When directing 'Fate/Zero', Jing Yu had considered many factors.
For instance, with characters like Kayneth and his Servant, the Caster-class "Bluebeard," who were primarily operated remotely and had minimal combat scenes, Jing Yu simply cast well-known Great Zhou actors.
But when it came to casting for Diarmuid, the Lancer-class Servant, Jing Yu put in far more effort.
Though Diarmuid's trademark in the original Celtic myth was dual-wielding swords, the audience in Great Zhou wasn't familiar with such mythology, and Jing Yu didn't want to overcomplicate things with unnecessary flair.
So he focused on finding stunt performers who specialized in spear combat—and who were good-looking, of course. That alone cost him quite a bit of time.
In filming Diarmuid's fight scenes, the bigger challenge was actually Tang Rui.
Her costume as Artoria weighed more than 20 jin (around 10 kg), making it quite a burden during physical scenes.
Fortunately, the character had a major advantage: her sword—Excalibur—was invisible.
That meant she didn't need to actually wield a heavy prop during filming. She could just mime gripping air with both hands.
Still, that fight sequence caused multiple delays and chewed up a lot of filming time.
But now, what was unfolding before Meng Jiming's eyes—
It was a full-blown special effects spectacle.
A battle between two knights who upheld the chivalric code.
Fast, fierce movements enhanced by layers of dazzling visual effects.
While it might not quite reach the level of swordplay Jing Yu displayed in 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal', it was still leagues above most martial arts scenes in other Great Zhou dramas. The VFX helped smooth over any imperfections in the actors' performance.
This episode also included detailed depictions of the Masters involved in the Holy Grail War.
Kiritsugu Emiya, for instance—a cold-blooded mage killer—was seen skulking around with a sniper rifle, silently observing other Masters and Servants.
Totally shady behavior.
"Man, this male lead is really annoying. How could someone as righteous and honorable as Artoria be summoned by a guy like that?"
"But Artoria is seriously so cool. I love her even more now."
"Wifey's badass!!"
"Crush that narcissistic Lancer!"
"Can Artoria and the Lancer stop buttering each other up during the fight? It's killing me!"
"They're literally bonding mid-battle. This is hilarious."
"Wait, you don't think Artoria's actually attracted to him, do you?"
"No way, right? She wouldn't fall for that trashy Lancer, would she?!"
Meng Jiming shook his head and started roasting the group chat, scolding everyone for their nonsense before turning his full attention back to the screen.
Due to the magical nature of Diarmuid's spear, which bypassed armor defense, Artoria discarded her armor, revealing the royal dress beneath—
Heroic, radiant, beautiful beyond words.
A large portion of this episode was dedicated to action scenes, but it was precisely this kind of straightforward, eye-catching spectacle that spiked ratings the most.
From a starting point of 7.8%, Fate/Zero's ratings surged to 8.3% during the episode.
Between Iskandar observing from afar, Kiritsugu's underhanded tactics, Kotomine Kirei's sinister lurking, and Tohsaka Tokiomi's smug overconfidence…
Episode 3 finally delivered the kind of satisfying battle fans had been waiting for.
Iskandar jumped in and disrupted the fight.
Gilgamesh made a dramatic entrance.
Berserker unleashed chaos.
Time slipped by without notice—and the episode neared its end.
But what really stuck with viewers this time—
Gilgamesh's iconic one-liners.
"Who gave a mad dog permission to look at me?"
"Mongrel."
"Filthy half-blood."
With just a few lines, the image of an arrogant, god-tier personality was vividly brought to life.
The most spectacular visual showdown of Episode 3 was the clash between Gilgamesh and Berserker.
A full-screen blitz of light and effects. Jing Yu personally directed this sequence.
In fact, he even suited up.
As Berserker wore a mask in the early episodes, Jing Yu stepped in as the character's stunt double during the filming.
It was the perfect opportunity for him to showcase his action chops.
On one side: Gilgamesh, using his Noble Phantasms like basic attacks.
On the other hand, Berserker dodges through a rain of weapons, fighting back in a furious melee.
No plot. Just pure, unfiltered action.
The early arc of 'Fate/Zero' hadn't delved into Kiritsugu's backstory or the individual wishes of the Servants yet.
This was just adrenaline-fueled entertainment.
At one point, Berserker turned on Artoria.
Kayneth used a Command Seal to order Diarmuid to cooperate with Berserker and eliminate her.
But Iskandar intervened at the last moment to break things up.
Episode 3 gave nearly every Master and Servant a proper introduction.
At its core, this episode was all about reinforcing the characters' personalities.
As the ending theme played, the ratings peaked at a staggering 9.0%.
The episode's average settled at 8.24%.
This result left the other three major networks stunned.
Was this really a series airing simultaneously on both cable and streaming platforms?
That's insane.
Of course, on the fan review site Yindou Net, 'Fate/Zero' held a more modest score of 9.3. Within Jing Yu's body of work, which was considered solid but not exceptional.
This episode's viewership spike came mostly from casual audiences, drawn in by the excellent action and visuals.
They didn't care about emotional depth or heavy themes.
As long as it looked good, they'd keep watching.
That was the core audience of mainstream TV dramas: their demands were simple.
And after this episode, 'Fate/Zero's fan reactions split into two distinct camps:
"These action scenes are insane!"
"Mr. Jing Yu's Gilgamesh is so cool—even his insults sound awesome."
"But don't you think this show feels kind of… shallow? Like compared to 'Rurouni Kenshin' or 'Hikaru no Go', it's all flash and no substance."
"I agree. It's visually stunning, but the storytelling feels a little thin."
"Come on, it's a fantasy action show. You want gorgeous effects and deep storytelling? That's a contradiction. If you want a plot, you need a lot of slow buildup—and everyone was already complaining that it was too slow before Episode 3 even aired."
"That extra lore this week—Diarmuid's Celtic backstory—my god, Mr. Jing Yu really prepared a ton of material for this series!"
"This show's definitely not as simple as it looks. Just from the amount of world-building, I can tell the later episodes are going to hit hard."
"Still, it's an action show. Just enjoy the fights and effects. Don't expect too much. But one thing—I really hope they don't add romance."
"Same. Artoria is just too compelling. I don't want her in a relationship. She's perfect as the King of Knights. Romance would just ruin her character."
After Episode 3 aired, 'Fate/Zero's popularity skyrocketed again.
That's how the market works.
For a plot-driven drama to generate this level of buzz, it would need god-tier writing, layered foreshadowing, and mind-blowing twists.
But with a spectacle-based series, all you needed was coherent characters, solid fights, and a generous dose of effects. Audiences would show up.
Look at 'Avatar', 'Avengers'—perfect examples from Jing Yu's past life.
Still, what made 'Fate/Zero' a legend in its previous life wasn't just the aesthetics or flashy fights.
Especially in the anime world—where most works were animated—visuals alone wouldn't carry you far. Great animation could make a show popular, but only story and characters could make it immortal.
And what 'Fate/Zero' truly excelled at—
It was character development.
Iskandar. Lancelot. Waver. Kiritsugu. Irisviel.
Most anime viewers forget the protagonist's names soon after finishing a show.
But after 'Fate/Zero', people remembered everyone.
Though the early episodes hadn't reached that point yet.
Back on Jing Yu's side, he wasn't idle either. He was using his Qingyun Blog account to post bite-sized lore and trivia about 'Fate/Zero' every day.
Backgrounds of the Servants. Origins of the Holy Grail War. Details about Fuyuki City in Japan.
And explanations of the show's unique group of "Magi."
Dropping all this at once would overwhelm viewers.
But releasing it bit by bit? Perfect for audience absorption.
On the streaming front, over the next few days, the three major platforms saw 'Fate/Zero's average per-episode paid views hit 13 million.
Qingyun Video was practically tearing their hair out in regret.
If they had known the show would perform this well, they would've gladly partnered with Yunteng TV to co-broadcast.
But now?
Too late.
All they could do was pray that the third custom drama Jing Yu was producing for them would outperform 'Fate/Zero'.
As for Jing Yu, he hadn't been overly focused on ratings during 'Fate/Zero's early run.
In fact, even the hype didn't matter much to him.
The true value of this kind of show—
It wasn't just the broadcast license.
It was everything after it ended.
By late January, Jing Yu had completed the acquisition and integration of several game companies.
To save time, he didn't haggle too hard. He offered slightly above market price—and the original owners gladly sold.
Next came talent filtering.
Jing Yu kept the truly capable staff.
The nepotism, hires, and deadweight?
Gone.
The remaining team was restructured under a new entity:
BlueStar Game Studio—a subsidiary of Blue Star Media & Film Co.
While not all the paperwork was finalized, the foundation was solid.
And even before the formalities were complete—
Jing Yu gave the newly formed team their first project:
A video game adaptation of Fate/Zero.