In the following days, new episodes dropped for 'Another' Episode 3 and 'Hikaru no Go' Season 2 Episode 3.
Meanwhile, 'Steins;Gate' saw its audience score rebound from 6.9 last week to 8.2.
Many of the viewers who had previously left negative reviews went back to revise their scores. Word of mouth also began to spread online, with fans actively recommending the show.
This sudden momentum made Huanshi TV a little uneasy.
After all, 'Steins;Gate' was showing signs of a ratings comeback — and that could disrupt their own plans.
By comparison, 'Another's ratings were rising steadily.
Episode 3 pulled in an average rating of 3.89% — not particularly high, but a direct threat to 'Manual', its timeslot competitor.
'Manual's production team still had its eyes on the summer season's ratings crown.
But 'Another' was stealing too much of the spotlight — the two dramas were locked in a brutal tug-of-war.
'Manual's issue? It was a traditional mystery crime drama, still deep in its suspense-building phase.
'Another', on the other hand? Episode 3 featured a cursed homeroom teacher stabbing herself in the throat in front of the entire class — blood everywhere, almost splashing off the screen.
Scenes like that?
Hooked the audience hard.
As a result, 'Manual's Episode 3 barely saw any growth — it plateaued at 6.09%.
Even though critics praised the show, its ratings outlook for the next three weeks looked grim — projected to stay under 6.2%.
But 'Another' was a short series — only six episodes total. Once it wraps in three weeks, 'Manual' could potentially reclaim some of the audience.
'Hikaru no Go' Season 2, despite being under fire from competing shows, held strong.
The quality gap between it and its competitors was clear. Most of the shows trying to snipe it were just… subpar.
Unlike 'Manual' and 'Another', where even though the former had higher ratings, no one dared say it was better.
The difference came down to production budgets, star power, and broadcast platforms — not actual quality.
Thus, 'Hikaru no Go' S2 Ep3 saw a solid increase to 6.26%, securing second place in the third week of the summer season.
Meanwhile, there was 'Black Cat', produced by Xingtong TV.
Episode 3 featured a major plot twist and had no real competition in its timeslot — and ratings skyrocketed mid-episode, finishing at 6.21%.
Viewer scores also rose from 8.8 to 9.0.
Many believed this show had the most potential for explosive growth in the later weeks.
By the third week of the summer season, the drama market was an absolute mess.
Yes, overall quality had improved drastically from the spring lineup.
But aside from 'Black Cat' and 'You, Beneath the Cliff', no show could claim dominance in its timeslot — constant crossfire dragged down everyone's ratings.
But one name was at the center of it all: Jing Yu.
The man had three shows airing in one season.
His flagship project, 'Hikaru no Go', seemed poised to shake off the influence of those "small fry" six-network series and was currently sitting at #2.
He also used 'Another' to go head-to-head with 'Manual', knocking it down to fourth place in week three.
'Black Cat' was slow-burning, but now heating up — yet, had Jing Yu's fourth project been greenlit by Yunteng TV, it would've been released in the same slot and very likely cannibalized its growth.
As for the #1 show, 'You, Beneath the Cliff', it wasn't as secure as it looked.
If 'Steins;Gate' — with its now recovering reputation — continued to gain steam, it could slow 'You, Beneath the Cliff's momentum or even steal some of its audience.
If that happened…
Then, 'Hikaru no Go' might actually have a chance to become the season's ratings king.
Sure, that was just an optimistic theory.
'Steins;Gate' didn't seem strong enough yet to pull that off.
But looking at Yunteng TV's original summer strategy in hindsight, it became clear:
All six major networks were starting to feel how dangerous Jing Yu really was.
"If 'Steins;Gate' had the same production quality as 'Another', Jing Yu's plan would've worked perfectly."
"Then 'You, Beneath the Cliff' wouldn't be coasting past a 7% average. Might still be stuck around 6.6% or 6.7%. That's barely ahead of 'Hikaru no Go'. One or two more weeks, and 'Hikaru no Go' could've overtaken it."
"And if Yunteng TV had approved Jing Yu's original idea of making FOUR shows this season, then 'Black Cat' would've had competition too — possibly from another Jing Yu series dragging it down."
That was the theory — and the conspiracy-loving media ate it up.
Jing Yu fans, reading the reports, couldn't help but feel regretful.
"Man… if 'Steins;Gate' were just a bit better, 'Hikaru no Go' could actually top the ratings chart!"
"But there's still a gap of about 0.8%. Doesn't seem easy to close."
"Not surprising. Jing Yu is writing and starring in all three shows. Of course, 'Steins;Gate' got the least attention. The character works a bit weak."
"Who says 'Steins;Gate' is weakly written?! You clearly haven't seen Episode 4. Why do you think the viewer rating jumped from 6.9 to 8.2? The later episodes are straight fire."
"Exactly! As loyal Doodooroo fans, we're not staying silent! I went back and watched the low-res versions of Ep 1 and 2 on Yunteng TV's site, and honestly? I don't think the messy early plot was due to a rushed script or low budget. It feels like planned foreshadowing. Maybe 'Steins;Gate' is the real dark horse of the summer."
"Okay, okay, I'm a Jing Yu fan too, but come on — let's not go overboard. I couldn't even get through half of Episode 1. That wasn't 'foreshadowing' — it was just chaos. Obviously, they rushed production and filmed whatever ideas popped into their heads. The later episodes were better only because Jing Yu finally had some breathing room to organize the story."
"Nah, man, don't talk if you didn't even finish Ep 1. I've been watching dramas for 20+ years. I can tell the difference between random chaos and hidden plotlines. Sure, I don't fully get the early episodes yet, but I feel there's something deeper going on."
"I've seen all four episodes, too, so I'll speak up. Alright, if you think nothing was random, explain this:
In Episode 1, Makise gets stabbed and dies. Then she suddenly comes back to life.
According to the show's logic, that's a worldline shift.
But at that point, Okabe hadn't invented the Phone Microwave.
He just texted Itaru: 'Makise was stabbed.'
Then the world shifted, and Makise lived again.
But here's the problem — Itaru didn't act on the message. The message wasn't even sent via Phone Microwave.
So how did that create a worldline change?
That's a massive plot hole.
If Jing Yu can explain that away later, I'll eat my hat."
"...Damn, when you put it like that, it really doesn't make sense."
"Yeah, now that I think back, it's completely illogical. If Makise died, how did she work with Okabe later to invent the machine that brought her back to life? It's the chicken and the egg. Total paradox!"
"Right? The more I think about Ep 1, the more chaotic and buggy it feels.
Maybe I'm just not smart enough to figure it out.
I hope Jing Yu fixes this later on — Ep 4 was finally getting interesting.
It would be a shame if the whole show is built on a plot hole that big."
In a private fan chat, Jing Yu lifted his gaze from the screen.
Finally, people were talking about the logic of 'Steins;Gate's story.
Finally, the audience had engaged with its worldbuilding and started to notice potential inconsistencies.
"This is good," Jing Yu exhaled deeply.
"I don't mind people calling out plot holes.
I only worry when they don't care enough to even notice them."
He switched to an alt account and quietly posted a message in the chat:
"Don't worry. Every so-called 'plot hole' you pointed out — they're all foreshadowing.
It'll all be explained.
And when the time comes, you'll be convinced."
Naturally, the group chat exploded in laughter.
"Who are you trying to fool? You think you're Jing Yu or something?"
"LMAOOO this dude's killing me."
"Man's got more confidence than the actual screenwriter!"