These kinds of pre-release stunts were nothing new for Jing Yu—his fans were already used to it.
Usually, when Jing Yu emphasized a particular concept before a premiere, that meant it was a core element of the show.
So when he brought up "intelligence" in relation to 'Death Note', fans concluded that the series would likely focus on detective and suspense elements.
Of course, teasing mysterious setups could generate buzz, but the real test would be how the show performed after airing.
Two days passed in a flash, and April 3rd arrived.
It was Sunday, and many major dramas from the summer season had already aired over the past couple of days. But everyone in Great Zhou's television industry knew—
Whether it was 'White Dove' airing Friday on Xingtong TV, or 'Shadow' airing Saturday night on Imperial Capital TV—they weren't the main event.
The real headliner of the season was 'Death Note', airing tonight at 8 p.m.
Starting from 6 p.m., Yunteng TV, which had enjoyed almost a decade-long partnership with Jing Yu, saw its ratings climb rapidly—from the usual 4% range, past 5%, then 6%, and by 7:55 p.m., the real-time viewership had reached 7.68%.
Among those millions of viewers was Bai Jin.
A single, attractive, and aloof office worker in Modo, she didn't have many hobbies. But ever since she got hooked on Jing Yu's dramas four years ago, she couldn't stop.
That said, she wasn't one of those girls who fell for pretty faces. She wasn't personally into Jing Yu—she just genuinely liked his works. If he ever released something subpar, she'd definitely criticize it.
Naturally, she had been following the recent teasers for 'Death Note'.
Since Jing Yu had declared online that he had created his "two most intelligent characters" ever, fans were justified in scrutinizing the show closely.
At exactly 8:00 p.m., after Yunteng TV's final ad ended, the screen paused for a second—
And the 'Death Note' opening theme began.
The first images: two teenage boys.
One hunched slightly, with a pale, undernourished look—yet that only made him appear more hauntingly handsome.
The other looked refined and righteous—clearly the idealistic, upstanding type, full of purpose and honor.
Their placement in the theme clearly implied a rivalry.
Jing Yu's opening themes often hid major hints. Watching them again after finishing the series always revealed clever foreshadowing.
Handsome girls, a black notebook icon, an apple, a strange clawed black creature, vacant eyes, a decaying world, a girl in the rain...
A stream of surreal, almost jarring imagery flashed by before the song ended.
"It looks amazing... but isn't this supposed to be a modern drama? Why is the whole opening theme fantasy-themed? Bait and switch?"
"No idea. Just keep watching—don't jump to conclusions."
"I'm just excited. Gotta vent in the group chat."
"Been waiting over half a year for Old Thief's new work."
"Got to say, these two leads are pretty good looking. This Light guy totally looks like the straight-laced elite type."
"Still not quite on par with Old Thief himself, though."
"Looks aren't everything—it's all about charisma. We're just used to Old Thief starring in his own works. Let's be real, he's off traveling. We're lucky he even made a new show. You expect him to still act?"
"Fair enough. I'll take it. Even if he's not as handsome as Old Thief, the casting's still solid."
While the fan chatters continued, the plot of 'Death Note' began to unfold.
The opening chunk was largely worldbuilding.
Light, the protagonist, was portrayed as the top student at his school—outstanding academics, athletic, and one of the highest scorers in nationwide mock exams among high school seniors in Japan. His father held a senior position in the police department. Among boys, he inspired envy. Among girls, he was the ultimate crush.
In other words: he's better than you in every way—brains, looks, talent, background, everything.
But despite this, Light—still just a teen—had already lost interest in life.
This section introduced the character.
Then came the notebook from the sky, with its strange rules. Light's progression from disbelief, to skepticism, to testing it out...
At that point, many viewers were already completely immersed.
Bai Jin was no exception.
When Light's test actually succeeded, Bai Jin's hand trembled.
"Wait... he actually died?"
She didn't know how Light felt in that moment—but as a viewer, she felt a thrilling rush of satisfaction.
"Wait... you can do that?"
Entertainment is all about satisfying buried desires. In fact, the original 'Death Note' in Jing Yu's past life became a sensation precisely because so many fans secretly wanted a godlike figure like Kira to judge the wicked.
And now, as this moment aired on Yunteng TV, viewership soared.
Audiences were shocked by what they saw.
This wasn't just a standard suspense-thriller. It was deep. Thought-provoking.
"Is this really what the show's about?"
"Old Thief's imagination is off the charts."
"But... isn't the protagonist basically a murderer? Why don't I feel like he's evil? Is that because I'm evil too?"
"Technically, Light's actions seem justified. He's only killed criminals, not for personal gain."
"Still, using unjust means to reach a just goal is flawed logic. The notebook is just unchecked power—like an emperor's decree. It's not rational."
"Yeah, but let's be honest—it's so satisfying! I thought the plot would be about catching the person using the notebook. Turns out the protagonist is the one using it!"
"Old Thief's really going all-in. I love protagonists like this, but a lot of people in Great Zhou are bound to criticize it. Might hurt the ratings."
"Come on. Look at all those R-rated shows full of blood and gore that still did fine. This is nothing."
"True. In fact, this is milder than a lot of those."
"No lie, though—this is really good. The concept grabs you instantly. I'm already hooked."
"Where's it going from here? Does Light use the notebook to punish criminals? But can that last a whole season? Just killing every episode would get old."
The buzz in fan chats was noticeably more intense than any of Jing Yu's recent shows.
Great Zhou's audience could recognize quality—they didn't need long to tell this one was top-tier.
The concept was genius. Now it was up to the character development.
And the next scenes didn't disappoint.
Light met the Shinigami Ryuk, and through their conversation, the origins of the 'Death Note' and why two bored souls ended up crossing paths were explained.
And then came the first clash between Light and L.
Light, armed with the notebook, was tricked by L—leading to him accidentally exposing his location in Tokyo.
But Light immediately rebounded, crafting a counter-strategy.
"This protagonist… he might be too smart."
"This isn't just pretend genius writing. They didn't dumb down other characters to make him look clever."
"Exactly. You can see his subtle moves—he's always calculating."
"And that guy L—isn't he Light's rival?"
"Obviously. I need to cool off. That was just the first episode, and it was already packed."
"So these are the 'two most intelligent characters' Jing Yu talked about? Honestly, yeah—they're both incredible. Just hope the show keeps the same IQ level going forward."
"That last scene was epic. Neither of them knows the other's name, face, or background—but they both know that whoever slips up first dies. That kind of showdown? Chilling."
Episode 1 of 'Death Note' ended with a viewership rating of 9.56%—a bit higher than 'Hanzawa Naoki''s first episode last season.
But the intensity of audience discussion completely eclipsed 'Hanzawa Naoki'.
From its concept, to its premise, to the character designs, 'Death Note's debut was bursting with controversy and intrigue.
Viewers were captivated. Industry peers were stunned.
"Wait, isn't Jing Yu in his thirties? How is his creativity still this monstrous? I've only seen the first episode, and I already know the rest will be insane."
"Forget it. Just this idea alone is envy-inducing. I couldn't come up with this if I bashed my head against the wall."
"The concept's just the beginning. Everyone has good ideas. What matters is turning them into tight, coherent scripts—that's the real skill."
"The way Light used the notebook... and the way L used TV broadcasts and a decoy to bait Light into revealing his location…"
"It's not even complicated! But the execution is brilliant. So many twists in just five minutes."