After the release of the PV for "Dark Shadow," the view count skyrocketed.
In just a few short hours.
The video had already surpassed five hundred thousand views, and that number continued to grow.
The comments section and bullet chats were filled with a variety of reactions, showing clear polarization.
Some players expressed great interest and anticipation for the PV:
"Wow! This PV is amazing! I love this style!"
"Are we finally starting a new storyline? I can't wait!"
"Tao Yao is so beautiful, every expression of hers captivates me!"
"Hehe, Tao Yao is so good and bad, I love her so much!"
"There are so many bots in the comments section, I've seen the same comment over and over again."
The video's view count was high.
Consequently, the related comments were beyond imagination.
Among them, many players expressed strong dissatisfaction with the term "training" mentioned in the PV:
"What the hell? Can the word 'training' be used casually? Isn't this game a bit excessive? Don't they fear causing some negative guidance?"
"The PV is only 30 seconds long, anyone who can hold back from spouting off must be a deity."
"I think people who like this kind of story have issues. What's good about this?"
"This kind of storytelling is simply insulting the intelligence of players. Do they think we are all idiots?"
The comments section was filled with a large number of negative reviews:
"Is this game crazy? Can 'training' be used casually? This is really absurd!"
"I was actually looking forward to the new storyline, but after seeing this PV, I only feel disgusted."
"Sure enough, it's again this familiar conspiracy theory. Why do current games have to be all dark and deep? Can't we just have some healing stories full of love and justice?"
"This kind of storytelling challenges moral bottom lines. I've decided to quit the game, even though I haven't downloaded it, but for a game like this, I can't even be bothered to play it in the cloud."
"Do the planners think all players are idiots? They dare to write such a storyline?"
"Very disappointed. It's a game that's already a copycat, the gameplay is already stitched together enough. Now, I really can't accept this kind of setting. This isn't the content a game should have."
However, beneath these comments.
Some hot-tempered players were battling it out.
"If you don't like it, get lost! Go play your 12+ games!"
"After looking around, I'm amused. Some talk about negative guidance while others advocate for love and justice… Did you all forget one thing, the age rating for Fairy Journey is 18+, minors can't play! If you don't like it, get lost!"
"That's right! Certain people must have played too many 12+ games, brainwashed by the game companies, can't stand the current heat of Fairy Journey, and come here to seek attention."
"Passersby, I was still hesitating before. By the way, does this game really have the kind of training I'm thinking of? If it does, then I have to consider playing!"
In short.
A variety of comments flooded the various comment sections related to Fairy Journey, with people debating, participating in the conflict, and enjoying the spectacle, turning the comments section chaotic.
...
After the streamer Sakura Fubuki watched the PV, her expression shifted from anticipation to anger.
Responding to the requests of numerous readers, she announced the launch of a VIP member ad-free feature.
She slammed her hand on the table and loudly told the few viewers in the live stream:
"This storyline is completely different from the internal test! The internal test version didn't have this part at all! It must have been changed! This Tao Yao is really annoying, wanting to train my wife? I think she's the one who needs training!"
As an internal test player, Sakura Fubuki was well aware of the storyline development.
She had always liked the protagonist Hiyakura, considering her a kind-hearted and brave character.
In contrast, she had never had a good impression of the villain Tao Yao.
Sakura Fubuki took a deep breath to calm her emotions and then addressed the viewers in the live stream:
"Alright, friends, I've decided to end the stream for now. I'm going to make a video specifically to rant about this storyline. I hope everyone will support me then!"
With that, Sakura Fubuki ended the live stream.
She immediately began organizing material and started working on the video.
Before long, a video titled "Fairy Journey Story Modification? Suspected to be Whitewashed? No! We Absolutely Resist Whitewashing Behavior!" appeared on the video platform.
As the video began, Sakura Fubuki's voice rang out:
"Hello everyone, I'm Sakura Fubuki. I believe many friends who have played the internal test know that Tao Yao was a typical villain character in the early stages of the game."
"She not only caused Hiyakura to fall into an uncontrolled state at the beginning."
"According to the previous development during the internal test."
"In the subsequent storyline of Qingyang City, she fell into chaos due to her inability to control her powers, causing massive destruction, and was eventually defeated by the main character team."
"The storyline of the internal test pretty much ended here."
As the video played, clips from the game's internal test version appeared, showcasing scenes and situations featuring Tao Yao.
"But now that the game has launched publicly, I believe many players have already noticed that many storylines have changed. With the new released teaser PV 'Dark Shadow,' I have to boldly speculate on future developments."
Sakura Fubuki's voice became serious:
"If you observe closely, you will find that the villain Tao Yao is very exquisitely modeled and illustrated."
"If we disregard her personality, just looking at her appearance, she is indeed a very beautiful character."
"However, as a game company, I don't think they would limit such a well-crafted character to be simply shown in the current version; that would be a waste of Tao Yao's currently limited popularity."
"We all know that many games nowadays will intentionally whitewash some villain characters to get them into the gacha pool, creating some silly storylines."
"I suspect that the planners of 'Fairy Journey' plan to do the same! They will likely whitewash this villain character to sell her and orchestrate a series of storylines to redeem her!"
Sakura Fubuki's tone became passionate:
"No matter what reasons or excuses they use, even if they throw Tao Yao into a washing machine for a whole day to wash her until she blooms, we must resolutely resist this behavior!"
"Villains should be villains, and their nature should not be changed for commercial interests!"
After the video was released, it immediately resonated with a large number of players.
Perhaps influenced by the rhythm of the discussion.
Or perhaps out of hatred for such whitewashing behavior.
Following the release of Sakura Fubuki's video, the comments section was filled with supportive voices.
"You're so right! Villains are villains, and if they whitewash them just to sell characters, that's so meaningless!"
"There are some people who actually like this scheming villain character Tao Yao, I really don't understand. If the planners really want to whitewash her for this reason and create some redemption storyline, I'll be the first to charge in!"
"Support Sakura Fubuki! We don't want a whitewashed Tao Yao, we want the original villain!"