The game and film departments both released promotional material for Jing Yu's new projects during this period, setting off alarms across both industries.
Currently, Jing Yu's main battlefield is still the television drama sector. But even in the game and film industries, he's far from a nobody.
While his influence in games and films may not yet match his near-decade dominance in television dramas, by every measurable standard—performance, fame, impact—Jing Yu is undoubtedly a heavyweight in both.
First came the trailer for the Rurouni Kenshin game, followed by the promo for the movie Spirited Away.
Both are set to launch or premiere six months from now, yet promotions have already begun well in advance.
Industry insiders started talking.
"Feels like Jing Yu, the ultimate disruptor, is gearing up for another big move."
"In just a few years, his influence has skyrocketed. He's no longer just a writer, actor, or celebrity—every move he makes shakes the entire entertainment scene."
"Of course! He's got both talent and capital. Even if he's not the smoothest socially, he's well above average and has good relationships in the industry. His growing impact is only natural."
"You're all focusing on his creativity in games and film, but you're missing his strategic vision. From the very start of Bluestar Media & Film Company, he developed all three fronts—film, drama, and games—simultaneously. He's well-connected with both TV stations and streaming platforms. And overseas? His international branches have ties with major global game distributors. I heard he's laying the groundwork for next year's Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon game launches. On the merchandising side, he's signed deals with over a dozen domestic product manufacturers and even invested in some."
"He's not like those short-sighted capitalists chasing quick money. Jing Yu actually wants to build a full cultural-entertainment industry chain."
"Yeah. A lot of investors understand the potential of his model. But building a full IP industry chain isn't easy. Most companies produce dozens or hundreds of titles, and maybe one goes viral. But Jing Yu? Practically every project he touches explodes. He holds the rights to dozens of blockbuster IPs and can develop them however he likes."
"Some capable investors have tried to copy Jing Yu's approach, but most crashed and burned. In all of Great Zhou, there's only one Jing Yu. No one else right now can match his talent. A true all-rounder!"
"'Rurouni Kenshin' game, 'Spirited Away' movie, 'Pokémon', 'Yu-Gi-Oh!', 'My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected', 'Ef: A Tale of Memories', 'Hyouka', 'Ultraman' reboot, the second 'Gundam' film in production, and the upcoming fourth Fate game—my god, looking around, the entire entertainment industry of Great Zhou is practically surrounded by Jing Yu's IPs."
"If only Bluestar Media had been founded earlier. It's only been six or seven years since its inception. But even a healthy child takes time to grow up. At this pace, within ten years, he's likely to turn it into a dominant company in TV, film, and games alike."
"Facts."
Jing Yu made so many moves this year that many peers are only now realizing how overwhelming his presence in the industry really is.
In terms of capital, he's not the richest in Great Zhou, but even companies with stronger financial backing are extremely wary of Bluestar Media & Film Company, based in Modo City.
Because, over all these years, they haven't been able to suppress Bluestar's rise. The classic strategy of large capital crushing small companies only works when the playing field is somewhat level. But Jing Yu's content quality is simply in another league.
Even industry giants producing billion-level films or games need layers of planning: market research, risk assessments, internal debates—and even then, upper management may scrap a project at the last-minute due to fear of market backlash.
But Jing Yu?
He has over ten high-investment projects spanning multiple industries running at the same time, with an estimated total investment exceeding 2 billion.
Especially in the gaming division, even before conquering the domestic market, he's already expanding globally, paving the way for 'Pokémon' and 'Yu-Gi-Oh!'s international launch.
This is why people say the leader determines the ceiling of a company. Jing Yu's bold strategy looks like gambling to most—if he loses two or three times, all his capital could vanish overnight.
But here's the thing:
Not a single one of Jing Yu's projects has lost money.
No wonder his peers both fear and admire him.
While Bluestar prepares for even more major moves, Jing Yu's ongoing projects continue broadcasting steadily.
'Gundam SEED' Season 1 aired across two quarters and is nearing its final arc.
Its plot is a bit fragmented, but there's a subtle main thread connecting everything. While watching, it doesn't feel disjointed—but once finished, you realize the bigger picture.
Ratings-wise, it's consistently been outperformed by 'Attack on Titan', both in popularity and influence.
But in merchandise sales, 'Gundam' ranks number one among Jing Yu's works, twice that of 'Ultraman', seven to eight times more than 'Attack on Titan'. In total revenue, 'Gundam' even surpasses 'Attack on Titan' by a solid margin.
So Bluestar is making 'Gundam's follow-up merchandise development the core focus of the next quarter.
As for 'Attack on Titan', after the epic arc of the Retaking of Wall Maria, just like Jing Yu predicted, its momentum began to slow.
"When is a mystery most captivating?"
"Right before the answer is revealed."
That's exactly what the Wall Maria arc achieved. The battle unveiled the truth: Eren reached his father's basement, triggering a flashback revealing the world outside the walls, Marley, Eldians, and all the lore.
At first glance, the worldbuilding seems fresh. But once revealed, the original horror of the titans was gone.
Before this, 'Attack on Titan' was about mankind vs Titans. Afterward, it became a war between the human races.
Once the titans lost their terrifying mystique, they were no different from the monsters in 'Ultraman'—just beasts that kill.
Of course, this is a subjective view. But it aligns with why many in Jing Yu's past life said the series would've been perfect if it ended "at the ocean."
From the timing of fan complaints, it's clear that 'Attack on Titan' began losing steam after Marley was introduced—even without the controversial ending.
The arc wasn't badly written—it's just that many fans weren't interested in global wars or ethnic conflicts.
They preferred titans devouring people and humans fighting back.
This was reflected in fan polls: negative ratings for 'Attack on Titan' were still rare, but neutral scores for the Marley arc increased significantly.
Jing Yu had expected this outcome but still sighed.
"It is what it is."
As June heated up, 'Gundam SEED' closed in on its season finale.
At the same time, 'Attack on Titan' began its final arc.
Elsewhere, in the Modo City film base, the cast of 'My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected' was hard at work.
This drama was scheduled to air in the Sunday slot for the autumn season—right after 'Gundam SEED' wraps up.
At this stage, the full promotional campaign had begun: teaser trailers, cast livestreams, and fan meetups in major cities. One after another.
Across every channel, the two most eye-catching words in the promotional material were "Jing Yu."
Yet, in every livestream and fan event, Jing Yu himself was nowhere to be seen.
This surprised many fans.
"Did he really change his strategy? He used to show up at least for promotional events, even if he wasn't acting. This time, he just posted a comment asking fans to support the show, and that's it."
"He's in his 30s now. He's said multiple times he'd gradually step away from the front lines. Maybe this is the start. Right now, he's only confirmed to act in two works: 'Castle in the Sky' and 'Ef: A Tale of Memories'. Everything else, he's just the screenwriter or composer—not even cameo roles."
"But he still looks so young! I think he could keep playing high schoolers. I never felt it was weird. He could totally act until he's 40. After that, he could just transition into adult roles."
"Time is limited, though. He's a CEO now. Managing the company gives more return on time. As long as he keeps writing and composing, I'm okay with it."
"Still, I miss seeing him on screen. When watching 'Gundam SEED' or 'Attack on Titan', I kept thinking how much better they'd be if he played the lead and Yu Youqing or Xia Yining played the heroines."
"No doubt! If it were him and his usual lead actresses, ratings would've doubled."
"But there's no use wishing. After 'Spirited Away' and 'Ef' air, it'll probably be a long wait before we see him act again."
"Fair. Honestly, the 'My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, as I Expected' trailer looked good. A loner high school boy going through his youth. It'd be weird if Jing Yu played the lead—he's way too good-looking to be isolated or shy."
"True. Hard to imagine someone like him being labeled a plain, awkward loner. He's a total extrovert—casting him in that role would be jarring."
This year, Jing Yu released hit after hit, but appeared less and less in them. By the end of June, with 'My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, as I Expected's teaser out and no personal appearances, fans took to social media and trended the topic.
He'd long said he'd slowly retire from acting, but now that he was actually doing it, his millions of fans in Great Zhou felt a tinge of sadness.
By late June, many fans left comments on his company's site and social pages, begging him to return to acting.
Jing Yu did notice, and to be honest, he was a little moved.
After all, he'd acted in his manga adaptations for a decade. Maybe not flawlessly, but his performances were widely praised—even now, no new actors signed to his company had surpassed his fan ratings.
His acting career had definitely been recognized by audiences.
But age and energy are realities.
He couldn't keep playing high schoolers forever.
So at month's end, he replied to some fans, clarifying that he wasn't retiring completely—just reducing his acting workload. That helped calm the fanbase.
And so, June passed.
'Gundam SEED' ended its first season as scheduled. On its finale night, the entire industry buzzed with excitement.
It had never hit a 16% rating before, but this final episode shot past that number—matching 'Attack on Titan' for the week.
In terms of online buzz and discussion, 'Gundam SEED' even overtook Titan.
From spring to summer, Jing Yu's two shows created a wave across the Great Zhou drama scene. It was arguably the peak of his career so far.
With 'Gundam SEED' ending, his presence in the drama industry faded slightly.
And finally, July arrived.