difference was that they were saved by Xia Wen. A mix of lingering fear and relief surged in Phainon's heart, accompanied by an unprecedented, overwhelming resonance.
This resonance would ensure that every ounce of pain and anger he displayed before the camera would be utterly real.
Yet no matter how firm his resolve was.
"I'm still nervous...." Phainon muttered softly.
"Nervous about what?" Anaxagoras scoffed beside him.
Phainon looked at him, worry etched across his face. "When I think about how soon the whole world will see the characters we play through the PV, I can't stop feeling nervous. Can we really satisfy that many people?"
"And besides, it's not just fans watching us. All the other members of the Star Rail are watching too."
Hearing Phainon's words. Anaxagoras fell silent for a moment.
Indeed, being watched by a few hundred eyes in a small town and being watched by hundreds of millions were entirely different things.
This pressure was something even she couldn't dismiss lightly. This MiHoYo paycheck wasn't as easy to earn as it looked.
And it didn't stop there.
After that grand launch event.
Cinnati and the conservative members of the Arts Committee immediately joined forces with Hollywood to push back. They hired large numbers of affiliated media outlets to spread articles unfavorable to Okhema Theater.
For the sake of Okhema Theater, and to protect MiHoYo, it was impossible for them to completely ignore those vicious words.
All it took was opening their phones to see an overwhelming flood of attacks.
What bothered people the most was their sophistry.
"MiHoYo is famous for its stunning visual effects, from Belobog's frozen wonders of the Xianzhou Luofu. They have created countless visual feasts."
"However, the core of classical Greek art is not grand spectacle, but tragic spirit, human aesthetics, philosophical thought, and the solemn beauty before the gods."
"Will their Amphoreus merely be an interstellar adventure wrapped in Greek skin?"
"We do not yet know." This argument exploited a loophole.
Looking back at Star Rail's story so far, it really hadn't fully embraced that kind of intense classical tragic tone.
Herta Space Station was a narrative built on a science fiction.
Xianzhou Luofu followed a somewhat medieval values with a blend of science.
Penacony explored existence and nihilism, ideals and reality, draped in the aesthetic of dreams.
But tragedy, pain, interrogation.... That required enough knives, sharp enough.
Indeed, none of it was presented particularly well. This piece of sophistry was actually very easy to refute.
Anyone who has truly watched the series knows that many of Honkai: Star Rail's stories and character settings conceal a great deal of philosophical thought within them.
But the purpose of these people was never to convince those who already believe.
Rather, it was aimed at passersby.
After all, to understand what Honkai: Star Rail is really like, one must first go and watch it. And what they wanted to do was to stop these people from watching, to plant prejudice in their minds beforehand.
But fortunately, MiHoYo's big boss, Ningguang, was not to be taken lightly. Even within Greece itself, there were local media houses and supporters backing Amphoreus.
Since the press conference, media from both sides have been clashing nonstop across global social platforms.
However, when it comes to guiding public sentiment, whoever strikes first gains the advantage.
Under the overwhelming barrage of news coverage, some passersby and even fans genuinely began to feel worried.
"Greek culture's sense of tragedy and fate is extremely unique. Can MiHoYo's narrative style really capture and portray that kind of tragic fatalism?"
"I hope it won't just be 'cool for the sake of cool,' but can truly reflect the complexity of Greek heroes and their human struggles."
"As a fan, my expectations are sky-high, but these comments still make me a little uneasy… I hope the work can truly stand up to scrutiny."
These doubts and concerns. Like dark clouds, hung over MiHoYo's already staggering level of attention.
Although a large number of MiHoYo fans argued their case rationally across different social platforms worldwide.
'Tragic' interpretation itself is an extremely subtle and difficult matter.
It cannot be settled simply by whether the visuals or the plot are good or bad.
Here, a question had been planted in many people's hearts: Could MiHoYo really produce an Amphoreus that is authentic, pure in flavor, and truly touches the soul of classical Greek art?
...
Everyone else in the conference room had also heard Phainon's words.
Even Aglaea felt somewhat unsettled. As the opening performance piece featuring the cast, OP: Nameless Faces carried expectations and pressure far beyond anything before.
It had to use undeniable texture and aesthetics to completely shatter these doubts.
Yet no one present truly had enough confidence.
They doubted their acting, doubted their performance, and feared that the entire world would scrutinize them under a magnifying glass, searching for flaws.
"Alright, being nervous won't help."
"Like birds, once you take flight, there's no turning back."
Aglaea sighed, then glanced at the time.
"OP: Nameless Faces is about to be released. This time the boss invited renowned singers from around the world and said they used the very top-tier performance effects. I just hope our acting won't hold it back."
The content of the PV was carefully selected from different scenes in the script.
They performed. MiHoYo handled the special effects.
"Let's watch it together. No matter what the result is…"
Tribios straightened up and encouraged everyone, saying,
"Maybe this PV will be the most perfect Amphoreus teaser yet. This is MiHoYo, after all, an entertainment giant."
With the reassurance of the two of them. Everyone finally managed to suppress the unease in their hearts.
Aglaea walked over and turned on the conference room's main control screen, connecting it to MiHoYo's official website.
The time in the bottom-right corner had already reached the scheduled PV release time.
Everyone took a deep breath and entered the comment section together.
Along with them poured in countless fans and passersby, each carrying their own thoughts.
And at the very moment the OP: Nameless Faces PV went live, traffic from Greece alone nearly multiplied severalfold compared to before!
…
Against a black screen. MiHoYo's logo slowly appeared.
And in the instant it vanished, a powerful chant suddenly exploded forth!
The first scene to greet the eye was the interior of a temple bathed in dim light.
On both sides, massive stone pillars stood in neat rows, with imposing statues looming solemnly in place.
The scenery and the figures. All served to frame the very center of the image.
A golden waterfall poured down from above into a huge basin at the center.
Before the basin, a bare-chested, powerfully built man stood silently.
Here, the camera began to surge forward rapidly in sync with the chant.
Until it locked onto the gray-haired man standing at the very center.
He tore off the strap on his shoulder, plunged his hand into the golden waterfall, and splashed the golden liquid all over his body.
Then, he thrust his arm once more into the basin already filled with the golden liquid, letting that "golden liquid" stream down from his wrist.
Throughout the entire sequence, epic chanting and urgent violin music played without pause.
Compared to the other two, which carried the style of anime opening themes.
OP: Nameless Faces opened with an extended long take.
Even the music was no longer intoxicating, rhythm-driven fare. Instead, it resembled a symphonic composition.
Just this opening scene alone completely established a vastly different temperament.
As the sequence ended, music and vocals rose together, slow and resonant.
[Moonlight, a barren void to horizon,]
Under a deep blue sky, a colossal statue appeared in the frame, golden blood flowing across its surface, solemn and awe-inspiring.
This shot appeared in an instant. Xia Wen's claim of using the highest-tier special effects was no exaggeration.
The statue's texture, detail, and artistry were all perfectly presented before the audience.
Immediately after, Aglaea appeared, holding an apple, her body entwined with golden threads, standing before a massive gathering of her puppets.
Behind her rose a gigantic structure carved entirely from marble.
Whether it was Aglaea's makeup and costume, or the building behind her. They had reached a level where anyone with basic education and common sense could instantly recognize the style.
Those with deeper knowledge, based on this single scene alone, could already identify numerous historical and cultural references.
The style of the columns, the architectural design, the splendid garments worn by Aglaea. All bore unmistakable traces of ancient Greece.
More importantly, these traces were being presented in a way even more shocking and lifelike than actual ruins.
This made many viewers break out in goosebumps. Next, Tribios, Cifera, Anaxagoras, Hyacine, Mydeimos, and Castorice appeared one after another.
Just like Aglaea. Each of their entrances was accompanied by a completely different backdrop!
Gardens, bridges, thrones, a balancing scale…
Scene after scene, paired with the gentle rise of a female chant, truly made the audience feel as if they were witnessing a civilization from ancient Greece emerging into the world.