That night, 'Hikaru no Go' Episode 11 locked in an average viewership rating of 6.10%.
Not just the highest rating of the night—the average rating broke 6%.
In just three months, the show had climbed from an initial 2.78% average to 6.10%.
Although Cheng Lie and everyone on the production team had hoped for this kind of outcome, now that it had actually happened, everyone's hearts were pounding with excitement.
The actors who played Hikaru and Akira—Wu He and Li He—were the first to call Jing Yu, their voices choked with emotion, barely able to contain their joy.
Six percent!
Even for just one episode to hit that kind of average viewership was a dream almost impossible to reach for productions outside the six major TV networks.
And for these two, this was their first drama after transitioning from variety show comedians to serious actors.
To be honest, in that moment, both had already decided that Jing Yu was the biggest blessing in their entire careers—their most important benefactor.
Of course, it wasn't just Wu He and Li He. That night, the phones of the entire 'Hikaru no Go' crew were lighting up with congratulatory calls from every department head.
After all, 'Hikaru no Go' had now become the highest-performing drama most of them had ever worked on.
A few days later, the viewership for Episode 11 of 'EndBlade' was released:
5.99%, ranking fourth for the eleventh week of the spring season.
The next day, Huanshi TV's stock price fluctuated again, dipping slightly.
They even called an emergency meeting.
For the first time, the head of the production department blew up in a full-blown rant, lashing out at the 'EndBlade' production team for over an hour.
In the following days, the media across Great Zhou went wild, reporting on the setback.
And in nearly every article, 'Hikaru no Go' was mentioned as the drama that had surpassed a Big Three network show despite being targeted and suppressed.
Even though 'Hikaru no Go's overall average for the season was still behind the Big Three's spring dramas due to its weak start, the fact that even one episode beat out a Big Three show was huge—it hadn't happened in five years.
And while the industry generally judged a drama's value based on season-wide average viewership, influence, and popularity, it told a different story.
The fact that 'Hikaru no Go's latest average beat 'EndBlade' meant one thing:
It now had more active viewers.
It wasn't that those viewers hadn't existed before—the poor marketing in the early stages had simply failed to reach them. But they were here now, and the numbers didn't lie.
That's why just one episode crossing that line was enough to cause such a stir in the industry.
It meant 'Hikaru no Go' had already reached the level of a 6%+ show, and its fanbase would surely follow it into Season 2.
It wouldn't need another two or three months to build momentum again.
Which meant one thing: Summer season.
"It's foreseeable that the long-standing Big Three monopoly in Great Zhou's summer drama market will shift to a Four-Way Race this year,"
Declared one prominent critic in a now widely shared report.
"Who finishes first won't matter as much. But whoever finishes fourth? That'll be awkward.
And don't forget—Jing Yu still has two more new dramas coming this summer."
And that opinion? Widely accepted by those in the industry.
March 19th, Sunday.
The final episode of 'Hikaru no Go' Season 1 aired.
That day, fan group admins across every 'Hikaru no Go' chatroom had been reminding people all day:
"Clear your schedule tonight! We're watching the season finale together!"
YunTeng TV even brought Jing Yu, Wu He, and Li He onto a talk show earlier that evening to drum up buzz for the final episode.
The host bantered with Jing Yu on-air, and the variety show held steady with a 3%+ rating the whole hour.
"So, Teacher Jing Yu, do you think Hikaru will ever surpass Akira?"
"Of course not. There's no such thing as 'surpassing'—they're lifelong rivals."
"And what about Sai? Could Hikaru ever surpass you in Go?"
"Surpass me?"
"Yeah, since Teacher Jing Yu is obviously Sai. That's been fan canon forever."
"Well, I can say this much—whether or not Hikaru will ever beat Sai... that'll be answered in Season 2. All you fans have to do is watch."
"Then let me ask you this—will Sai ever find the Divine Move?"
"Also something we'll explore in Season 2."
"And if he does find it, what happens then?"
"Stay tuned for Season 2. Everything you want to know will be there."
"Also, Teacher Jing Yu, you've got two new dramas airing this summer. Can you tell our viewers what to expect?"
"Let's start with 'Another'," Jing Yu's eyes lit up.
"It's a high school suspense thriller. All the things audiences love—youth, mystery, good-looking boys and girls—it's got all that."
"Oh, like a campus detective club kind of show?"
"Not quite. It's more… supernatural horror."
"And 'Steins;Gate'?"
"This one I really want to say: Don't be thrown off by how slow the beginning is.
If you can just make it through the first four episodes, the emotional payoff and experience it brings—
I promise—it won't lose to 'Hikaru no Go'. In fact, I believe it's just as good."
(Who cares about modesty—time to hype it up!)
And honestly? He wasn't even exaggerating.
While 'Steins;Gate' didn't have as wide an appeal, its critical acclaim and emotional depth could absolutely rival Hikaru no Go.
And it worked.
That night, tons of 'Hikaru no Go' fans tuned in to the talk show, and at the very least, they remembered the names "Another" and "Steins;Gate."
One was thrilling and intense.
The other was slow to start—but might hit just as hard.
That night, 'Hikaru no Go' Episode 12 aired.
Hikaru finally passed the preliminary stage of the professional exam.
Season 1 ended on this high note, leaving the official pro exam arc as the major cliffhanger.
Final episode rating: 6.19%
For YunTeng TV, it was a perfect season finale.
"See you all in three weeks!"
"Damn you, Jing Yu! That cliffhanger hurts!"
"Ugh, fine. See you all in three weeks—everyone better support Sai in Season 2!"
"Based on tonight's interview, we might actually get a peak showdown between Sai and Hikaru!"
"I really hope Sai finds the Divine Move!"
"But then what? Will he go back to being a spirit haunting the Go board?"
"Maybe he reincarnates! Jing Yu finds his reincarnation and trains him in Go—that ending would be lit."
"Nah, I don't want Sai to reincarnate. I love our cute spirit version."
That night, the fan chats were alive for hours.
Everyone was filled with hope and excitement for 'Hikaru no Go' Season 2.
No one had even considered the possibility...
That Season 2 might be the one
where Sai's arc would bring the knives.