Chu You acted fast—'Your Lie in April's drama team received the additional funding for filming almost immediately.
Meanwhile, the 13 million yuan allocated for promotion was quickly funneled through various channels.
Chu You didn't bother with slow-drip publicity campaigns. He knew very well that with Jinhui TV's current reach, that kind of strategy would barely make a dent.
Instead, top film critics across Dazhou and major traffic-heavy websites were filled with articles and banners recommending 'Your Lie in April' throughout the week.
At the same time, Episode 5's average rating reached 1.86%, and the Dazhou Spring Drama Rankings were updated accordingly.
Among all the latest episodes of dramas aired nationwide that week, 'Your Lie in April' debuted on the chart at 16th place.
Their first time on the national rankings, and they entered at number sixteen.
With Jinhui TV's official push, glowing reviews from critics across the country, and fans' organic promotion online, the show's popularity and influence exploded exponentially.
On various drama forums, heated discussions about the show began to rise steadily.
"It actually looks pretty interesting!"
"One of my friends has been recommending this show to me for a while, but I ignored it. I mean, I've watched some shows from provincial networks before, and the production quality is usually garbage. But now that even critics are hyping it up, I'll give it a shot this Friday."
"Highly recommend. It's amazing."
"Honestly? If 'Your Lie in April' had premiered on Xingtong TV, it could have outperformed their current spring season flagship drama that already has a 7% rating."
"Don't be ridiculous. You think it could outperform that?"
"I'm just speaking for myself. I've watched both, and 'Your Lie in April' hits my tastes more."
"But the show's already at Episode 5. Is it even worth starting mid-season?"
"There are only two perfect times to watch 'Your Lie in April': five weeks ago, or right now. It's up to you. If you don't watch it, the show doesn't lose—you do."
"A musical feast. The rise of a new talent who's a screenwriter, actor, and musician. A new genius in the industry."
"Jing Yu — a brilliant screenwriter emerging from an ordinary province."
"'My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday' and 'Your Lie in April' — two refreshing dramas in a market full of clichés. If you're out of things to watch, highly recommended."
"The screenwriter who understands music best, and the musician who writes the best scripts — if you're stuck on what to watch, give 'Your Lie in April' a try."
Many media outlets started speaking up.
In fact, they had been aware of 'Your Lie in April' for a while. But media attention doesn't come for free—no budget, no promotion.
Now that 'Your Lie in April' had an actual publicity budget, even if it wasn't enough to make the show a nationwide phenomenon, the effects were clearly visible.
Episode 6 featured the conclusion of the music competition arc, and the story returned to the school setting.
After school, Kimiya Kaoru and Arima Kousei walked by the riverside, surrounded by dancing fireflies.
Their relationship warmed quietly.
No confessions were made, but Arima finally came to terms with his feelings for Kaoru.
This episode's average viewership hit 1.96%.
Episode 7 began delving into the emotional tangle between childhood friend Sawabe Tsubaki and Arima Kousei.
In terms of intensity and drama, Episodes 6 and 7 weren't quite as gripping as Episodes 4 and 5. But the show's strong early reception was now paying off.
Even viewers who started midway found themselves hooked.
Episode 7 averaged 2.05%, making it the first time ever that Jinhui TV had a drama break the 2% mark.
By Episode 7, 'Your Lie in April' had climbed to 15th place on the spring season drama rankings.
Most of the dramas outside the top ten had middling to poor performance this year. But that didn't matter.
'Your Lie in April' was now the only show not produced by one of the six major networks to break into the top 20.
And it was sitting comfortably at #15.
Across the entire Lan Province, 'Your Lie in April's popularity was unprecedented.
In contrast, Dangerous Girlfriend, which had once competed neck and neck with 'Your Lie in April', was now hovering around 1.74%—showing no signs of growth for two straight weeks.
The entire 'Your Lie in April' production team was buzzing, high on momentum.
But around this time, Jing Yu finally completed the script for the final episode of 'Your Lie in April', and handed it over to Director Gao Wencang and producer Liu Neng.
In Jing Yu's writing office, Gao Wencang stared at the script in shock.
Liu Neng kept glancing up at Jing Yu, stunned.
The two of them had read the final episode—and were completely floored.
Jing Yu... how could you dare?
This ending would be like declaring war on the massive 'Your Lie in April' fanbase.
"Hey, Teacher Jing Yu… this is the final script for 'Your Lie in April', right? If we film it like this… isn't the viewership going to collapse?" Liu Neng said cautiously.
"Collapse? Why would you think that?" Jing Yu replied calmly.
"Why? Do you know how popular Miyazono Kaoru is among fans right now? If you kill her off in the final episode, people will go nuts. The drama's ratings will tank, and they'll tank hard."
"Exactly!" Gao Wencang jumped in. "There's no need to go against the audience, Jing Yu! You've got a 3% cut of the show's copyright revenue. If fans get mad, it won't just hurt the ratings—it'll affect all the merch, licensing, syndication fees… Right now, 'Your Lie in April' is one of the top 20 dramas this season. That 3% alone could net you millions. And don't forget—if this ends smoothly, both you and Yu Youqing will see a major jump in acting fees. Companies across Lan Province and beyond are already lining up to offer you endorsement deals. That's another seven-figure income, easily!"
"You're basically throwing money away!" he finished, almost exasperated.
It's hard enough to keep a drama popular while it's running.
It's even harder to end it in a way that satisfies the audience.
'Your Lie in April' had already overperformed. All it needed now was a safe, heartwarming ending.
Everyone happy. Ratings secured. Fans content.
In Dazhou, audiences aren't obsessed with celebrity idols. They care more about screenwriters.
If they like your ending, they'll remember your name—and tune in for your next project.
So why, why would Jing Yu choose to kill off the most beloved character, Miyazono Kaoru?
Her illness wasn't necessarily terminal. With just a few lines of script, he could've had her survive the surgery.
Why do this now, after all they'd achieved?
From both a business and reputation standpoint, ending 'Your Lie in April' this way would be foolish.
"Why do you two think the ending is a bad idea?" Jing Yu asked them seriously.
"Because—" Gao Wencang hesitated, "modern audiences don't accept tragic endings!"
"That's why I wrote one they could accept," Jing Yu said.
Gao Wencang stared at him like he was from another planet.
Accept? This?
"Tragedies aren't off-limits… but they're extremely risky," Liu Neng said, trying to reason with him. "In the Dazhou TV industry, nine out of ten screenwriters who try tragic endings end up flopping—hard. Their careers become a tragedy. 'Your Lie in April' has done more than enough. There's no reason to stab the audience in the heart during the final episode."
"Risk and reward go hand in hand," Jing Yu replied. He looked at the two of them, firm and unwavering.
"This ending... is the soul of the entire work. Have you forgotten the title?
'April.' 'Lie.'
The ending was set from the very beginning."
"This finale… is non-negotiable."