Over the next few days, fans of 'Kimi ni Todoke' went almost crazy recommending the show online.
For the first time, Su Yan's fans had watched one of his works this comfortably.
Episode 17's ratings settled at 6.25%.
Although still lower than 'Fate/Zero', it had already reached the ceiling of ratings and reputation for romance dramas in Xia Nation over the past thirty years.
And this was also the first time fans had seen Su Yan create a story that wasn't depressing.
Not only was it not depressing—
Was there even a true villain in this show?
By the later stages, audiences had come to understand Kurumizawa as well.
At her core, she wasn't bad.
Her "scheming" only appeared in her rivalry with Sawako over Kazehaya.
In everyday life, she was just an ordinary girl.
And as a mid-stage antagonist, she had dignity—
When she lost, she didn't cry or refuse to accept reality.
Instead, she even helped the heroine in the later episodes.
For Xia Nation audiences, this kind of romance drama was a first.
Not only were the main characters compelling—
Even the supporting cast was full of charm.
As this wave spread, more and more casual viewers joined in.
Soon—
Another weekend arrived.
The final episode of 'Kimi ni Todoke' aired.
Just as many fans had predicted, this episode mainly served to wrap up each character's future and storyline.
The most exciting moment had already aired last week.
But even so—
without the anxiety of wondering whether the story would suddenly turn tragic—
Fans were finally able to enjoy the ending of a Su Yan drama.
At the end of the episode, Kurumizawa quietly spoke with Miura Kento about her past.
She admitted her pain over Kazehaya and Sawako being together—
Her eyes still held reluctance, but in the end, she accepted defeat.
That scene alone drew tears from many viewers.
The story concluded with a sunset scene—
Sawako and Kazehaya are sitting on the grass, embracing each other.
When the ending theme began, many viewers let out a long sigh of relief.
But then—
They suddenly realized something.
Wait…
What exactly were they expecting?
Episode 17 had the confession.
Episode 18 should at least have some romantic moments, right?
Just holding hands… just hugging…
Does that even count as a couple?
At least a kiss, right?!
["Seriously, I'm speechless. That's how it ends? Can we at least get a special episode with a kiss?"]
["Now that I think about it—we waited almost five months. The confession was just Kazehaya pulling Sawako into the classroom and hugging her. Even after they got together, it was just hugging on the grass. This is way too pure. What kind of ultra-innocent couple is this?"]
["Honestly fits Su Yan's image—feels like someone who's never dated. He probably thinks emotional connection is enough, but we viewers are more… worldly. We want more!"]
["Sigh… no matter what, congrats on the finale. Just didn't feel like enough."]
["They didn't even show marriage or kids."]
["Please no. At this pace, that would take another hundred episodes."]
["Be satisfied. Most dramas in the Xia Nation run by seasons. This one has lasted one and a half seasons already. Besides, 'Fate/stay night' is coming in a month—that's the real main event."]
["Yes! We'll get to see Artoria again!"]
["Honestly, I'm not that hyped for the Fate series. My girlfriend loves it, but I think shows like 'Kimi ni Todoke' and 'Your Lie in April' are better."]
["That's normal—everyone has their own taste. I think the 'Rurouni Kenshin' drama is Su Yan's peak, but people always argue with me, saying it's just 'good,' not 'legendary.'"]
["Anyway, my drama-watching journey this year is basically over. Now I'll just play games for a month and wait for 'Fate/stay night' in January."]
["Same. I won't follow the entertainment industry for the next month. I need to study for next year's college entrance exams."]
["I'm going to find a boyfriend before the end of the year and have a passionate romance."]
["After watching 'Kimi ni Todoke', I've regained my belief in love. My female boss always nitpicks me—I've decided to confess to her tomorrow and settle things once and for all."]
["You're all single. I'm not. I'm in high school, watching this with my girlfriend. And why do I have a girlfriend? Because back in middle school, we both watched 'Your Lie in April'. We bonded over the violin in music class because of it. No matter what Su Yan does in the future, I'll never say a bad word about him."]
["Just wait until you break up—you'll dump all your resentment on him."]
The finale ratings for 'Kimi ni Todoke' came in at 6.14%.
A slight drop from the previous week—
But overall, the results were outstanding.
And Su Yan didn't hold back.
Every member of the production team received a bonus that very day—
roughly equivalent to their annual salary.
Mid-to-senior staff even received a share of the profits.
Although the percentage was small, for a project generating hundreds of millions in revenue, even a tiny share was substantial.
At present, aside from the original founding members, nearly all employees at Dimensional Pictures are top-tier professionals in their respective fields.
Including the game division established last year, the company had fewer than 400 direct employees.
Yet dozens of companies across Xia Nation collaborated with them—
And from top to bottom, thousands relied on Su Yan's productions for their livelihood.
Though the company itself wasn't large—
Its influence in the industry was unmatched.
If it claimed second place, no one would dare claim first.
After 'Kimi ni Todoke' ended, Su Yan also gave a portion of the staff some well-deserved time off.
The scripts and project proposals for 'Howl's Moving Castle' and 'Weathering With You' had already been submitted for approval.
Given the company's relationship with regulators, approval would likely come within days.
Next would come pre-production—assembling crews and preparing for filming.
After several busy days, Su Yan finally relaxed in the open-air hot spring at his villa and let out a sigh.
Sometimes, he wondered if he had become a workaholic.
He had already achieved fame and success—he could afford to slow down.
Yet he kept launching new projects one after another—
only to question his life choices when things became overwhelming.
"Once the next few years pass, and the company is fully on track… after launching a few long-term projects, I'll travel the world," Su Yan thought to himself.
In the six years since arriving in this world, he had only stayed in a handful of cities—
Hudu, Tokyo, and a few major coastal hubs.
Even in the cities he stayed in the longest, he barely knew them.
He was either filming—
or on his way to filming.
"First, I need to use series like 'Fate' and 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion' to break into overseas markets… especially 'Code Geass'. If a mecha war story like that can succeed both domestically and internationally, then 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' and the 'Gundam' series can follow."
If he relied only on the domestic market, Su Yan had no plans to bring out 'Gundam' or 'Evangelion' yet.
They were simply too expensive to produce.
And he refused to make anything low-quality.
Even if they performed well after release, the return on investment would likely be low—
The cost-performance ratio just wasn't worth it.
But—
If he could successfully open up overseas markets—
Then many works in his system library could be adapted without hesitation.