["Some of you Su Yan fans are getting out of hand. Don't drag Shen Liqian down just to hype him up."]
["Exactly! I can believe Su Yan plays piano well enough to fake it for scenes and get dubbed over later, sure. But you're saying his violin skills are better than Shen Liqian's? I was there at the youth violin finals five years ago—she was incredible."]
["Y'all can wait till the drama airs and see for yourselves. I was skeptical, too, while doing extra work in the concert hall. But after a few days? Let's just say: if Su Yan weren't a writer or actor, he'd absolutely make it big as a pianist or violinist in Xia."]
["Also, this show isn't dubbed over by session musicians. The official credits on the website already list Su Yan and Shen Liqian as the music performers."]
["Shen Liqian's got legit pro-level skills. People underestimate entertainers—many of them have serious talent. She never gave up violin, even while acting. But yeah, Su Yan's violin is somehow better. Seeing it live messed me up—I didn't think he was that cracked."]
["I posted my extra work slip under this thread. I only signed up for the internship credit, but Su Yan ended up giving us a full-on musical experience."]
["You serious? Su Yan's really that insane?"]
["Just wait till you see the drama. The music is honestly top-tier."]
["Did anything else interesting happen while you were extras? Like romantic scenes between Su Yan and Shen Liqian?"]
["Nope. Not even hand-holding. Looks like a pure romance kind of show."]
["Maybe later episodes? But the early stuff had no kissing or even holding hands."]
["The title is interesting, though. 'Your Lie in April'… what's the lie? What's it hiding?"]
For several days, online debates raged nonstop between random netizens and the fanbases of Su Yan and Shen Liqian, focused entirely on one question:
Is Su Yan's musical talent really that good?
Even on set, Shen Liqian, Su Yan, and Shinozaki Ikumi couldn't help but hear about the storm online.
Naturally, none of them minded.
Controversy = publicity.
And publicity meant viewers.
The media jumped in headfirst, too, publishing sensationalist headlines and speculative deep-dives.
Soon, Su Yan's talents became a hot topic across multiple industries.
Top-tier screenwriter? Confirmed.
Composer with rumored professional-level performance ability in four instruments? Also confirmed.
Acclaimed for his martial arts performances? Known fact.
Acting ability? Surprisingly solid.
Put it all together, and people were left asking:
[Was Akasaka Yoshitoki insane for suppressing this guy and forcing him out of Sakura TV?]
Public interest in Su Yan exploded.
'Your Lie in April' was only a B-tier production…
But its pre-release buzz rivaled that of A-tier giants.
If the show actually performed well, Akasaka Yoshitoki would become a walking industry punchline.
May ended. June began.
At this point, every drama team was entering its promotional phase.
Television station support became crucial.
Su Yan, Shen Liqian, Shinozaki Ikumi, Gu Qingyuan, She Yuan, and Chen Ji—all core cast and crew of 'Your Lie in April'—appeared together on a Aozora TV variety program dedicated to promoting the show.
It aired Sunday at 10 PM, focusing on introducing the show's themes and answering fan questions.
The host didn't pull any punches—bringing up the viral rumors about Su Yan's musical talents right away.
But instead of asking Su Yan, the question was directed to Shen Liqian.
Her answer?
Instant hot search material.
She not only confirmed Su Yan's musical skill, but doubled down:
"His talent isn't just strong. It's stronger than what's being said online.
In fact, his real genius isn't in screenwriting or acting.
It's music.
He's a musical prodigy being held back by the film industry!"
The comment sent netizens into a frenzy.
[No way… seriously?!]
A month of working with Su Yan on set had convinced Shen Liqian.
She may not be easily impressed—but musically, she acknowledged him completely.
And the better your own skill, the easier it was to recognize someone else's greatness.
His sense of music was unnatural.
He could fully master new pieces after playing them just a few times.
[No wonder he wrote Kousei Arima.
He is Kousei Arima.]
The drama's main character was clearly modeled after Su Yan himself—just a younger, less mature version.
And Su Yan?
He was already the grown-up, full-power version of Kousei.
But how?
He was only a year older than Shen Liqian.
Shouldn't someone like him have competed in every youth music competition in Hudu, or even nationally?
She'd never once heard of him.
When she asked who his teachers were…
Su Yan had casually said, "My parents."
Which almost made her lose it.
[Your parents were a middle school teacher and a hospital nurse. They died in a car accident years ago.
And they taught you violin and piano to this level?
Who are you trying to fool?!]
Even so, Shen Liqian had gained a lot working with him.
Su Yan, a perfectionist at heart, had relentlessly coached her violin scenes to ensure authenticity.
Sometimes harsh, always precise—he reminded her of her strict childhood teachers.
And thanks to his guidance, she could feel her own skill improving.
After the variety show aired, the endless online debates finally cooled.
Even Su Yan's haters were thrown off balance.
[Wait… is he actually some freakish music genius?]
[Good-looking. Genius screenwriter. Talented martial artist.
And now… piano and violin virtuoso?]
[Okay. That's gotta be a cheat code.]
Shen Liqian's fans weren't thrilled.
But if she said it… they had no choice but to accept it, at least for now.
[We'll see when the drama airs.]
Meanwhile, Su Yan's fans?
Absolute party mode.
The more brilliant he was, the prouder they became.
Gu Qingyuan's fans, on the other hand, were annoyed.
[You worked with her on three dramas, and none of them ended happily.
Now she's not even the female lead in the fourth? Just a side role?
Su Yan, are you trying to pick a fight with us on purpose?!]
Month after month, 'Your Lie in April' remained in the headlines.
Akasaka Yoshitoki was starting to get nervous.
[It's already June, and 'Your Lie in April' is still dominating buzz.
Why hasn't it been buried by the A-tier drama promos yet?
Su Yan doesn't even have Sakura's media push anymore—shouldn't his hype have crashed by now?]
Time passed.
Mid-June.
Spring dramas began wrapping up.
The top-rated drama of the quarter was the suspense series 'Heartblind', peaking at 4.31%.
There were five dramas total that broke the 4% mark.
A slight improvement over the previous season.
But in terms of ratings, the highest score among them was only 9.0.
Compared to 'To the Moon's' 9.6, it was worlds apart.
In rating systems, every 0.1 above 9.0 is a massive leap.
As those dramas ended, trailers for the summer season began airing.
Thanks to big budgets and strong platforms, the Big Three's A-tier dramas saw immediate surges in popularity.
Then, on June 19th, Aozora TV aired the teaser for 'Your Lie in April'.
Kaori Miyazono appeared first: a vibrant, cute middle school girl, full of energy.
Then, Igawa Emi, played by Gu Qingyuan, dressed in a stunning red gown, in a grand music hall, her expression solemn and focused.
Finally, the male lead, Kousei Arima, was alone at center stage, frozen in front of a piano as hundreds of eyes watched in silence.
The trailer's music—a powerful, emotional piano piece—stirred viewers' hearts.
Music transcends words.
That night, 'Your Lie in April' once again surged to the top of trending charts.
In an online vote for "Most Anticipated July Drama," it ranked third—even ahead of Sakura TV's 'The Simplest Love!'.
Su Yan and Gu Qingyuan's long-dormant fanbases roared back to life.
Shen Liqian's fans? Practically starving after a year without any new projects.
Truthfully, the drama's budget was modest.
But the cast?
Top-tier.
Su Yan and Gu Qingyuan: solid B-list stars.
Shen Liqian: A-lister.
Production quality might lag behind A-tier shows,
But among all B-tier summer dramas?
'Your Lie in April' easily had the most impressive cast and highest pre-air buzz.
June 30th.
The final day of the month.
Filming wrapped.
The atmosphere in the studio was heavy—nerves were high.
Tomorrow was the start of July.
The drama would premiere in just days.
What would the ratings be?
Would it flop on Aozora TV?
Would audiences reject a music romance drama?
So many unknowns.
Before everyone left for the day, Su Yan gathered the main cast and crew for a final pre-air pep talk.
"'Your Lie in April' is about to air," he said.
"I want you to believe in me—and in yourselves."
He looked at Gu Qingyuan, Shen Liqian, Shinozaki Ikumi, Shi Peihua, and the actors playing Tsubaki and Ryota.
"I'm not the kind of person who takes a step backward."
"'To the Moon' topped the season when it aired.
And 'Your Lie in April' will do even better."
"Our goal is simple: #1."
"Even if it's airing on Aozora TV—our goal doesn't change."
Coming from anyone else, that would've sounded like empty hype.
But coming from Su Yan—the record-breaking, hit-making genius?
Everyone felt their hearts pounding.
#1.
At midnight—
June ended.
July arrived.
Summer had begun.