Chapter 521 - Chapter 521 - Reversal

T/N:

Hi everyone, I'm back😊

I took some photos 📸 and had a good rest.

Updates will continue—thanks for waiting!

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In Jing Yu's previous life, most anime or live-action adaptations of 2D works never surpassed the source in terms of praise—but 'Attack on Titan' was the exception.

Its original anime, especially the music, was absolutely top-tier. The battle that was already emotionally impactful in the black-and-white manga became something far more powerful when rendered with the anime's visuals and soundtrack.

For the viewers watching late at night in Great Zhou, Mikasa's emotional awakening in the face of despair first left them moved and stunned. Then came the background music—powerful, rousing, and epic in tone—perfectly fusing with the plot and elevating the scene with an undeniable sense of grandeur.

But the high-energy moment didn't stop there. Mikasa, clutching a broken sword, giving up on death and choosing to fight to survive, was caught between two 15-meter-class Titans. Her omni-directional mobility gear had run out of gas, and she could only rely on her human body to fight the monsters.

Then—

From behind her, a Titan suddenly crouched and lunged forward. Just as the Titan in front was about to grab Mikasa, the one behind threw a punch packed with muscle and fury.

The blow was so forceful that the attacker's own skin peeled off, bones cracked, but the target—whose head weighed several tons—was blasted straight off its neck, flying a hundred meters and embedding into a distant building.

The scene was gory. Visceral. And overwhelmingly intense. Viewers across Great Zhou, watching in the dead of night, were left speechless.

Yet even with all that sensory overload, the deeper emotional tone of the story came through clearly.

This Titan that fought its own kind roared to the sky, furious. Its terrifying form and growl conveyed a rage that deeply resonated with the viewers.

"Did you cry watching that show? It was that good."

"That Titan is insane... but that punch? Legendary."

"Too bad he's... well, a naked eunuch Titan!"

"Aren't all Titans like that? What did you expect to see? Stuff that can't even be aired?"

"Mikasa too—she touched my soul. Now that's a real protagonist. Compare that with all those pretty-boy leads in other shows. Total difference."

"Now do you understand why Old Thief's work dominates the drama scene? His innovation in themes and masterful character writing in every project is unmatched."

"Man, I got hyped watching it. The music, the VFX, the pacing—I love this show now."

Although the female lead had already died in next week's episode, Mikasa's performance in this episode and the Titan-on-Titan fight scene still brought viewers' emotions to a peak.

Earlier in the episode, Armin had transferred all his remaining gas to Mikasa's gear out of guilt over Eren's sacrifice and to let her keep fighting—intending to stay behind and die himself.

But Mikasa wasn't going to accept that. She wanted to survive, and she wouldn't let Armin die either.

The earlier plot had been about Mikasa and the others fighting inside a supply depot overrun by 7-meter and 10-meter Titans to retrieve gas and weapons.

Honestly, the show hadn't made it clear who the main character was up to this point, and that left many viewers a bit confused. The scenes were great, but the lack of a central perspective gave everything a fragmented, chaotic feel.

Still, Tang Wan and others felt the real excitement was only just beginning.

Because 'Attack on Titan' had one of its most iconic twists in this arc—the first appearance of the Titan Shifter power.

Mikasa and the others had just secured the supplies, only to be surrounded inside the building by over ten 17-meter-class Titans.

Then, the Titan who had previously saved Mikasa appeared again—fighting off the other Titans alone. One against many, it fought until Mikasa and the rest escaped with their gear.

Finally, it collapsed, completely exhausted.

Its flesh melted away in white steam, revealing its skeletal frame.

And in the neck—

Was the unconscious figure of Eren!

As the connective tissue between him and the Titan dissolved, he lay peacefully beneath the setting sun, as if sleeping.

Everyone had thought the Titan was just a bizarre one—but inside it… was Eren.

The ending song began to play—episode 4 of 'Attack on Titan' ended at a perfectly brutal cliffhanger.

"That was insane!"

Tang Wan sat there, stunned.

"What… was that?"

Viewers across Great Zhou, watching 'Attack on Titan' on TV, were all in shock.

So… the weird Titan that saved Mikasa and the cadets… was Eren?

What kind of twist was this?

Only some hardcore Jing Yu fans—those watching both 'Attack on Titan' and 'Ultraman Tiga'—felt a shiver in their brains.

If you hadn't seen 'Steins;Gate' or 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', this twist would be hard to grasp. But for those who had…

"Is this 'Ultraman Tiga'?"

"Eren… 'Ultraman Tiga'?"

"Yeah, yeah! In 'Ultraman Tiga', they also use a transformation device! And those ray attacks—it's just like Ultra Beams! And they fight alien monsters. It's really not that different."

"The design is just like 'Ultraman Tiga'!"

"What 'Ultraman Tiga'? This is 'Ultraman'! My wife watched it and said it was awesome. When even she praises it, it must be something!"

"Is this 'Ultraman Tiga' the same kind of show as 'Attack on Titan'?"

"Well… yeah! Both have humans entering giant bodies to fight! The setup is really similar!"

"Now that I think about it—Eren's Titan fight scenes were totally mind-blowing!"

"Now I understand why dudes watching 'Ultraman Tiga' always had that sparkle in their eyes. 'Attack on Titan' is basically an adult version of 'Ultraman'! Old Thief just created a show where grown-ups could appreciate the same themes."

"I'm shocked. That transformation concept was complicated—but he recreated the emotional impact in a new way!"

"I'm not sleeping tonight. That cliffhanger was brutal."

"Enough already! Old Thief's done this how many times? Seven episodes in and every one ends in a killer cliffhanger. Can't we just binge the whole thing?"

"Seriously! The cliffhangers are killing me. It's like you're kissing your boyfriend in the theater, and you suddenly look up, and your parents are behind you."

"Old Thief's done this for years. Time to stop letting him get away with it!"

"But let's be honest—this show is all cliffhangers. Every episode feels like the climax of a season finale!"

"Whatever, man. Let me just rant about it."

"Yeah, yeah. You're all gonna go yell at him online after watching anyway."

At 5 p.m., viewers flooded the comment sections of Jing Yu Company's social media to rant and scream all night long.

But when people opened the comments, they noticed something—most complaints slowly shifted into discussions and calls for Jing Yu to release more episodes.

That shift shocked Jing Yu's industry peers.

What the hell?

Just one night after 'Attack on Titan' episode 4 aired, there were already hundreds of thousands of discussion threads under Jing Yu's official accounts.

And the average viewership? Over 12%—a number that spread through the entertainment industry like wildfire.

'Ultraman Tiga' had aired for a whole season and never broke 12%. 'Attack on Titan' did it in just seven episodes.

"This is terrifying. That's the power of 'Attack on Titan'."

"Am I even human? I thought 'Fate/Stay Night' and 'Evangelion' were Jing Yu's peak. But this? This is beyond!"

"True, though—'Attack on Titan' may not be as commercial as those two."

"Who cares about that? Jing Yu's not going to lose money here. Even if the show doesn't outsell 'Ultraman Tiga', it'll still rake in billions!"

"Seriously, some people are clueless. Sure, merch sales aren't on par with 'Ultraman Tiga', but during broadcast? 'Attack on Titan' is clearly dominating the conversation!"

"I mean, even if you've already seen 'Ultraman Tiga' and 'Evangelion', it's hard not to get goosebumps watching Eren's Titan transformation."

"I have a hunch. If this continues, 'Attack on Titan' might become the greatest drama in Great Zhou's television history."

"You mean higher than 'Ultraman Tiga'? That show had an average rating of 13.13%!"

"Right now, it's practically impossible to reach that number. Entertainment is too scattered now."

"It's like a sprint—going from 47 to 100 is way harder than from 0 to 47."

"What's impossible? Even 'Ultraman's seventh episode only had 12.22%. 'Attack on Titan' is already ahead by a fraction. If the upcoming episodes are as good, it could reach that level."

"If that happens, Jing Yu will hold a permanent place in Great Zhou's entertainment history."

"That's what's really freaking out the other producers."

The other eight major networks in Great Zhou all had their own motives.

Because the current record was held by Xingtong TV 'Great Zhou Court', the other seven were more than happy to see Jing Yu challenge that crown.

It wasn't their problem—let them fight it out.

But Xingtong TV was panicking. The 'Attack on Titan' ratings were surging. Episode 4 still didn't beat 'Great Zhou Court', but it came close.

Who knew how strong later episodes would get?

If Jing Yu really took that long-held honor, it would be more painful than eating dirt.

Xingtong TV called an emergency meeting that same night to discuss countermeasures.