After the broadcast of Episode 3 of 'Attack on Titan' Season 2, the show completely dominated discussions across the entire internet.
Even 'Gundam SEED', despite its merchandise outselling 'Attack on Titan' by a wide margin and its strong ratings, couldn't compete when it came to sheer topic heat.
And if 'Gundam SEED' couldn't match it, the rest of the Great Zhou TV industry didn't even stand a chance.
New forum threads dissecting Reiner and Bertholdt's betrayals popped up daily—an endless stream.
And it wasn't just the plot.
By this point, many fans had come to realize that this show didn't only shine in storytelling—the music was on another level. Some were even calling it divine.
The betrayal anthem "YouSeeBIGGIRL/T:T", Annie and Eren's emotional theme "Call Your Name", the opening theme "Guren no Yumiya"…
Every track, when paired with its corresponding scene, immediately shot to the top of Great Zhou's music charts that week.
Especially after the airing of "YouSeeBIGGIRL/T:T," people realized:
It wasn't just that Jing Yu had conquered the TV industry with his two mega-hits—he'd also quietly taken over the music industry.
From #1 to #10 on the weekly download chart were all either opening themes or insert songs from 'Attack on Titan' and 'Gundam SEED': seven from 'Attack on Titan', three from 'Gundam SEED'.
And when people looked at the song credits?
Lyrics: Jing Yu.
Composition: Jing Yu.
Arrangement: Jing Yu.
Even though everyone in Great Zhou already thought Jing Yu was a monster, this level of dominance still felt unreal.
Especially to professionals in the music scene.
They knew Jing Yu's focus was film and TV—at most, he dabbled in video game scores. As for music itself? Please.
The man had never even held a single concert.
That alone told you how little he cared about the music industry.
And yet, these songs he only created to support his shows had quietly defined the musical style of an entire era in Great Zhou over the past seven to eight years.
'Your Lie in April', 'Hikaru no Go', 'Initial D', 'Fate/Stay Night', 'Evangelion', 'Ultraman Tiga'—these shows blew up, yes, but their soundtracks arguably became even more iconic.
Jing Yu wasn't just a monster in TV and film. He was one in music, too.
"With just music royalties, I bet he brings in tens of millions every month."
"Forget the older stuff—'Attack on Titan' alone is probably gonna rake in tens of millions in music royalties once it finishes airing."
"Shame he doesn't take music seriously. If he ever held a concert, he'd easily make millions per show. Just a few concerts a month and he'd clear tens of millions."
"Let's be real. He could do nothing and still live off royalties from past shows and games. Those alone must be worth billions per year. Why would he bother with all the hard stuff?"
"But he writes all the lyrics and melodies himself, right? Do you think he can actually sing?"
"Doesn't matter. Just the name Jing Yu on a ticket would guarantee a sold-out concert."
"I mean it—Episode 3 was shocking, sure. But the most chilling part for me was that song during Reiner's betrayal. The tone, the vibe—it's nothing like typical Great Zhou music. Combined with the scene, it gave me goosebumps."
"Some of my friends weren't even into 'Attack on Titan', but now they're watching just for the music. They may not care about great storytelling, but they'll never pass up a great song."
In music-lover forums, discussions about 'Attack on Titan'—especially its soundtrack—were just as intense as the story debates.
By late January, the entire TV industry had been set ablaze by 'Attack on Titan' and 'Gundam SEED'.
Not only were their ratings absurd, but even the other six primetime shows saw small gains in viewership, riding the wave.
Once your appetite for drama had been stirred by Jing Yu's work, you had no choice but to turn elsewhere while waiting for weekly updates.
With both 'Attack on Titan' and 'Gundam SEED' airing on fixed schedules…
'Gundam SEED' was more stable. Its story progressed methodically, and its early episodes followed a familiar rhythm: the Archangel traveling through space, and wherever the protagonists went, disaster followed.
Yes, it followed a formula.
But the changing enemies, new mobile suits, and Kira's evolving fighting style gave each mini-arc a fresh hook.
Of course, fans had started grumbling about the odd relationship developing between Kira and Flay.
Most preferred female leads to be pure and earnest—not manipulative. And Flay seemed to want everything.
Still, the show hadn't gone full "pairing mode" yet, so only the sharpest viewers were picking up on it. Public opinion was stable—for now.
But 'Attack on Titan'? That was another story.
From Episode 3 onward, Season 2 was firing on all cylinders.
After waiting a whole week, fans finally got what they were hoping for in Episode 4: Eren vs. the Armored Titan.
Using joint locks, Eren exploited the Armored Titan's weak joints to score a hard-fought victory.
But just as the battle peaked—here came that old villain, the Colossal Titan, with a sneak attack.
Bertholdt dropped from above like a meteor, smashing Eren's titan form unconscious with a devastating headbutt.
Then Bertholdt and Reiner grabbed Ymir and Eren, retreating into the forest beyond the wall.
Eren may have beaten Reiner… but he still fell to an ambush.
Meanwhile, their conversations during the escape made one thing clear:
Even if Reiner and Bertholdt had broken the wall, they weren't heartless. They had a mission. They had no choice.
Reiner even felt guilty—so much so that his mental state was deteriorating.
Elsewhere, the Survey Corps was in turmoil.
Transporting horses over the wall took time.
And deciding whether to pursue the enemy was no easy call.
Could they make it in time? Would it be an ambush? Could they afford to lose the entire Corps?
Still, Commander Erwin issued the order:
"Whatever it takes, retrieve Eren. We cannot let them take him."
Episode 5 switched perspective again—to Reiner and company.
For the first time, through flashbacks and shifting viewpoints, the show gave us a glimpse of Marley.
A society very different from the one within the walls.
Ymir's past—branded as a figurehead by a cult-like religion, exposed by government officials, and eventually exiled…
While the show didn't explicitly spell it out, one thing was clear:
"Wait… was Ymir turned into a titan by her own people?"
Sharp-eyed fans picked up on it immediately.
They pushed her off a wall—then came the blinding titan transformation glow.
Then… decades passed.
Mindless and wandering, Titan-Ymir roamed the wilderness without purpose or sentience.
Until one day—
She ate someone.
From what we saw, the victim was part of a four-man team: Reiner, Annie, Bertholdt, and a fourth, unnamed comrade.
And because Ymir devoured that fourth person…
She regained her senses—and became human again.
For viewers who knew the later lore, it all made sense.
That's how she got her titan-shifting powers.
But for current audiences in Great Zhou, it was all mystery and confusion—and yet, strangely powerful.
They could understand what was happening, but they had no idea where the plot was going.
Jing Yu didn't give away key details.
"So… can I guess that the titans outside the wall were once humans?"
"And that place Ymir remembered—her 'homeland'—it doesn't look like the inside of the wall. Are there other human civilizations in this world?"
"My brain hurts. What even is the worldview of Titan?!"
"So you turn into a titan, wander the wild for years, and if you happen to eat someone, you regain humanity and titan powers? But then why did the other titans who ate people never turn human?"
"Forget it. It's beautiful."
"That scene where Ymir transforms back into a human… my god. Stunning."
Viewers couldn't stop talking about the visuals.
Under the night sky, Ymir, now conscious for the first time in decades, sat naked in a field.
The Milky Way overhead, stars sparkling. Her pupils reflected a path of light in the sky.
And then…
The haunting melody of "Call of Silence" played.
"When I awoke again, what I saw was infinite freedom.
If fate really exists, all I can do is laugh at its fickleness."
Lying in the grass, laughing freely, Ymir's face shone with defiant joy.
Somehow… it made people want to cry.
"I swear to myself—I will never lie again.
I will never betray myself. I will live with honesty and pride."
She made her way back, infiltrated the world inside the walls, and met Krista.
A girl just like her former self—always putting others first, pretending to be kind, ignoring her own desires.
Ymir wanted to save Krista from making the same mistakes.
But somewhere along the way… she fell in love.
She was willing to go with Reiner and Bertholdt—even if it meant a grim fate.
But she had one last wish:
To see Krista again.
She would do anything for that chance—even fight Reiner and Bertholdt in the forest.
Finally, she convinced them.
"So this is Ymir."
"Wait… Ymir's a girl, right? Is she… in love with Krista?"
"Duh. Krista's the cutest girl in the whole show. Played by Yu Youqing, no less. Who wouldn't fall for her?"
"Honestly, I found it moving. Ymir's feelings weren't just romantic—they were rooted in shared pain. She saw herself in Krista and just… wanted to protect her."
"The angel and her knight."
"Old Thief should keep writing like this. I used to be annoyed that Yu Youqing always played his leads, but if she and Ymir are a couple in this series? I'm 100% on board."
"I don't even know why I'm crying right now. I should be focused on the plot twists and worldbuilding, but I can't stop thinking about Ymir. What a beautifully written character."
"What did you expect from Old Thief? But now the tables have turned—before, the Survey Corps was chasing on horseback. Now Reiner and the others can't leave until they snatch Krista from the Corps."
"Wait… Krista…"
Episode 5 ended with Krista chasing after the others, running toward Ymir's titan form with joy.
But then—
Ymir's titan opened its mouth and swallowed her whole.
…?
Ending theme rolled.
Viewers everywhere:
"Forget it. Humans don't need to get mad at beings like Old Thief."
"I knew it. I knew he'd cliffhanger us again this episode."
"Heh… heh heh heh…"
"See you next week, brothers."
"Yup. I'm going for my third rewatch. Gotta comb through every hint and foreshadowing Old Thief buried."
"I swear I'm coughing blood. Old Thief! Don't you have family and friends? Are you not afraid of losing them with cliffhangers like this?!"
Even though the internet exploded with complaints, one thing was clear:
This episode finally cracked open a glimpse of 'Attack on Titan's deeper world.
But in doing so, it only raised more questions—and triggered another wave of wild theories.
'Attack on Titan' Season 2, Episode 5 scored a 15.22% rating.