I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 179

“In Woo-jin’s first appearance scene… a peak momentary viewership of 19.1%”

The main PD [Production Director] of ‘Freezing Romance’ looked slightly surprised at the assistant director’s words.

Soon, everyone on the production team, including him, checked the laptop screen in front of the assistant director. The numbers were correct. The overall viewership rating for ‘Freezing Romance’ was 12.8%, and the peak momentary viewership was during Kang Woo-jin’s first appearance. Of course, the directing PD and the production team had somewhat expected this.

But.

“Wow, well, I thought there would be a lot of interest since Woo-jin is so hot… but this much.”

“That’s amazing. Looking at the viewership segments, you can tell exactly when Woo-jin appeared.”

“I know, right? It really makes you realize how popular Woo-jin is.”

The numbers exceeded expectations by a large margin. The KBC [Korean Broadcasting Corporation] drama department PDs, who had gathered around like onlookers, added their comments.

“Wow, the difference between the overall and the peak is quite big??”

“It’s not just ‘quite,’ it’s a lot. I’ve never seen such a big difference before.”

“A peak momentary viewership of 19.1% – that’s insane. Should I cast Kang Woo-jin in my next project no matter what?”

“Hey, Kim PD, do you think Kang Woo-jin will say ‘yes!’ and come willingly if you call him? He’ll definitely turn you down.”

“But didn’t ‘The Vagabond’ hit 25% when Kang Woo-jin was in it? And then it dropped by about 5% after he left. Wow, Kang Woo-jin’s drawing power is really something, isn’t it??”

The PDs’ conversation turned into a discussion about Kang Woo-jin rather than ‘Freezing Romance.’ Regardless, the main PD of ‘Freezing Romance’ refocused.

‘The results are good enough.’

This year, KBC dramas had been sluggish. Only a handful of dramas had exceeded 10%. When you think about it, ‘Freezing Romance’ was in the top tier. But still, this year’s top drama was ‘The Vagabond,’ and the media had set up a rivalry between writers Park Eun-mi and Lee Wol-seon.

Thanks to that, a slight disappointment spread in the main PD’s heart as he picked up his phone.

Still.

“Ah, yes. Writer.”

The main PD had to inform writer Lee Wol-seon, who was waiting, about the overall viewership rating.

“The overall viewership rating is out.”

Lee Wol-seon’s calm voice was heard over the phone.

“What are the results?”

“…It’s good! I’d say it’s the best this year.”

“So, how much?”

“The overall viewership rating is 12.8%.”

After hearing the results, writer Lee Wol-seon was silent for a moment before muttering quietly.

“Tsk, I lost.”

The main PD quickly interjected.

“Writer! You don’t have to pay attention to the viewership competition! The genres are different from the start!”

“It’s okay. I was just talking to myself. More importantly, what scene had the highest momentary viewership in the first episode?”

“Yes? Ah, the peak momentary viewership was 19.1%, and it was the scene where Kang Woo-jin first appeared.”

Then, Lee Wol-seon’s voice, mixed with laughter, was heard over the phone.

“19.1%? This proves Woo-jin’s drawing power.”

One hour earlier.

The official viewership ratings for ‘Freezing Romance,’ which aired its first episode last night, were released online.

『[Official] Lee Wol-seon’s ‘Freezing Romance’ First Episode Viewership Rating 12.8%』

『’Freezing Romance’ Exceeds 12% in First Episode, But Slightly Disappointing Results』

Articles released by the KBC drama department and the media combined.

『’Freezing Romance’ Records 12.8% in First Episode, Results are Decent but Lacked Impact』

Unfortunately, it didn’t have the explosive power of ‘Profiler The Vagabond.’ That was to be expected. After all, ‘The Vagabond’ had the highest viewership ratings of the year. In the first place, with the recent surge in content production, the overall viewership ratings in the country had shrunk. So, 12.8% was a decent viewership rating. It wouldn’t have been strange for the KBC drama department to celebrate.

But, as always, the media added sensationalism for clicks.

『[Issue Pick] War of Star Writers… The Winner Between Park Eun-mi and Lee Wol-seon is ‘The Vagabond’』

『Park Eun-mi vs. Lee Wol-seon, Park Eun-mi Was the One Who Smiled』

They were dividing the two star writers into winners and losers. Articles spread that Lee Wol-seon had lost to Park Eun-mi. They were such big names in the writer’s world, so it was inevitable. Still, there were quite a few articles that accurately grasped the content of ‘Freezing Romance.’

And as expected.

『[Momentary Photo] Kang Woo-jin Appears in the Beginning of ‘Freezing Romance’ / Photo』

The drama media didn’t leave out Kang Woo-jin’s story.

『[Issue Check] ‘Freezing Romance’ Also Hit 19% Viewership, Kang Woo-jin’s Appearance Scene Had a Peak Momentary Viewership of 19.1%』

『Viewers Flock to See ‘Kang Woo-jin Signing,’ Proving Kang Woo-jin’s Drawing Power / Photo』

There was an endless supply of bait and topics to throw out.

『”It Was Worth the Hype?” Public Praises Kang Woo-jin’s Sign Language Acting』Sign Language Acting

Kang Woo-jin’s popularity and drawing power, his sign language acting, comparisons with ‘The Vagabond,’ and so on. Therefore, among the YouTube videos uploaded by the ‘Freezing Romance’ team to coincide with the first episode, the edited version of Kang Woo-jin’s ‘Mysterious Neighbor’ garnered an astonishing amount of attention.

What was unique was.

-The drama was fun, but I was moved by actor Kang Woo-jin’s sign language skills… Thank you so much.

Among the viewers’ reactions, there were many stories of their own experiences or how they were moved. It was said that Woo-jin’s sign language acting had comforted many people.

At this time.

“Woo-jin-ah.”

The news also reached the ‘Island of the Missing’ filming set in Buyeo. Some actors and staff members casually chatted about ‘Freezing Romance.’ On the other hand, Kang Woo-jin, whose military uniform was worn out and torn.

‘Viewership rating of 12.8%? Hmm, I roughly understand.’

He accepted it calmly while preparing for the next scene. Well, he had received the viewership ratings in the morning, but Woo-jin had already known the results for months. To be precise, the grade. Of course, it was the ability of the subspace.

-[5/Script (Title: Freezing Romance), Grade B+]

Therefore, it was true that he was in a good mood, but he wasn’t particularly moved. He was just inputting the grade value of the subspace into his mind.

But Woo-jin’s team was unusually excited.

“Oppa [an affectionate term for older brother used by females], oppa, did you see the YouTube comments?? The praise for your sign language acting is insane!”

“There are already videos of just your sign language acting being edited and released??”

Meanwhile, Choi Seong-geon, who had been relatively calm, speculated about the situation and whispered to Kang Woo-jin, who was about to be put into filming.

“Woo-jin, you saw the peak momentary viewership, right? It’s because of you.”

“Yes, CEO.”

“Your previous works, ‘Drug Dealer,’ ‘The Vagabond,’ and now ‘Freezing Romance.’ The viewership ratings have fluctuated depending on whether you’re in it or not, right? Do you know what this means? Your drawing power is enormous.”

Choi Seong-geon continued his explanation excitedly.

“And they’ve all been successful, right? No failures. To the public, you’re naturally becoming an actor they trust, and to the entertainment industry insiders, your level is skyrocketing. The difference between whether you’re there or not is clearly visible.”

“……”

“Then what goes up?”

Choi Seong-geon’s smile became excessively thick.

“Your value skyrockets.”

The next day, Saturday. Night.

The second episode of ‘Freezing Romance’ aired. Of course, due to the aftermath of the first episode, the viewers’ message boards were even more chaotic, and the number of reporters waiting had also increased significantly.

『’Freezing Romance’ Episode 2 Begins After Exceeding 12%… Will It Achieve Higher Viewership Ratings Than the First Episode?』

Thanks to that, more attention was focused on the second episode than the first. The second episode of ‘Freezing Romance’ mainly focused on resolving the conflicts of the first episode, adding new characters, and introducing new events. The content was gradually becoming more intense.

In that gap, Kang Woo-jin played a significant supporting role.

Although he didn’t appear in many scenes, he captivated viewers with just one appearance. That was the level of acting and impact. Then, on Sunday morning, the overall viewership rating for the second episode of ‘Freezing Romance’ was released.

『[Official] ‘Freezing Romance’ Episode 2 Viewership Rating 13.3%』

The numbers were higher than the first episode, and the peak momentary viewership was also during Kang Woo-jin’s appearance. With this, a certainty that no one could argue with became prevalent.

『Kang Woo-jin, Who Has Established Himself as a Trustworthy Actor, Netizens Say, “If Kang Woo-jin is in it, I Have to Watch!”』

Kang Woo-jin’s drawing power. Anyway, the entertainment news on Sunday morning was bustling with talk about ‘Freezing Romance.’ However, by the afternoon of the same day, other issues also joined in. For example, the current situation of Bulldog Seo Gu-seop.

『’Seo Gu-seop’ Walks into the Investigation Room with His Head Down / Photo』

Even ‘Drug Dealer,’ which barely gave up its number one spot at the box office.

『’Drug Dealer’ Surges to 7 Million Viewers, Will It Be Difficult to Reach 8 Million? Likely to Finish Around 7.6 Million』

It was a week with many issues mixed together, but just as quickly, the weekend disappeared, and before long, the morning of Monday, November 30th, dawned.

Already the last day of November.

Tomorrow would be December, and the full-fledged year-end and Christmas season. It was a hectic time everywhere, not just in the entertainment industry, both domestically and internationally.

Of course, Japan was the same.

Among them, a large animation production company near Tokyo Station. The scale was considerable. They were using the entire four-story building. On the exterior walls of the building, there were several large posters of hit anime made by the production company, and the lobby on the first floor was filled with small posters and various character models.

There were many people coming and going in the lobby.

Visitors taking pictures of posters and models, employees of the animation production company, and related personnel. In the medium-sized conference room on the third floor of such a production company, a meeting was in full swing. The lighting in the conference room was slightly dim, and a prepared PPT [PowerPoint Presentation] was being projected onto a small screen at the front.

The people filled the U-shaped table.

About half were executives of the animation production company, and half were working-level staff. Among them, a woman in a suit standing next to the front screen spoke to everyone in Japanese.

“As you can see, our performance in the second half of this year has been poor. Both viewership ratings and sales.”

A bald executive in the front tapped his chin with a pen and asked back.

“Why do you think that is?”

“Except for the first quarter, the works in the second, third, and now fourth quarters have all been action-packed, so… I think the biggest reason is that we’ve lost female viewers compared to last year.”

“Hmm.”

Another executive with his arms crossed chimed in.

“Then, from the beginning of the first half of next year, we need to add works that will attract female viewers and fans.”

“Yes, we are already setting the direction.”

“Have you searched for works?”

“We have something prepared.”

The female employee who answered looked at a male employee standing next to the projector. Soon, something else was projected onto the front screen. It wasn’t animation, but the original works that would be used to create the anime.

Manga, novels, light novels, dramas, etc.

They were mostly romance and rom-com [romantic comedy] works. However, although several works were listed, the executives’ expressions didn’t improve much. It seemed like there wasn’t anything that stood out. At this point, a middle-aged female executive with square glasses, who had sighed quietly, chimed in with a low voice.

“Shouldn’t we add something fresh? We had similar feelings with those last year or the year before?”

The other executives nodded as if agreeing.

“That’s right.”

“The number of animation production companies is increasing every year, and at this point, we need to try something challenging.”

Here, the female employee who had been standing by the screen cleared her throat and put strength into her voice.

“Then, how about this? Instead of familiar tastes, we look for the original works themselves in Korea or China. However, since there are already quite a few Chinese originals, Korea is better.”

“Hmm, the web novel and webtoon [digital comic] market there has grown noticeably.”

At this time.

“If we’re looking for original works from Korea.”

The middle-aged female executive with square glasses chimed in again.

“How about we look at proven works?”

“Proven? Like what?”

“‘My Guy Friend’ on Netflix. I’m sure some of you have seen it, it’s a four-part short drama, and the story itself is suitable for anime. As you all know, the popularity is very high. It’s still a hot topic on social media and communities.”

Making a drama into an anime was already a precedent, but bringing something from Korea to make an anime was challenging enough.

“Since the original work was such a big hit, we can aim to attract fans of the original work, and we can also receive the power of the Korean wave [Hallyu].”

Most of the executives nodded, and the middle-aged female executive continued with what she had been thinking.

“And to add one more element of freshness. In my opinion, how about casting one of the actors from ‘My Guy Friend’ as a voice actor?”

Amid the murmuring, a familiar name was heard.

“Perhaps – Kang Woo-jin?”

“Are you talking about Kang Woo-jin?”

The middle-aged female executive, as if saying that was the answer, spoke to everyone with her hands together.

“That’s right, Kang Woo-jin. His popularity has increased from ‘The Vagabond’ to ‘My Guy Friend’ and now ‘The Gisaeng of the Night,’ and if you watch ‘Ametalk Show!’ or his YouTube channel, his Japanese is at a native speaker level, so there’s no problem.”

“Hmm, well, Kang Woo-jin would be quite unconventional.”

“And have you ever heard Kang Woo-jin sing? You’d believe he’s a singer. It’s also the main content of his YouTube channel. And he became a hot topic for his good deeds at the fan signing event he held in Japan this time. So, he could also participate directly in the OST [Original Soundtrack].”

The popularity of anime in Japan is beyond imagination. It’s the unshakable top of the content market.

It was no exaggeration to say that anime dominated the content market in Japan. It enjoyed tremendous popularity worldwide, so what more could be said? And now.

“If we look at ‘The Gisaeng of the Night’ that will come out later. ‘My Guy Friend’ and Kang Woo-jin.”

One of the top 3 animation production companies in Japan, which has produced many hits in Japan, is mentioning Kang Woo-jin.

“Wouldn’t it be worth the challenge?”

The next day, December 1st. Director Ahn Ga-bok’s house.

Director Ahn Ga-bok, dressed in comfortable pajamas, was sitting on the living room sofa. What was unusual was that he was looking down at his phone with a strange smile.

What he was looking at was an article.

『[Exclusive] Director Ahn Ga-bok, Who Had Not Shown Himself, Suddenly Spotted Having Dinner with Top Actor Shim Han-ho… Is Shim Han-ho Chosen as the Lead for the Legendary 100th Film? / Photo』

Then, Director Ahn Ga-bok, who was quietly looking down at the article, had a wrinkled smile on his lips.

“Oh my, was there a reporter there?”