However—
Sayaka and Madoka still hesitated.
Because becoming a magical girl truly meant there was a real possibility of dying at the hands of a witch.
At the end of episode one, Madoka remained lost in confusion.
But Sayaka sighed softly.
"To have a wish so important that you'd trade your life for it… There must be many people in this world who carry wishes like that, right? So why is it us who've been given this chance?"
On the rooftop, as Madoka and Sayaka continued wavering—
The cool and composed Homura appeared.
The two girls and one rabbit looked at the powerful transfer-student magical girl as if facing a great enemy.
And just like that—
Episode one ended.
The cheerful ending theme began to play.
An Yongrui blinked.
?
["That's it? Is it over already? Damn, it feels like it only aired for ten minutes!"]
He was left wanting more.
And he wasn't alone.
Strictly speaking, episode one of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' was full of cryptic dialogue and setup.
Yes, the premise was intriguing—but if the screenwriter hadn't been Su Yan, and if the cast hadn't been this stacked, many Xia Nation viewers would probably have complained about the slow pacing.
But because it was Su Yan—
Almost everyone was patient.
["So the only big spectacle in episode one was Mami's transformation and instant witch kill?"]
["It's all world-building. Interesting, sure—but I want to see Madoka transform! Will she transform in episode two?"]
["I doubt it. She has to find a wish worth making first! You only get one all-powerful wish in a lifetime—you can't waste that!"]
["If it were me, I'd wish for a world reset."]
["I'd wish for the world to turn into a cultivation fantasy realm. I'm afraid of dying—I want to cultivate and live ten thousand years first!"]
["I'd just wish for my parents' health."]
["I'd wish for immortality—live until the end of the world."]
["Why are there magical girls but no magical boys? Are we guys not worthy of making wishes?"]
["Honestly, I didn't fully understand episode one. It was all riddles. What's Homura's deal? And what about Madoka's dream?"]
["Come on, it's Su Yan. Only 'Tokyo Love Story' started explosively and stayed explosive. His other dramas always start cryptically, build up in the middle, then explode at the end."]
["But ending episode one here is torture!"]
["I hated Satomi, but I unexpectedly love Homura. Gu Qingyuan's acting is so good. I don't think she's a villain in this show."]
["Drop the 'I think.' How did you even conclude she's a villain?"]
["She tried to kill the bunny! The bunny's so cute—if you're against cute things, aren't you the villain?"]
["So who's cuter—the bunny or Homura?"]
["Homura."]
["No question. Homura."]
["Black stockings, JK Gu Qingyuan forever! That rabbit? Trash. I eat dozens of spicy rabbit heads every year. If I got transported into this show, the second thing I'd do is slaughter Kyubey for drinking snacks."]
["What's the first thing?"]
["Even though I'm a guy, I'd still have it turn me into a magical girl first—then I'd kill it for drinking."]
["Okay, jokes aside, Kyubey's setting is actually interesting. Don't go too far."]
["Exactly. This show is clearly a simple justice-versus-evil story mixed with school friendship. There's probably just some misunderstanding between the rabbit and Homura. They'll reconcile later. I bet we'll get some emotional pet-and-girl backstory arc!"]
["The comment section is surprisingly peaceful tonight. I thought everyone would be cursing the old thief Su Yan."]
["Are we sick? Why curse him? Does he even have screen time in this show?"]
["He does! Apparently, he plays a supporting character later named Kamijo Kyosuke."]
["Then we'll curse him when he appears!"]
["We'll curse him when he appears!"]
["We'll curse him when he appears!"]
The comment section remained lively and harmonious.
Discussions about the magical girl system flourished.
Short videos imitating Mami's transformation began circulating.
Su Yan closed his laptop and forced himself to step away from online reactions.
"Not bad…" He was in a good mood tonight.
At least for episode one, the overall online evaluation was clear:
Interesting premise.
Slow pacing.
Most viewers had put their doubts aside and decided to keep watching.
And for Xia Nation drama fans, slow-burn beginnings weren't a problem.
They were used to Su Yan's style.
But next week—
It would be different.
The next morning, episode one's rating score was released.
Over 700,000 users had scored it—
9.7.
As expected, the highest opening score of the spring season.
Su Yan understood something clearly.
This wasn't because episode one's story was overwhelmingly gripping.
To be honest, compared to episode one of 'Peerless', 'Madoka's first episode was less explosive.
It was mostly setup and foreshadowing.
But that didn't matter.
Su Yan's reputation compensated for early weaknesses.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say—
Even if Su Yan released a bad drama right now, a huge number of Xia Nation viewers would still stick around for weeks just to taste how bad it was before fully turning on it.
That was the trust he had earned.
At noon—
The ratings were announced.
5.15%.
Unsurprisingly, first in the season.
But this number clearly wasn't earned solely by the strength of episode one.
It was earned by the audience's faith in Su Yan.
That faith, however, would only last one week.
If the show failed to deliver, even the most loyal fans wouldn't force themselves to keep watching.
Su Yan knew it.
The media knew it.
And Akasaka Yoshitoki knew it.
Though episode one's setting was intriguing, Akasaka Yoshitoki hadn't yet seen anything extraordinary.
Cryptic storytelling could easily backfire and collapse the show's reputation.
He remained calm.
'Peerless' losing slightly in premiere ratings didn't shake him.
If episode two of 'Madoka' maintained the same slow rhythm—
Then by episode three, he expected a noticeable ratings drop.
And if that happened—
His eyes sharpened.
There would be a chance to turn the tide.
Meanwhile, in Tokyo—
On the set of '5 Centimeters per Second'.
Su Yan carefully reviewed a report compiled by Shinozaki Ikumi analyzing potential competitors for his two films scheduled for July and August release.
Ikumi, however, was pacing around the office, still buzzing from last night's ratings.
"We won… We beat Akasaka Yoshitoki again!"
"Oh? No cautious champagne this time?" Su Yan smiled, setting down his pen.
"I'm not an idiot. I've read the script for 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'. Dark and tragic, sure—but there are so many emotional highlight scenes. The only way Sakura TV could win was by stealing the premiere momentum. Since they didn't, they won't steal it later."
"In your words—from the moment this show aired, losing wasn't even part of the equation," she said.
"Akasaka Yoshitoki's ministerial chair is already half buried in the dirt. Next step—we shatter it completely!"
"Got it." Su Yan chuckled.
"But…" Ikumi's tone shifted, a mischievous smile forming.
"I'm not worried about episode two's ratings dropping."
"I'm worried that after episode two airs, Su Yan, you're going to get absolutely destroyed online by your own fans."
"And don't forget—you're playing Kamijo Kyosuke. A total scumbag."
"I'm used to it," Su Yan replied calmly.
"For those few days, I simply won't check my comment section."
Because of runtime adjustments, the anime's first three episodes had been compressed into two live-action episodes.
Which meant—
Next Sunday at 8 p.m., families across the Xia Nation would gather at home—
And witness the show's first legendary scene.
Headless senior Mami.
In the Xia Nation, early romance faced stricter scrutiny.
But when it came to visual violence?
The standards were far more lenient.
Otherwise, 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' wouldn't have aired uncut.
Su Yan had watched the special effects for Mami's decapitation over a dozen times.
Each viewing hit differently.
In terms of shock value—
He was confident it wouldn't lose to the original animation.
All the blood would be there.
All the carnage.
No censorship blurs.
No clever camera angles to hide it.
They aimed for realism.
To give Xia Nation audiences an unforgettable visual experience.
And not just that scene—
Future violent moments would be faithfully adapted as well.
Those fans who had relaxed after episode one—
Would soon understand what true "false advertising" felt like.