Around noon, as Episode 9 concluded.
In front of the television, Fujimiya Chiyoko suddenly turned to Koyama Eri beside her and said, "Eri, I want to be like the Male Lead."
"What?" Koyama Eri asked, puzzled.
"If I die someday, I want to entrust the hope of continuing to live to someone else." Chiyoko emerged from the kotatsu, found a pen and her health insurance card, and began circling and scribbling on the back before signing her name.
Seeing this, Eri hesitated before asking, "Will your parents agree?"
"Yes, they'll understand," Chiyoko nodded.
"Then I'll do it too." Eri also emerged from the kotatsu to retrieve her own health insurance card.
"Don't feel pressured," Chiyoko quickly said. "Do what you think is best, Eri. There's no need to follow me. Honestly, this is just a rather impulsive idea of mine."
"It's not forced at all," Koyama Eri said, shaking her head slightly. "I don't see anything wrong with it. Besides, even if I agree to donate, there's no guarantee anyone will want them. I might live to be eighty or ninety, after all. So it's not like agreeing means it'll definitely be used. It's fine."
"That's true," Fujimiya Chiyoko agreed wholeheartedly.
After they finished their tasks, the two women returned to the kotatsu, letting the TV play in the background as they continued their conversation about Episode 9 of [ as ]:
"That episode was so moving."
"Yeah, it had laughter and tears. Such a great anime."
"Hmm~ Now I want to write Mr. Hayashi a letter again."
"You might not get a reply, you know."
"Of course, I won't get one. I'm just stuck on what to write."
"Then write about how the anime made you feel and the inspiration you gained from it."
At the same moment, in front of another television.
Sato Shingo hadn't really considered organ donation after death, but he was deeply inspired by the animation's Male Lead.
The thought that he couldn't continue living in a daze, that he couldn't go on being so listless, surfaced and couldn't be suppressed. It quickly prompted him to turn off the TV, pull out his textbooks, and start studying.
He might not be able to become as extraordinary as the Male Lead in the animation, but at least he could start by working hard to study and change himself bit by bit.
Online, many viewers were discussing the show:
"The Male Lead's story is so moving."
"Yeah, the part where Iwasawa disappeared in episode 3 didn't make me cry, and neither did his sister's story in episode 7. But the part about his final moments... that's what made me cry."
"I thought it was going to be such a depressing story—he finally found a goal, worked desperately to achieve it, but then died in a train accident on his way to the exam. I never expected it to be such an uplifting tale."
"Speaking of which, I suddenly thought of something. Everyone enters the afterlife because they have regrets from their lives. If the Male Lead had no regrets, how did he end up in the afterlife?"
"Maybe it's not about regrets, but about whether you truly enjoyed your school life?"
"I have to say, this Male Lead is so charming. Of all the animations by Old Thief Lin, besides Lelouch, Otonashi Yuzuru is probably my favorite male lead."
"He's definitely likable and has such a positive message. After watching this, even I, who hates studying, felt inspired to work hard, apply for medical school, and dedicate myself to helping others like him."
"I've already signed up for organ donation on the back of my health insurance card. Even though I plan to live to 80 or even 100, if something unexpected happens to me, I hope I can help others after death, just like the Male Lead in the anime."
Unlike Lin Zhiyan's previous animations, [ as ] had a profoundly positive social impact.
It wasn't through rigid moralizing, but through the Male Lead's transformation after losing his Sister and his selfless spirit in his final moments. This inspired viewers to voluntarily strive for betterment, without feeling lectured or resentful.
Far from alienating the audience, the broadcast of Episode 9 only amplified [ as ]'s popularity, solidifying its place in viewers' hearts.
It was no longer just another popular animation, but an outstanding, positively uplifting, and immensely popular one.
Of course, while the Male Lead's life story was filled with hope and positive energy, Episode 9 transformed the animation from a depressing anime into a heartwarming one. This only deepened viewers' affection for the show, failing to sway those who had previously viciously criticized Lin Zhiyan and smeared his reputation.
The reason for this was simple: while the Male Lead's final moments were deeply moving, they weren't the entire story. After the flashback ended, he awoke to find that Kanade Tachibana, who had been in a coma, had also regained consciousness.
The feared outcome hadn't occurred; Kanade Tachibana remained the same person.
The Male Lead told Kanade Tachibana about his life before death. After a long conversation, he understood her perspective: she wanted those who came to the Afterlife to enjoy their school days, not necessarily to oppose the Afterlife Battlefront.
Having regained all his memories, the Male Lead should have vanished from the Afterlife without regrets. But he made another decision: to help everyone resolve their regrets and leave the Afterlife. To achieve this, he had Kanade Tachibana feign memory loss and revert to her original persona as the "Angel" who opposed them, working together to achieve their goal.
In short, from Episode 1 to Episode 9, no one had left the Afterlife except for Iwasawa Masami in Episode 3. However, it was clear that the main plot would now focus on sending the Afterlife residents away one by one, ultimately leading to a tragedy. By the end of Episode 9, most viewers believed this to be the case.
Under these circumstances, it was impossible for anyone to change their opinion of Lin Zhiyan; the insults of "Old Thief Lin" continued unabated.
Moreover, even if the Male Lead's story was full of positive energy, it couldn't erase the heartbreaking truth about his sister's fate. The backstories of Yuri, Iwasawa, and Hinata were all equally tragic and soul-crushing.
Lin Zhiyan's past animations had deeply ingrained his "heartbreaking" reputation in people's minds. Such a deeply rooted impression could not be easily shaken.
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