By mid-January, two weeks after 'Fate/Zero' began airing, it had already sparked massive discussion across the Xia Nation.
Judging purely from the two released episodes, the production quality was excellent, and the visuals were stunning.
But what truly pushed 'Fate/Zero' into the mainstream spotlight was its expanded worldbuilding.
Creating an entirely fictional world was already difficult—yet Su Yan had gone a step further, adapting real-world myths and historical elements from his previous life into this setting.
Many fans, after watching the show, became even more fascinated as they dove into the lore.
After the second episode pushed ratings up to 5.32%, Dimensional Pictures' official website opened a large number of related links.
From the very beginning, 'Fate/Zero' had been ideal for developing merchandise beyond just broadcast rights.
In fact, when the project was first approved, Su Yan had already coordinated with manufacturers across the Xia Nation to develop related products.
The outfits and weapons of the seven Heroic Spirits and seven Masters, as well as the mage tools seen in the series, had all been designed and produced in advance.
They were simply waiting to be released alongside the show on the company's official website.
Over the past few days, the flood of enthusiastic fans buying merchandise nearly crashed the site, making Su Yan briefly wonder if he had underestimated the purchasing power of Xia Nation's citizens.
While 'Fate/Zero''s ratings weren't drastically higher than his previous works, its commercial value had far surpassed them.
And just as 'Fate/Zero''s influence rapidly spread across the country—
Dimensional Pictures made another move that shook the film industry.
January 18th, Thursday.
The trailer for the 'Rurouni Kenshin: Movie' was finally released.
Across fan groups, forums, and video platforms, people spread the news rapidly.
Of course, Su Yan had also invested heavily in promotional articles and media coverage.
Soon, countless fans found the trailer online.
The video opened with a peculiar-looking sword.
The tone was dark, heavy, and oppressive.
A man crouched slightly—on his left cheek, a striking cross-shaped scar.
Before him stood a group of fierce-looking opponents.
Then—
He moved.
A leap.
A slash.
A dodge.
A turn.
A sheathing motion.
The movements were fast, fluid, and uninterrupted—no visible cuts.
Many viewers hadn't even processed what happened before the fight was already over.
And almost everyone had the same thought:
[Holy sh*t!!!]
[That smooth?!]
Only then did viewers notice—
the sword in his hand.
The sharpened edge faced inward toward himself, while the blunt side faced the enemy.
So although his opponents collapsed, they were only injured—not killed.
A voiceover began.
Fans who had followed the TV version instantly recognized it as Gu Qingyuan's voice.
"So you're the legendary one…"
"Can you really stir up a storm of bloodshed?"
These were lines from the TV drama.
The next shot cut to Gu Qingyuan in a white kimono, standing quietly amid falling snow.
The film would include brief flashback scenes from the 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal' arc.
Of course, Su Yan wouldn't insert low-budget footage from a TV drama filmed years ago into a high-quality movie—it would feel completely out of place.
So all the flashback scenes had been reshot.
Even though it was just a brief glimpse of Yukishiro Tomoe—
countless fans felt their eyes sting.
Some characters may lie dormant in memory, but with just a single trigger, all those emotions resurface instantly.
The scene shifted again—
Himura Kenshin, played by Su Yan, is sprinting along the rooftops of tiled houses.
Then leaping down into a crowd.
"After the new era began… I swore never to kill again."
The trailer cut to a close-up of his reverse-blade sword.
Only then did many viewers realize—
That's why Kenshin didn't kill in the earlier fight.
The timeline had moved into a new era.
He no longer killed—but he still fought evil.
Interesting.
The trailer continued.
A bustling city.
A relaxed-looking man with a cross-shaped scar.
Then Shen Liqian appeared as Kamiya Kaoru.
The background setting was briefly established.
And then—
came what could only be described as Su Yan's personal showcase of action scenes.
Chaotic brawls.
Gunfights.
No wirework during filming—yet the movements looked incredibly natural, even unreal.
Kenshin moved with monkey-like agility—within just a few seconds, he could crash from the second floor to the first, then climb back up instantly.
All in one continuous shot.
Another flashback—
"If I stood before you with a sword… would you kill me?" Yukishiro Tomoe asked.
The next scene—
Kenshin struck her down.
Then—
Cut to Kenshin desperately saving Kamiya Kaoru.
['Rurouni Kenshin' — Nationwide release on February 10.]
As the final words appeared—
Even Su Yan's most loyal fans were stunned.
[Old sadist… you're serious about this?!]
Among his fans were many who understood film production.
After ruling out CGI, the only explanation for those action sequences—
It was real, practical filming.
And likely without heavy equipment assistance.
[So… is he trying to break the limits with this movie?!]
[If the trailer is already this cool, how insane will the full movie be?!]
[This gave me goosebumps.]
[So cool… Kenshin is insanely cool.]
[What has the old sadist been doing all this time? He's this good at action scenes—he should make more martial arts fantasy works!]
[I'm speechless. So he was holding back in the TV version?!]
[I had a friend who worked on his crew. He said in the TV version that Su Yan had to accommodate other actors' skill levels. But for the movie, with a bigger budget, the stunt performers are on another level—so he can go all out.]
[But how does he even know how to do all this? He's a screenwriter—why are his fight scenes so smooth?]
[How would I know? Maybe he's just a genius.]
[We never saw Kenshin smile in the TV version… but it appeared in the trailer.]
[He really changed a lot after Yukishiro Tomoe's death.]
[So the female lead in the movie is Kamiya Kaoru… kind of hard to accept.]
[What's hard to accept? Kenshin and Tomoe's love is literally carved into that cross scar. You don't expect him to stay alone forever, do you?]
[Feels like the movie focuses more on action, with less romance than the TV version.]
[Perfect. I'm here for the fights.]
[February 10… still more than half a month away. Time, please move faster!]
[Brothers, remember to support it when it releases! It's the old thief's first Spring Festival film—if the box office flops, not only will he lose face, but we fans will too.]
[No need to say more. With this trailer quality, it's a must-watch.]
[I've never watched Su Yan's works before, but this trailer really impressed me.]
[I'm bringing my whole family to watch it—just hope it's not too bloody. Some scenes in the TV version were a bit uncomfortable.]
[Relax. Didn't the trailer say Kenshin doesn't kill anymore? What are you worried about?]
Within less than a day of release, the trailer surpassed ten million views.
Across major video platforms, 'Rurouni Kenshin: Movie' shot straight to the top of trending searches.
In terms of influence on TV stations and drama platforms, Su Yan's dominance was unquestionable.
Even though competing films for the Spring Festival season were also heavily promoting themselves—
Their impact was clearly weaker in comparison.
After all, action-heavy films—featuring combat and physical fighting—naturally appealed to a wide audience.
And the swordsmanship choreography Su Yan displayed in the film…
was something no one else in the market could replicate.
From a promotional standpoint, competing production teams were already starting to feel the pressure.
After all—
Just half a year ago, Su Yan had dominated the summer box office with '5 Centimeters per Second'.
With its genre, quality, and marketing strength—
'Rurouni Kenshin: Movie' didn't look like just another Spring Festival release.
It looked like a true heavyweight contender.