"What was that?"
"A giant monster?"
"So when the early promo mentioned a mecha battle drama, it meant fighting these kinds of monsters using robots?"
"Damn, this is insane! That footage... that trailer..."
"Just from the first ten seconds of the trailer, my hype for this is already beyond what I had for 'Fate/Zero'."
"Damn, I really didn't expect this kind of story."
"I used to wonder why a robot-themed TV series would need that much funding — now I know exactly where the money went."
"These visual effects… I'm drooling! Most films don't even look this good."
"I mean, of course they don't. Tons of movies claim to have a 100 million yuan budget, but the actual VFX budget might only be 20 to 30 million for a two-hour film. But for this drama — over ten episodes, more than ten hours of content — Jing Yu spent 200 million just on effects. You get what you pay for."
"Now this is someone serious about making dramas!"
"I'm wide awake now. That trailer shocked me out of my drowsiness."
"Isn't this way more interesting than those cheesy mother-in-law romance dramas on the six major networks? Seriously."
"As expected, if you're watching dramas, you gotta watch Old Thief Jing Yu."
Scene by scene, the trailer unfolded. Jing Yu didn't give away too much — just a glimpse at some key moments. The real action scenes were clearly saved for later.
But we still saw Unit-01, Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami, and Asuka Langley Soryu one by one.
Along with their appearances, the worldbuilding was also laid out via voiceover:
Humanity. The Angels. The world. The mysterious Human Instrumentality Project.
Even though it was just a trailer and the story wasn't continuous, the setting alone was something entirely new for Great Zhou's audience — nothing like this had ever appeared in past dramas or films.
The hype level was maxed out.
And of course, the iconic moment…
Rei Ayanami's smile is used to close out the trailer.
Jing Yu never used his special "visual filter" tools lightly. You could think of it like dessert — sweet and amazing once in a while, but if served daily, it would lose its charm.
These kinds of filters aren't used in every scene. Jing Yu only uses the high-tech panel enhancements to elevate the audience's experience in key shots.
And the final effect? After the trailer ended, most viewers stared at the screen in silence for two or three seconds before they even snapped out of it.
They didn't know why — but somehow, that simple smile from a girl felt… breathtaking.
Xia Yining, after all, is a frequent collaborator in Jing Yu's dramas. Audiences have seen her stunning performances many times before.
But this time… it felt different. Like… the feeling of falling in love.
"Damn. I could watch these three collaborate for years and never get tired."
"She's getting more and more into it. Xia Yining's Rei Ayanami gives off that same vibe as Yukishiro from earlier works."
"But come to think of it — Old Thief Jing Yu has been playing students since his debut, and now he's 29 and still playing high schoolers. Time for him to expand his range, right?"
"Yeah, but the wild part is — it doesn't feel out of place at all! Do celebs really age that well?"
"Being 28 or 29 and playing a high schooler is still acceptable. There are people in their 30s doing it. It's about acting and how well they take care of themselves. And with this trio, they're totally those 'ageless beauty' types. I compared stills from a few years ago to now, and I couldn't find a single difference."
"If anything, they've gotten more beautiful. Back then, their expressions sometimes looked uncertain. Now? Every movement screams 'seasoned actor'."
"Can time just move faster already? I just want this show to air."
The trailer was barely two minutes long, but it had already stirred massive curiosity.
A story about robots fighting apocalyptic monsters — even if you're not into the plot, the visuals alone are worth it.
Soon after…
Jing Yu, Xia Yining, Yu Youqing, and Cheng Lie appeared together on Yunteng TV for a live interview.
This classic team had shown up for interviews at Yunteng TV at least seven or eight times before — by now, they were basically regulars, totally comfortable with the process.
These interviews were just promotional, of course. A chance to drop a few juicy hints about the show.
If you want to hook viewers, you can't just keep everything under wraps.
The TV station's ratings kept climbing. And during the casual chat, quite a few new tidbits slipped out.
"Ooh, there's romance in the story? Finally, Old Thief Jing Yu is adding romantic elements again. Last time we saw him do that was over a year ago."
"Yeah, and did you see his face now? So emotionally complex. He looks like a mix of Fujiwara Takumi, Gilgamesh, and Fujiwara no Sai. From what he said in the interview, the male lead may not be super likable, but we'll definitely love the female lead."
"Wait... another love triangle?"
"Love triangles are great!"
"I bet he ends up with Yu Youqing again."
"Pfft, what are you talking about? It's not like Xia Yining hasn't come out on top in past dramas."
"By the way… in the trailer, there was a pretty boy named Kaworu who showed up briefly. Something about those scenes gave me a weird vibe. Could Old Thief Jing Yu be up to something spicy?"
"Spicy? No way…"
"Maybe I'm just overthinking it. It's just — the way Kaworu looked at Shinji made me uncomfortable. Could be the actor's expression, though."
"It's just a trailer. Don't get paranoid."
By 11:30 PM, the interview ended.
But the impact of the 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' trailer was still rippling through the industry.
The next day, all major entertainment media covered 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' extensively, and promotion across all major platforms went into full swing.
Subways, airports, bookstores, shopping districts, bus stops…
Everywhere you could imagine — posters of the three leads played by Jing Yu, Yu Youqing, and Xia Yining in their combat suits were on full display.
In just under a week, the public's anticipation for this drama had skyrocketed.
Because Jing Yu has never made a flop, the idea that 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' might suck was almost unthinkable to fans.
Sure, a higher budget doesn't always mean better quality. For example, 'Hikaru no Go' and 'Initial D' had much smaller budgets than 'Fate/Zero', but their ratings within the fanbase were even higher.
Still, lower-budget productions usually mean worse effects. And judging from the trailer? Even if, hypothetically, the plot was average, the visuals alone would be worth it. Not to mention — with Jing Yu as screenwriter, can the plot ever really be the weak point?
It's never happened before, so no one's even considering that possibility.
With that mindset, many drama fans were already preparing themselves for the arrival of the spring season.