Just two weeks into the winter season, the television market in Great Zhou had undergone a complete shift. From earlier chatter about 'Ultraman Tiga', now nearly 70-80% of all drama forum keywords were dominated by just two words:
'Attack on Titan. '
Both were Jing Yu's creations—but 'Attack on Titan' had crushed all competition.
The six major TV stations had entered the season with strong contenders—great scripts, better production quality, and noticeably higher investments compared to previous years. But 'Attack on Titan's explosive premiere still left them completely overshadowed.
This quarter once again belonged to Jing Yu and his company, BlueStar Media & Film.
But hidden beneath 'Attack on Titan''s top winter ratings, even surpassing 'Ultraman Tiga', was a less glamorous truth:
Its expected seasonal revenue might not even reach half of Tiga's.
Still a very respectable number—but a clear gap.
After all, 'Attack on Titan' leaned heavily into horror and gore. It lacked the family-friendly charm of Tiga's "justice triumphs over evil" theme, which had a much broader mainstream appeal.
Advertisers and merchandising partners were more cautious with 'Attack on Titan'.
Jing Yu had expected all of this. He remained calm.
These days, he was buried in company work—completing the screenplays for:
'Spirited Away'
'Neon Genesis Evangelion'
'Legal High' (movie version)
These projects had all been greenlit internally.
But truthfully, for someone like Jing Yu now, even a multi-billion-dollar production barely made him flinch emotionally.
'Spirited Away' was a different case—since its original was fairly unknown and deeply symbolic. That one required a great deal of artistic direction and involvement from Jing Yu.
As for 'Evangelion' and 'Legal High', these films were more like fan service than narrative masterpieces. In later years, even the 'Evangelion' movie series was frequently mocked by fans as a cash grab.
But hey, that's all subjective. Hardcore fans rarely cared. So after thinking it over, Jing Yu decided to move forward anyway.
Inside the company, production teams for these projects were already assembled.
And of course, everyone knew where the boss's priorities lay.
"'Legal High' has a budget of 70 million, 'Evangelion' 40 million—but 'Spirited Away'? That one's got a budget of no less than 800 million. Looks like the boss is about to drop another masterpiece."
"The boss is insane. First came the dramas, then the films, now the games. The 'Ultraman', 'Attack on Titan', and 'Gundam' games are already in early development. Next year, he's probably going to dominate the gaming world too."
"It's all about traffic. The boss has so much clout now. Any project he touches has millions of fans watching. The company's explosive growth is practically dragging him along."
"At this pace, in 10 years, this company could be the ultimate all-in-one giant—dramas, films, and games."
"In dramas, they're already number one. The top-tier. Even the best production teams at the eight major stations rank below them. In film, they're not the best in pure skill, but based on box office? They're definitely first-tier. Gaming—top of the third tier in the country. Not quite first-tier, but close."
"Let's not forget—they've only been around seven years! From seven people on the board to nearly a thousand employees. Think about what ten more years will bring!"
"The boss's vision is unmatched. Probably the only one in Great Zhou who's building a fully cross-media empire—film, TV, and games all at once. Other studios are trying to copy this 'combo-punch' approach—extending IP lifespan, multiplying profits."
"Next month, the new 'Fate/Grand Order' mobile game launches. First-month revenue is expected to top 40 million, but honestly? The boss doesn't even seem excited. I guess that's just what it's like being at the top…"
"He made over 100 million per month for two straight years. Now a few million? Probably not even worth reacting to. But he's still planning to personally play the female lead in 'Spirited Away'. I'm crying. I try so hard, and he just is everything."
"Don't be gross. Don't lump yourself in with the boss's rabid fanboys online. Stay rational. He acts because he enjoys it—just like rich people buying cars for fun. It's a hobby, not vanity."
For Jing Yu, greenlighting a few movie projects and handling logistics for incoming staff was routine.
But for company insiders, the internal atmosphere was tense and competitive. Anyone with ambition or talent was trying to get a spot on the 'Spirited Away' production team.
And for a company of this size, nothing stays secret for long.
While the TV industry was still reeling from 'Attack on Titan' and Eren's shocking death, the film industry was already in motion.
After all, Jing Yu had produced seventeen films, and every single one was on the national top 100 box office list.
He had already surpassed 10 billion yuan in total box office revenue.
Purely by numbers, BlueStar Media was already among the top ten film studios in the country.
And Jing Yu, as writer, actor, and producer, was one of the top-tier creators in the industry.
Word of 'Spirited Away' spread fast—even to the public.
BlueStar Media didn't try to hide it either.
Why should they? With that much attention, not using it would be a waste.
Interestingly, casting for the male lead "Chihiro" (a gender-swapped version of the original) wasn't even kept low-key. Open auditions were happening nationwide.
But the 'Spirited Away' script had undergone several necessary localizations.
For starters, the original Chihiro was a university student, and his relationship with Haku (female in this version, played by Jing Yu himself) was ambiguous—somewhere between friendship and love.
But to avoid confusion or scandal, Chihiro's age was changed to around 17. That way, when the film was released, audiences wouldn't find it too odd or controversial that Haku (played by Jing Yu) had scenes with a teenage boy.
Other changes included swapping out mythological creatures and spirits for more familiar local versions. In the end, the narrative skeleton remained, but its aesthetic and cultural skin had been reworked.
While Titan fans were still traumatized by Eren's death, fans who had followed Jing Yu since 'Laputa: Castle in the Sky' were thrilled to see news of another new movie coming so soon.
"A new movie already?"
"'Evangelion: The Movie', 'Legal High: The Movie', and now a new original: 'Spirited Away'. Jing Yu's on fire."
"Out of all of them, 'Spirited Away' has the biggest budget. Clearly, Old Theft has high hopes for it."
"I heard it's similar to 'Castle in the Sky'. A romantic adventure type."
"BlueStar Media's nationwide casting call already hit thousands of applicants in under 8 days!"
"Even my son's trying out. Sure, the film might end up competing with 'Tiga' at the box office, but if he gets cast, it's a ticket to stardom. Over a dozen first-tier celebrities got their break in Jing Yu's projects. He's the undisputed kingmaker of the industry."
"He's unstoppable—dominating both TV and film. If this pace keeps up, in a few years the entire Zhou entertainment industry will have just one name left: Jing Yu."
The 'Spirited Away' news spread like wildfire across the country.
Then, another Saturday rolled around.
📺 11 PM — 'Attack on Titan' Episode 4 aired on Yunteng TV.
And the ratings?
An absurd 11.98%.
In an industry where even 8% was elite for any of the eight major stations, Titan was breaking records.
This episode's plot was crucial.
But for fans, the weeklong debate raged on—would Mikasa become the lead?
Jing Yu had previously denied this, but fans weren't convinced.
Aside from Levi, who was still just a legend glimpsed in the trailer, the only one who'd truly shone so far was Mikasa.
Everyone else? Useless cowards fleeing in terror.
Even Eren—while brave—had strength that didn't match his ambitions.
Yes, he died saving Armin. It was touching. But Mikasa would have saved Armin and killed the titan.
🎵 As 'Guren no Yumiya' blasted for the fourth time, its emotional impact felt new again.
The episode centered on Mikasa hearing the news of Eren's death from Armin.
At that moment, the light in her eyes died.
No breakdown.
No tears.
No anger.
No blame.
Just a face that had lost all color.
That complex emotion—reason still intact, but hope utterly shattered—was almost impossible to act.
Mikasa's actress, though not classically trained, pulled it off. Barely.
So Jing Yu added filters and visual effects to help convey that suffocating despair.
After all, in live-action, you can't recreate the anime's impact with acting alone.
Watching the scene, Zhang Wei (Fan) was stunned.
"Old Theft isn't just a screenwriter or composer—he's also a genius at casting and directing actors."
So many actors gave award-worthy performances in his shows, but flopped elsewhere.
Many admitted their best scenes were personally directed by Jing Yu.
This one? Jing Yu guessed it was the same.
"You're weaker than anyone else here.
But even if you're alone, you can defeat all these titans.
As for the others—
They're brave, but useless.
Just let them sit there and watch."
Mikasa's cold speech stunned everyone on the rooftop.
"How could she say that? Fight alone?"
"She'll die…"
"If it works… we survive."
She leapt into the air—solo—into a swarm of titans.
Stylish. Stoic. Heartbreaking.
Her teammates, shamed by her words, found renewed courage.
Then came Mikasa's solo show:
Aerial flips
Blade strikes
In just a few seconds, she took out four titans.
But even that had limits.
Her gas ran out.
She couldn't use her omni-directional mobility gear anymore.
Now stranded in an alley, a 17-meter titan charged at her.
Still, her face remained expressionless.
She looked at her broken blade and the sky.
"Once again… I've lost family."
That "family" was Eren.
His death had shattered her.
Now, with nothing left, she was ready to die.
No fear. No escape.
"This world is cruel… but also beautiful."
As the music swelled, she closed her eyes, ready to accept death.
Zhang Wei frowned.
"Why? Are you really just giving up? Because Eren's dead, you don't want to live?"
He was mad.
But the moment the titan's hand touched her—
Her body moved on its own.
Broken blade in hand, she fought. Fought. Fought.
She didn't even know why.
Just that… her mind kept flashing back to memories with Eren.
And then—two titans surrounded her.
She opened her eyes wide. Tears fell.
Then came her iconic line:
"I understand now.
I won't give up again.
If I die, I can't even remember him.
So I must win.
I must live."
Her face changed—from numb to enraged.
Her dead eyes burned with light.
Sunlight broke through the clouds, illuminating her.
Jing Yu froze.
In that moment, she was a living painting—from soul to expression.
No wonder she was more popular than Eren in the otherworld (Earth).
Her power could be explained away with Ackerman's bloodline lore.
But her soul, her spirit—that's why fans loved her more than any lead.
In that less-than-a-minute transformation—from numb acceptance to ferocious survival—tens of millions of viewers fell in love.
They now resented Jing Yu's claim that Mikasa wasn't the protagonist.
"She's the real deal.
Way more popular than Eren ever was."
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T/N: In this remake of 'Spirited Away', Chihiro is now a 17-year-old boy, while Haku remains male (played by Jing Yu). The core dynamic stays the same, but the gender swap avoids romantic ambiguity.
That's it for now! 📚I'll be taking a one-week break before continuing updates. By the time these chapters go live, I'll be on a train to Chamonix, France 🚆🇫🇷
❓To any fellow travelers who've been to Chamonix — any recommendations? Hidden gems or popular spots, I'd love to hear them! 🏔️✨
📖✨ While I'm on break, feel free to check out my other translated novel!