In Episode 4 of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', the other female lead of the series, Asuka Langley Soryu, finally made her official debut.
If not for her appearance in this episode, many viewers might've forgotten that Yu Youqing was even acting in this show.
And judging from the past broadcast patterns of Jing Yu, Xia Yining, and Yu Youqing's collaborations, the three were almost certainly heading toward another love triangle.
After this episode aired, everyone had the same reaction:
"Hmm… another interesting heroine just dropped."
The lively, confident, prideful Asuka.
The icy, emotionless beauty of Rei Ayanami.
And the indecisive male lead Shinji Ikari.
This combination—
"This is painful. Shinji is so timid, yet he's surrounded by amazing girls. Meanwhile, I'm here—handsome as hell—but still single."
"Don't forget, Shinji has Jing Yu's face. If you were even half as handsome, you wouldn't be asking this."
"Another episode down, but I still don't get it. What story is Old Devil Jing Yu telling? One Angel per episode—defeating them doesn't seem to matter; they just keep coming."
"Maybe it's something like 'Natsume's Book of Friends'? That one also had one youkai per episode, and I still watched it every week."
"Exactly. Is giant robot combat not entertaining? Are two gorgeous heroines not entertaining? I hope he fights Angels all the way to Angel No. 100. Huge monster fights are amazing. Who cares about deeper meaning? If it looks cool, that's enough."
"The first three episodes were depressing, but Episode 4 changed once Asuka showed up. This lively type is my favorite. Didn't the whole atmosphere shift?"
"Old Devil Jing Yu knows—love triangles bring the highest discussion."
"But has no one considered… that this might be a depressive series?"
"???"
"?"
"What did you just say? I'll give you one more chance. What depressive series? Never heard of it."
"You can't escape! Think about his past works—he even turned school romance into tragedies. And now we're watching 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', which has been heavy from the start. Asuka is adorable, but as a long‑time Jing Yu fan… I can feel it. This show is going to hurt later."
"Nooo, stop it! That killed my mood. I was happy five seconds ago!"
"We're not scaring you. It's genuinely possible."
"Yeah, now that you mention it… I got that feeling too. Like the conversation between Rei and Shinji before defeating the Angel in Episode 3—it felt like foreshadowing tragedy."
"Heh, Shinji and the two heroines haven't even officially bonded yet. You guys are overthinking."
Episode 4 of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' finally introduced the second female lead.
Overall, the show's development in Great Zhou was identical to its trajectory in Jing Yu's past life.
Rei and Asuka each had their own growing fanbases. Even in their debut episodes, there were already signs of faction wars forming among viewers.
Episode 4 recorded a 10.96% viewership rating—still maintaining an average above 10%.
And beyond TV ratings, many fans continued paying for second‑round viewings on streaming platforms.
However, for current Great Zhou viewers, their understanding of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' was probably similar to how elementary schoolers in Jing Yu's past life viewed 'Ultraman'.
One episode per week.
One monster appears.
The protagonist pilots a giant robot.
Defeats the monster. Saves the world.
Rinse and repeat.
Does this formula have a market? Absolutely.
'Ultraman', 'Detective Conan', 'Doraemon'—all used similar episodic structures.
And in the Great Zhou, this model worked too. If the show continued like this, it would simply be a solid mecha anime—nothing like the cultural juggernaut it was in Jing Yu's past life.
Where the work truly unleashed its power was later, after the Human Instrumentality Project was revealed and every character's fate moved toward tragedy—the point where the emotional themes finally hit the audience.
In a sense, this story is a complete tragedy.
After finishing it, viewers feel no happiness—but plenty of reflection.
Especially during the final surreal, consciousness‑driven episodes.
For now, Great Zhou viewers treating it as a simple special‑effects show were being… naïve.
But due to Jing Yu's popularity, even though the early plot wasn't extraordinary—mostly character setup—the ratings still broke 10% every week.
And because Jing Yu played Shinji, fans were reluctant to criticize the protagonist too harshly.
The backlash Jing Yu expected—viewers leaving because Shinji was too weak—never happened.
Soon, another week passed.
Episode 5 of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' aired.
This episode continued in the same direction, focusing heavily on Rei Ayanami.
To defeat the new Angel, she and Shinji had to undergo compatibility training—eating, living, and training together.
And of course… the bath intrusion subplot.
"Wait—am I watching 'White Album 2' right now?"
"Why do you sound like an expert?!"
"Heh, the déjà vu is too strong. Jing Yu, Xia Yining, Yu Youqing—their character dynamics are way too close to the 'White Album 2' trio!"
"They trained for days to build chemistry, but Rei naturally syncs with Shinji… Asuka is suffering."
"She was clearly here first, but now it looks like the story wants to pair the protagonist with Rei. Tragic."
"Teacher Jing Yu, please write more—we love chaotic love triangles."
"Old Devil Jing Yu is truly a master of romance. In this episode alone, I switched from Team Rei to Team Asuka."
"Three leads—one emotionally closed off, one starved of affection, one overly prideful. They can only pilot EVAs, and yet they fight with everything they have to protect the world. Honestly, it's sad."
Episode 5 continued building Asuka's character—
The first half: compatibility training with Shinji.
The second half: diving alone into magma to fight an Angel.
If Rei's tiny smile in Episode 3 won her a wave of fans, then Episodes 4 and 5 made Asuka explode in popularity—a proud, brave, hardworking, serious girl.
And just like that, January ended.
The cold of Great Zhou faded as February arrived.
The pre‑production work for all of Jing Yu's upcoming projects was nearly complete.
Meanwhile, 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' continued its explosive popularity.
And within the fanbase, the war between Team Asuka and Team Rei intensified quietly—becoming the hottest topic among viewers.