Mid-December. A new episode of 'Initial D' aired.
In this episode, Fujiwara Takumi had hit rock bottom—his beloved car totaled, his race lost, and his girlfriend's betrayal hanging heavy over him.
He spiraled into a deep emotional slump.
His close friends—Itsuki Takeuchi and Koichiro Iketani—took turns trying to cheer him up.
But in the end, what truly brought him back… was his dad, Bunta Fujiwara, finally fixing up the AE86, and even installing a new racing engine.
The first half of the episode was as gut-wrenching as always. But in the second half, when the resurrected AE86 appeared—
Everything changed.
"A racing engine? Is that a big deal?"
"Damn, Takumi's dad is insane!"
"He put a racing engine in a grocery-getter? Seriously?"
"Is it even the same car anymore?"
"Did you really think Takumi could dominate the world in a 100-horsepower car forever? Upgrades are inevitable."
"So he's going to challenge Kyoichi Sudo for revenge?"
"Has to be. Next week's the finale—it's bound to end with the rematch."
"But what about Natsuki? And Iketani, and Sato Mako? There are still so many unresolved plot points!"
"Not everything can be wrapped up. Supporting characters are supporting characters—there has to be a focus."
"Still, it's such a shame. Only one episode left, and this show will be over."
"You guys said the same thing when 'Hikaru no Go' ended—how it was Jing Yu-sensei's worst decision ever. Doesn't seem that way now, does it?"
"But seriously, can Jing Yu-sensei even top 'Hikaru no Go' and 'Initial D'? These two feel like his peak. Even though the ratings didn't break 10%, they're way better than those so-called 10% 'masterpieces' on the Big Six."
"Who knows. Logically, if Jing Yu had a new show lined up for spring, the announcement should've dropped by now. The silence probably means he's taking a break."
"Ugh, mental damage. Looks like next season we're stuck with those family dramas from the Big Six again."
"Forget it. Let's enjoy these final two weeks. First, let's see how Takumi and Natsuki's relationship ends."
'Initial D' Viewership
This week's episode continued its steady climb, 9.57% average rating.
Top-tier performance like this exists across every industry. If 'Initial D' had only been on par with the Big Three's usual shows, it wouldn't have made such waves.
But now that the vast majority of Great Zhou's audience, critics, and media were calling it the must-watch drama of the winter season, even people who had no interest in racing were tuning in.
Sometimes, watching a hit show isn't just about entertainment—it's about social currency.
When everyone in your circle is watching the same drama, not keeping up means you're out of the loop.
At Yunteng TV
The entire station was fired up.
In the final week of 'Initial D', Yunteng TV pulled out all the stops—leveraging every industry connection to heavily promote the finale.
There was now less than 0.5% difference between the show's average rating and the 10% milestone.
If the final episode could crack 10%, it would be a picture-perfect ending.
Starting that Monday, posters of Jing Yu, Yu Youqing, Xia Yining, and Lin Yan—the show's leads—were plastered across media stores, subway entrances, and more in every major city.
Filming had fully wrapped, and the cast split up to host fan events across the country in anticipation of the finale.
Jing Yu's Perspective
Even though he'd been in the industry a while, Jing Yu only had a vague sense of how famous he'd become.
For example, thanks to 'Initial D's popularity, he'd already topped the real-time chart of Great Zhou's most popular male TV actors for two weeks running.
Of course, it was a live ranking. Once 'Initial D' ended, his rank would likely drop again. But right now, he was at the top.
While attending a fan event in the Capital, he was completely overwhelmed by the sea of fans—and the rows of high-end cars in the parking lot.
"Akina's Racing God!"
"Jing Yu-sensei, teach me how to drive!"
"Drivers don't need girls—let the AE86 be Takumi's only partner!"
"Jing Yu-sensei, how about coming to drift on the Imperial mountain roads sometime?"
"Midnight tonight—Imperial City, northern outskirts, that mountain road. I challenge you!"
The meet-and-greet lasted less than an hour, but not only regular fans showed up—local street racers used every connection they had to take photos with him.
"So this is the cost of being a screenwriter?" Jing Yu sighed from the backseat of a car.
"No, this is the cost of being a celebrity," Cheng Lie laughed from the front.
"After we wrapped filming, the Akina pass we used became open to the public. You wouldn't believe it—it's now a pilgrimage spot. Every night, at least a thousand people drive up the mountain to get a taste of the street racing vibe."
"A thousand people?" Jing Yu looked stunned.
"I remember the mountaintop parking lot only had like… a hundred spaces?"
"Exactly. So that whole stretch of road is bumper-to-bumper every night. If you start going up at 7 p.m., you won't get down before 10—it's a total jam."
"We really made something incredible this season," Cheng Lie grinned.
"After 'Hikaru no Go' ended, there were reports that over a million people across the country signed up for Go classes. I wonder how many students will get into racing because of 'Initial D'?"
"Into racing? More like into trouble," Jing Yu joked. "It's fine to watch a show—but don't get too immersed."
"True enough. Not everyone's like you—a genius who can fly downhill at 100km/h without breaking a sweat. Most people get scared stiff going 60–70."
Cheng paused, chuckling.
Jing Yu didn't reply—he just went quiet for a moment.
Genius? If only they knew.
If anything, he was cheating with a lifetime of experience.
The Hype Continues
After a full week of warm-up events, the buzz around 'Initial D' continued to grow.
December 24th – Final Episode Airs
By now, all of the Big Six networks' winter dramas had ended.
Only one show remained with real momentum: 'Initial D'.
Although final numbers weren't in yet, everyone already knew—
It would top the winter season.
Unless the finale somehow crashed to 1–2% viewership, there was no chance of 'Arrow' or any other show catching up.