On October 5th, Sunrise's Mobile Suit Gundam SEED premiered.
As part of the long-running Gundam franchise with its massive fanbase, the series had considerable anticipation even before its release, despite the mixed commercial and critical reception of previous installments.
Another major draw was its star-studded voice cast, a veritable constellation of talent. Soichiro Hoshi, Akira Ishida, Rie Tanaka, Toshihiko Seki, Takehito Koyasu, Kazuhiko Inoue—each voice actor commanded a devoted following.
Sunrise, a veteran animation studio with undeniable production prowess, combined the Gundam legacy with this stellar cast. The series debuted with promising initial ratings.
As the episodes unfolded, Gundam SEED shifted its focus away from mecha battles and war depictions. Instead, it emphasized character development and emotional complexity. Coupled with its high production quality, this approach drew in a vast audience, particularly women, who had never watched Gundam before.
Week after week, the anime's popularity soared, eventually becoming another phenomenal hit alongside Code Geass.
It was a runaway success!
While Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion dominated the first half of 2002, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED absolutely dominated the latter half. Even Naruto, boosted by its manga popularity, and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, building on the foundation of the 1995 theatrical film, couldn't compete.
Inside the president's office at L.S. Production, a guest arrived: Maruyama Hakuo, a producer from the TV station airing Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.
"President Lin, I'll get straight to the point," Maruyama said, taking a sip of tea. "Could you postpone the premiere of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion's second season to October next year?"
Lin Zhiyan paused, then shook his head. "Maruyama-san, sequels tend to lose fans the longer they're delayed. Frankly, if we had three more months for preparation, I'd even consider airing Lelouch's second season this October."
"I understand." Maruyama nodded in comprehension, but then shifted his tone. "However, if you don't postpone to October next year, your second season of Code Geass will inevitably compete with our Gundam SEED. Two phenomenal anime with similar themes battling it out would harm both of us."
Lin Zhiyan chuckled. "That's true, but the delay of Code Geass Season 2 to October next year doesn't benefit us at all. Meanwhile, your Gundam SEED gets all the advantages. That's hardly fair, is it, Maruyama-san?"
"Even without any benefits, it's still far less damaging than competing directly with our Gundam SEED," Maruyama Hakuo countered.
"That's not necessarily true," Lin Zhiyan said dismissively. "Direct competition isn't always a bad thing—at least not for our Code Geass Season 2. If you don't want to compete with it, how about this: we each compromise. I'll postpone Code Geass Season 2 to April next year, and you'll split Gundam SEED into two parts. The first half will air until March, and the second half will wait until October."
"Split broadcast? No way!" Maruyama Hakuo rejected the idea without hesitation. "That would kill the momentum Gundam SEED has built up. Our popularity would plummet."
Lin Zhiyan's lips twitched slightly. "Look, Maruyama-san, you're unwilling to concede an inch while expecting us to bear all the losses. That's not how it works. It's simply unfair."
"But how is that a loss?" Maruyama Hakuo asked, genuinely puzzled. "The real loss comes from losing to our competitors. If you take a step back, it's a win-win for both of us."
He paused, then continued, "Tell you what, President Lin, if you truly feel it's a loss, we do have a compensatory offer. If you agree to postpone the premiere to October next year, I can arrange for the TV station to move your broadcast slot from the late-night slot to 5 PM on Sunday afternoons."
5 PM on Sunday afternoons—not weekday afternoons, but 5 PM on Sundays—was a vastly superior time slot compared to the late-night slot. The number of viewers at that hour was significantly higher than during the late-night hours.
However, upon hearing this condition, Lin Zhiyan didn't feel pleased; instead, his teeth began to ache.
If he remembered correctly, in another timeline, the second season of Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion had been moved from the late-night slot to 5 PM on Sunday afternoons due to the first season's immense popularity. Yet the results had been worse, not better—a decision that had ultimately backfired.
At first glance, Maruyama Hakuo's offer seemed incredibly advantageous to Lin Zhiyan and genuinely sincere. However, this was the one condition Lin Zhiyan truly couldn't accept. Doing so would mean losing the watermelon while chasing after sesame seeds—a terrible deal.
Maruyama Hakuo likely wouldn't believe that a 5 PM Sunday slot performed worse than a late-night slot. So, Lin Zhiyan didn't tell the truth. Instead, he shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, Maruyama-san, but I think the 11 PM slot is perfectly fine. There's no need to consider the 5 PM slot."
The so-called "late-night slot" actually referred to time slots after 11 PM. However, 11 PM, being close to the prime-time hour, could be considered a secondary prime-time slot.
These times were rarely used for animation. Even Lelouch Season 2, which benefited from the fanbase accumulated by Death Note, was only given the 11:30 PM slot.
Still, Lelouch Season 1 had been a phenomenal, even phenomenal anime. In such cases, the TV station would be willing to make concessions with a little extra money.
In other words, Lelouch Season 2 had already secured the best possible broadcast slot. There was no need to even mention the 5 PM Sunday slot.
Maruyama Hakuo had originally thought his generous offer would surely win over Lin Zhiyan. He never expected Lin Zhiyan to be so stubborn, refusing to budge.
Frowning, he asked, "President Lin, if even these terms can't sway you, I'll have to ask directly: what exactly would it take for you to agree to postpone the broadcast to next October?"
Lin Zhiyan remained silent for a moment before replying, "Maruyama-san, I'll say it again: concurrent competition isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Maruyama Hakuo's expression darkened. He felt Lin Zhiyan was being utterly unreasonable.
Taking a deep breath to suppress his anger, he said, "I understand. If President Lin insists on competing with us directly, so be it. I have other matters to attend to. I'll take my leave."
With that, he stood and departed.
As he watched Maruyama Hakuo leave, Lin Zhiyan couldn't help but sigh.
This was going to create bad blood.
Still, postponing was out of the question. Delaying would offer him no real benefit and make him look like he was afraid to compete head-on with Gundam SEED.
His Lelouch Season 2 was a sequel to a phenomenal anime. With the foundation laid by the first season, even direct competition with Gundam SEED wasn't without its chances.
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