In early March, the special effects for 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' were finally completed.
Of course, that didn't mean Jing Yu's collaboration with the partnered FX studios was ending anytime soon.
Special effects work for his other projects had also entered the pipeline, and contracts had been signed with several foreign FX companies as well.
Both 'The Garden of Words' and 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time' officially began filming. Bluestar Media's official website teased fans every few days with new production updates to stir hype.
Meanwhile, Cheng Lie was negotiating screening dates with theaters across Great Zhou.
Jing Yu wasn't one of those slow, cautious types. Some production houses in Great Zhou would film a movie, then spend forever waiting for the "perfect" release window.
But Jing Yu? By the time others finished waiting, he'd have filmed two more dramas. As long as the window was reasonably good, he wanted his works released as quickly as possible once they were ready.
For example, according to his schedule:
'Castle in the Sky', with all the FX, likely wouldn't be ready until early next year.
'Your Name', with minimal effects, would wrap up quickly and might hit theaters as early as this fall, if the schedule worked out.
Short films like 'Voices of a Distant Star' and 'The Garden of Words' would skip theaters entirely and stream exclusively on Qingyun Video.
After all, Jing Yu was Qingyun's second-largest shareholder — he had to throw them a bone sometimes. More importantly, Qingyun made a generous offer, so the deal came together naturally.
By the first weekend of March — the day Episode 10 of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' aired — the spring drama season was entering its final stretch.
Jing Yu's team began rolling out the final round of marketing for the show's ending:
"The Final Mystery of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' Revealed!"
"The Female Lead Confirmed!"
"An Ending You'll Never Expect!"
In short: full clickbait mode.
Honestly, at this point, 'Evangelion' was already the peak of modern viewership ratings in Great Zhou. Whether they promoted it or not, the audience size was maxed out. Still, they had to go through the motions.
Even before Episode 10 aired, Yunteng TV's ratings had already climbed to 11.69%.
Viewers had spent the week stewing in frustration over Episode 9's ending. Now, they were ready to see Shinji confront his father and break away for good.
After all, Gendo had taken control of Unit-01 during battle, used the Dummy Plug, and nearly killed Shinji's friend Toji.
If Shinji could swallow that, then his character would be beyond redemption.
Wu Can took a sip of cola, the lights dimmed, eyes fixed on the TV screen.
The plot of Episode 10 turned out just as fans predicted.
Gendo's actions finally pushed the usually timid Shinji to his breaking point. He might be cowardly — but he had his limits.
That incident became the trigger for a complete fallout. Shinji decided to quit piloting EVA.
He said goodbye to Rei Ayanami, then walked into his father's office and made his position clear.
"Running away again? I'm disappointed in you. I never want to see you again."
—Gendo Ikari, cold as ever.
"Fine. That's exactly what I want."
—Shinji Ikari, equally calm.
Once, he'd tried so hard to prove himself, to earn his father's approval. But now? All that had vanished.
When your heart turns to ash, what does it matter what the other person thinks? What do they do?
The fanbase, however, was furious at Gendo.
"What is Shinji even running away from?"
"Does his dad even treat him like a person?"
"He should stay gone. What's even worth saving? Everyone's cold and heartless."
"The only one who seems to care is Misato. She's the only one who's actually sad he's leaving."
"Rei and Asuka? Cold as hell. Shinji's leaving, and neither of them comes to say goodbye. Only Misato does."
"The relationships in this show are too real. It's suffocating."
"Rei probably cares but refuses to show it. Asuka's obviously shaken, but she's too tsundere to do anything."
"She probably sees Shinji quitting as betrayal — desertion."
"Yeah, Asuka's the type who'd call him a coward for quitting."
"Misato's the real MVP. At least she said something kind."
Wu Can found himself getting drawn in again.
Then came the "plot convenience" that dramas love so much:
The Angel didn't attack earlier or later — it attacked right before Shinji's train was about to depart.
This time, the Angel was absurdly powerful.
Asuka piloted her red Unit-02 to fight back, but got both arms severed in a single exchange. Her EVA lost all power and went offline immediately.
The loss shattered her confidence. The moment Shinji left, she couldn't even hold back the enemy.
Rei, still injured, limped into battle with Unit-00, intending to self-destruct.
But it didn't even scratch the Angel.
Wu Can felt awful.
From his perspective, yes — he wanted Shinji to leave.
But if Shinji really left... everyone he cared about would die.
"This plot... it hurts."
"Feels like Shinji is just like us. Doing things he hates, but having no choice. It's not just the world forcing him — he has to push himself."
"Oof... I can't roast him anymore."
"Asuka's gotta be breaking down."
"Honestly, if everyone just dies, maybe it's fine. No one cares if Shinji lives or dies — why should he care about them? Last time he left, only Misato saw him off. This time? Same thing."
"At the very least... for Misato's sake... he can't walk away."
"With great power comes great moral pressure, huh? If he really left, sure, people would criticize him — but even worse, he'd live with guilt for the rest of his life."
Unit-01 refused to accept any other pilot.
Shinji ran back to the base with everything he had, standing once again before Unit-01.
"Why are you here?"
—Gendo, cold as ever.
"Because... I am the pilot of Unit-01. I am Shinji Ikari."
—Shinji, without hesitation.
He had sworn never to pilot again.
But the one breaking that vow was himself.
Because compared to the shame, the humiliation, the mockery — the lives of the people he cared about mattered more.
It was a simple scene. But Wu Can found tears welling up.
After ten episodes of rejection, of fear, of running away, this was the first time Shinji acknowledged who he was.
He didn't run this time.
"Yeah, he broke his promise — but damn, this choice was badass."
"Rei and Asuka both lost... and Shinji knows he probably won't win either. He could've stayed safe, but he chose to fight."
"He ignored what he wanted and prioritized everyone else."
"He's too kind — and Gendo knows it. That bastard knew Shinji would come back for Rei, Asuka, Misato, and the others. His own son, and he plays him like a fiddle."
"People say this was Shinji's decision — but he never had a choice. If he'd never come to the base and met these people, he'd let the world burn. But now? He can't turn away."
"God, I relate too much. We all do things we hate — for our families, for life. Shinji doesn't want to be a savior, but fate keeps dragging him forward."
"Man, I shouldn't get this emotionally invested. It's too heavy."
"Can't help it. Watching Shinji's suffering just hits too close to home."
"If Gendo were even slightly human, things wouldn't be this bad. Not once — not once — has he said a kind word to Shinji."
What followed:
Unit-01 and the Angel clashed inside the base. Eventually, Unit-01 ran out of power.
The Angel began pounding the cockpit, trying to break Shinji's entry plug open.
Inside, Shinji sat in despair, repeatedly trying to activate the controls.
"Move. Move. MOVE!"
"If I stop now, it's all over."
"Move. Move. Move..."
He was on the edge of collapse — not out of fear for his own death, but because—
"If I don't stop it... Everyone will die.
I'm done... watching people die."
That line broke people.
Wu Can, and countless fans at home, all felt their eyes well up.
But before you can save them, you might die first!
"He's not even thinking about that?!"
"Shinji's a damn man. I take back every insult."
"I liked Rei and Asuka before, but now... Rei just follows Gendo's orders. Asuka's jealous that Shinji keeps winning. She loses once and completely collapses."
"Everyone's selfish in a crisis. But the kid we all mocked — the one who runs — is the only one still fighting."
"Is this... growth?"
"Shinji was so cool this episode. But I also felt so bad for him."
"Ugh, this show gets heavier every week."
Wu Can took a deep breath.
Then came the twist:
Unit-01 went berserk again — despite having no power.
As if to protect Shinji, it only ever berserked when he was in danger.
No energy? No problem — just eat the Angel. Instant recharge.
By the halfway point, Episode 10 had delivered a visual feast for Great Zhou's massive audience.
It was also incredibly gory, and many viewers found it hard to watch.
The show dropped new lore and foreshadowing in chunks. Eventually, the crisis ended — but only after Unit-01 went full rampage.
However, due to a high sync ratio, Shinji ended up absorbed by the EVA.
The latter half of the episode focused on rescuing Shinji.
Outside, people tried everything to extract him.
Inside, Shinji merged with Unit-01 and sank into a dreamlike sequence of soul-searching:
Who am I?
What do I want?
Who are others?
Why do I exist?
Naturally, a TV show couldn't give real answers. But even just posing these questions left viewers dazed and overwhelmed.
It was like Hamlet — everyone had their own interpretation. These psychological, philosophical segments meant different things to different people.
Still, placing this mind-trip right after an intense mecha battle gave viewers a moment to breathe.
Most didn't understand it. But that didn't matter.
The result was simple: Shinji's soul-searching helped him break free from merging with Unit-01.
Episode 10 was the most emotionally intense chapter yet — the peak of conflict in the series, and the one that drew the loudest cheers for Shinji's choices.
Before, when he left the base and then returned, viewers flamed him endlessly.
But this time, even though he also came back, viewers were deeply moved.
As Shinji grew, the audience grew a little too.
The end of Episode 10 left everyone emotionally wrecked.
It closed at a 12.56% rating — not a huge jump, but stable.
What did surge was the online buzz — 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' was trending again.
Despite already being a phenomenon, the show was now entering its second wave of hype.
Its influence was only getting stronger.