Starting from July 1st, all major TV stations launched their new season dramas.
Not every drama aimed for the high-traffic weekend slots—many stations and production teams knew their limits and strategically chose to broadcast on weekdays instead.
A few days later, a wave of new dramas hit the airwaves. However, audience feedback was generally lukewarm.
On Friday and Saturday, Hudu TV and Zhongxia TV premiered their flagship dramas for the season: 'Summer Splendor', 'The Hopeful', and 'Single Men & Women'.
The ratings came in at 4.37%, 4.13%, and 3.91% respectively—temporarily ranking first, second, and third among all premieres this season.
Among them, Hudu TV's 'Summer Splendor' received overwhelmingly positive reviews on its first night, with media outlets and viewers alike giving it a score of 9.0.
Historical costume dramas of this scale are rare due to their high production costs and the risk of nitpicking from historically savvy viewers.
However, it was clear that the quality of 'Summer Splendor' had won over the audience.
By Sunday, Hudu's media outlets were showering the show with praise.
With this level of ratings and critical reception, the 4.37% opening was clearly just the beginning.
📰Veteran screenwriter Yu Xiaodong swoops in to rescue the struggling Xia Nation drama industry.
📰Three straight quarters without a breakout hit let new writers dominate the market—but this season, the tide is about to turn.
📰Exquisite costumes and makeup, a meticulously polished script—' Summer Splendor' opens with all the makings of this season's champion.
In the production office of 'Your Lie in April', Su Yan was closely reading the media coverage of the weekend's batch of A-tier drama premieres.
He was focused—after all, these were his direct competitors.
"An opening rating of 4.37%, huh?" Su Yan took a deep breath.
'To the Moon' only reached that number by its finale.
But for 'Summer Splendor', this was just the first episode.
This was the result of Hudu TV's full support, starting production and promotion six months in advance. The cast was packed with A-list stars, all of whom accepted lower upfront fees in exchange for profit-sharing on the drama's performance.
While technically still just an A-tier drama and not quite S-tier, its investment level, cast, and production treatment were already top of the class within the A-tier category.
On the other side of the office, Shinozaki Ikumi also frowned as she reviewed the ratings data.
"Incredible. Yu Xiaodong may be in his fifties, but there's no sign of his creativity drying up. Judging by the opening buzz and score, it's likely the ratings will climb even higher—maybe break 4.6%."
"This is what the industry should look like," Su Yan chuckled. "The past few seasons have been sluggish, but things picking up is a good sign. A hot market means more sales for us too—merchandise, online subscriptions, all of it."
"But if our competition is this strong, how are you going to hit the goals you set for 'Your Lie in April'?" Shinozaki Ikumi sighed.
After working with Su Yan for so long, even she had started to feel the pressure of his unwavering goal to win the season.
In the past, it wouldn't have been strange if a show airing on Aozora TV like 'Your Lie in April' didn't take the seasonal crown.
But now, after the massive success of 'To the Moon', Shinozaki Ikumi's mindset had shifted.
If it wasn't #1, it didn't feel like a win.
"Don't worry, have faith in 'Your Lie in April'. Our rivals are strong, sure, but I'm not the same nameless rookie from last year," Su Yan smiled.
"You're so confident—are you hiding something again? Is this going to turn into another twist-fest like 'To the Moon'? Don't tell me this isn't just a regular high school music romance?" Shinozaki Ikumi gave him a suspicious look.
Production on 'Your Lie in April' had started early. They were already filming Episode 4.
Su Yan smiled faintly and said nothing.
But that smile said it all.
Shinozaki Ikumi seemed to understand something.
Sunday, 8 PM.
Sakura TV's S-tier drama 'The Simplest Love!' premiered.
After nearly an hour, the first episode ended on an incredibly sweet scene that left viewers wanting more.
It was clear—this drama had far more appeal than Sakura TV's offerings from previous seasons.
But by 9 PM, viewers were faced with a tough choice.
Two B-tier dramas were set to air in the same slot:
Sakura TV's 'Scarlet Love', and Aozora TV's 'Your Lie in April'.
TV stations function like brands—dramas from the Big Three (Sakura TV, Zhongxia TV, Hudu TV) are trusted for quality. If viewers aren't sure which drama to watch, they typically stick with one of the Big Three to avoid wasting time.
But—there was a catch.
Su Yan had been a major draw for Sakura TV over the past few seasons.
His departure from Sakura TV had made headlines a few months back.
During the production of 'Your Lie in April', there had been constant buzz about Su Yan, Shen Liqian, Gu Qingyuan, and others.
More importantly, Shen Liqian—an A-list actress—hadn't appeared in any new dramas in over a year. Her fans had been waiting desperately.
Add to that Su Yan's die-hard fanbase.
["I said I wouldn't follow Su Yan's new drama, but let's be real…"]
["I've been counting down the days for this."]
["Su Yan, the sadist is back with another school romance musical—let's see what surprises he has this time."]
["I cursed him for days after watching 'To the Moon' in winter, but during the spring drama drought, I started missing him… Watching those other spring shows after 'To the Moon' just felt empty."]
["Same here."]
["What I'm really curious about is the music showdown between Su Yan and Shen Liqian. She said in an interview that his music skills are even better than hers! And she's almost at a professional violinist level. Xia Nation's past musicals have been… rough. I'm counting on this one to change things!"]
On RaccoonNet's 'Your Lie in April' streaming page, the comment section was already buzzing.
Even though the show wouldn't be available online for another week, the page was already live.
Su Yan's official verified RaccoonNet account had nearly 4 million followers.
Yu Shiqi glanced away from her phone, picked up the remote, and changed the channel to Aozora TV.
She wasn't familiar with this station, but as soon as she switched over—
The screen paused, then a gentle piano and violin duet began to play as the theme song.
The bright, light rhythm of the theme instantly pulled Yu Shiqi in.
Just from the music quality alone, it was clearly stronger than 'The Simplest Love!'.
Then the title appeared: 'Your Lie in April'.
Followed by the credits.
Yu Shiqi spotted something right away in the credits for the theme song.
It was a piano and violin duet—and the performers were none other than Su Yan and Shen Liqian.
["Wait, seriously? This piece was played by Su Yan himself?"] Yu Shiqi closed her eyes to focus on the sound.
Two minutes later, her eyes snapped open in amazement.
["Wow… that was incredible."]
The theme was pop in style—not extremely technically demanding—but even so, it was clear their performance level was top-tier.
The opening ended.
Next came a sweeping scene of cherry blossoms in full bloom across a mountain.
Yu Shiqi's eyes lit up.
Then came a girl with long hair, pale skin, and sparkling eyes, walking along while nibbling on sweets.
["She's so beautiful… Shen Liqian."] Yu Shiqi took a deep breath.
Gu Qingyuan's portrayal of Tomoe Yukishiro in 'Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayal' gave a breathtaking first impression.
But Shen Liqian's portrayal of Kaori Miyazono gave that instant fluttery, heart-thumping feeling of young love.
The girl, dressed in a regional JK uniform from Sakura island, playfully chased a black stray cat down the street.
No dialogue—just visuals.
But the character's personality came through clearly.
Scene change.
A concert hall.
A young boy, about ten years old, sat at the piano with a blank face and hollow eyes, but his fingers danced like butterflies across the keys.
Every note was flawless and full of strength.
Yu Shiqi had learned piano as a child, too—
Though she gave up after years of struggle due to a lack of talent.
But her ears were sharp enough to tell the skill level.
Watching the boy's fingers blur and the flawless background music—
["Dang, how can he be that good at such a young age?"]
In the original, this scene featured Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, third movement.
But in the Xia Nation, they had to use a classical piece native to that world.
It was equivalent in difficulty and style, so the plot wasn't affected.
In the hall packed with spectators, everyone watched the boy in awe.
Zoom in on the boy's numb, lifeless face—then a slow pullback.
We see a handsome teen wearing headphones, napping in his school music room.
Yu Shiqi got it.
That little piano genius had grown up—this was the character played by Su Yan.
The story began by introducing the male lead, Kousei Arima.
He lived alone—his mother had passed, and his father was always away for work. He was gentle, but a little gloomy.
At school, he had two close friends: his childhood friend Tsubaki Sawabe and the popular sunshine boy, Ryouta Watari.
In the first ten minutes, the show defined what youth really felt like.
And just like in Su Yan's past life, this drama showed why 'Your Lie in April' earned the nickname 'Your Perfect Essay in April'.
On the walk home, Tsubaki teased Kousei about whether he liked anyone.
"No one would like me," Kousei replied gently.
"Your eyes are dead! You're way too gloomy—we're in middle school!" Tsubaki huffed.
"Eyes are black. They're naturally dull." Kousei smiled.
"But your eyes, Tsubaki, sparkle. The world you see must be so bright and colorful—different from mine."
Yu Shiqi's heart skipped a beat.
["Forget Tsubaki—I feel like I just got hit with a love confession."]
["Su Yan, you sly fox… Who knew you could write this kind of character?"]
["Why were your earlier dramas all tragedies?"]
The two arrived home, and the camera focused on Tsubaki as she answered a phone call, discussing something planned for the next day.
It felt a bit out of place, but nothing too strange.
Back in his room, Kousei's smile faded.
The walls were covered with trophies and photos from childhood piano competitions.
Front and center was a photo of his late mother.
The mood darkened.
"To me, the world is dull and monotonous—like a score sheet, like piano keys."
His inner monologue echoed.
Even the visuals showed the world in grayscale through his eyes.
"In the autumn of my eleventh year, I lost the ability to play the piano."
A piano prodigy who can't play?
Yu Shiqi was intrigued.
Why?
And why is he so depressed?
The next scenes explained.
His mother, a piano prodigy herself, poured all her dying dreams into him.
Strict lessons. No playtime. Every mistake is punished.
But to make her happy before she died, he forced himself to comply—training, competitions, living and breathing piano 24/7.
Eventually, after her death, the emotional trauma made him unable to play. He suffered anxiety and hallucinations just by touching the piano.
["Wait… this character's backstory feels off."]
Yu Shiqi was stunned, furiously reacting in her mind.