Let me start by saying this: I’m using the ASMR term loosely. Still, some Honkai Star Rail players aren’t because the upcoming Firefly, everyone’s favorite mecha waifu, was part of a cellphone event in China. If you didn’t know, Chinese players from this turn-based gacha could call Firefly. In this three-minute recording, the upcoming Destruction character would reportedly tell a joke, count to 20 if you wait too long in the call, and hang up. But since HSR‘s fan base tends to exaggerate things a bit, everything went up in flames faster than Firefly’s suit.
The controversy about this event is due to the spreading of misinformation, which, yeah, shouldn’t shock us. Apparently, Firefly would count to 20 in this Honkai Star Rail event exclusive to China, but some people heard “520.” Why is that number so important? If you didn’t know, 520 is homophonic to “I love you” in Chinese. So yes, people thought Firefly was professing her love to many Honkai Star Rail players. Thankfully, Chinese users clarified that the number was 20, thus breaking the hearts of many Trailblazers.
Sadly, this sparked some heated discussions on the game’s subreddit. Many don’t like how HoYoverse is pushing Firefly as the almost “canon” waifu for the main characters instead of focusing on her tragic past. Some even went as far as to say this was a parasocial experiment that didn’t sit well with many. On the other hand, certain people saw this as a harmless marketing campaign to promote an upcoming 5-star character.
Furthermore, it is important to remember this isn’t the first time HoYoverse has done this. According to previous reports, the Chinese company did this before Aventurine’s release. However, it was with his child version instead of the grown-up one. Ultimately, everyone is free to react to this event as they want. But one thing’s for sure: Firefly is a well-liked character in the Honkai Star Rail community, and regardless of what we think, most of us will be pulling for her. I know I will because I’ve been waiting patiently for a proper Fire/Destruction DPS character.
