After entering April, although Bluestar Media & Film Company, under Jing Yu, hadn't released any new productions, the lingering heat of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' remained.
Just like in his previous life, right after the conclusion of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion', it stirred up massive controversy. Some called its ending a masterpiece; others sneered, dismissing that as nothing more than exaggerated praise from Jing Yu's fans. Yet none of this could stop the influence of the series from spreading.
The entire summer season drama market was still under the shadow of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'.
Major TV stations — including the "Big Six" — were continuously rolling out licensing and advertisements related to 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'.
In sectors ranging from soft drinks, food, equipment, cars, to computers, Jing Yu had already signed cooperation agreements with companies even before the show aired.
Even though Jing Yu had no direct involvement in this summer's lineup, his presence was everywhere.
At prime time on Xingtong TV, halfway through a drama, an ad suddenly popped up: a beverage commercial featuring Unit-01 guzzling a drink on the packaging.
Huanshi TV was the same — mid-broadcast, a commercial would appear featuring a special edition co-branded smartphone from a major platform, themed around 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'. It was only 1,500 yuan more expensive than the regular version — quite reasonable.
These ideas weren't just from the manufacturers; many were the result of Jing Yu proactively reaching out to interested companies. Just like in his past life, even twenty years later, there were still phone, computer, and car manufacturers collaborating with the studio behind 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' to release limited edition EVA-themed products. Jing Yu was simply following that example.
Once a few of these co-branded ads succeeded, many other Great Zhou companies also began contacting Jing Yu's Bluestar Media & Film Company.
Naturally, Jing Yu was eager to develop these partnerships within Great Zhou. But considering 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' was one of the top ten anime IPs globally in his past life in terms of revenue, these collaborations weren't even the main source of its profits.
Even though many newer anime fans in his previous life might not have known about the show, 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' made more money than well-known franchises like 'Naruto', 'the Ultraman series', and even 'SpongeBob SquarePants'. Since its debut, revenue from licensing, merchandise, and rights has surpassed $16 billion, with the vast majority coming from within Japan itself.
More precisely, from a Japanese phenomenon called 'pachinko'. While technically a game, it was closer to gambling with slot machines. Of the $16 billion revenue, only about $3 billion came from licensed goods — the rest came from pachinko machines.
Great Zhou didn't have the same arcade culture as Japan in his past life, so there was no way to replicate that business model. Even if it were possible, Jing Yu wouldn't consider licensing the IP for pachinko revenue-sharing — that would be morally questionable.
Other anime franchises that followed this model included 'Fist of the North Star'. In his past life, when people talked about popular anime, it was always the Big Three: 'Naruto', 'Bleach', and 'One Piece'. Yet even the most profitable of the three — 'One Piece' — had generated around $21 billion over 20+ years, slightly less than 'Fist of the North Star', which made $22 billion. Of that, $18 billion came from pachinko players.
It just showed how insane Japanese gambling gamers were — full-grown company execs and middle-class folks obsessed with the machines. Some veteran pachinko players even lost their homes and families, broke down crying in front of the arcades — it was tragic and often reported in the news.
Setting aside pachinko revenue, just licensing fees and game royalties were already a massive income for Jing Yu.
From the current projections, even conservatively, 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' would earn over 600 million just this year. And this type of work would keep generating long-tail income for decades.
The game, based on the series, also sold over 5 million copies in just two weeks. Even though it was relatively cheap at just over 50 Great Zhou Yuan (being a mid-length game), Jing Yu's previous release — 'Fate/Zero' — had already sold over 10 million copies since last November. Now he had another hit on his hands.
The gaming industry was fully on alert when it came to Jing Yu's game division. Professionals in the field took him very seriously.
Sure, you could get lucky with a hit game. But two consecutive hits?
Critics might say Jing Yu's game development had flaws, lacked polish — but hey, the players loved them!
You could spend ten years making your magnum opus, but if players didn't care, it was still trash.
On the other hand, even if they looked down on Jing Yu's approach, sales spoke louder than words.
From the advertising industry to gaming, to media outlets and video platforms, 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' might have ended — but its influence was still climbing.
As time passed, more and more fans began leaving messages on Jing Yu's company website.
"Old Troll! 'Fate/Zero' got a sequel — why not 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' too?"
"What's the new world like after Shinji wakes up? Film it, please!"
"Stop slacking. You're already filming six projects at once, what's one more?"
"Wait — six projects? Jing Yu is working on that many?"
"'Your Name', 'Castle in the Sky', 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time', 'Voices of a Distant Star', 'The Garden of Words', and 'Fate/stay night: Artoria Route' — that's six. If 'Natsume's Book of Friends' hadn't just wrapped last month, it'd be seven!"
"Speaking of 'Natsume's Book of Friends', that was rough. That series could've gone on forever, and suddenly he says it's 'temporarily concluded'? Brutal."
"Yeah, what does 'temporarily concluded' even mean?"
"Maybe he's just short on energy and needs a break. When inspiration comes, he'll start again."
"Could be. But come on — this guy, lacking inspiration? He's just lazy."
"Lazy? If he's lazy, who in Great Zhou's film industry is hardworking? He's shooting six series at once!"
"The media never talks about how hardworking he is. Unlike those celebrities who act like shooting one drama makes them martyrs. Wake up early? That alone gets them trending."
"Well, Jing Yu doesn't bother with buying press or trending topics like those people."
"Whatever, just give us 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' Season 2 already!"
"I'd trade those six other shows I haven't watched for a second season of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion'!"
Over a month after 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' ended, the demand for a sequel was deafening.
But upon seeing these messages, Jing Yu just said to Cheng Lie:
"There's no second season. The story ends here."
Cheng Lie had actually been planning to suggest a sequel.
The show had massive commercial potential. Even if it didn't get as much praise or love as 'Initial D', it crushed Initial D in raw profitability.
But Jing Yu's stance was clear: even in his previous life, Evangelion made a fortune, and Hideaki Anno never made a second season. So why should he?
At most, Jing Yu would follow that pattern — release the occasional theatrical film to maintain popularity and help merch sales.
"Fair enough." Cheng Lie didn't push it.
Honestly, from Cheng Lie's perspective, he had no idea how a second season would even work. If even Jing Yu couldn't think of a story, then maybe that infamous line — "How disgusting." — really was the perfect end.
With that, the two moved on to their next topic:
Broadcast schedules for Jing Yu's current productions.
As they delved into that, Jing Yu perked up a little and sat up straighter.