I was Mistaken as a Monstrous Genius Actor [EN]: Chapter 286

It happened. It really happened.

The moment Korean cinema history changed, the moment it surpassed countless amazing movies to reach the top spot, the moment it seized a throne no one had imagined.

“······”

Surprisingly, Kang Woo-jin didn’t react immediately. He just stared blankly at the phone in his hand. His hair was a mess, and he looked like he was spacing out. Of course, that wasn’t entirely wrong. Woo-jin’s mind was a bit out of sorts right now.

[All-Time Korean Box Office]

[All-Time Movie Rankings (Integrated)]

-1. Island of the Lost / Cumulative Audience: 16,752,991

16.75 million. 16.75 million? I don’t know. Is what I’m seeing real?

“Number one… all-time. Me? The movie I made? Crazy.”

Woo-jin dropped his phone and stared into the empty space in front of him. His pupils dilated. His heart pounded harder. Of course, it was a moment he had longed for, but now that it was here, he couldn’t believe it. Sometimes, when people achieve something they’ve desperately wanted, they deny reality.

But Kang Woo-jin’s reality wasn’t going to change.

The long history of the Korean film industry had been overturned, and Kang Woo-jin was the one who had given it the push to change.

Slowly.

“Heh heh.”

Gradually.

“Heh heh.”

Kang Woo-jin accepted reality. The corners of his mouth began to rise uncontrollably. The change was sudden. He looked like a complete madman because he was laughing out of nowhere.

But who cares?

Woo-jin seemed to have decided to embrace looking like a madman.

-Swish.

He got out of bed with his hair a mess and suddenly started wiggling his butt. No, it wasn’t just his butt. He moved his entire body—his waist, shoulders, and back—to the rhythm.

“Did you see that? Did you see that? This is me.”

He was dancing and wiggling. Of course, there was no music playing. He was just shaking it off, intoxicated by the excitement.

Acting cool? Pretending to be tough? I don’t know, just dance.

Kang Woo-jin’s excitement was building. It was understandable. It wasn’t just Woo-jin; any actor would have done the same. He had overthrown the seemingly impregnable number one movie in Korean history. Where else could he find such glory? Especially for Kang Woo-jin, ‘Island of the Lost’ was his first leading role in a feature film, and it was a feat he had achieved with a huge hit.

Even a one-shot, one-kill [achieving success with a single attempt].

He had proven his real influence, not just as an ‘Issue King’ [a person who frequently generates buzz]. However, the half-mad Kang Woo-jin was more happy about being number one than any of those profound meanings. Then, Kang Woo-jin suddenly stopped.

“Hoo-”

He took a small breath and recalled the time when he first acquired the subspace [a personal space or ability]. More precisely, it was a line he had half-jokingly muttered around that time.

‘Should I try acting?’

And now, he was a ten-million-viewer actor. No, more than that. Kang Woo-jin, who had thrown his resignation at the toad CEO of the design company and became unemployed, was now the lead actor of the number one movie in Korean history.

-Buzz buzz

-Buzz buzz

-Buzz buzz

Short vibrations rang out. Nonstop. It was his phone on the bed. Timing-wise, it was 100% congratulatory messages. But Woo-jin didn’t pick up his phone right away.

“Heh, I should shake it off a little more.”

He was planning to enjoy the overwhelming excitement for a few more minutes.

However.

-Knock knock, knock knock knock!

Someone was banging on his room door, forcing Woo-jin to stop. Ah, wait a minute. Who it was was secondary; he had to put on his discarded act first. Mind control, poker face.

Calm down, Kang Woo-jin.

His lips were curling up uncontrollably, but Woo-jin somehow managed to put on a normal, indifferent expression. After checking his face in the mirror again, Woo-jin opened the door.

At the same time.

“Haha! Woo-jin!!”

Choi Sung-gun, with his slightly disheveled ponytail, suddenly hugged Kang Woo-jin tightly. It was a slightly strange scene, given that it was a hotel, but Woo-jin’s expression remained unchanged as Choi Sung-gun patted his back and shouted.

“Number one, number one! And not just any number one??! No! Number one after completely rewriting Korean history!! You, you! Your status as an actor is completely different now!!”

Although he was the CEO of BW Entertainment, Choi Sung-gun was genuinely happy. It was understandable. He had been with Kang Woo-jin from the very beginning. Of course, it was a journey filled with misunderstandings and misinterpretations, but it didn’t matter. Anyway, Kang Woo-jin patted Choi Sung-gun’s back appropriately and lowered his voice.

“It’s still a long way to go.”

Behind him.

At the same time Kang Woo-jin moved to the ‘Leech’ set, the moment the history of Korean cinema changed. It wasn’t just Choi Sung-gun who was making a fuss. It was no exaggeration to say that the entire country was buzzing.

Especially, at the Oullim Film Company, where the ‘Island of the Lost’ key staff and director Kwon Ki-taek were gathered.

“Aaaah!!”

“Congratulations! Congratulations!!”

“I, is this real?? I can’t believe it even though I’m seeing it?!”

“Wow!! Goosebumps! I have goosebumps on my arms!!”

“Director! Congratulations!”

“’Island of the Lost’ is- number one! Number one!!”

“Hey, hey, someone slap my butt! This isn’t a dream, is it? Huh?!”

They were in an uproar. They were jumping up and down, hugging each other, and crying out. It was an understandable sight. Even a 10-million-viewer movie had a huge impact, but this one had surpassed 16 million and taken the top spot, and the overall score wasn’t even finished yet.

“Amazing!! No! Super amazing! No!! It’s legendary! It’s legendary!!”

The atmosphere was reminiscent of a wild party. Meanwhile, director Kwon Ki-taek, with his gentle demeanor, sat in his seat, took a small breath, and muttered.

“Yeah, this is the taste.”

Many scenes flashed through his mind. The time when he first wrote the ‘Island of the Lost’ scenario, the time when he searched for suitable actors after completion, Kang Woo-jin who suddenly fell from the sky, the time when he gave the lead role to a rookie with one year of experience, and so on.

“Yeah- this is why I can’t quit directing.”

Kwon Ki-taek, the usually gentle master director, clenched both fists. It was his way of expressing his thrill.

The lead actors of ‘Island of the Lost’ were the same.

Although they weren’t at Oullim Film Company, all the actors were happy in their respective locations. Ryu Jung-min, Jeon Woo-chang, Ha Yu-ra, Kim Yi-won, and all the supporting actors and extras who appeared in ‘Island of the Lost’.

On the other hand, there was a film company that was walking a path to hell, completely opposite to Oullim Film Company and the actors.

“Well, in the end.”

“······Hmm.”

“I was prepared, but still- it doesn’t feel good.”

“What can we do? It’s reality.”

Where else could it be? It was ‘BOX Movies,’ the production company of ‘Naval Battle.’ Compared to the boisterous Oullim Film Company, this place was like a funeral home.

It was extremely gloomy.

Perhaps ‘BOX Movies’ would be the most depressed film company in the entire country. In fact, the media was already churning out articles like crazy.

『[Official] ‘Island of the Lost’ Seizes the Throne, Surpassing All-Time Number One ‘Naval Battle’!』

『From Today, the Number One Movie of All Time is ‘Island of the Lost,’ Not ‘Naval Battle,’ the Changed Ranking Shakes the Korean Film Industry』

『“Super Hit!” Korea’s Number One Movie Changes After Many Years, But the Run of ‘Island of the Lost’ is Not Over』

For today, most of the media celebrated ‘Island of the Lost’ without any gossip or criticism.

『’Kang Woo-jin’ Effect is Evident···Can ‘Island of the Lost,’ Which Reclaimed the Top Spot, Reach 18 Million Viewers?』

The atmosphere was heating up. The entertainment industry was buzzing. Various media outlets, such as radio, were rushing to report the news of ‘Island of the Lost.’

“Wow- ‘Island of the Lost’ really did it! Congratulations to director Kwon Ki-taek and the actors!”

“It’s amazing. Honestly, I didn’t think any movie would ever break the record of ‘Naval Battle’? But- it surpassed 16 million viewers so coolly.”

“But what’s even more amazing is that the score isn’t the final one.”

“That’s right.”

Of course, YouTube, video platforms, and social media were also going wild. What about the public opinion in communities?

-Wow!!! Congratulations!! Clap clap clap!!

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋOMG, Island of the Lost really stepped on Naval BattleㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋWowㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-…..But honestly, was Island of the Lost a movie that would get close to 17 million? I thought it was boring

-↑Your face is boring

-But wow…..what’s going to happen to Kang Woo-jin? He caused a huge accident in his second year of debut

-It’s not in the past, but the fact that he has 16 million viewers now is seriously amazingㅋㅋㅋ

-Bubble movieㅋㅋㅋㅋIt was lucky, and Kang Woo-jin’s firepower also played a partㅋㅋㅋ

They were also extremely excited.

-Director Kwon has become the undisputed number one director in Korea with just Island of the Lostㅎㅎㅎ

-The actors are going to have a money partyㅋㅋㅋㅋI’m so jealous

-Kang Woo-jin OMGㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋHis filmography is amazingㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-The day the number one movie of all time changed!!

-You know what’s crazy? Kang Woo-jin is preparing for Cannes right nowㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-That’s right… the industry shouldn’t be stagnant… there needs to be constant change

-The actors of Naval Battle must be so pissed offㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Island of the Lost is so fun!!!

Meanwhile, countless congratulations poured in for Kang Woo-jin, who had arrived at the ‘Leech’ set. Not only the actors, including Shim Han-ho, Oh Hee-ryung, Jin Jae-joon, and Han So-jin, but also the hundred or so staff members. It was clear that they were happy as if it were their own achievement. Of course, veteran director Ahn Ga-bok also congratulated Woo-jin.

“Woo-jin, you’ve achieved a great feat. Congratulations.”

At the same time, he strengthened his resolve.

“We have to make a big splash at Cannes with ‘Leech’ too, right?”

And so, two days, including the weekend, passed. The 12th and 13th were skipped, and the 14th dawned, and the changed number one movie in Korean history was.

[All-Time Korean Box Office]

[All-Time Movie Rankings (Integrated)]

-1. Island of the Lost / Cumulative Audience: 17,681,238

It was establishing an impregnable fortress.

Meanwhile, on Monday the 14th. In Japan.

As the weekdays dawned again, Japan was also reporting that the throne of the Korean film industry had changed.

『’Kang Woo-jin’ Starring ‘Island of the Lost’ Ranks Number One in Korean Movie History』

『’Kang Woo-jin’s’ Unique Path, Japanese Fans Excited by the News of ‘Island of the Lost’ Reaching Number One』

Of course, it was weaker than in Korea, but the news included Kang Woo-jin, so it was being spread quite noisily. Accordingly, Woo-jin’s name was frequently mentioned on Japanese social media. What was unusual was that Woo-jin’s name was also frequently mentioned in an editing room. It was ‘A10 Studio,’ one of Japan’s top three animation production companies.

Specifically, a large editing room inside ‘A10 Studio.’

It was a place with various devices and numerous monitors, and there were quite familiar figures in the editing room. The general director and several staff members of the anime ‘Childhood Friend: Remake.’ The reason was simple. The dubbing of the voice actors, including Kang Woo-jin, was finished, so all that was left was the final editing.

The director was sitting in the center, leading the way.

“Play the opening song again.”

“Yes, director.”

A song began to play in the spacious editing room.

-♬♪

It was the OST [Original Soundtrack] song that Kang Woo-jin had performed. It was a moderately fast beat with a mix of piano melody and drums. In addition, on the many monitors in front, the opening cuts of the anime, which would be combined with the OST, began to be displayed alternately. Several scenes from ‘Childhood Friend: Remake’ that the director had chosen.

Around this time.

“······Wow.”

A female staff member sitting next to the director uttered a Japanese word mixed with admiration.

“Kang Woo-jin is also a great singer. His voice is good too. If you didn’t say it was Woo-jin, you’d think he was a singer.”

This remark became the starting point, and most of the staff members in the editing room joined in the praise.

“That’s right, and his Japanese doesn’t sound awkward at all.”

“I’ve heard Woo-jin’s songs on YouTube a few times, but- it’s still amazing to hear it again.”

“Is there anything he can’t do?”

The director sitting in the center slowly nodded his head.

“I was very surprised when I first met him.”

After checking the opening song of the anime, the director ordered something else this time.

“Let’s listen to the piano part too.”

The song playing in the editing room quickly changed. It was the piano that Kang Woo-jin had played. It was a cut that would be inserted at the beginning of the anime.

“No matter how I look at it, it seems like Woo-jin was actively involved in music in the past.”

“I guess so? With that kind of vocal and piano skills.”

“But his acting is also divine? And he even has voice acting skills.”

“Now that I think about it… what is he? This alien? Normally, it might take a lifetime to have just one of those.”

The director, with his arms crossed, muttered softly while listening to the piano melody. His tone was definite.

“······He must have had a natural talent and a bloody, no, a blood-spitting effort. Otherwise, it can’t be explained. I’m sure Woo-jin hasn’t wasted a single second of his life so far.”

Everyone in the editing room agreed.

“He’s a monster, as expected.”

Several hours passed.

When the morning sky had turned dark, a woman entered the editing room where the editing of ‘Childhood Friend: Remake’ was in full swing. She was the female team leader of the planning team at ‘A10 Studio.’ As she entered, several staff members greeted her, and the female team leader, who had approached the director sitting in the center of the equipment, said.

“Director, how is it?”

The director, who was yawning, operated the equipment a few times and displayed the first episode of ‘Childhood Friend: Remake,’ which had been edited, on the monitor. Soon, the female team leader’s gaze was fixed on the monitor, and after watching for a while, she smiled faintly.

“It’s good, I’m already excited. Especially Kang Woo-jin, he’s really the male lead ‘Sengoku Tooru’ himself.”

The female team leader, with satisfaction on her face, lowered her eyes to the director.

“I’m here to tell you that the broadcast schedule for ‘Childhood Friend: Remake’ has been set.”

She recited what had been confirmed.

“It will be released in the third quarter of this year, around July.”

About a month left.

End