Choosing the Next Drama
Just thinking about it threw Jing Yu into deep thought.
Truthfully, as someone who struggled with decision paralysis, he always found this kind of moment frustrating.
Jing Yu had so many favorite works that he wanted to adapt into film and TV in this world.
But some of them clearly weren't suited for adaptation—like 'Hunter x Hunter'.
The casting would be a nightmare. Gon, Kurapika, Killua—those are all child roles, and not just any kids—they'd need to be charismatic, convincing, and able to carry intense action. Jing Yu honestly couldn't imagine finding child actors who could meet all those demands. Without solid acting skills, Gon's cheerful personality would just come off as a bratty, self-righteous kid.
In contrast, more grounded romantic or plot-driven works were easier to adapt. And if there had to be action elements, something like 'Gundam', 'Code Geass', 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', or 'Fate' would be much better fits—they were more in tune with the pacing and structure of live-action TV or film.
But those titles would all require special effects companies to get involved months in advance—at least three to six months of prep before editing and airing could even begin. So Jing Yu quickly ruled them out for now.
Still, the more he thought about them...
The more he realized—
In all the time he'd been in this world, he hadn't adapted a single high-concept, effects-heavy series.
Especially when he thought of 'Fate'.
Honestly, the main storyline of 'Fate' was better suited to a game format. Even when turned into anime or animated films, something still felt off—it just didn't click. After all, the original was a galgame with tons of text. A standard anime season just couldn't do it justice.
But 'Fate/Zero', on the other hand—the prequel series written by the "warrior of love" Gen Urobuchi—was something else entirely.
That one was made to be an anime from the start, and its pacing and storytelling never felt sluggish.
Urobuchi had, after all, built his reputation on 'Fate/Zero' and 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'—two titles that made waves in the otaku world of Jing Yu's past life.
'Madoka Magica', with its short length, could also work as a live-action drama—not impossible, especially as a mid-length miniseries.
And now that he was a shareholder in Qingyun Video, Jing Yu wasn't bound by the usual rules of TV dramas—he didn't have to stick to 12- or 13-episode seasons, nor to the 50-60 minute episode format.
A drama with mid-length episodes, say 20–30 minutes per episode, was totally doable.
Still, he had just joined Qingyun—he couldn't afford to be too reckless. The last thing he wanted was to alienate the Great Zhou audience with content they couldn't adapt to and end up ruining his own reputation.
But 'Fate/Zero'? Jing Yu definitely kept that one in mind.
Who wouldn't be captivated by a noble knight like Saber?
Honestly, the Fate series had some of the most unforgettable characters in the medium. Just thinking of Saber, Jing Yu recalled a CG scene from the original game—her falling in a blood-soaked forest, beautiful and aloof.
Still, that wouldn't be his next project just yet. But since he had a three-drama contract with Qingyun, he could definitely save it for later.
Having ruled out the heavy special-effects projects, and wanting something that could help Qingyun crush its rivals...
Two titles instantly surfaced in Jing Yu's mind:
'Clannad' and 'Kaiji' ('Gambling Apocalypse: Kaiji')
Between the two, Clannad probably held a slightly higher "classic" status, but not by much.
The challenge with Clannad was that its early storyline was notoriously slow.
A common problem with galgame adaptations—whether it's for TV or anime—is that the scriptwriters always struggle with what to cut and what to keep.
These games tend to have long "common routes" at the start—chapters meant to introduce all the characters and build background. They're necessary for understanding each heroine, their personalities, and for helping players decide who they like.
But while essential, those common routes weren't particularly exciting.
The real headache was this: nearly all of the emotional payoffs and plot twists were built on the foreshadowing laid out in those boring early chapters.
In other words, if you wanted to adapt a galgame into a show or anime, you couldn't skip the common route. But watching it? It could feel like a total snoozefest.
That's why so many Galgame anime adaptations started slow and only became amazing in the second half.
Take 'Clannad', 'Kanon', 'Little Busters!', 'Yosuga no Sora'—they all followed that pattern.
The good stuff always came later.
To Jing Yu, Clannad was undeniably a god-tier classic. Maybe even above 'Kimi ni Todoke' in some ways. In his past life, whenever people talked about tearjerkers, Key's legendary "Four Seasons" titles would always come up:
Spring: Clannad
Summer: Air
Autumn: One: Kagayaku Kisetsu e
Winter: Kanon
And among those, Clannad had the highest name recognition.
But if he adapted Clannad into a live-action drama, its early slow-burn pacing might feel a bit dull to viewers who were already used to Jing Yu's string of hit series.
So if Clannad were to air alongside a gripping psychological thriller like 'Kaiji'—
That would definitely help calm down any public backlash.
Otherwise, Jing Yu could already imagine the rumors:
"Has the genius screenwriter Jing Yu finally run out of steam?"
Media slander wasn't a big deal. But if the average viewer skipped Clannad because of negative buzz, that would be a real problem.
Once viewers got past the flat early episodes and into After Story... it would become an emotional masterpiece.
So, he'd save Fate/Zero for later.
For at least the next half-year after the New Year, Jing Yu had now planned out his entire project roadmap.
Now that he had confirmed these three titles, he didn't waste time.
Over the next week, while wrapping up filming for the final episodes of 'Kimi ni Todoke', he also began writing the scripts for 'Clannad' and 'Kaiji'.
Meanwhile, the '5 Centimeters per Second' film crew was feeling... confused.
The news of Jing Yu investing in Qingyun Video had spread like wildfire.
As people who worked with him daily, of course, they knew.
But what was originally meant to be a theatrical film...
It was now going to be exclusively streamed on a rising video platform.
To these relatively conservative actors, it was definitely a bit of a letdown.
But Jing Yu wasn't just the lead actor and screenwriter—he was also the investor.
Once the film was finished, how or even if it got released wasn't up to them.
All they could do was sigh and hope Qingyun Video wouldn't flop it too hard.
At the end of the day, what mattered most to actors was visibility.
Sure, box office numbers were important—but fame and exposure were everything.
If the exclusive release on Qingyun could still attract tens of millions of viewers, then honestly, that was a win.
As long as their visibility increased, participating in the project was worthwhile.
And so, day by day, time passed.
Until finally, episode 11 of 'Kimi ni Todoke' was about to air.