"Most TV shows go downhill in their sequels, but Director Edward has done a great job from his very first work up to now, so I'm actually looking forward to this one."
At this moment, on the PoképokéTV Network, a man with shoulder-length hair was squatting on his sofa, chatting happily with his livestream viewers.
This was Tomato, a well-known content creator on the platform. Usually, Tomato specialized in anime reviews and analysis.
[Why is the streamer suddenly interested in watching Season Two of Sherlock Holmes today?]
Comments rapidly filled the chat, and Tomato glanced at one of them.
"Oh, the reason's simple. I'm doing a stream on Sherlock Holmes Season Two today because there's really nothing good in anime right now. All the original anime lately have been terrible, not worth talking about."
He chuckled as he opened the web browser, clicked on the TV network's livestream, and took a sip of his hot fruity milk tea.
[Yeah, there's nothing good in movies lately either]
[I heard Sorcery Kaisen just finished its manga]
[2.5 Gojo, right?]
[Stop it, Itadori already forgave Sukuna—look to the future!]
"Now that you've brought it up, I'm wide awake!" Tomato got excited. Since the show hadn't started yet and ads were still running, he took the opportunity to talk about the most talked-about franchise lately: Sorcery Kaisen.
"Got to admit, the mangaka Gege really knows how to stir things up. Popular characters getting killed off at will, villains forgiven just like that—the plot resolutions are pretty wild. But it's gotten tons of attention."
Ever since the infamous 2.5 Gojo twist, Sorcery Kaisen had become the hottest manga around, drawing massive traffic.
The live chat continued to scroll rapidly. Soon the discussion veered into the age-old debate: Could Sukuna beat Tom and Jerry in a fight?
"You can't compare them. Tom and Jerry are gag characters—they can't die no matter what. Sukuna wouldn't stand a chance."
Tomato waved dismissively. Cross-series power comparisons were always popular among anime fans, but gag anime were a whole different beast. Characters in comedy series were completely overpowered in absurd ways. Conceptual gods, basically.
If Ghost Film Pictures wanted to, Tom and Jerry could probably create a universe. In comedy anime, the characters' powers depend entirely on the writers' imagination.
Just then, the commercials ended. With a burst of familiar music and a well-known intro, Sherlock Holmes Season Two began.
Tomato immediately stopped talking and focused entirely on the screen.
Though his main content was anime, he watched TV dramas too—especially a hit like Sherlock Holmes. After watching the first season, he had become a diehard fan. He even tried to buy Sherlock Holmes merch, but Ghost Film Pictures released it so slowly that even now, the pre-ordered figurines were still in production and hadn't shipped.
An hour and a half later, the first episode ended. Tomato took a sip from his cup while the credits rolled.
"Not gonna lie, Director Edward really has the chops. This second season absolutely lives up to the standards of the first one."
He was thrilled. He hadn't drunk any water while watching—worried he might miss a key clue or piece of evidence during a deduction scene.
[My legs are numb]
[I'm drinking water now too, just like the streamer, haha]
[I just realized some of the key clues were hidden in the earlier shots—Director Edward is trying to train us to be detectives!]
"This is Director Edward's signature style. Every episode hides clues for the audience to discover themselves. It's part of the fun."
Tomato calmed down a bit and started thinking. He always rated the works he reviewed, and while this one was a TV show, it deserved a score too.
"I'd give this season of Sherlock Holmes…"
[Multiple critics give it a 9.9 rating! Sherlock Holmes Season Two continues the success!]
[You can tell from this sequel that sticking to your craft is key to a successful continuation]
[Did you notice these hidden clues in the first episode of Sherlock Holmes Season Two? Director Edward is still hiding more!]
"Boss! Ratings just broke a new record!"
Zoroark burst into the room excitedly.
Edward wasn't surprised. He was playing with Duskull while feeding it a fear candy.
"Isn't breaking records pretty normal?" Edward replied calmly. Sherlock Holmes Season Two's explosive success was entirely within his expectations. Season One had already built up a strong fanbase, and as the show's reputation grew, more and more viewers had come looking.
Plus, some just came for the drama—hoping the second season would flop. So the record-breaking ratings didn't mean much to him.
"Did the casting call for Alien go out?" Edward asked, returning to his actual concern.
This time, he wanted to shoot a new project—Alien—but with significant changes.
The key change? The type of Aliens.
First, he kept the classic design—the one that parasitizes humans and bursts out of their chests. That's what people expected from a proper Alien film.
But this time, Edward introduced a Pokémon Xenomorph.
The story goes: A Xenomorph egg was accidentally brought aboard a spaceship. The Alien began killing everyone aboard. Then, it captured a Pokémon and the Xenomorph used it for reproduction.
The Xenomorph implanted its larva into the Pokémon, and the resulting creature burst from the Pokémon's chest—a brand-new Pokémon Xenomorph.
These two Xenomorphs then went on a rampage, until the heroine cleverly tricked them into being jettisoned into space, barely escaping with her life.
That was Edward's small twist on the story—but he still needed to cast a Pokémon actor.
"We posted the call. A ton of candidates applied to compete for the role of Pikachu," Zoroark replied quickly.
(End of Chapter)