Su Yan had many ideas for 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion'.
It wasn't just about achieving outstanding results in Xia Nation—the most important goal was to use this drama to break into the Western film and television market.
In fact, Su Yan already had considerable fame in the Western market. But regional protectionism existed everywhere.
It wasn't the case that just because Su Yan's works were good, foreign entertainment capital would automatically import them. On the contrary, some regions would deliberately exclude his productions. The market was only so big—if Su Yan took a larger share, others would inevitably lose out.
However, the market wasn't entirely controlled by capital.
Some of Su Yan's previous works might not have perfectly matched Western tastes, but a work like 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion' had already proven itself in his previous life—it was hugely popular not only in Eastern cultural circles, but in the West as well.
Why were IPs like 'One Piece', 'Naruto', 'Dragon Ball', 'Attack on Titan', 'Pokémon', and 'Gundam' so valuable?
They transcended countries and regions, boasting massive fanbases everywhere, with minimal barriers to entry.
Of course, things like audience accessibility and market reception could only truly be understood after a work was released. Who could predict everything in advance?
Still, Su Yan was confident that once 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion' was completed, it would very likely become a hit overseas.
After all, aside from some historical differences, the cultural gap between East and West in this world wasn't particularly large. The market experience from his previous life would likely apply here as well.
With these thoughts in mind, Su Yan entered the meeting room.
Inside, Shen Liqian and Gu Qingyuan were laughing nonstop as they read fan comments criticizing Su Yan over 'Kimi ni Todoke' on a laptop.
Zhuang Yuxin stood beside them, chiming in like a junior within the company.
Although Zhuang Yuxin had skyrocketed to fame thanks to Artoria, she clearly understood her position. In Su Yan's mind, Shen Liqian and Gu Qingyuan—who had helped him build Dimensional Pictures from the ground up—held a status far above hers.
The company only had three main contracted actresses.
She ranked third.
Yet at the same time, on Xia Nation's TV actress popularity rankings, she was firmly within the top three across the entire industry.
For a project as massive as 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion', Su Yan naturally brought in everyone from his company.
With such a huge investment, how could he let key roles go to outsiders?
Su Yan himself would play the male lead, Lelouch.
Although he didn't have a Western appearance, he was the company's biggest draw. From a performance standpoint alone, he had to take the lead role.
As for the female lead, C.C., he followed the original setting.
C.C. was European, making Zhuang Yuxin—who had mixed heritage—a perfect fit.
Shen Liqian and Gu Qingyuan were cast as Kallen and Shirley, respectively.
Only after assigning suitable roles to his own core artists did Su Yan leave positions like Princess Cornelia, Prince Schneizel, Euphemia, and his younger sister Nunnally open to the broader market.
That was why, among the actors attending the opening ceremony today, there were quite a few first- and second-tier stars with Western features.
"Alright…"
Seated at the head of the table, Su Yan glanced at the producer Shinozaki Ikumi and the director Shi Peihua. After a brief pause, he began delivering the speech he had prepared the night before.
For a production of this scale, none of the formalities could be skipped.
A few hours later, as the company's promotional machinery kicked into gear, entertainment media across Xia Nation began rolling out coverage of 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion' as planned.
Dimensional Pictures' official website also released the long-prepared character posters.
Without exception, the number one trending topic across major video platforms became news of the drama's production start.
And among this buzz, many of Su Yan's fans were puzzled.
Previously, 'Fate/Zero' had already featured many Western-looking actors.
Especially the actor who played the King of Conquerors—his popularity had exploded, rising from a second- or third-tier Xia Nation actor to a top-tier star.
And now, in this drama, he appeared again—
This time as an actual emperor.
Lelouch's father, Charles.
Meanwhile, Zhuang Yuxin—who had played Saber—was now portraying a mysterious woman known only as C.C.?
With numerous returning actors from 'Fate/Zero', combined with a lineup of first- and second-tier Xia Nation stars in supporting roles, the cast of 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion' could only be described as extravagantly stacked.
It quickly became a hot topic in the market.
["This drama is insane. The cast alone screams top-tier—half of Xia Nation's entertainment industry is in this one production."]
["A-list actress Tai Caiying is playing the third female lead? That's wild. Before Zhuang Yuxin rose to fame, she was one of the most popular mixed-heritage actresses in the Xia Nation. And now she's playing some princess named Euphemia?"]
["I heard she hesitated before accepting the role. With her status, even if she couldn't get the lead, a second or third female lead would've been reasonable. But Euphemia—what ranking even is that in this show?"]
["Only Su Yan could gather all these people together."]
["This is terrifying. Actors who would normally headline other productions are playing third or fourth leads here."]
["But there are so many mixed-heritage actors… is Su Yan trying to break into the Western market?"]
["Probably. I heard 'Fate/Zero' aired in three major Western countries last month, and in two of them it topped ratings. I even checked overseas forums—fans there are going crazy. Especially over Iskandar. Some people even bypassed restrictions to watch the full series and called him the greatest fictional emperor in TV history."]
["Even I, as someone who usually looks down on Western culture, got emotional watching it. Imagine how Western audiences feel with that cultural overlap."]
["So Su Yan brought back the actor who played the King of Conquerors to portray another emperor in this show for that exact reason?"]
["Wait, have you noticed something? It's not just Charles. In 'Fate/Zero', Su Yan played Gilgamesh, and Zhuang Yuxin played Artoria—he failed to win her over there. But now they're the male and female leads. Also, Gilgamesh killed the King of Conquerors in 'Fate/Zero', and now in this show, Su Yan is playing the King's son—"]
["HAHAHA, seriously? Is this the mastermind's weird sense of humor?"]
["I'm dying 😂 In the last life, you killed me in the Holy Grail War. In this life, you're my son in 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion'!"]
["King: 'Be my son, Gilgamesh!'"]
["Stop, I can't breathe from laughing!"]
["Now I just want to know when this show is airing!"]
Even though 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion' had only just begun filming, with no plot details revealed, the cast list alone had already generated massive discussion among fans in Xia Nation.
The topic remained trending across major platforms for two consecutive days.
At the same time, 'Your Name' had reached the one-month mark since its release. While its daily box office had begun to decline, its total earnings had surpassed 2.8 billion.
With daily revenue now around 20 to 30 million—and weekends still expected to boost numbers—it was highly likely that the film would ultimately surpass 'Rurouni Kenshin'.
After the buzz around 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion's production launch began to settle, media outlets quickly found a new angle to keep Su Yan in the spotlight.
And just like that, time moved to the end of August—
Another Sunday arrived.