"???"
"Scared the hell out of me."
"He really killed him! Shinji... submissive to humans, but absolutely brutal to Angels."
"Dammit, he only lasted half an episode?"
"Jesus, blink-and-you-miss-it death. I really thought Old Devil Jing Yu was setting him up to be the final boss — and he's just gone?"
"I can't accept this. Two heroines dead in one episode???"
"Two heroines? You misunderstand what 'heroine' means. Rei Ayanami, I'll give you — but Kaworu is very clearly male."
"I don't care. Anyone who loves Shinji is a heroine in my book. Kaworu, you died too tragically."
"Men are all pigs. Shinji, how could you?!"
"Didn't Kaworu say it himself? That being drawn toward Lilith was instinctual. But if he merged with Lilith, humanity would be wiped out. Compared to saving a dear friend, Shinji chose the greater good — he had no choice."
"Still, this episode's plot... just nuts."
"Who cares if it's nuts? It's damn good television."
"I'm terrified now. If this is what happens in Episode 12, what madness awaits in the finale? Don't tell me they're gonna kill Asuka too."
"Asuka? I don't know. But they'd better kill off Shinji's dad first. Gendo Ikari — that smug bastard with his glasses and hands under his chin like a cartoon villain — and yet everyone in the story follows his script perfectly!"
Episode 12 was, without question, a massive turning point for the audience.
But the ratings? Not affected at all. In fact, they stayed neck-and-neck with Episode 11.
That's the difference between a sci-fi action series and a more traditional character drama.
In romance or workplace series, if the plot gets too convoluted, ratings tank. But with action-heavy shows like this — even if the story is hard to follow, audiences will still tune in for the fight scenes and special effects.
Still, after Episode 12 aired, anxiety over 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' ending poorly hit an all-time high across Great Zhou's media and fanbase.
There was no obvious sign of the show crashing — not yet. But with only one or two episodes left, Shinji's emotional arc, the 'Human Instrumentality Project', and the fates of dozens of side characters...
How could all of that be wrapped up?
And there was no buzz at all about a second season.
'Neon Genesis Evangelion' was a mega-budget special effects production. If there were plans for a sequel, the VFX studios would have leaked something by now. But nothing. No whispers, no rumors.
Two episodes left to tie everything up?
Could anyone actually pull that off?
If it were any other screenwriter, people would've written it off already. But this was Jing Yu. And people still had hope.
The industry was watching closely, too. The day after Episode 12 aired, film forums and chat groups exploded with theories and breakdowns.
Rei Ayanami's death, Kaworu's sudden entrance and exit, predictions for the final episode, speculation about the true nature of the 'Human Instrumentality Project', debates about whether the shadowy organization was run by humanoid Angels, or if humanity's leaders had already been brainwashed by the Angels…
In short, the discussion was more unhinged than ever. And the media? They fanned the flames, hyping up the finale.
Will it become a classic? Or will it fall apart at the end?
Is this just "too deep for the average viewer," or is it all a jumbled mess Jing Yu slapped together on a whim?
Two totally opposing narratives began to form — one painting the show as a masterpiece, the other branding it a pretentious wreck. All designed to fuel audience curiosity.
Jing Yu had been closely following the industry's reaction to 'Evangelion' over the past few days.
Some shows, even if considered classics in hindsight, didn't start that way.
'A Chinese Odyssey' was ridiculed as trash when it first premiered in Hong Kong in his past life. Jing Yu worried 'Evangelion' might meet the same fate in Great Zhou.
Truthfully, he was nervous.
Would the audience accept the final two episodes of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'?
Right now, though, things looked okay.
"Guess having a famous name really does come with perks," Jing Yu muttered to himself.
If he had made 'Evangelion' right after arriving in Great Zhou, and Episode 12 had aired with a story like this?
He would've been crucified by the public.
But he was now the top screenwriter in the country.
Even if the plot was a little over-the-top, a little chaotic, the pacing so fast the viewers couldn't keep up, people still instinctively blamed themselves for not understanding, rather than assuming the writing was flawed.
But in truth, confusing = flawed.
In Jing Yu's past life, the original anime's ending was chaotic because of one thing: a lack of money.
Episodes 25 and 26? They were cobbled together using leftover animation clips, weird dialogue, and pure psychological monologues. Technically, they explained the 'Human Instrumentality Project', but it felt disjointed and abstract — a weak, surreal attempt at a finale.
It wasn't until later, when the franchise exploded in popularity and the studio finally had money, that they produced the two old theatrical movies: 'Air' and 'The End of Evangelion'.
Those movies were the real ending.
The TV finale? That was just the psychological version of Shinji's own "instrumentality" experience.
So the real ending of 'Evangelion' only makes sense if you watch:
The movie 'Air',
The movie 'The End of Evangelion',
and the TV episodes 25 and 26.
Only then do you see the full picture. Without that bird's-eye view, most people would be left completely confused.
Jing Yu, of course, fused both the TV and movie versions when adapting the story.
But even with all that, for a first-time viewer, this ending was still going to be hard to understand.
But that's just how some stories are.
Ancient classical Chinese texts are hard to understand, too. But translate them into modern speech? And the artistry gets lost.
So Jing Yu stuck to the structure. It was his job to faithfully restore the original work. As for how Great Zhou audiences would interpret 'Evangelion'?
That was up to them.
But by Episode 12, there were still no widespread complaints about the story being broken or poorly written.
Jing Yu could only chalk it up to one thing:
His fans loved him too much. They trusted him completely.
"Well, I guess that's good. At least it stops people from randomly yelling that the script sucks when they don't understand what's going on," Jing Yu thought with relief.
He never expected most people to "get" Evangelion on a single watch. But if they trusted him enough to go back and rewatch it — to dissect and interpret it — then this project would, like in his previous life, leave a bold mark on the industry.
Time marched on.
Late March arrived.
The airdate for Episode 13 of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' was drawing near.