I Was Mistaken As A Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 102

As soon as ‘Han-ryang’ launched on Netflix Japan, it shot to number one. Choi Seong-geon, in the passenger seat, turned around upon hearing this news.

-Swish.

He made eye contact with Kang Woo-jin in the back. A wide smile had already spread across Choi Seong-geon’s face. Kang Woo-jin, on the other hand, maintained an indifferent expression, though inside, he was practically doing a happy dance.

‘Oh—number one? Awesome! It got there so fast??’

He didn’t really understand how the system worked, but number one was definitely a good thing, right? For the past few days, some reporters had been spreading rumors that it wouldn’t do well, but that would all disappear now, wouldn’t it? As Woo-jin was marveling inwardly, Choi Seong-geon spoke.

“You could look a little happier, you punk. Let’s high-five.”

Woo-jin felt like he could high-five dozens of times, but being overly enthusiastic didn’t fit his image. So, Kang Woo-jin calmly bumped the palm that Choi Seong-geon offered. At the same time, Choi Seong-geon instructed the employee on the phone.

“Yeah, okay, I got it. Send me some of the reactions from Japan regarding ‘Han-ryang’. Yeah, yeah.”

As Choi Seong-geon finished his call, Han Ye-jeong, sporting a new purple bob, suddenly thrust her phone in front of Woo-jin.

“It’s real, number one.”

On Han Ye-jeong’s phone screen, a blogger’s page was displayed. It was a blogger who updated the Netflix Japan rankings every week, and the freshly uploaded ranking table showed ‘Profiler Han-ryang’ proudly taking the top spot.

[Japan’s Real-Time TOP 10 Content]

1. Profiler Han-ryang

2. Tokyo Flood 2

3. Cyberpunk Spy

4. Tetsuya’s Table

5. Steel Road

Seeing it in person made Woo-jin’s amazement double. People in another country were watching a drama he participated in? And it was even number one. Woo-jin’s curiosity grew.

‘What are the reviews like? Are there a lot of negative comments?’

How did the Japanese audience view ‘Han-ryang’? Or what would they think after seeing Woo-jin’s ‘Manager Park’?

At that moment.

“Well, it’s just a start, but it’s a successful first overseas venture, isn’t it?”

Choi Seong-geon’s smile widened as he looked at something that had just arrived on his phone.

“The reactions from Japan are crazy, Woo-jin.”

At the same time.

Just as Choi Seong-geon said, the popularity of ‘Profiler Han-ryang’ in Japan was extraordinary. In fact, even before ‘Han-ryang’ launched in Japan, there had been buzz about it on social media.

That a mega-hit drama from Korea was coming to Japan, and so on.

It started mainly with Japanese people who were deeply into the Korean wave [Hallyu]. But word of mouth spread quickly, thanks to top actors like Ryu Jeong-min and Hong Hye-yeon, who were also well-known in Japan.

As a result, it hit number one upon launch.

Many Korean shows had already been released on Netflix Japan, but ‘Han-ryang’ was the first to hit number one in such a short period. And it wasn’t just number one in dramas, but in the overall content rankings.

The reviews for ‘Profiler Han-ryang’ were also explosive.

The most active discussions were on various Japanese communities and portal sites.

-Profiler Han-ryang! I watched it because a new Korean show was uploaded on Netflix, and I’m hooked!

-The villains’ acting… I feel like I won’t be able to sleep…

-It seems that Korea is definitely ahead of Japan’s content market. You can see the difference in many things when you watch ‘Han-ryang’. Especially the actors’ performances!

-Ryu Jeong-min’s perm is so cute!

-Han-ryang is so fun! Hong Hye-yeon was pretty even though she was a detective. But who is the villain in the beginning? He was very impressive.

-It wasn’t as fun as I expected… but the actors’ performances were still fantastic!

-Does anyone know the name of the Korean actor who played Manager Park!??

-I was curious too, so I looked it up, and he’s a rookie named Kang Woo-jin!

-I didn’t like it at all?

-Are you talking about your face? Look in the mirror.

-My favorite kind of mystery! It was a bit long with 16 episodes, but I stayed up all night!

-All the villains were scary, but especially Manager Park, who appeared from episode 1 to 4, was really, really… handsome.

-Does anyone know any information about the rookie actor named Kang Woo-jin?

There was a lot of talk about ‘Han-ryang’ on social media as well.

[@rrruu_45652]

[wwwww This new Netflix release! Profiler Han-ryang! Everyone should watch it (link) It’s really fun! Especially up to episode 4, it’s hard to look away?]

The drama styles of Japan and Korea were clearly different. Nevertheless, the Japanese audience was captivated by ‘Han-ryang’. There were many reasons, but the biggest factor was the style of the show. The composition of four episodes with four villains, and the theme of mystery and detectives.

It wasn’t intentional, but ‘Han-ryang’ had a flavor that was also familiar to Japan.

In fact, ‘detective’ and ‘mystery’ dramas are still popular every season in Japan. And the exploding Korean wave added to that. It was almost strange that it wasn’t successful.

What was unusual was.

-The first villain in ‘Han-ryang’, he’s definitely scary when he smiles, but why do I feel a flutter?

-I felt the same way. I was scared, but I don’t know how many times I rewatched it.

-Want to know why? Because he’s handsome.

Among the Japanese viewers who watched ‘Han-ryang’, mentions of Manager Park were frequent. The name Kang Woo-jin also appeared often. It was understandable.

-I found this Korean actor Kang Woo-jin’s SNS, and I’m going to stalk him from today.

Whether they were anticipating it or just watched out of curiosity, whatever the reason, the impact of Manager Park on the Japanese viewers who watched the first episode of ‘Han-ryang’ must have been significant.

Was that why?

The number of Japanese comments on ‘Han-ryang’ related YouTube videos began to increase significantly.

Especially, the edited videos focusing on ‘Manager Park’ were particularly prevalent. Of course, it was still small overall, but it was clear that it would continue to increase. It had only been a few days since ‘Han-ryang’ was released on Netflix Japan.

As the situation reached this point.

『[Official] ‘Profiler Han-ryang’ Explodes in Japan Too, Secures Number 1 Spot on Real-Time Netflix Japan』

The domestic media, sensing the trend, began to spread the news of the situation in Japan.

『Number 1 on Netflix Japan Upon Launch, ‘Profiler Han-ryang’ Continues its Hit Streak in Japan』

And.

-@Wooji_n

Posts 58

Followers 1.002 million

Following 7

Kang Woo-jin’s followers exceeded 1 million. Clearly, the speed at which it was rising was noticeably faster compared to a few days ago.

-大好きです! 本当に大好きです! ずっと応援してるよ! (Roughly translates to ‘I love you! I really love you! I’ll always support you!’)

Japanese comments that weren’t visible before began to increase.

Around late lunch.

A production company’s conference room was bustling loudly. Dozens of staff were busy setting up something.

“Okay, okay! Start putting out the drinks and snacks!”

“There aren’t enough chairs here, where are the extras?!”

“Outside! In the hallway outside!”

“I’ll put out the name tags!”

A piece of paper was attached to the glass door of the conference room.

– Script Reading Room.

That’s right. This conference room was being transformed into the script reading room for ‘Male Friend’. A U-shaped table where the director, writer, and actors would sit. Dozens of chairs were arranged around the table in a square shape. These chairs were for the people from Netflix, the production company, and the actors’ managers.

Several tens of minutes later.

From the point when the reading room setup was almost complete, the actors began to enter.

“Hello!!”

Newcomers full of energy, or.

“Hello—hello.”

Supporting actors with some recognition. A total of about a dozen actors, including Kang Woo-jin and Hwa-rin, were scheduled to attend today’s ‘Male Friend’ reading. About half of them were newcomers. Overall, the actors’ star power was low.

Well, even the male lead, Kang Woo-jin, was a complete newbie if you think about it.

This kind of lineup was typical for a one-act drama. It was unusual that someone of Hwa-rin’s level was attached to a one-act drama in the first place.

However, what was strange was.

“Hello—I’m Gu Sang-hyun’s manager, a newcomer. That friend over there.”

“Ah, nice to meet you. I’m in charge of Song Hee.”

“Haha. Song Hee’s been doing well lately, hasn’t she?”

“What are you talking about? It’s nothing compared to the male lead here.”

“Kang Woo-jin? Yeah, he’s amazing. He’s a rookie like our Sang-hyun, but the difference is just—wow.”

“Aren’t we all similar? It’s unbelievable, debuting and then working with Director Kwon Ki-taek and PD [Production Director] Yoon Byung-sun in just a few months.”

“I heard that ‘Han-ryang’ hit number one on Netflix Japan on the way here?”

From the mouths of the actors’ managers, who were taking their seats one by one, the talk was overwhelmingly more about Kang Woo-jin than Hwa-rin.

“Have you ever seen Kang Woo-jin in person?”

“No, I’m seeing him for the first time today. So I was thinking of talking to him when we have a break.”

“Right, I wish he could share some of that good luck. Haha.”

“I heard he’s not very sociable.”

“Ah, that? Well, he’s been dominating the entertainment industry since he appeared, so he’s probably a bit arrogant.”

In terms of experience, he was far below Hwa-rin, but Kang Woo-jin’s recognition was at a gangster level.

“This is his first commercial lead role besides ‘The Fixer’, right? Kang Woo-jin.”

“I heard it’s his first rom-com too.”

“Why did Hwa-rin agree to do this? Someone of Hwa-rin’s level would have received offers for big projects.”

“Who knows. Doesn’t it feel like it’s going to do well? Hwa-rin and Kang Woo-jin. But are they close?”

“I heard from the staff here that they’re not at all.”

The actors were similar. They weren’t talking to each other yet because they hadn’t gotten close, but they were all glancing at the lead roles. There would naturally be envy or jealousy. What kind of personality would that rumored monster rookie have? What would his acting be like? Would there be something different?

What exactly was different about him compared to them?

In the increasingly noisy reading room, the actors each imagined Kang Woo-jin. He was the youngest in terms of experience, but the most influential rookie in terms of impact. How amazing was he to be able to turn the domestic entertainment industry upside down in just a few months?

It was then.

“Hello—”

A woman’s voice spread throughout the reading room. It was a greeting filled with ease. Thanks to that, the gazes of dozens of people, from actors to staff, shifted. Hwa-rin, with her long hair tied up, wearing a tight-fitting short-sleeved shirt and loose jeans, had arrived.

All eyes were on her at once.

As soon as Hwa-rin entered the reading room, she greeted several people, but.

‘It’s a bit—awkward.’

Perhaps because it was almost their first time meeting, a bit of awkwardness was unavoidable.

‘The atmosphere is a bit heavy too. But where is Woo-jin?’

Hwa-rin, scratching near the mole under her eye, immediately looked for Kang Woo-jin.

-Swish.

At that moment, she felt a presence behind her. Soon, a low-toned male voice penetrated Hwa-rin’s ear.

“Hwa-rin-ssi, hello.”

Hwa-rin, startled, quickly turned her head. Kang Woo-jin, with a blank expression, was standing there. Hwa-rin unknowingly wore a faint smile on her face, then.

“Ah—ahem.”

She made an effort to calm her fan heart and greeted Kang Woo-jin.

“You’re here?”

For reference, Hwa-rin had recently fallen deeply in love with Kang Woo-jin’s voice. To be precise.

‘Wow—hearing his voice is like listening to a song!’

She had fallen for Kang Woo-jin’s vocals. It had been like that since the OST [Original Soundtrack] recording day. Thanks to that, her fangirling was intensifying. Then, Hwa-rin congratulated Woo-jin on something else.

“I heard ‘Han-ryang’ hit number one on Netflix Japan?”

“Yes.”

“That’s great. You’re suddenly becoming popular in Japan too…”

Soon, Hwa-rin trailed off. The reason was simple. She had realized that all eyes in the reading room were fixed on Kang Woo-jin.

“Ah. I was talking too much.”

“No.”

Kang Woo-jin, shaking his head slightly, took a step and scanned the entire reading room.

“……”

An indifferent face. However, Woo-jin’s heart had not been quiet since the moment he arrived at this reading room.

‘Ugh—damn it. Why are they all looking at me? Hold on. It would be right to give a strong greeting to everyone, right?’

Kang Woo-jin, turning his rising tension into the energy of his concept, bowed his head to the entire reading room.

“Hello, I’m Kang Woo-jin.”

His calm, cool voice echoed through the reading room. But there was no big reaction. It wasn’t that they were ignoring Woo-jin. They were slightly dazed by Kang Woo-jin’s heavy impact. Especially the actors who had reflexively stood up.

‘……His aura is amazing.’

‘He’s definitely different, I don’t know what it is, but he’s different.’

‘What is it? His aura is just crazy?’

On the other hand, Kang Woo-jin was slightly flustered.

‘The reaction is a bit lukewarm?? Why?’

What broke this situation was a familiar square-jawed man.

“Hey—what are you all doing standing around?”

It was Shin Dong-chun, the general director of ‘Male Friend’. Next to him was Choi Na-na, the writer, with a shy expression on her face. With the appearance of Director Shin Dong-chun, the awkward atmosphere of the reading room was slightly eased.

“Have all the actors arrived? Woo-jin-ssi and Hwa-rin-ssi, please sit down, let’s start right away.”

Director Shin Dong-chun moved towards the head of the table. Choi Na-na and Hwa-rin followed behind him. Hwa-rin sat in the first seat on the right, based on Director Shin Dong-chun.

-[Lee Bo-min Role: Hwa-rin]

And Kang Woo-jin was in the first seat on the left. However, he paused for a moment when he saw the name tag placed on his seat.

-[Han In-ho Role: Kang Woo-jin]

He didn’t know exactly why. He just felt a bit emotional.

‘Ryu Jeong-min-nim sat here during ‘Han-ryang’.’

First among many actors. The first seat, the lead role. Of course, the number of actors was about half of ‘Han-ryang’, but the main character was the main character. And Kang Woo-jin would have many days to sit in this seat in the future.

Anyway.

-Swish.

As soon as Woo-jin sat in his chair with a sense of emotion.

“So—Woo-jin-ssi, Hwa-rin-ssi. Before we start the reading, there’s one thing I need to tell you.”

The square-jawed Director Shin Dong-chun suddenly opened his mouth.

“Our ‘Male Friend’ has a kiss scene from the beginning, right? Not in terms of filming, but in the script. I’m thinking of revising that a bit.”

What? What does that mean? Woo-jin’s solemnity slightly twitched. At the same time, Hwa-rin on the other side chimed in.

“Huh?! Why??”

Oops. Hwa-rin, realizing that her voice was a bit loud, glanced at Woo-jin. It was hard to read his expression.

‘Is he okay with it? Ugh—I overreacted too much.’

Then, Hwa-rin, clearing her throat, turned her gaze to Director Shin Dong-chun, who was slightly surprised.

“Uh… no. It’s too sudden. Are you going to delete the scene or something?”