Honor of Kings' Sun Shangxiang 'Music Shines' Skin Animation Accused of Plagiarism from 'Aikatsu Stars!'

Recently, players discovered that the entrance animation for Sun Shangxiang's new 'Music Shines' skin in 'Honor of Kings' bears striking similarities to the transformation sequence in the anime 'Aikatsu Stars!'. This has triggered heated discussions, with some accusing the developers of 'borrowing' the storyboarding and character design.

The community response is mixed. Skeptical players point out that the core sequence—stepping on stairs followed by walking through a portal—creates a strong sense of déjà vu. However, more rational netizens argue that such tropes are standard in the magical girl genre, and the current evidence is not enough to call it a 'smoking gun' (shí chuí). Some joked that comparing them is like comparing 'apples, strawberries, and tomatoes'—the ingredients are the same, but they aren't necessarily copied. Others noted that without an exact frame-by-frame match, it is hard to label it as outright plagiarism.

Beyond the plagiarism debate, some players expressed fatigue over the sheer number of skins already released for this specific hero. Overall, most users feel the situation is 'subtle' and remains in a grey area.