Generation Z Artists

Chapter 340 New Top Streamer

On the 2nd, the second episode of "The Condor Heroes" aired in South Korea, and the viewership rating remained stable at 30%, without continuing to decline.

Actually, this is quite an impressive achievement, considering that the core of the entire series, Fang Xinghe, has not yet appeared.

Gong Li has star power and prestige, but she doesn't have the ability to carry the ratings in South Korea. Jun Ji-hyun has star power and can carry the ratings, but she has too little screen time and her role isn't significant enough.

The peak ratings for the second episode came from the appearance of Little Dragon Girl, who, following her classic look from her previous life, captivated most viewers with her unique ethereal beauty.

A 30% viewership rating for a midnight slot can already be considered phenomenal.

Then, the South Korean media suddenly broke down.

Those who found a bargain rave about it, while those who were jealous and resentful curse it vehemently.

KBS News: "A magnificent feast! Magnificent visuals, vibrant colors, exquisite costumes, and dazzling fight scenes showcase the dazzling charm of Chinese martial arts culture!"

Samsung News: "Fang Xinghe's new drama 'The Condor Heroes' has conquered South Korea!"

NAVER News: "Discussion explodes, 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' sweeps the internet and becomes a legendary drama in the hearts of teenagers."

MBC News sourly reported: "The Legend of Condor Heroes started strong but ended weak, with many middle-aged and elderly people abandoning the show."

SBS News was full of malice: "The Return of the Condor Heroes has greatly modified our hanbok, and there are too many traces of Korean culture in it. Otherwise, how could there be such gorgeous costumes according to Chinese aesthetics?"

Pravda immediately followed up: "Their traditional clothing is clearly the cheongsam. The costumes in the TV series 'The Condor Heroes' are neither clear nor Song Dynasty, and there are traces of modern Hanbok everywhere."

Of course, we cannot conclude that this is plagiarism, after all, Pope Fang Xinghe has Korean ancestry and is promoting our Korean culture..."

Then various tabloids started a frenzy, saying: "We hope Fang Xinghe will come forward and acknowledge his allegiance as soon as possible. Your younger siblings cannot lose their elder brother's love!"

A real blow to the head... They really know how to be disgusting.

The reason for this situation is ultimately because Fang Xinghe has once again infringed upon the interests of certain people.

With its impressive performance, "The Return of the Condor Heroes" has a very good chance of securing the title of the year's highest-rated show and creating a new wave of popularity.

KBS was naturally overjoyed, but what about the other two major stations?

They're frantic.

Damn it, are you going to keep us in check for four whole months?!
I can't live this day.

In addition, most South Koreans are inherently very conflicted.

On the one hand, they sincerely hoped that Fang Xinghe would acknowledge his Korean ancestry, accept his Korean identity, and announce his naturalization as a Korean citizen, thus becoming one of their own.

If Fang Xinghe really makes an official announcement, he will definitely become an overnight sensation, a saint in South Korea, and gain 3000 million more enthusiastic fans in an instant.

Hey you at the Blue House, step down right now and let Fang Shen take over!
Seriously, I'm not exaggerating.

Later, Girls' Generation became famous worldwide simply as a girl group, and they were hailed as a symbol of South Korea and regarded as a national pride. Their record of being ranked number one in Gallup's national favorability survey for many consecutive years and covering all age groups will not be broken until 2030.

Son Heung-min's skills and honors are just so-so, but he is an absolute national hero in South Korea.

Psy, Lee Byung-hun, BTS... As long as you can become famous in the world, you can have special privileges. This shows how much Koreans crave international recognition.

As a contemporary Asian king and world idol, Fang Xinghe is also related to South Korea, so South Koreans especially want to "Koreanize" him.

But of course that's impossible, and the Koreans themselves know that.

So on the other hand, they are also particularly conflicted and annoyed, loving and hating Fang Ge at different times.

This emotional swings are completely uncontrollable and unpredictable, depending entirely on when they are provoked and go crazy.

This time, the quality of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" was so good that it made people's scalps tingle, so they reacted accordingly.

Viewers are captivated by the beautiful scenery, beautiful women, gorgeous costumes, exciting action sequences, and stunning visuals, while those with narrow minds can't stand it and start babbling on and on.

In fact, there's really nothing to criticize about Fang's version of The Return of the Condor Heroes. It has achieved the best in every aspect, so those who nitpick and find fault on the internet are just being unreasonable.

"The clothing is basically hanbok."

"The movements are too fake."

"Does our national star deserve only to play supporting roles? What a disgrace."

"They spent so much money airing a Chinese drama, what about our local dramas? KBS is a traitor!"

"Chinese people are really impolite, always making a fuss and shouting. How can anyone watch a drama made by Chinese people?"

"Go ahead and complain. You son of a bitch."

"Hasn't Princess Pearl made you wary? Why are you letting the same thing happen again?"

"If my child stayed up all night watching these violent and violent dramas, I would really punish him with a stick!"

After voices on the internet were amplified by people with ulterior motives, an extremely divisive phenomenon emerged—people who haven't read "The Return of the Condor Heroes" would basically spout some condescending opinions, while those who have read it wouldn't back down an inch.

Of course, the baby's breath is a given; protecting their brother is their mission.

The people who are truly affected are those who only watch dramas.

Indeed, Fang Xinghe has not yet appeared, and the story has not yet truly unfolded, but the unique temperament of The Condor Heroes is vividly displayed from the very first shot.

The story is not complicated, but the cinematography is sophisticated, the visuals are stunning, the fight scenes are crisp and powerful, the special effects are expensive, and the pace is fast, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats and full of anticipation.

Many young people regard it as a masterpiece.

The most upvoted post on NAVER is titled "The most amazing drama ever made, Fang Xin watch it."

It means that Fang Xinghe is always trustworthy, and you should definitely watch anything he films.

It's not Fang Xinghe's personal charm, but the power of his work.

Led by the "Full of Stars" (a popular online commentator), fans of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" launched a large-scale counterattack.

The South Korean internet was thrown into chaos.

……

It also started airing in Japan at 8 pm on Sunday.

Despite a more favorable timeline, a larger-scale promotional campaign, and a more popular theme song, the premiere viewership ratings in Japan were not as high as in South Korea—36.2% at the start and an average of 27.5% after two episodes.

The difference is that Japan has six major broadcasting stations and numerous local stations, and the viewership ratings have not reached 40% for a long time.

Therefore, the score of 27.5% was another huge success.

Furthermore, the Japanese and Koreans have different mental states; they praise more than they criticize.

The very next morning, the Japanese TV program "Zoom In!! Super" dedicated half of its time to praising "The Return of the Condor Heroes".

"A refreshing and eye-opening visual!"

"An absolute world-class goal!"

"A beautiful scene with a group of beautiful people, Mr. Fang is such a great photographer!"

"Gong Li's debut! The domineering queen makes everyone tremble!"

"The chosen one, the young Yang Guo, perfectly replicates Fang Yang's childhood!"

"Any doubts about The Return of the Condor Heroes can end at this moment. This is a super-production that only China could produce!"

Fuji TV was very unhappy, but their "FNN Super News" maintained basic objectivity.

"Even before Fang Xinghe appeared, The Return of the Condor Heroes still achieved unprecedented success. To be fair, its success was already foreseeable."

TV Asahi seized the opportunity and, on a Monday, sent its crew out on the streets to conduct random interviews with passersby.

Their flagship program, "Newlyweds," is dedicated to this kind of thing.

"Red Bean Paste Private Marseille, we kindly request that you grant us a brief interview..."

The program did not deliberately select interviewees, and a total of 8 interviewees' transcripts were broadcast.

first question.

"If it's convenient, I'd like to ask if you watched Fang Xinghe's version of 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' yesterday?"

There were 8 target groups, but 3 groups of people didn't look at them.

A high school boy cited "too much homework" as his reason.

"Will you be able to watch it later?"

"It depends. If my classmates are all discussing it, then I'll probably take a look too." A middle-aged man carrying a briefcase said, citing "dining out" as the reason.

"Will you be able to watch it later?"

"No, I rarely get home before 11 p.m."

An elderly woman with silver hair said she was "not interested in martial arts dramas."

"Will you be able to watch it later?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? Is that something I should be looking at?"

……

Of the five respondents who said "I've seen it," three groups were young women: an office worker, a junior high school student, and a convenience store clerk.

The other two groups consisted of one person of Chinese descent and one stevedore.

The most interesting one was the stevedore.

"Isn't it hard work?"

"Yes."

"So watching TV dramas is a good way to relax?"

"No, it's not that. I'm usually very tired, and when I get home I just want to lie down and relax."

"Then why did you watch 'The Return of the Condor Heroes'?"

"Because the actresses are all incredibly beautiful!"

"what?!"

"That's exactly why. This is a lineup that Japan could never put together!"

"Um...too."

"Right? Compared to them, those AV actresses are all too ugly, they're not appealing at all..."

"Stop, let's not talk about this, this is a serious program!"

"Well, that's a shame."

"So your coworkers watched it too?"

"Half...or more."

"Is it all because the actresses are pretty?"

"Mostly."

"Wow, that's pretty straightforward... What are you holding in your hand? It looks like it's related to 'The Return of the Condor Heroes'?"

"The posters of Li Mochou, Cheng Ying, and Lu Wushuang are so beautiful that I want to put them on the wall to admire them properly."

"There aren't any Little Dragon Girl ones?"

"No."

"Why? Isn't she the prettiest?"

"She's pretty, but she's too immature. I don't feel anything for her... and her posters are much more expensive."

……

The broadcast of the "Newlyweds" program had a significant impact on Japanese society.

Because most people can find common ground in it.

Older people are not interested in kung fu movies starring young people and are too lazy to pay attention to them.

Middle-aged office workers are busy drinking and socializing, and come home drunk every day, so they really have no mood to watch TV series.

Students facing pressure to get into good schools want to watch, but either their families are strict or they decide to discipline themselves.

Women in their teens to early 40s have always been the main audience for dramas. No matter what, I have to watch a few episodes of Fang Xinghe's dramas. Let's not talk about it.

This is a must-see for Chinese living in Japan, but attitudes are polarized – there are more people who dislike Fang Xinghe than those who like him.

The last remaining large group, which might be an exaggeration to describe as "old perverts," are indeed crazy about the various female characters in "The Return of the Condor Heroes."

Fang Xinghe's top-notch casting, coupled with the lavish costumes and props, as well as the specially crafted character designs and highlight scenes for each female supporting character, have opened the eyes of even the most discerning Japanese.

The entire Japanese market was thus strangely divided.

Both those who watch and those who don't have their own reasons, and they are quite valid.

In terms of reach, "The Return of the Condor Heroes" has achieved maximum expansion, covering almost all age groups from 10 to 50, excluding middle-aged and elderly audiences.

Therefore, the discussion exploded from the very beginning.

For a whole week, the pace of life was constant in both Japan and South Korea.

In South Korea, it's a battle between fans and haters; in Japan, it's a trending topic on social media.

Two of the most popular scenarios are on campuses and among young white-collar workers in the workplace.

The men talked about martial arts and female characters.

Women chatted about costumes and props, about Huang Yaoshi, Ouyang Feng, and Xiao Yang Guo. Weng Feiran became an overnight sensation, and Wang Jinsong had female fans everywhere. The most outrageous thing was that Feng Yuanzheng's abnormal version of Ouyang Feng, which was obviously so scary, was extremely well received.

Of course, the most popular one is still Little Dragon Girl.

Strictly speaking, she didn't become famous because of Fang Xinghe, but was already very popular in her previous life.

The 2006 Chinese version of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" had only average ratings in Japan and South Korea, but the young and beautiful Little Dragon Girl completely refreshed the perceptions of audiences in both regions.

Why was Sony Music so determined to sign Liu Yifei and arrange for her to break into the Japanese music scene as a singer?
Because it's incredibly popular.

Netizens spontaneously organized a "Little Dragon Girl Fan Club" and launched a large-scale online support campaign; Little Dragon Girl figurines sold out immediately upon release...

In her previous life, the CS pay channel broadcast and 10 DVD sales made Nenxian a fairy in the hearts of the Japanese. So, in this life, "The Return of the Condor Heroes" is broadcast on terrestrial TV and became a hit on its premiere. How will her popularity be?
The correct description is... reaching the summit in an instant!
Currently, the top actresses in Japanese dramas are Takako Tokiwa and Nanako Matsushima, with the former declining in popularity and the latter never having achieved a clear advantage. Yukie Nakama is about to become number one, while Yuki Amami is a late bloomer aiming for third place and second. Top actresses like Haruka Ayase and Yui Aragaki are still in their dormant phase.

Overall, the situation is quite chaotic.

Then, as soon as Xiaolongnu made her appearance, she overtook Chen Nian's popularity and achieved a complete breakthrough in popularity, thanks to Chen Nian's accumulated experience and Xiaolongnu's ethereal aura.

She doesn't have the typical Japanese look, nor does she possess the kind of approachable, energetic girl-next-door charm that Japanese people prefer. It's normal for her to become popular, but her explosive popularity has a huge accidental factor—the immense sense of rift created by the contrast between Chen Nian's melancholy and Xiaolongnu's ethereal beauty.

"Asia's No.1 hidden gem actress of the 21st century!"

The entertainment industry is overjoyed.

"She's a fairy who only exists in fantasy!"

No matter how bad her acting skills are, young boys in the community tremble when they see her appear.

Half of the 27% viewership rating in the first week was focused on her, while the other half was shared equally among all the other actors—it was that exaggerated.

Then, the wildly popular young actress was snatched from mainland China by Fang Gou and thrown into the Japanese variety show industry.

How dark is it?
What I mean is, how dark are Japanese variety shows?
Fortunately, Liu's mother was worried and came along, carefully selecting the variety show's style.

First, there was Fuji TV's "Watte Iitomo!", then Nippon TV's "Entertainment World", followed by TBS's "King's Lunch", then an interview with "THE TELEVISION", and finally an episode of Goro Inagaki's "Goro's Bar".

She arrived on Wednesday, and Fang Xinghe kept her running around, busy until Sunday.

Just as I was about to say goodbye after finishing my work, Fang Gou grabbed me again.

"What are you going back for? Is there a new play?"

"No, but..."

"But what but? Don't rush off yet. Go to South Korea for me next week, and I'll introduce you to two endorsement deals afterward."

Nenxian couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Do I need you to introduce a spokesperson?

I don't know how many businesses have proactively contacted me!
But for some reason, she couldn't move her feet, turned her head, and quietly looked at her mother.

Ms. Liu was already exhausted, but the moment she heard those words, her back suddenly tensed up, straightened up, and she went into a state of high alert...

(End of this chapter)