Friday evening, across Da Zhou, 'Your Lie in April's fans were glued to their TVs. And it wasn't just fans—many in the entertainment industry from outside provinces were also paying close attention.
Episode 10 of 'Your Lie in April' had ranked 14th in viewership among all spring dramas airing last week.
You might think, "Fourteenth? That's not that impressive." After all, thirteen shows ranked higher.
But when you factor in broadcast platforms and production budgets, 'Your Lie in April's performance was extraordinary.
Among the top 24 shows last week:
11 were produced by Da Zhou's three mega-networks: Xingtong, Huanshi, and Di Du TV.
12 were from the three major networks: Orange Sea, Squirrel, and Aurora.
And only one was from outside these six giants—'Your Lie in April', which ranked 14th.
That's wild.
Jinhui TV isn't even on the same level in terms of name recognition, influence, or viewer base compared to the "Big Six." Yet 'Your Lie in April' managed to break into the Top 20—and hit #14.
Everyone knew what that meant.
When it comes to ratings, there are only two factors:
The broadcast platform,
The quality of the show.
Since Jinhui TV dragged down the platform factor, for 'Your Lie in April' to still rank so high, its quality alone must be strong enough to go toe-to-toe with the spring season's top 10.
And this year's top 10 weren't weak by any means. Even the show ranked #10, a popular workplace romance called Blackbird, had a viewership rating of 3.97%—a clear tier above everything below it.
If 'Your Lie in April' had aired on any of the Big Six networks, it likely would've cracked the top 10 easily—and maybe even pushed toward the top spots.
That was a reality every professional in the industry could recognize.
"It's a shame this drama aired on Jinhui," many lamented.
"If this young writer, Jing Yu, had launched on a major network, he might've become a household name with just this one project."
Creative sparks don't last forever. Maybe this was Jing Yu's one moment of brilliance. If his next work turns out average, this could've been his only real shot at fame.
Still, none of that stopped everyone from tuning in tonight.
'Your Lie in April's popularity had only grown over the past week, fueled by fan discussions and relentless anticipation.
At 7:30 PM, Jinhui TV's rating hovered at just 0.56%.
By 7:50, it rocketed to 1.93%, then to 2.36% by 7:55.
Inside the station, Chu You was personally overseeing the numbers, eyes fixed nervously on the screen.
In all the major 'Your Lie in April' fan groups, messages were flying fast and furious.
On the Jinhui TV website, fans were still roasting Jing Yu for emotionally wrecking them with Kaori Miyazono's cliffhanger last week.
Meanwhile, in a residential area of the capital...
Ning Ning took a deep breath, her eyes glued to the screen.
She couldn't understand why such a phenomenal drama was airing on Jinhui of all places. It was miles better than the so-called "flagship dramas" airing on Di Du TV over the weekend, and yet… Episode 10 of 'Your Lie in April' had only a third of the viewership of those shows.
Because of that, she had no one around her to discuss the show with. So she joined every 'Your Lie in April' group she could find, chatting with other fans online instead.
"It's starting."
"The final episode. The 'Your Lie in April' finale."
"Don't jinx it! Maybe the end will reveal that Season 2 is coming."
"Did Kaori live or die? I've been suffering for a whole week. Damn the writer—I've flamed him on the website every day."
"Come on. If she was gonna die, what's the point of Episode 11? Of course, she survives. I'm betting she recovers, Kousei wins his piano competition, they confess, and Season 2 is just domestic fluff."
"Wouldn't that be too basic?"
"All finales are like that! I've seen so many dramas—no one's crazy enough to pull twists at the very end."
As the chatter continued, the screen suddenly cut in—commercials over.
'Your Lie in April' – Episode 11 began.
The story picked up exactly where it left off.
Kaori wasn't dead. But she was still in the ICU, unconscious and clinging to life.
Seeing this, Ning Ning let out a sigh of relief.
As long as she's alive, that's enough. Whether she wakes up or not is up to the writer—and that's easier to stomach than death.
But Kousei? He was a wreck.
The only reason he had ever escaped the shadow of his mother's death was because of Kaori. She had become his anchor.
"I don't know how to go on."
Curled up in his room, Kousei's breakdown was gut-wrenching.
Every 'Your Lie in April' fans watching felt their hearts twist. Then came the anger.
Because by now, most fans knew—the writer and the actor playing Kousei were the same person: Jing Yu.
You wrote this, and now you're suffering? Good. You deserve it.
Even Ning Ning found herself unable to separate Jing Yu the writer from Kousei the character.
Then came the letter.
"I want to eat canelé."
A note Kaori had written for Kousei after waking up.
Ning Ning's heart lifted.
She's awake. The writer was just playing with us.
By this point, the ratings shot up to 2.53%.
With all the buzz and speculation throughout the week, even people with packed schedules had made time to watch the finale live.
On the hospital rooftop, under a wide, clear sky, Kousei carried Kaori on his back.
Just the two of them, surrounded by light and air.
"Aren't I still here?"
The girl who had just faced death was now comforting the boy who had fallen apart because of her illness.
She urged him to enter the piano competition.
Though she no longer held her violin, she mimed the gestures—fingers dancing in the air.
In their ears, the imagined music played.
"You're in my heart, Kousei."
Kaori smiled weakly in his arms.
Tears filled Ning Ning's eyes.
"I still don't understand you," Kaori had written.
"I'm so jealous of Tsubaki, who knows everything about you. I want to know more, too."
"I'm scared… Don't leave me alone."
For the first time, Kaori showed vulnerability. But even then, she urged Kousei to go to his piano competition.
March 18th.
The day of Kaori's surgery… and the day 'Your Lie in April' Episode 11 aired.
"Damn, why does this feel so real?"
"He did it on purpose, didn't he? Choose today to line up with the story."
"But… now I'm even more immersed."
At the competition, Kousei almost breaks down again.
But he fights it.
Because he has to perform. This was what Kaori wanted.
The competition mattered to her.
While Kaori was in surgery, her fate uncertain, Kousei couldn't be at her side—because he had to play.
If he failed, Kaori would be heartbroken.
Ning Ning felt her chest tighten.
To be continued…