"Holy crap, this is a legal drama?"
"That plot twist at the end scared the hell out of me."
"Was the kid actually the killer?"
"I think it was him!"
"So Komikado and Mayuzono Machiko defended a murderer and got him declared innocent?"
"But there really wasn't enough evidence to convict him!"
"Exactly, that's what makes this drama so interesting! It's not about telling you what's right or wrong—it tosses the question to the audience and lets us decide."
"I got goosebumps. I don't know a thing about law, but I was glued to the screen. Felt like I got schooled."
"Same here. My family always told me to look at things from multiple perspectives—I used to think they were nagging. But after watching this, I see their point."
"Wide awake now. No way I'm falling asleep after that."
"The whole cast is great, but the female lead… she's a bit too saintly."
"Don't worry about that. Sometimes characters that seem odd are just there to drive the plot. If she weren't the way she is, would we even have had Episode 1? Just treat her as a plot device. Personally, I think Komikado's the real lead."
"To be fair, she'd be a decent person in real life. She just comes off a little too naive in the drama. But let's see how she develops. I'm watching this show for Komikado anyway."
The first episode of 'Legal High' averaged a 7.21% viewership rating. While many had already guessed Jing Yu's new show would dominate the summer season, now that the numbers were out, industry insiders couldn't help but feel a little disheartened.
Seriously? Can't you just flop once?
It's not like anyone was hoping Jing Yu's career would go downhill, but at least one failed project would remind everyone that even geniuses can make mistakes. Even they can misread the market.
The way you're going… you're making the rest of us look like fools.
At a company meeting, excited employees were reporting the ratings and public reception of 'Legal High' to Jing Yu.
He listened with visible boredom.
"Alright, alright, that's enough," he said, waving the reports away.
By now, ratings of 7% or 8% barely registered any emotion for him.
He'd already achieved this with so many past works. For others, it was another season-topping launch. For him, it was just another day at the office.
He hadn't even expected 'Legal High' to perform spectacularly—it wasn't the type of drama that chases high ratings.
If ratings were the goal, it would've been better to go with a youth romance or a flashy fantasy action series.
Instead, Jing Yu was more concerned about how 'Natsume's Book of Friends' would perform.
Many anime simply aren't well-suited for live-action adaptations—like 'Natsume's Book of Friends' or 'Mushishi'. Their plots are episodic, with each story lasting maybe 10–20 minutes and little overall continuity.
In the competitive TV space, lack of narrative continuity is a killer. Viewers tend to "stockpile" episodes instead of tuning in weekly.
That's why Jing Yu sensibly chose to launch it as a web-exclusive series.
It was basically the same model as the short-form web dramas from his past life.
Who's going to sit through a few minutes of plot on a major TV network?
But on streaming platforms, they could easily rack up tens of millions—or even billions—of views.
If 'Natsume's Book of Friends' performed well, then maybe something like 'One Punch Man' or 'Gintama' could follow.
Packed with effects and gags, those could be released as a collection of mini-episodes. Build the fanbase, grow the brand, then rake in the merchandise sales down the road.
These thoughts flashed through Jing Yu's mind. The meeting ended, but work never stopped.
Advertisers were already knocking on the door, asking to place product placements in 'Legal High'.
And—
It was time for Jing Yu to start thinking about the company's long-term planning.
After all, the success of 'Fate/Zero' last quarter had opened everyone's eyes to the potential of this genre.
High-concept, effects-heavy action dramas might not always get glowing fan reviews, but they're undeniably the most profitable.
Whether it's merchandise, product placement, or licensing, the returns were leagues above romance or urban dramas.
The downside? Big budgets and long production cycles.
But for Jing Yu, this wasn't a problem. He never bet everything on one project. A serious daily-life show like 'Legal High' could easily be slotted in between the heavier productions. It kept cash flowing without stressing the budget.
Most importantly, it kept his team busy. No one was sitting around collecting paychecks for doing nothing.
Of course, Jing Yu had already discussed the launch of a major special-effects project with Cheng Lie a while ago. But for now, it was on hold—he was still traveling around doing fan events for 'Fate/Stay Night' in the role of Gilgamesh.
Now that summer was here, with both 'Legal High' and 'Natsume's Book of Friends' nearly wrapped, and the script for the 'Fate/Stay Night' game also close to completion, he finally had time.
He sank his consciousness into the Exchange Space.
Jing Yu already knew what he wanted to redeem.
In the past, he avoided this one—it was too expensive. Redeeming it would've wiped out almost all his fan points, and instinctively, he resisted that risk.
But now, with so many works under his belt, earning him a mountain of fan points—
He finally spent about half of them to redeem the one title he'd been holding off on.
'Neon Genesis Evangelion'.
Or as it was affectionately known in the anime fandom of his past life: EVA.
Many younger fans might not fully grasp it, but the two heroines from this series were legendary.
The original tsundere: Asuka Langley Sohryu.
The original kuudere: Rei Ayanami.
How iconic were they?
Even though the creator never confirmed it, many Fate fans could feel strong Asuka vibes in the Fate heroine Tohsaka Rin.
The author of 'Rurouni Kenshin' outright admitted that the design for Yukishiro Tomoe in the 'Trust & Betrayal' OVA was inspired by Rei Ayanami.
Of course, that's not to say EVA invented the tsundere or kuudere archetypes—but for many people, this was where they encountered them for the first time.
When a work becomes that influential, it doesn't matter whether it was the first—what matters is that it made the trope explode.
And 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' was absolutely a defining moment in Japan's anime industry.
It held the record for BD sales in Japanese animation history. Its numbers were double those of the second place, 'Monogatari'.
Even series like 'Code Geass', 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica', 'Fullmetal Alchemist', or even 'Fate/Zero'—the very series Jing Yu had just adapted last quarter—couldn't come close to EVA's BD sales. Not even a third.
Of course, BD sales alone don't tell the whole story.
Just like you can't measure the legacy of Stephen Chow's films by comparing box office numbers against newer movies like 'Hi, Mom'—
Impact isn't always quantifiable.
By influence alone, EVA towered over Fate, Madoka, FMA—you name it.
In his past life, Japan's anime industry was once in crisis. Stagnant. Lacking innovation. But then EVA burst onto the scene—
It ignited conversation across the country, reinvigorated the industry, and left a lasting impact far beyond pop culture.
It wasn't just influential—it was transformative.
A series worthy of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with 'Gundam'—only shorter in length, but never in stature.
That's why the exchange price was so outrageous.
Even with all his accumulated fan points, Jing Yu still had to burn half to obtain it.
But the exchange panel wasn't stingy this time.
Knowing he'd spent enough, it threw in a bonus: a top-tier illustration skills pack.
A jolt of electricity surged through his mind—
Another skill unlocked.
It wasn't anything game-changing, just enough to let him personally design the character sheets and mecha for the show.
For a series with mech battles—something Great Zhou had zero precedent for—Jing Yu knew he'd never be able to explain the concepts to his team properly unless he drew them himself.
The Exchange Panel had clearly anticipated this—hence the generous freebie.
Even if it hadn't, Jing Yu wouldn't have cared. He'd already dropped a fortune in fan points—what's a little extra on the side?
He let out a long breath and looked at the blank paper on his desk.
His fingers itched.
Because honestly—
What boy hasn't dreamed of designing his own mecha?