Another Saturday night—episode 5 of 'Attack on Titan' was about to air.
By this point in the series, the early foreshadowing and setup had mostly been made clear to the viewers.
If Eren could transform into a Titan, then do we even need to guess the true identities of the Colossal and Armored Titans from episode 1?
In episode 3, it was already hinted that the second appearance of the Colossal Titan had intelligence. That made it obvious—the Colossal and Armored Titans were also humans in disguise.
This raised many interesting questions:
Why were the Colossal and Armored Titans helping the mindless Titans breach the human walls and devour their fellow humans?
What benefit did that bring them?
And why could Eren turn into a Titan?
At least 'Ultraman' gave viewers a backstory about the Land of Light, or a scene of Daigu merging with Tiga's body.
But Eren? His transformation felt... sudden.
"Maybe tonight's episode will explain it?"
"I doubt it. Old Thief's been baiting us for a whole week already."
"Meanwhile, he's been busy—'Spirited Away' is starting filming, and the 'Evangelion' movie production is almost ready. We 'Attack on Titan' fans still have to watch one episode per week."
"When is Old Thief going to start updating seven episodes a week? It's torture!"
"Honestly, he's already working hard. 'Ultraman Tiga' and ''Attack on Titan'' are airing at the same time, 'Gundam Seed' is coming soon, plus several movie shoots. But still... please update faster!"
"I heard 'Attack on Titan' is planned to be a long-running series—over three seasons. We'll be following it for half a year. Time to mentally prepare."
Even before the episode aired, fans were getting fired up. Viewership on Yunteng TV began spiking. From 4% around 10:30 PM, it jumped to 10.69% in just half an hour.
At the same time, Xingtong TV launched a mid-tier drama with a budget nearing 70 million. Its first four episodes, airing Fridays at 9 PM, averaged 5.03% in viewership—not bad at all.
But Xingtong TV was desperate to preserve its record. They weren't going to risk their flagship shows, so they sacrificed this one—pushing it to compete directly with 'Attack on Titan'.
And the result?
Brutal.
By the time 'Attack on Titan' was ready to air, its ratings were already nearing 11%. Xingtong TV's drama, meanwhile, plummeted to just 1.61%.
The pressure from ''Attack on Titan'' was too great. The drama's creative team, gathered at the TV station that night, was left speechless by the numbers.
Everyone knew Jing Yu was a juggernaut in the drama industry, but no one expected this level of domination.
To be fair, Xingtong TV's interference did have a minor effect—maybe just enough to keep 'Attack on Titan' from hitting an even higher opening number.
But whether it was enough to prevent 'Attack on Titan' from eventually overtaking Xingtong TV's crown jewel, 'Great Zhou Court', was very doubtful.
When the clock hit the hour, episode 5 began.
The story opened with a flashback: Eren being eaten by a Titan, only to regain consciousness inside its stomach. Fueled by rage and desperation, he transformed into a 15-meter Titan and exploded out, obliterating the Darwin Titan that had swallowed him.
So that's how he transformed?
Many viewers were still confused.
Why can Eren transform?
Did he always have this power? Why doesn't he know?
But the plot didn't dwell on the mystery for long. The reveal sparked suspicion among fellow soldiers, some of whom wanted to kill Eren immediately.
Thankfully, Mikasa and Armin stood by his side.
Then came Commander Pixis and the emergence of political maneuvering within the human camp.
Armin proposed a bold solution to the wall breach crisis:
Eren would transform into a Titan and use a massive boulder to plug the gap.
Compared to episode 4, episode 5 had less action and more dialogue. It was heavier on politics, tension, and inner turmoil. Eren felt stifled and cornered throughout.
Some viewers were frustrated by the pacing.
But the ratings?
Still climbed.
Viewership stayed above 13% for most of the episode. The countermeasures by Xingtong TV had almost no impact, barely causing a dip for ten minutes before viewers switched back to Yunteng TV en masse.
By the end of the night, everyone in the industry sighed.
"There's no stopping this."
Whether through content, tricks, or money, no one could outmatch Jing Yu now.
He was his own production giant. Bluestar Media's bank accounts held more liquid cash than 99% of the industry combined. His second-in-command, Cheng Lie, was a master of networking and alliance-building.
Jing Yu focused on creating content, while his team maintained smooth relationships with all sectors of the industry—co-productions, shared interests, and mutual benefit.
You needed enormous weight to suppress someone like him. And while Xingtong TV was still bigger than Bluestar, it didn't have the potential Bluestar did over the next 10–20 years.
Their 70-million drama hadn't even made a dent. They were starting to regret their decision.
Jing Yu, however, didn't bother responding.
In early November, just days after episode 5 aired, filming began for:
'Legal High'
'Neon Genesis Evangelion'
'Spirited Away'
Bluestar had the money, the people, and tons of special effects partners. There was no need to wait for every detail before starting. Most projects could launch while still finalizing deals.
In the chilly early November air, Jing Yu returned to full gear—actor, CEO, investor, screenwriter, and music director. His filming life was back in motion.
And at the same time, 'Attack on Titan' episode 6 aired.
In it, Eren transformed again—this time consciously. Though at first disoriented, he came to his senses through his comrades' voices and, channeling all his fury, lifted the boulder and blocked the breach.
It was the ultimate catharsis. All the pain, rage, and hopelessness from episode 1 to now exploded in that one scream as Eren sealed the wall.
It was, without a doubt, the most satisfying episode so far.
Viewership?
13.69%
With just episode 6, 'Attack on Titan' had surpassed the average rating of the once-untouchable 'Great Zhou Court'.
In just a month and a half, 'Attack on Titan' had become a true phenomenon in the Great Zhou entertainment world.
Of course, this wasn't just about the show itself.
The success was built atop years of work—Jing Yu's decades of blockbusters had given him a massive fanbase and credibility.
Had 'Attack on Titan' aired three or five years earlier, back when Jing Yu was still unknown, it likely wouldn't have hit even 9%.
But now? With so many past hits behind him, the audience had full trust in anything he created.
Even though 'Attack on Titan' still didn't match 'Ultraman Tiga' in merchandise sales, it had far surpassed all his past works in online buzz and discussion.
Yunteng TV's stock price had surged over 10% since the start of the winter season. Product placements in 'Attack on Titan'? Don't even try unless you're offering over 10 million. And even then, companies were lining up to collaborate.
Just like episode 1 said—
"Mankind remembered the fear of being ruled by Titans."
In reality, 'Attack on Titan' ruled the entertainment industry.
Critics could say it relied on gore and shock, but that didn't stop viewers from age 13 to 60 from tuning in every Saturday night to watch.
The idea of 'Attack on Titan' being a "masterpiece" had taken root.
Just like in Jing Yu's original world, it only took a few episodes before passionate fans gave it that label.
And as always, fan debates reignited over which of Jing Yu's works was truly the greatest.
"Honestly, Old Thief's only true masterpieces are 'Initial D', 'Hikaru no Go', 'Steins;Gate', 'Evangelion', and 'Fate/Zero'. The rest are just great shows. It's still too early to say that about 'Attack on Titan'."
"What about 'Clannad'?"
"I liked 'Fate/Stay Night' more than 'Fate/Zero'."
"'Dragon Zakura' was the best! That show pushed me to study. I went from 380 to 460 in the last two months before exams!"
"I love 'Your Lie in April' the most."
"'Rurouni Kenshin' is the best. No arguments. I just wish Old Thief would release the sequel already."
"Am I the only 'Natsume's Book of Friends' fan here?"
"What about '5 Centimeters per Second', 'Voices of a Distant Star', and 'Your Name'? Those time-travel romance masterpieces deserve some love!"
"Man, I'm getting emotional. I got hooked on Old Thief's stuff back in high school with 'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday'. Now I'm a dad... and his works were there through all of it."
"From middle school to college—whenever I was bored, it was his dramas that kept me going."
"I've stayed single this long because I didn't want anything getting in the way of watching his shows!"
"Not gonna lie—'Attack on Titan' feels like the most flawless show yet. Other series all had a few flaws. 'Steins;Gate' was slow at first. 'Hikaru no Go' had niche appeal. 'Initial D's whole cuckold label scared newbies. Even 'Clannad' was frustrating at times. But 'Attack on Titan'? Perfect pacing and depth from episode 1."
"Only flaw is the gore—but that's part of its charm too."
"I haven't seen something this thrilling in years. Eren lifting that rock? Tears in my eyes."
"I used to roast Eren for being a useless rage machine. But now? If you've got power, rage all you want—you're a beast!"
"With these ratings, this launch, and a 9.8 score? If the quality holds up, 'Attack on Titan' will be the greatest drama in Great Zhou history. Way better than 'Great Zhou Court'."
Online, the debates grew louder.
It had been years since this level of "fandom civil war" took over the internet. Now, thanks to 'Attack on Titan', it had become routine.
Just like in his original world, before 'Attack on Titan' ended, fans constantly clashed with 'Fullmetal Alchemist' loyalists over which was the true god-tier anime.
Back then, 'Attack on Titan' was even leading in many discussions.
Both had high ratings—but 'Attack on Titan' had far more fans.
Even though 'Fullmetal Alchemist' came first, 'Attack on Titan' simply had greater reach.
Sadly, when the final chapter of the manga was released, 'Attack on Titan's reputation collapsed.
So close to greatness—only one chapter away from perfection. Before the finale, most fans just felt a little uneasy. Maybe it would be average. Maybe it would borrow from 'Code Geass'—Eren sacrificing himself to save the world.
That would have been fine.
But the actual ending was too absurd. And just like that, 'Attack on Titan's legacy crumbled.
Now, even as Jing Yu juggled filming, he kept a close eye on 'Attack on Titan's online response.
The show had come far. And it was time to think seriously about how to rewrite the ending.
After all, it wouldn't be long before the 'Attack on Titan' cast started filming the final arc.