Honkai Impact 3rd × Neon Genesis Evangelion 2021

This article contains AI-generated translation.

蒋静菊：Hello各位舰长好！欢迎来到我们《崩坏3》的特别企划！那想必大家都知道，米哈游是一家对EVA特别有爱的公司。传闻中呢，创始人之一的蔡哥每年夏天都会穿上EVA的文化衫，是真的吗？
Jiang Jingju: Hello, Captains! Welcome to our special project for *Honkai Impact 3rd*! I believe everyone knows that miHoYo is a company with a great love for Evangelion. It's been rumored that one of the co-founders, Brother Cai (Haoyu), wears an *Evangelion*-themed shirt every summer. Is that true?

刘伟：是的。
Liu Wei: Yes, it is.

蒋静菊：就在最近啊，《崩坏3》终于公布了联动EVA的消息。在这个令人激动的时刻呢，我们也请来了几位特别的嘉宾！让他们谈谈自己的青春、梦想还有对EVA的热爱。那我就先来介绍一下好了。首先呢，是画师大大，也是琪亚娜最初形象的缔造者，CiCi老师，欢迎！
Jiang Jingju: Just recently, *Honkai Impact 3rd* announced its collaboration with *Evangelion*. In this exciting moment, we have invited some special guests to talk about their youth, dreams, and love for *Evangelion*. Let me introduce them. First, we have the talented artist and the creator of the original design for Kiana, Teacher CiCi. Welcome!

张庆华：大家好，大家好！
Zhang Qinghua: Hello everyone, hello everyone!

蒋静菊：接下来是大家，已经非常熟悉的，霸道总裁，大伟哥!
Jiang Jingju: And next, we have someone who is already very familiar to everyone, the domineering President, Brother Wei!

刘伟：大家好!
Liu Wei: Hello everyone!

蒋静菊：最后是《崩坏3》的元老级程序员，天文！
Jiang Jingju: Lastly, we have the veteran programmer of *Honkai Impact 3rd*, Tianwen!

陈天文：大家好，大家好！
Chen Tianwen: Hello everyone, hello everyone!

蒋静菊：首先呢我想问一下，《崩坏3》终于联动EVA了，各位心中感想如何？
Jiang Jingju: First of all, I'd like to ask, what are your thoughts on the long-awaited collaboration between *Honkai Impact 3rd* and *Evangelion*?

刘伟：我就四个字：“公款追星，公款圆梦”。
Liu Wei: I have four words, "Chasing stars with company funds, fulfilling dreams with company funds."

蒋静菊：好的，那在EVA里面各位最喜欢的角色分别是谁呢？
Jiang Jingju: Alright, now, who is your favorite character in *Evangelion*?

刘伟：我觉得这有点暴露xp啊。（葛城）美里。
Liu Wei: I think that's a bit revealing, but it's Misato.

蒋静菊：啊～那天文呢？
Jiang Jingju: Ah~ What about Tianwen?

陈天文：香香。
Chen Tianwen: Asuka.

蒋静菊：那CiCi呢？
Jiang Jingju: And CiCi?

张庆华：我是眼镜娘
Zhang Qinghua: I'm the girl with glasses.

蒋静菊：真希波？
Jiang Jingju: Makinami?

张庆华：对对对，真希波。
Zhang Qinghua: Yeah, Makinami!

蒋静菊：那大伟哥你为什么会特别喜欢美里？
Jiang Jingju: Why do you particularly like Misato, Brother Wei?

刘伟：毕竟是在那个年纪嘛，2000年左右大概是十多岁的时候。
Liu Wei: Well, it was around that age, around the year 2000, when I was in my teens.

蒋静菊：所以心中比较喜欢大姐姐。
Jiang Jingju: So you have a preference for mature, older sisters.

刘伟：不是，不是。那个年纪的小男孩、小男生，对不对？就面对美里这样的说，这是成年人的爱哦，这种对小男生留下了很大的震撼。
Liu Wei: No, no. At that age, for young boys, right? When facing someone like Misato, it leaves a big impact, like the love of a grown-up. It had a great influence on young boys.

蒋静菊：我感受到了，你应该是跟剧中的两位角色一样，看到美里姐姐就是那种，“啊，美里，太美了吧，这就是我心目中的姐姐！”
Jiang Jingju: I understand. It seems like you, just like the two characters in the series, see Misato as "Ah, Misato, so beautiful! She's the sister in my heart!"

刘伟：对对对，因为大概满足了那个年纪的男生，十多岁的男生所有的xp幻想。
Liu Wei: Yes, yes, because it fulfilled the fantasies of boys at that age, the fantasies of young boys in their early teens.

蒋静菊：那EVA 这部作品带给了你们一些什么样的影响呢？就是当时你们看到了，特别是在，你也说了，是十几岁的小男孩看到一部这样的作品，有对你的心理留下什么深刻的影响嘛？
Jiang Jingju: So, what kind of impact did the work *Evangelion* have on you? I mean, when you saw it, especially as you mentioned, when you were a young boy in your early teens, did it leave any profound impact on your psyche?

刘伟：我觉得其实，为什么EVA这部作品会很影响一个人，尤其是在十几岁的时候，你会看到EVA的男主，他其实不是典型的那些热血漫里面的那种，非常的正能量、非常的乐观、非常的积极向上的。他其实有着很多的困惑、很多的迷茫，其实我觉得跟十几岁的小男孩的心境是比较像的。因为，其实十几岁的时候我们都会有很多关于未来、关于人生的困惑，而且可能也会有暗恋的女孩啊。所以，其实EVA的男主是很符合十几岁男生的心境的。我觉得十几岁的时候去看EVA，应该是感触最深的。
Liu Wei: I think, actually, why *Evangelion* has a significant impact on someone, especially during their early teens, is because the male protagonist of *Evangelion* is not the typical, optimistic, positive, and full of energy character you find in typical *shonen*. He has a lot of confusion, a lot of doubts, which I think resonates with the mindset of young boys in their early teens. Because, during that age, we all have many confusions about the future, about life, and perhaps even have a crush on a girl. So, the male protagonist of *Evangelion* is very relatable to the state of mind of young boys in their early teens. I believe that watching *Evangelion* during that age leaves the deepest impression.

蒋静菊：对，我之前也有听说过一句话，三十岁之后就不要再看EVA了，会变得中二的。所以大伟哥你觉得你自己中二吗？
Jiang Jingju: Yes, I've heard a saying before that after the age of thirty, you shouldn't watch *Evangelion* anymore because you'll become *chunibyo*. So, Brother Wei, do you think you're *chunibyo*?

刘伟：我觉得少年时代肯定是中二的。
Liu Wei: I think during my teenage years, I was definitely *chunibyo*.

蒋静菊：那现在呢？
Jiang Jingju: And now?

刘伟：经历了这个社会的毒打之后，变得越来越偶尔中二一下。
Liu Wei: After experiencing the harsh reality of society, I've become occasionally *chunibyo*.

蒋静菊：我知道米哈游的第一款作品的名字其实就叫做《FlyMe2theMoon》。很多人都会以为《崩坏学园》是第一款作品，但其实在之前还有一款作品叫做《FlyMe2theMoon》。EVA的片尾曲也叫作《Fly Me to the Moon》。那这两者之间有什么联系吗？
Jiang Jingju: I know that the name of miHoYo's first work is actually *FlyMe2theMoon*. Many people think that *Houkai Gakuen* is their first work, but there was actually a work called *FlyMe2theMoon* before that. The ending theme of *Evangelion* is also called "Fly Me to the Moon." Is there any connection between the two?

刘伟：其实，《FlyMe2theMoon》创作的时间是2011年，当时CiCi大还在读大学，刚刚加入我们。那时候EVA有一首歌叫《Fly Me to the Moon》。当时想做一些解密游戏，所以就以这首歌作为一个起点。受到这首歌的启发，做了一个魔法少女飞到月球上的解密游戏。应该说是先有歌再有这个游戏。
Liu Wei: Actually, *FlyMe2theMoon* was created in 2011, when CiCi was still in university and had just joined us. At that time, there was a song in *Evangelion* called "Fly Me to the Moon." We wanted to create a puzzle game, so we took that song as a starting point. Inspired by that song, we created a puzzle game where a magical girl flies to the moon. It can be said that the song came first, and then the game.

蒋静菊：就是受到了这首歌的启发然后再做了这款游戏？
Jiang Jingju: So, you were inspired by that song and then created the game?

刘伟：对对对，因为特别喜欢这首歌。
Liu Wei: Yes, exactly. Because we really liked that song.

蒋静菊：当时做这款游戏的时候，它的主角就已经是琪亚娜的这个形象了。所以那个时候我们CiCi老师就已经创造了琪亚娜这样一个人物，对吗？那当时CiCi老师你创造这个人物的时候，你是怎么想的呢？
Jiang Jingju: At that time when we were developing this game, the protagonist was already based on the character design of Kiana. So, CiCi, you had already created the character of Kiana back then, right? When you were creating this character, what were you thinking?

张庆华：在当时的话，我应该是在大四后半年，在我实习的时候就认识了大伟哥他们，然后就开始接了这样一个角色的，当时来说算是一个外包单。
Zhang Qinghua: At that time, I think it was the second half of my senior year in college. I got to know Brother Wei and the others while I was doing my internship, and then I started working on this character. At that time, it was considered an outsourcing project.

蒋静菊：是人生的第一笔外包单吗？
Jiang Jingju: Was it your first outsourcing project in life?

张庆华：不是，我当时已经做过很多动画或者其他相关的一些工作。
Zhang Qinghua: No, at that time I had already done many animations or other related works.

刘伟：才会被我们从网上发现。
Liu Wei: We just discovered them online.

张庆华：但是，当时做的那些东西其实和ACG没什么关系。所以这个人设给我的触动还是蛮大的，因为他可以把自己的爱好作为自己的工作或者事业来去做，就是这么一个契机。
Zhang Qinghua: But the things I did back then were not really related to ACG. So, this character design had a significant impact on me because it showed that one could turn their hobbies into their work or career. It was an opportunity like that.

蒋静菊：因为在当时，其实了解我们ACG文化的人是特别少的。我自己也很有感触，那个时候我也在学校里组动漫社团。到了2011年你们开始做《崩坏学园》的时候，我也刚刚开始工作。在工作环境中，你会发现如果你是一个年纪较大但仍然热爱动画的人，大家就会对你另眼相看。所以说，当你们一开始决定做一款面向二次元、面向宅男的游戏时，肯定会遇到很多的非议，对吧？
Jiang Jingju: Because at that time, there were very few people who understood our ACG culture. I personally had a similar experience. I was also part of an anime club at school during that time. When you guys started working on *Houkai Gakuen* in 2011, I had just started working too. In a work environment, you'll find that if you're someone who is older but still loves animation, people will look at you differently. So, when you initially decided to create a game targeting the otaku community and anime fans, you must have faced a lot of criticism, right?

刘伟：对，其实2011年的时候还没有二次元这个词语，我们把我们喜欢做的东西称作ACG嘛。那个时候你会看到，至少不像今天这样，大家会非常自豪地展现我是一个老二次元。但是我觉得那也有一个好处就是，那个时候喜欢的人非常非常纯粹。所以你会发现，在网上你不太容易遇到这样的人，但是一旦遇到，你会非常非常聊得来。
Liu Wei: Yes, actually in 2011, the term "two-dimensional" wasn't as prevalent as it is today. We used to refer to the things we liked as ACG. At that time, you could see that, at least not like today, people proudly showcased themselves as an "old-school otaku." But I think there was a benefit to that, which was that the people who liked it back then were very pure in their interests. So, you'll find that it's not easy to come across such people online, but once you do, you'll have great conversations.

我们是怎么遇到这个CiCi的呢？其实，作为交大计算机系的技术宅，我们当时也不擅长美术。我们希望设计一个符合我们喜好、符合我们理想的角色，于是我们大量地在网上寻找，看有没有人能够创造这样的角色。在这个时候，我们非常惊喜地在一些地方，包括当年的QQ空间，发现了CiCi。当时他还是个大四的学生，我们从来没有见过面，于是通过网上联系他，表达了我们的合作意向，然后就开始了合作。你会发现这个过程其实非常非常纯粹。
How did we come across CiCi? Well, as tech otakus from the Computer Science department at [Shanghai] Jiao Tong University, we weren't skilled in art. We wanted to design a character that suited our preferences and ideals, so we extensively searched online to see if there was anyone who could create such a character. And during that time, we were pleasantly surprised to find CiCi in various places, including their QQ space. At that time, CiCi was still a senior student, and we had never met in person. So, we contacted them online, expressed our intention to collaborate, and that's how our collaboration began. You'll find that this process was very pure.

蒋静菊：就很简单。
Jiang Jingju: It was quite simple.

刘伟：对，那时候我们又是学生又没什么钱，也不会谈那么多的钱，只是简单地谈了一下外包。虽然我们没见过面，但是大家很快就在网上作为网友开始了合作。我觉得那个时代，现在想想还挺怀念的，因为能找到跟你一起做同样事情的人其实很少。
Liu Wei: Yes, back then we were students with limited financial resources, so we didn't negotiate much about the payment. We simply discussed outsourcing briefly. Although we hadn't met in person, we quickly started collaborating online as netizens. I think that era, looking back now, was quite nostalgic because finding someone who shares the same interests and works on the same things as you is rare.

蒋静菊：他们说你当时在学校里面是一个学生会主席，全学校都认识你，那应该也有很多漂亮的女孩子也认识你，帅气的小哥哥认识你。所以，你在大学的时候是个现充，是吗？
Jiang Jingju: They say you were the student union president at the university, and everyone knew you, including many beautiful girls and handsome guys. So, were you a popular person during your university days?

刘伟：不是，不是。我的人生其实非常神奇。在大学的时候，我基本上不参加任何社团活动，一直一个人独来独往。但是，我非常运气不好，本来是要出国留学的，但是在2008年遇上了金融危机，所以没能出去。后来，我不幸地保送进了交大研究生，读完研究生之后觉得，哇，又在这个交大读了好几年，然后就开始放飞自我了。其实，我的人生可以以读研究生作为一个分水岭，在那之前我没参加过任何社团活动，也不怎么和其他人来往。但是保送研究生之后，我就开始放飞自我了。
Liu Wei: No, no. My life is actually quite miraculous. During university, I rarely participated in any club activities and mostly kept to myself. However, I had very bad luck. I was supposed to study abroad, but in 2008, I encountered the financial crisis, so I couldn't go. Later on, I was unfortunately admitted to graduate school at [Shanghai] Jiao Tong University. After completing my graduate studies, I thought, "Wow, I've spent several years at [Shanghai] Jiao Tong University," and then I started to unleash myself. In fact, my life can be divided by the milestone of pursuing a master's degree. Before that, I hadn't participated in any club activities and didn't interact much with others. But after being admitted to graduate school, I began to unleash myself.

蒋静菊：我明白了，就是，读书很简单，保研也很简单，所以还是多玩玩，多交交朋友吧，看看这个世界的精彩。
Jiang Jingju: I understand. It means that studying is simple, getting into graduate school is simple, so it's better to spend more time playing and making friends, and experiencing the wonders of this world.

刘伟：那个时候我在交通大学的时候还是国际化学生，同时读了交通大学和美国佐治亚理工大学的双学位。因为双学位项目需要有人出来组织学生工作，所以我自告奋勇开始主持学生工作，后来也被大家拥戴成为学生的负责人。所以对我来讲，可能也是因为有这段经历，才会走上创业这条路，包括今天去做公司的管理。其实，这些也是在之前没有想象过的。
Liu Wei: At that time, when I was at [Shanghai] Jiao Tong University, I was still an international student and pursuing a dual degree from [Shanghai] Jiao Tong University and the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States. Because the dual degree program required someone to organize student work, I volunteered to take charge of student affairs and later became recognized as the student leader. So, for me, it may be because of this experience that I embarked on the path of entrepreneurship, including managing the company today. Actually, these were not something I had imagined before.

蒋静菊：我之前还在网上看到了一个视频，是大伟哥还非常年轻的时候，在一个创业比赛上面讲述了关于你们的游戏，非常的可爱、稚嫩。但是呢，在讲解这个游戏的时候，明显感受到来自于下面一些人的嘲讽也好，或者说不理解也好。在一个大家又不看好，又不了解这个东西，又不知道谁会来买你这个产品的情况下，你们是怎么还能下定决心，朝ACG的方向去努力呢？
Jiang Jingju: I saw a video online before, where Brother Wei was still very young, talking about your game at an entrepreneurship competition. It was very cute and innocent. However, while explaining the game, you could clearly sense mockery or lack of understanding from some people below. In a situation where no one had high expectations, didn't understand this thing, and didn't know who would buy your product, how did you have the determination to strive in the direction of ACG?

刘伟：啊…那个视频应该是2011年做完《FlyMe2theMoon》之后，没挣到什么钱，但是也想继续往下做。这个时候我就代表团队去外面去拿投资，去参加各种各样的大学生创业比赛。因为那个年代确实没有什么人知道ACG，再加上我们是一个大学生创业团队，所以基本上不太被人看好。其实包括当年的评委，我不认为大家是在嘲笑或者嘲讽我们，我只是认为大家不理解，或者说觉得，就像刚刚菊花花讲的，“这个技术宅呢有点可爱”，我觉得是这样的。
Liu Wei: Ah... That video should be from after we finished *FlyMe2theMoon* in 2011. We didn't earn much money, but we wanted to continue. At that time, I represented the team to seek investments and participate in various entrepreneurship competitions for college students. Because during that era, not many people knew about ACG, and we were a team of college students, so we weren't highly regarded. Actually, including the judges at that time, I don't think they were mocking or ridiculing us. I simply think they didn't understand or perhaps found it amusing, as Juhuahua (Jiang) just mentioned. It was like, "Oh, this tech otaku is a bit cute." That's what I think.

所以我觉得那个年代我们自己能够持续往下做，还是（因为）简单的热爱吧，因为谁也不知道，在2011年，即使是在我最疯狂的想法里面也不会想到说今天的二次元市场会有这么大，会有这么多的人会喜欢我们的作品。所以那个时候其实就是一个非常简单纯粹的想法，想去做自己喜欢做的这个ACG事业，并且去为之去努力。
So, I believe that during that era, we were able to keep going because of simple passion. No one knew, even in my wildest imagination in 2011, that the two-dimensional market today would be so big and that so many people would love our works. So, at that time, it was a very simple and pure idea, to pursue this ACG venture that we loved and put our efforts into it.

所以去参加了很多创业比赛，去跟很多人展示了我们这个项目。虽然几乎所有人都拒绝了我们，但是我们最终也运气很好，拿到了唯一一笔投资，一笔100w的投资，也让公司走到了今天，所以说我觉得其实还是蛮幸运的。
Therefore, we participated in many entrepreneurship competitions and showcased our project to many people. Although almost everyone rejected us, we were lucky to eventually secure the only investment we received, a 1 million yuan investment, which allowed the company to reach where it is today. So, I think we were quite fortunate in the end.

蒋静菊：主要是一直在做自己喜欢的事情，在路上就不会觉得有那么得辛苦。
Jiang Jingju: The main thing is that you've been doing what you love, so you don't feel the hardship on the journey.

刘伟：其实那个时候不会觉得苦，因为那个时候也是学生嘛。在做很多你所热爱的事情，在不停地努力，所以说不会觉得那么苦。
Liu Wei: Actually, at that time, I didn't feel it was difficult because we were still students. We were doing many things we were passionate about, constantly striving, so it didn't feel so tough.

蒋静菊：以前有人跟我说过一句话：“你在路上不断前行的时候，不会注意脚下的石子”。当时CiCi和天文也一直都在你们的团队之中。那你们当时在跟着大家一起做这件事情的遇到了什么困难，或者有没有迷茫过？因为大伟哥一直拉不到投资，游戏做出来成绩好像也不是那么得好。第一款游戏你们也说了，成绩不是特别好，可能大家觉得有很多问题。你们当时有过别的想法吗？
Jiang Jingju: Someone once told me, "When you're constantly moving forward on your journey, you won't pay attention to the stones beneath your feet." At that time, CiCi and Tianwen were also part of your team. What difficulties did you encounter while pursuing this endeavor together with everyone, or did you ever feel lost? Because Brother Wei, you struggled to secure investments, and the performance of the game didn't seem to be very good. You mentioned that the first game didn't achieve great results, and perhaps people felt there were many issues. Did you have any other thoughts at that time?

张庆华：我当时经常被家里人问的一个问题就是：“什么时候回广州工作，为什么一个人在上海工作？”当时我说：“等这边倒闭了就回去”，事实是结果好像并没有这么容易。
Zhang Qinghua: One question I was often asked by my family was: "When are you going back to Guangzhou to work? Why are you working alone in Shanghai?" At that time, I said, "I'll go back when this place shuts down," but the reality is that it didn't seem to be that easy.

蒋静菊：“应该快了吧，可能今年就倒闭了。今年倒闭了，我就可以回家结婚了。没有想到一直做到了现在，越做越大怎么办？”
Jiang Jingju: "It should be happening soon. Maybe it will shut down this year. When it shuts down this year, I can go home and get married. I didn't expect that we would keep going until now. What do we do when we continue to grow bigger?"

刘伟：所以我们CiCi老师今天还没有结婚。
Liu Wei: That's why our teacher CiCi is still not married today.

蒋静菊：内心非常得焦急。
Jiang Jingju: He must be feeling very anxious.

张庆华：对我来说，一路上做各种项目都是做与美术相关的东西。其实对我来说是没有很阻碍性的困难的。但是对于团队的其他成员不一样，他们往往担负了游戏开发以及各种未涉足的领域。包括那个年代连游戏域名都是一个未知的领域，大伟哥还是第一个克服了。所以说困难还是很多的，但是对我来说还好，因为我在做我本职的东西。
Zhang Qinghua: For me, all the projects I worked on along the way were related to art, so I didn't encounter any obstructive difficulties. But it was different for other members of the team. They often took on game development and ventured into various unfamiliar fields. Even the domain name for games was an unknown territory during that era, and Brother Wei was the first to overcome it. So, there were indeed many challenges, but it was fine for me because I was doing my own job.

蒋静菊：那天文作为一开始的程序员，你有觉得很辛苦吗？
Jiang Jingju: Tianwen, as the first programmer, did you find it challenging?

陈天文：我实际上加入的时间也挺神奇的，跟大伟哥一样，我在进交大研究生的时候仿佛悟道了这个世界的本质。当时《崩坏2》还没有上线，那个时候我也是寒假什么的都没有回去，然后就借住在伟哥、罗爷租的房子里面。
Chen Tianwen: Actually, the timing of my joining was quite miraculous. Similar to Brother Wei, I seemed to have realized the essence of this world when I entered graduate school at [Shanghai] Jiao Tong University. At that time, *Houkai Gakuen 2* had not yet been launched, so I didn't even go back home during the winter break. Instead, I stayed in the house rented by Brother Wei and Boss Luo (Yuhao).

蒋静菊：就一群人挤在一个小房子里面做游戏，像小黑作坊一样。
Jiang Jingju: A group of people squeezed into a small house to develop games, like a small black workshop.

陈天文：对对对。
Chen Tianwen: Yep.

蒋静菊：我们刚刚说了，做了第一款游戏《FlyMe2theMoon》。做完这款游戏之后，大家是怎么会想到去做一款《崩坏学园》这样的游戏？
Jiang Jingju: As we just mentioned, we made our first game *FlyMe2theMoon*. After completing that game, how did we come up with the idea of making a game like *Houkai Gakuen*?

刘伟：《崩坏学园》这个（游戏）还是有点故事的。我们当年做完《FlyMe2theMoon》之后其实还蛮沮丧的，因为这个游戏成绩不太好，也没赚多少钱。后来我们就想，因为2012年我们已经毕业了，也开始成立公司了。作为公司嘛，最终肯定是要挣钱的，就在想要做什么样的游戏。
Liu Wei: *Houkai Gakuen* actually has a bit of a story. After we finished *FlyMe2theMoon*, we were quite disappointed because the game didn't perform well and didn't make much money. So, we started thinking about what kind of game we should make as a company, considering that we had graduated in 2012 and started our own company.

其实命运就是特别的有意思，2012年我们冥思苦想不知道做什么的时候，有一款App Store上的小游戏《僵尸小镇》出现了，是一个横版打僵尸的游戏，我们当时觉得特别好玩。因为它是一个美式卡通、很简单的画面，所以我们就觉得，如果这个（画面）能换成ACG的风格就好了。正好我们当时又很喜欢另外一个作品叫《学园默示录》。诶，左边有这个《僵尸小镇》，右边有这个《学园默示录》，啪，对吧？
Interestingly, fate played its part. In 2012, when we were brainstorming and unsure about what to do, a small game called *Zombie Town* appeared on the App Store. It was a side-scrolling zombie game, and we found it really fun. It had a simple, cartoonish art style, so we thought, "What if we change this art style to an ACG style?" Coincidentally, we were also big fans of another work called *Highschool of the Dead*. So, with *Zombie Town* on the left and *Highschool of the Dead* on the right, voila!

蒋静菊：灵感就来了！
Jiang Jingju: The inspiration struck!

刘伟：灵感就来了，然后就做了《崩坏学园》这款产品。整个《崩坏学园》的美术设计、动作动画都是由CiCi调的，你可以分享一下。
Liu Wei: Yes, the inspiration struck, and that's how we made *Houkai Gakuen*. CiCi was in charge of the entire art design and animation for *Houkai Gakuen*. Maybe you can share more about it.

张庆华：那个相当于我们的第二个项目，但是这个游戏项目比之前的要大得多。当时在职的美术也就一个。
Zhang Qinghua: It was like our second project, but this game was much bigger than the previous one. At that time, I was the only artist working full-time.

蒋静菊：就是你。
Jiang Jingju: That's you.

张庆华：对对对，然后原画、动画、特效各方面都做了。
Zhang Qinghua: Yes, that's right. I worked on the original artwork, animation, and special effects for the game.

刘伟：当然，现在来看肯定是不太行的。当年已经是非常惊艳了。
Liu Wei: Of course, looking at it now, it's definitely not as impressive. But back then, it was truly remarkable.

张庆华：环境所迫，所以当年什么都做，没办法。
Zhang Qinghua: We did everything we could back then because we were pushed by the circumstances. We had no choice.

蒋静菊：那么经过这么一段时间的辛苦付出，我们快进到了《崩坏2》，终于赚钱了！赚钱了感觉怎么样！
Jiang Jingju: So, after this period of hard work, let's fast forward to *Houkai Gakuen 2*, and finally, we started making money! How does it feel to make money?!

刘伟：我记得非常清楚，我觉得我这一辈子都会记得这一天，是2014年的1月26号。我们正式在Bilibili上面，因为当时的Bilibili也比较小啊，挂了一个页面把我们《崩坏学园2》这个产品上线了。我记得第一天的充值收入好像是10w块？当时就非常非常开心，就感觉人生一辈子没挣到过这么多钱。一天玩家充值就有十万块，非常非常得激动，然后第二天好像就有20w了，第三天正好接近除夕了，第三天就有40w。当时简直每天就像是做梦一样。 "Liu Wei: I remember it very clearly. I feel like I'll remember that day for the rest of my life. It was January 26, 2014. We officially launched our game *Houkai Gakuen 2* on Bilibili. Bilibili was relatively small at the time. We put up a page and released our product. I remember the first day's revenue from in-game purchases was around 100,000 RMB. We were extremely happy because we had never made that much money in our lives before. The next day, it was around 200,000 RMB, and on the third day, which was close to Chinese New Year's Eve, it reached 400,000 RMB. It felt like living in a dream every day."

蒋静菊：有没有那种躺在床上就10w，20w，30w，40w，走上人生巅峰（的感觉）。
Jiang Jingju: Is there that kind of feeling where you lie in bed and suddenly you have 100,000, 200,000, 300,000, 400,000, and you've reached the peak of your life?

刘伟：对，我有个印象特别深，因为我们那个充值的后台就在我自己个人的支付宝。所以我每天闲下来就会看一下我那个支付宝的余额。诶，一直在涨，一直在涨。就不怕你携款逃走吗？那个时候就特别兴奋，打开支付宝一刷一看，诶，数字又涨了。小小年纪，支付宝就有百万余额，特别特别兴奋啊。
Liu Wei: Yes, I have a very vivid memory of that. The backend for the in-game purchases was linked to my personal Alipay account. So every day, during my free time, I would check my Alipay balance. Hey, it kept increasing, and increasing. Weren't you afraid that someone might run away with the money? At that time, I was extremely excited. I would open Alipay, swipe to check, and hey, the numbers went up again. At such a young age, having a balance of over a million in Alipay was incredibly thrilling.

蒋静菊：那当我们大家看到自己努力做的东西、自己所热爱的东西有所收获的时候，肯定是特别激动的。那也坚定了一定要走这条路的信念，看来还是能够成功的，对吗？
Jiang Jingju: When we see the fruits of our hard work and the things we love to do, it definitely brings great excitement. It strengthens our belief in pursuing this path, and it seems that success is indeed possible, right?

刘伟：对，兴奋可能也就大概持续了一周吧，因为正好是春节期间，之后就是非常的沮丧。为什么？因为有各种各样的问题。服务器每天都宕机啊，玩家充值不到账啊，各种各样的问题啊。所以基本上兴奋也就持续了一周而已，之后每天都面对各种各样新的问题。所以整个2014年，我感觉是我这么多年最辛苦的一年。我的头发也是在那个时候白的。
Liu Wei: Yes, the excitement probably lasted for about a week, because it happened to be during the Chinese New Year. After that, it was quite disheartening. Why? Because there were various problems. The servers were crashing every day, players' payments were not being processed, and there were all sorts of issues. So, basically, the excitement only lasted for about a week, and then every day we faced new challenges. Therefore, in the entire year of 2014, I felt it was the most difficult year for me in many years. That's when my hair turned white.

蒋静菊：原来是这样，谜题解开了。那当时你们其实《崩坏学园2》遇到那么多问题的时候，你们大概有多少人？
Jiang Jingju: So that's how it was. The puzzle is solved. So, when you guys encountered so many problems with *Houkai Gakuen 2*, how many people were there?

刘伟：《崩坏学园2》上线的时候，其实整个公司，包括像CiCi大和天文在内，我们所有人加起来总共就7个人。
Liu Wei: When *Houkai Gakuen 2* was launched, the entire company, including CiCi and Tianwen, there were only 7 people with all of us combined.

蒋静菊：要解决那么多的问题。
Jiang Jingju: And you had to solve so many problems.

刘伟：对，7个人。
Liu Wei: Yes, 7 people.

蒋静菊：就是每天都在那里修补，还有可能公关危机什么的，对吧？就玩家在那里问：“为什么我的充值没有（到账）？”
Jiang Jingju: So you were there every day fixing things, dealing with potential PR crises, right? Players would ask, "Why hasn't my top-up arrived?"

刘伟：对对对，其实大家都知道，我之前2013年做过一年的客服嘛，所以2014年刚开始的时候我们也没有客服。最开始客服也是我做，到后来完全忙不过来，就从玩家里面开始招募一些对我们感兴趣的人，开始进来做客服。
Liu Wei: Yes, that's right. As everyone knows, I had worked as a customer service representative for a year in 2013. So, when we started in 2014, we didn't have any dedicated customer service staff. Initially, I handled the customer service tasks myself, but later on, it became overwhelming. So, we started recruiting individuals from among the players who were interested in our game to join as customer service representatives.

蒋静菊：原来你们一开始的一些员工也是从玩家之中招募的？
Jiang Jingju: So, originally, some of your employees were recruited from among the players?

刘伟：对，我们最早的这些公司的同事，其实都是我们的玩家。
Liu Wei: Yes, in fact, our earliest colleagues in this company were all players themselves.

蒋静菊：听到了吗，有没有想进入米哈游的，快来吧！
Jiang Jingju: Did you hear that? Anyone who wants to join miHoYo, come on!

刘伟：我们非常欢迎我们的玩家加入米哈游，一起来技术宅拯救世界！
Liu Wei: We warmly welcome our players to join miHoYo and work together as tech otakus to save the world!

蒋静菊：《崩坏学园2》它是一款横版的射击游戏，这个游戏我也玩过。它和《崩坏3》的差别真的非常大。当时因为要配音芽衣的角色，一开始试音的是《崩坏2》的角色，后来转到了《崩坏3》。我一看到《崩坏3》这款游戏，就感到震惊了。“嗯？原来是这样的吗？这么高级吗？”我手都在激动得发抖，居然有一款如此厉害的游戏出现了。当时你们是如何从一个2D的横版游戏，相对来说不那么困难的游戏，一下子跃升到下一代，变成如此高难度的动作游戏的呢？
Jiang Jingju: *Houkai Gakuen 2* is a side-scrolling shooting game, and I have played this game as well. The difference between this game and *Honkai Impact 3rd* is really huge. At that time, I was originally auditioning for the role of (Raiden) Mei in *Houkai Gakuen 2*, but later it switched to *Honkai Impact 3rd*. When I first saw Honkai Impact 3rd, I was shocked: "Oh? So it's like this? It's so advanced, isn't it?" My hands were trembling with excitement. I couldn't believe such an amazing game had appeared. How did you manage to transition from a relatively less challenging 2D side-scrolling game to the next generation and turn it into such a difficult action game?

陈天文：我觉得大的方向来讲的话，其实《崩坏2》还是一个2D的游戏嘛。我们当时也是看到了，不是说二次元的东西我们只能用2D来表达，而是说我们已经看到了市面上有一些产品。我们当时《崩3》在做的时候也参考了像日本的GGXX他们的3D渲染技术。我们看到了在3D情况下，我们照样还是能够做到手绘以及2D这样的风格，在3D上来呈现。结合这些点，就做了一个3D的动作游戏出来。
Chen Tianwen: Speaking in broader terms, I feel that *Houkai Gakuen 2* is still a 2D game. At that time, we also realized that it's not that we can only express the essence of the 2D world using 2D graphics. We had already noticed some products in the market. When we were working on *Honkai Impact 3rd* back then, we also took inspiration from Japan's *Guilty Gear XX* and their 3D rendering techniques. We saw that even in a 3D environment, we could still achieve a hand-drawn and 2D style. Combining all these factors, we created a 3D action game.

刘伟：而且我们刚才说，公司很希望做到超玩家预期嘛。所以说从2D到3D，从关卡到开放世界，其实每一个进步都希望我们能够做出一个超预期的表现。其中的困难是很多的，包括我们立项《崩3》的时候，项目组里面基本上是没有做3D项目的人员，包括我们做开放世界游戏的时候，我们公司里面也没有开放世界经验的人。但是这就是我们的一个坚定的目标，只有做到这个程度才能够超乎玩家的预期。
Liu Wei: Moreover, as we mentioned earlier, the company aims to surpass player expectations. So, whether it's transitioning from 2D to 3D or from level-based gameplay to an open world, we strive for each advancement to deliver performances that exceed expectations. The challenges along the way are numerous. When we initially proposed *Honkai Impact 3rd*, the project team mainly consisted of individuals without prior experience in 3D projects. Similarly, when we ventured into developing an open-world game, we lacked personnel with expertise in that area. However, this remained a steadfast goal for us because only by achieving such a level could we exceed player expectations.

我记得做《崩3》第一个角色的时候，从2D到3D，这其中的经验是很少的。第一个角色琪亚娜，我们大概打磨了6个月，就一个角色打磨了6个月。对，从原画到模型再到动画，这一整套下来就用了6个月。结果6个月之后，我们跑完之后，就砍了，重新再来一遍，才有了现在的这个体系。所以说这个过程其实是很漫长的，也是很难的。
I remember when we were working on the first character for *Honkai Impact 3rd*, the transition from 2D to 3D posed limited experience. The first character, Kiana, took about six months of polishing—six months dedicated to a single character. Yes, from concept art to modeling and animation, the entire process took six months. After completing that stage, we scrapped it and started anew, leading us to the current system. Therefore, this process is indeed lengthy and challenging.

蒋静菊：那当时你们一开始说要做这样的3D游戏的时候，中间遇到很多问题。有没有质疑过，觉得可能现在并不是时候，没有那样的技术来做这样一个产品，有没有这样困惑过？
Jiang Jingju: When you initially decided to develop this kind of 3D game, did you encounter many challenges along the way? Did you ever question if it was the right time or if there was enough technology available to create such a product? Were there moments of confusion like this?

刘伟：我觉得这就是我们整个团队的优势吧，就像刚刚天文和CiCi大讲的。我们有一个理念，就像我今天穿的文化衫一样，叫做“Something New，Something Exciting，Something Out of Imagination”。我们总是希望作出一些超出用户预期的产品，所以我们能预感到会有很多的困难。但是我觉得这就是我们作为一个技术宅团队的基因，不管是在技术上、美术上还是在游戏设计上，我们认定的方向，我们一定会死磕到底，不计成本、不计人力、不计代价地把它给死磕出来。
Liu Wei: I believe this is the advantage of our entire team, as Tianwen and CiCi just mentioned. We have a concept, just like the cultural shirt I'm wearing today, which says, "Something New, Something Exciting, Something Out of Imagination." We always strive to create products that go beyond user expectations, so we anticipate that there will be many challenges. However, I believe this is the essence of our team as tech enthusiasts. Whether it's in technology, art, or game design, once we set a direction, we will persistently tackle it, disregarding costs, manpower, and any sacrifices necessary, in order to overcome those challenges.

这是我们为什么能够在公司那么小的时候作出《崩坏3》，在国内没人做开放世界的时候作出《原神》。这跟我们整个团队技术宅的信仰是有关系的。因为我们团队，所有同学，包括美术、策划和程序，我们都是技术宅，大家都有共同的信仰。
This is why we were able to create *Honkai Impact 3rd* when our company was still small, and develop *Genshin Impact* when no one else in China was making open-world games. It is closely related to the belief shared by our entire team of tech enthusiasts. Because all the members of our team, including artists, designers, and programmers, are tech enthusiasts, we all have a shared belief.

蒋静菊：所以这就是我们米哈游的口号对吗？“技术宅拯救世界！”那米哈游这个公司的名字是怎么来的呢？是谁起的呢？
Jiang Jingju: So, is this our slogan at miHoYo? "Tech Otakus Save the World!" Then how did miHoYo get its name? Who came up with it?

刘伟：其实我觉得这个名字是蛮巧的，我们当时创业的时候，三个人不停地想这个名字。
Liu Wei: Actually, I think the name came about quite fortuitously. When we started our entrepreneurial journey, the three of us kept brainstorming for this name.

蒋静菊：想名字真的很痛苦哈。
Jiang Jingju: Indeed, coming up with a name can be really agonizing.

刘伟：对，不知道你们有没有注意到，米哈游的名字里有一个H和一个Y。我们有一个合伙人是叫蔡浩宇，他的名字里面带有HY。另一个合伙人叫罗宇浩，他的名字里面带有YH。所以就取了他们俩的这个名字。
Liu Wei: Yes, I don't know if you've noticed, but the name "miHoYo" contains an H and a Y. One of our partners is named Cai Haoyu, and his name has HY in it. The other partner is named Luo Yuhao, and his name has YH in it. So we took their names and formed the company's name.

蒋静菊：原来是这样！《崩坏3》中有哪些元素是致敬EVA的？
Jiang Jingju: Oh, I see! In *Honkai Impact 3rd*, which elements are paying homage to *Evangelion*?

陈天文：其实致敬EVA这件事情不止是《崩坏3》，其实从《崩坏1》、2开始其实一直都是有的。从最早的《崩坏学园2》的时候，有很多成就的名字、武器的技能，包括一些特效效果，都是致敬的。《崩坏3》里面，从美术上来讲，我们第一个琪亚娜的角色——白练，在设计的时候学习了EVA的战斗服。
Chen Tianwen: In fact, paying homage to *Evangelion* is not limited to *Honkai Impact 3rd*. It has been present since *Houkai Gakuen* and *Houkai Gakuen 2*. In the early stages of *Houkai Gakuen 2*, there were many references, such as the names of achievements and weapon skills, including some special effects. In *Honkai Impact 3rd*, from an artistic standpoint, Kiana's first battlesuit, White Comet, was designed with inspiration from the plugsuits in *Evangelion*.

另外从《崩坏》这个IP本身、《崩坏》这个剧情设定、世界设定的本身，深入来看的话其实是有点像EVA的，包括使徒的设定和我们律者的设定，还有崩坏可能对应EVA里面使徒和冲击，第一次崩坏、第二次崩坏。
Furthermore, if we delve deeper into the IP and the storyline of Honkai, the world settings actually bear some resemblance to Evangelion, including the designs of the Evangelions and the Herrschers. The concept of "Honkai Eruptions" corresponds to the Angels and the Impacts in Evangelion, with the First Honkai Eruption, Second Honkai Eruption, and more recently, the Third Honkai Eruption.

最近的话可能就是后崩，当时最后一关，关注细节的同学应该会知道，在最终，男主开始有一个解放的程度，那个是崩坏污染率。大家会发现，那个污染率从20、30最后涨到了400%。400%其实就是EVA中，当时力天使、初号机暴走时候的同步率400%，这个值并不是随便写的。
In the final stages (*Post-Honkai Odyssey*), attentive players may have noticed that the male protagonist reaches a state of liberation, indicated by the Honkai Corruption Rate. It is worth noting that the Corruption Rate increases from 20 or 30% to 400%. The value of 400% is not arbitrarily chosen; it is a reference to Evangelion, where the synchronization ratio of the Evangelions and the berserk Unit-01 is 400% during their rampage.

蒋静菊：原来是这样！
Jiang Jingju: So that's how it is!

陈天文：其实，当时男主爆发的整个过程，实际上也是借鉴了EVA的男主真嗣。一个从绝望，逐步发泄到最终暴走的过程，在一个爆破点上，音乐声响起。这些或多或少也受到EVA的影响。
Chen Tianwen: In fact, the entire process of the male protagonist's outburst at that time was actually inspired by Shinji, the male protagonist of *Evangelion*. It follows a progression from despair to gradually unleashing his emotions until eventually reaching a state of berserk. At a crucial turning point, accompanied by the sound of music, these elements were more or less influenced by *Evangelion*.

蒋静菊:既然大家都喜欢EVA，那在一开始做这款游戏的时候，你们有没有想过以后要和EVA联动？
Jiang Jingju: Since everyone loves *Evangelion*, did you ever consider the possibility of collaborating with *Evangelion* when you first started developing this game?

刘伟：我觉得大家肯定都是有的，大家都憋着一股劲吧，希望某一天《崩坏》这个IP也能够像EVA这样被大家所熟知。我们哪一天联动的时候，一定要配得上这个IP，我们这么多年一直都在努力。
Liu Wei: I believe everyone must have that desire within them, hoping that one day the *Honkai* IP will be as well-known as *Evangelion*. When the day comes for us to collaborate, we must live up to this IP. We have been striving for it for many years.

蒋静菊：所以你觉得到了今天，我们已经是时候可以和EVA进行联动了。
Jiang Jingju: So you think that today, we have reached a point where we can collaborate with *Evangelion*.

刘伟：对对对，因为我觉得《崩坏》这个IP发展这么多年，能够受到这么多玩家的喜爱，我觉得我们也有很多很优秀的地方。大家如果这次去体验我们的联动内容，做的是非常非常用心。所以在这个时间节点，我个人认为，我们配得上这次联动，而且我们的制作组也非常非常用心。
Liu Wei: Yes, because I feel that the *Honkai* IP has been developing for so many years and has garnered the love of so many players, I believe we also have many outstanding aspects. If everyone experiences our collaboration content this time, they will see the tremendous effort we put into it. So at this moment, personally, I believe we are worthy of this collaboration, and our production team is also extremely dedicated.

蒋静菊：那为了这次联动，你们大概花了多长时间来准备呢？
Jiang Jingju: So, how much time did you roughly spend preparing for this collaboration?

刘伟：从有这个联动想法开始，我们开始有这个提案，到去跟日方进行探讨，包括中间很多的讨论、其中的细节，整个的持续时间应该是长达一年。而且很超出预期的就是，当我们整个 team 的同学知道我们要做EVA联动的时候，大家一直在超模（工作），把所有的东西都做得比原来要好。比如说原本可能花一倍的时间，现在可能为了做这个联动要花两到三倍的时间，而且大家都乐此不疲。
Liu Wei: From the inception of this collaboration idea, we started with the proposal and engaged in discussions with the Japanese side. Including numerous discussions and attention to details, the entire process lasted for about a year. What exceeded our expectations was when our entire team learned about our plans for the *Evangelion* collaboration. Everyone was fully committed and worked tirelessly to make everything better than before. For instance, tasks that would originally take twice the time now require two to three times longer due to the collaboration. Yet, everyone is enjoying the process without exhaustion.

蒋静菊：就是“什么！要和EVA联动了，好，我一定要花更多时间来画得！”
Jiang Jingju: It's like, "What! We're collaborating with *Evangelion*? Great, I will definitely spend more time to draw it!"

刘伟：在这整个过程中，我好像就一直在做一个坏人，在跟大家讲，说：“你要注意我们的这个deadline，你要注意我们的这个工期。”
Liu Wei: Throughout this entire process, I feel like I've been playing the role of a bad guy, constantly reminding everyone, saying, "You need to pay attention to our deadlines, you need to pay attention to our schedule."

蒋静菊：“我要做得更好，你不要阻止我联动！我要加班！”
Jiang Jingju: "I want to do better, don't stop me from collaborating! I'm willing to work overtime!"

刘伟：对对对，因为整个团队都处在一种很亢奋、非常非常用心的那种状态去做的，就我们必须不停提醒大家，我要做一个坏人，去给大家拉着个闸。
Liu Wei: Yes, yes, yes, because the whole team is in a state of excitement, putting in a lot of effort and dedication. So, we have to constantly remind everyone, "I have to play the role of a bad guy, pulling the emergency brake for everyone."

蒋静菊：“可以了可以了，到时间了，来不及了，来不及了！”
Jiang Jingju: "That's enough, that's enough! It's time, it's too late, it's too late!"

刘伟：否则我们就没法按时上线了。
Liu Wei: Otherwise, we won't be able to go live on time.

蒋静菊：据说米哈游创立的初心是想要创建一个IP，能够让大家都喜欢，并能够持续地为之去努力的这样的一个东西。那你们觉得现在算是完成了吗？
Jiang Jingju: It is said that the original intention of miHoYo's establishment was to create an IP that everyone would love and continuously strive for. Do you think you have achieved that now?

刘伟：我觉得显然，今天我们只能说我们才刚刚开始。因为我觉得，比如说我们的《崩坏》这个IP，从2012年开始创作到现在（也只有8年时间），如果它能够被大家所喜爱、所热爱再超过10年，那它可能真正成为一代人的记忆。那个时候我们才敢说，我们把《崩坏》这个IP做成了。对于我们整个团队来讲，《崩坏》这个IP我们一定还会把它的内容做得更加丰富，去陪伴更多的舰长去成长，能够真正地成为一代舰长的记忆。所以我觉得我们至少还有十年的时间要去努力。
Liu Wei: I think it's obvious that today we can only say that we have just begun. Because, for example, our *Honkai* IP, from its creation in 2012 until now (only 8 years), if it can be loved and cherished by everyone for more than 10 years, then it may truly become a memory of a generation. Only at that time can we say that we have made *Honkai* into something. For our entire team, we will definitely enrich the content of the *Honkai* IP, accompany more Captains on their journey of growth, and truly become a memory of a generation of Captains. So, I believe we still have at least ten years to strive for.

蒋静菊：但是我们现在已经有了努力的方向和实力，对不对，就一定会朝着这个方向去努力的。
Jiang Jingju: But now we already have the direction and capability to make efforts, right? We will definitely strive in that direction.

刘伟：最关键的还是要用心，用心最重要。
Liu Wei: The most crucial thing is still sincerity; putting one's heart into it is the most important.

蒋静菊：相信我们技术宅实力好吗！
Jiang Jingju: Believe in our technical expertise, okay!

刘伟：EVA的联动可是制作组的圆梦啊，一定不要错过啊。
Liu Wei: The collaboration with *Evangelion* is a dream come true for the production team. Don't miss out on it, okay?

蒋静菊：一定不要错过好吗！谢谢大家！
Jiang Jingju: Don't miss out, okay! Thank you, everyone!

刘伟：谢谢大家！
Liu Wei: Thank you, everyone!

## Notes

1. ↑ 小黑作坊 *Xiǎo hēi zuòfáng* is a metaphorical expression often used to describe a small, informal, and makeshift workspace, typically in the context of creative or entrepreneurial endeavors.