In Su Yan's previous life, 'Your Name' was imported into the China market as a batch film with zero promotion, so the sensation it caused wasn't nearly as big.
After all, in the film industry, a lack of promotional budget basically meant poor coordination with theaters, low screening allocation, and inevitably, heavily impacted box office results.
So if one wanted to estimate the true box office trajectory of 'Your Name' under proper promotion, the most valuable reference would be its performance in its original release in Japan.
And when 'Your Name' premiered there, it broke multiple domestic records. What was most outrageous, however, was its staying power.
Even after being in theaters for over a month, it could still claim the daily box office championship. Its theatrical run stretched to half a year, and even after six months, people were still going to cinemas to watch it.
Makoto Shinkai rose to fame because of this film. Before that, he had been relatively niche within Japan's animation film industry.
Naturally, Su Yan hoped that 'Your Name' could replicate that same phenomenon across the Xia Nation.
But he also knew that was an ideal scenario.
Still, at the very least, in the Xia Nation, 'Your Name' had maxed-out promotion, maxed-out quality, and maxed-out discussion.
Su Yan's expectations for 'Your Name' were even higher than for 'Rurouni Kenshin: Movie'.
"I think 'Your Name' can surpass 'Rurouni Kenshin: Movie' in total box office," Su Yan said.
"That's unlikely. Sure, today's numbers are high, and maybe tomorrow too. But once Monday comes…" Shinozaki Ikumi replied.
"Even on Monday, the box office won't be low," Su Yan said.
"Why are you so confident?" Shinozaki Ikumi looked at him curiously.
After working with Su Yan for so many years, whenever he showed this kind of inexplicable confidence, she didn't dare argue too strongly anymore—she had been proven wrong too many times.
Because in his previous life, there was already massive data backing this film's performance.
Su Yan didn't elaborate, only said softly:
"No particular reason. Just a judgment."
On Saturday, 'Your Name', with 55% of screenings, took 60% of the day's total box office, earning 343 million in a single day. This result once again became the focus of media coverage across the Xia Nation.
By Sunday morning, even the national broadcaster, Imperial Capital TV, featured Su Yan and 'Your Name' in a 15-second segment on its morning news.
And only now was the film's staying power beginning to show.
Most movies might feel thrilling and exciting while watching, but once finished, audiences quickly move on.
But 'Your Name' was different.
A huge number of viewers began spontaneously promoting it online, watching it again and again, tracking its box office performance, and recommending it to people around them.
Even on Sunday, when Episode 4 of 'Kimi ni Todoke' aired, the discussion heat for 'Your Name' still overwhelmingly dominated among Su Yan's fans.
That Sunday night, Episode 4 of 'Kimi ni Todoke' aired.
This marked the first major emotional climax of the series.
Due to strange rumors spreading at school about her two friends, Kuronuma Sawako investigated and discovered that many of those rumors claimed she herself was the source.
Sawako, pure and kind-hearted, saw her two friends becoming increasingly downcast.
She thought it was because of the rumors.
But in reality, they were upset because when they had previously asked if the three of them were truly friends, Sawako's vague response made them think they had been overstepping.
To cheer them up, Sawako began searching the school for the real source of the rumors.
Eventually, she found them—in the school restroom.
It was a group of girls from another class who had a crush on Kazehaya Shota. Because Sawako had grown close to him, they spread rumors to drive a wedge between her and her friends.
In this episode, Sawako tripped in the restroom. She asked the girls to apologize to her friends Chizuru and Yano, only to be mocked and bullied.
And when they insulted her friends, she blurted out—
"I don't just like them—I love them very much!"
"I love them very much, so…"
Through tear-blurred eyes, millions of viewers in the Xia Nation watched as Yano and Chizuru rushed in, confronted the girls, and drove them away.
For a romance drama, its first major arc didn't advance the relationship between the male and female leads—
Instead, it portrayed the friendship between Kuronuma Sawako, Yano, and Chizuru.
A kind of pure friendship rarely seen in reality.
When such a bond appeared on screen, audiences didn't smile knowingly—
They were moved to tears.
After all, films, dramas, and novels often depict things that rarely exist in real life.
People might not believe someone like Sawako—so pure, kind, and innocent—could truly exist.
And even if such a person did exist, others might suspect it was all an act.
But within a story, none of that mattered.
Viewers simply immersed themselves in the narrative—watching Sawako cry in the school restroom as she told Chizuru and Yano that she wanted them to be happy.
That she hoped they wouldn't dislike her, and would continue being her friends.
And no matter how many times rumors appeared in the future, she would face them and resolve them.
Through the drama, audiences could truly feel her heart.
That Sunday night, Su Yan's fans split into two groups.
One continued praising 'Your Name'.
The other flooded forums with emotional posts about the latest episode of 'Kimi ni Todoke'.
Once midnight passed—
Sunday's box office numbers for 'Your Name' were released.
It reached 362 million.
With that, 'Your Name' closed its opening week with a total of 960 million, leading the summer box office.
Just a tiny step away from 1 billion in its first week—
This result left the Xia Nation film industry silent on Monday.
That same morning, the 5.76% viewership rating of Episode 4 of 'Kimi ni Todoke' also sparked heated debate in the television industry.
But for now, despite the drama gaining momentum, the primary focus of the media remained on 'Your Name'.
And on Monday, something felt off to industry professionals.
Even though 'Your Name' had made over 300 million the previous day, Monday was a workday.
Normally, if a film could earn one-third of Sunday's box office, that would already be considered good.
But before 2 PM, 'Your Name' had already surpassed 100 million for the day.
And the evening was when the weekday box office usually surged.
Even accounting for pre-booked evening tickets, reaching 100 million that early meant—
A 200 million total for Monday was highly likely.
Something wasn't right.
It was Monday.
Not a holiday. Not the Spring Festival.
A regular workday.
Just how good did a movie's reputation have to be for office workers—already exhausted and resentful at the start of the week—to choose to go to the cinema instead of going home to rest?
And if it could surpass 200 million on Monday—
What about Tuesday? Wednesday?
The industry's earlier prediction—that 'Your Name' would cap at around 2 billion—was based on the assumption that weekday attendance would drop sharply.
After all, its opening three-day performance was already comparable to top Spring Festival releases.
If it could maintain strong momentum through weekdays—
Then everything would change.