For the next one to two weeks, coverage of 'Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno' flooded the media.
For Su Yan, releasing a film during the Spring Festival and taking the box office crown was certainly worth celebrating—
But since he had already achieved this last year, his excitement wasn't nearly as intense.
After all, he now stood firmly at the very top of Xia Nation's entertainment industry.
Capital, influence—
A single decision or even a sentence from him could elevate a newcomer into stardom—
Or quietly push a once-popular actor out of the industry.
Even if he himself wasn't that petty, there would always be people under him trying to "read between the lines."
Because of this—
Su Yan no longer placed as much importance on quarterly or yearly revenue, or whether his works broke records in box office or ratings.
In the past, those numbers proved his position.
Now—
They weren't necessary anymore.
His promotion for 'Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno' lasted only through its first week of release.
After that, he returned to Tokyo to continue filming 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion' and 'Howl's Moving Castle'—
While also supervising post-production for 'Weathering With You'.
Without the same drive for profit as before, Su Yan now pursued these projects more out of passion.
After all, he had once been a hardcore otaku.
Now, in this world—
He could freely adapt these works into live-action without worrying about the original creators criticizing him.
That alone brought him immense satisfaction.
Meanwhile—
As 'Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno' dominated the box office—
Episodes 7 and 8 of 'Fate/stay night' aired.
Compared to 'Fate/Zero', 'Fate/Stay Night' was undeniably slower to build.
Episodes 1 and 2 focused entirely on the night of summoning—
Telling the same day from the perspectives of Shirou and Rin.
In fact, through their encounters, all seven Masters' visible and hidden storylines were already interconnected—
Though most viewers didn't notice on their first watch.
From there, the series gradually introduced the Servants—
While deliberately obscuring the identities of their Masters.
Unlike 'Fate/Zero', which began with a full ensemble reveal—
This approach felt unfamiliar to some returning viewers.
But for new audiences—
It sparked curiosity.
Especially—
The relationship between Shirou and Artoria.
The show practically spelled it out:
This was going to be a romance.
Shirou, foolish as he was—
A normal human with no real power—
Couldn't bear to see Artoria get hurt in the Holy Grail War.
So he kept her at home to rest—
While he went out himself to face other Masters and Servants.
Reckless.
Naive.
And yet—
That very foolishness earned Artoria's recognition.
Because—
She was the same kind of person.
Who, after dying for their country—
Would they still question themselves?
Wonder if they were responsible for its downfall?
And even wish to use the Holy Grail to reverse time and rewrite history?
A "big fool" and a "little fool" meeting each other—
Turned what had been the heavy, tragic tone of 'Fate/Zero'—
Into the youthful, emotional atmosphere of 'Fate/stay night'.
Especially in Episode 7—
Nearly ten minutes were devoted to Shirou witnessing Artoria's past through dreams.
Accompanied by the BGM 'The King of Knights' Glory'—
Viewers saw:
A girl is drawing the sword from the stone in the lake.
Being crowned king.
Knowing that doing so meant abandoning her humanity—
And yet choosing it without hesitation.
Leading her people to victory—
Only to die alone in the forest.
Even in death—
Still fighting for her country.
This episode, combined with the expanded backstory from Su Yan's official web novel—
Broke countless fans emotionally.
Many were moved to tears.
At the same time—
Shirou being captured by Illya, and Archer sacrificing himself to protect him—
Also deeply affected viewers.
From this episode onward—
The pacing of 'Fate/stay night' finally accelerated.
Both ratings and reception began climbing again after a brief plateau.
Of course—
After Episode 7 came one of the most "famous" parts of the original game:
The mana transfer.
Because Shirou couldn't supply Artoria with magical energy—
She couldn't fight at full strength against Illya and Berserker.
So—
Alternative methods were needed.
"Mana transfer."
In Su Yan's previous life, anime-only viewers often found this concept vague.
After all, the original was a Sakura Island galgame—
With very different boundaries.
But in this world—
There was no way Su Yan could directly adapt that version.
That would completely change how fans viewed him.
So—
The scene was modified.
Still slightly suggestive.
More intimate than the anime—
But far less explicit than the original game.
After all, the show was positioned as a youth fantasy drama.
A bit of ambiguity was acceptable—
And audiences didn't overthink it.
Meanwhile—
The episode also featured Shirou and Artoria fighting together to defeat Berserker.
But after Episode 9 aired—
The tone of online discussions shifted again.
["Old sadist, write more story!"]
["I feel like Artoria is really starting to fall for him…"]
["Something's off about Shirou. That sword he creates—why is it so powerful? Does this show ignore the laws of physics? He's weak, but his weapons are OP?"]
["Why bring science into a fantasy battle show?"]
["That mana transfer scene feels like it could've gone deeper, but it didn't. Kinda disappointing."]
["What were you expecting? Something like those martial arts dramas where couples 'share energy'? That'd be ridiculous. If Artoria did that just to win, it'd ruin her character."]
["Why would it ruin her? She already recognizes Shirou—even likes him. That kind of development would make sense."]
["Keep it simple. Romance is fine—but don't make it cliché. This subtle, ambiguous feeling is perfect."]
["Exactly. 'Kimi ni Todoke' was so good because of that tension. Once it's made explicit, it loses its charm."]
["Am I the only one who finds this whole romance angle weird? Artoria falling in love feels off."]
["Why? She's just a girl. Falling in love is normal."]
["Stop arguing. 'Fate/stay night' is very different from 'Fate/Zero', but both are good in their own way. Let's just see how it ends… By the way, Kotomine Kirei hasn't done much lately. And Gilgamesh should show up soon, right?"]
["Compared to the last war, this one feels so different. Archer died, but Rin is still allied with Shirou. Berserker died, and Illya just moved into Shirou's house as if nothing happened…"]
["When Su Yan writes tragic stories, people complain. When fewer people die, people still complain. If I were him, I'd be exhausted too—fans are impossible to please."]
In the end—
No matter how much debate there was—
The popularity of 'Fate/stay night' continued to rise.
And Su Yan?
He had already moved on to his next goal.