MMB Chapter 1522 And then what?
Chapter 1522 And then what?
Chapter 1522 And then what?
The host, holding a script, began to narrate the plot in detail:
"The drama features Jung Ba-rin, a model patrolman in the neighborhood who is recognized by everyone as a pure and upright young man. He experienced the tragedy of his loved ones being brutally murdered by a serial killer when he was young, and embarked on a path of revenge with pain and obsession."
"At the same time, the 'predators' who are deeply mired in darkness and stand at the top of the psychopaths are entangled with it by fate. The clash between good and evil, the pull of human nature, and the reversals over time completely rewrite the trajectory of everyone's destiny."
The host rattled off a bunch of confusing and technical terms, which she struggled to pronounce, leaving many viewers in front of the camera bewildered.
Upon hearing this, Chi Jingyuan's lips twitched slightly... There was no other way to put it that way. The plot of "The Spy" was difficult to summarize, and this drama was very reluctant to reveal spoilers. The biggest plot twists and climaxes could not be disclosed at all.
Chi Kyung-won didn't even dare to say that he was the 'pervert'.
After a brief introduction, the host began to introduce the main actors one by one.
"The actor who won the Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actor with his solid acting skills, and who has made a long-awaited comeback to the screen, will showcase the extraordinary charm of his character in this work... Kyung Won-ssi."
The camera instantly and precisely cut to Chi Jingyuan. He was wearing a minimalist black suit, and upon hearing this, a gentle smile appeared on his lips as he raised his hand and waved lightly at the camera.
"Kim Ji-won is an actress who can break through her own limitations and unlock new charm in every work. She has versatile acting skills and can be called a queen of transformation."
Kim Ji-won nodded slightly, her eyes gentle, and her smile elegant.
"Next is..."
After everyone finished introducing themselves, the host smiled and said, "Before we officially begin the Q&A session, could each of you lead actors please give a brief greeting to the reporters and viewers watching the live stream online, and then introduce the roles you play this time?"
Ji Kyung-won, the lead actor, took the lead: "Hello everyone, I am Ji Kyung-won, who plays the neighborhood patrol officer Jung Ba-reum in 'MOUSE'. It's nice to meet you all today."
"Could you elaborate on what kind of character you envision Zheng Balin to be?" the host followed up.
"The character I play, Zheng Balin, is an extremely pure, clean, and sincere person. He is a patrolman that everyone in the neighborhood likes. He has an innocent and gentle personality, a bit silly and simple, upright and kind-hearted..."
Chi Jingyuan pondered for a moment, trying hard to find the right words: "It feels like no one is more innocent or more upright than him..."
"But this ordinary person, who should have lived a peaceful and uneventful life, unexpectedly became entangled with a top-level dark predator, and his originally smooth and uneventful life was completely rewritten, and his fate went in a completely unknown direction."
Jung Ba-reum is a character with a truly captivating and unexpected charm, but to ensure that this unexpected charm has enough impact, I can't give away any spoilers and can't say anything.
"So what prompted you to take on this project and play this extremely challenging role?" the host asked, posing the key question.
"First of all, the script and the theme completely moved me. I receive all kinds of film and television offers all year round, with all kinds of themes and characters. However, 'MOUSE' did not have a clear script at the time, but its theme was a work that deeply impacted me and instantly attracted me after the first time I read it."
With a serious expression, Chi Jingyuan thought for a moment and then said, "Its subject matter, core themes, and character portrayals are very different from all the works I have acted in before. It is a completely new and arduous challenge for me."
"When I received the script, I carefully considered it and kept thinking about whether I could do it well and interpret the role well."
"The production quality, plot depth, and exploration of human nature of the entire series are all of a very high standard. I really hope to convey this warm and profound story to every viewer in its entirety."
"When you heard that this drama was likely to be rated 19+, did you back down?" the host asked with a smile, and the actors around him burst into laughter.
"Actually, that's one of the reasons for taking on the role."
Chi Kyung-won also smiled, looked at the camera, and shrugged:
"After all, you always have to give it a try."
…………
After the press conference, Ji Kyung-won and several other actors discussed the promotion and distribution of the drama with producer Lim Soo-yeon and other key members of the production team. Lim Soo-yeon mentioned that Netflix had also placed a lot of promotional advertisements on its streaming service, and Peninsula Netflix had also put up banners on its homepage. They were just waiting for the official broadcast on the 20th.
After their conversation, Ji Kyung-won and Kim Ji-won naturally ended up together.
The two had met and had drinks beforehand.
So she didn't suggest meeting again that evening, and Kim Ji-won knew that Ji Kyung-won had other things to do later.
"The online buzz looks pretty good."
Kim Ji-won looked down at her phone, scrolling through real-time public opinion, and said softly, "The public's expectations are very high."
This drama was also a crucial transformation attempt for Kim Ji-won.
When she first accepted the script, she simply wanted to use her collaboration with Ji Kyung-won to break out of her comfortable acting style, hone her skills, and complete a stylistic transformation.
But after working with Netflix for a long time, I started to think it was a good path, and she put a lot of effort into this show, so I was naturally looking forward to it and paying attention to it.
"Much of the hype is just from people watching the spectacle."
Chi Jingyuan was also reading the news and looking at the online comments. He said objectively, "It's still lacking in offline promotional channels like traditional TV stations."
To be honest, after browsing online for a while, I felt that many of the people there were just his personal fans and moviegoers who came specifically for him.
Although Netflix has invested a lot of resources, they have all been focused on online communities, with insufficient penetration among casual users.
The other main actors have limited national recognition and popularity. Even Kim Ji-won has a relatively weak presence among casual viewers. When she's not acting, she's practically invisible. Although she has some fans, they don't have much impact on her career.
The main hype and buzz are all thanks to Chi Jingyuan.
"Once the series officially airs and we see the production quality and the suspense in the plot, things should get much better," Chi Jingyuan thought for a moment, not at all nervous.
"Do you feel the peak will come after the broadcast?"
Kim Ji-won turned her head to look at him, her eyes filled with seriousness.
"I think... there shouldn't be any problem."
Chi Jingyuan lowered his head and pondered for two seconds. He had originally intended to seriously analyze the pros and cons, but then thought it was unnecessary.
He simply shrugged slightly, with a mix of relaxed confidence and helplessness: "I've acted like a pervert to that extent, if it still doesn't work, then there's nothing I can do."
A joke instantly eased all the tension, and Kim Ji-won couldn't help but chuckle, gently tapping the tip of his nose with her finger:
"Pervert~"
…………
After the press conference, and parting ways with Kim Ji-won, Ji Kyung-won got into his van and headed back to the company for a meeting.
The car drove smoothly through the traffic, and he sat in the back seat by the window, scrolling through news and updates.
Soon, he came across many scenes that touched him.
He discovered that many friends in the industry had helped promote "The Spy," some forwarding his social media posts and others proactively posting to promote the upcoming premiere of the series.
There were definitely many like Yoona, as well as Kim Tae-yeon, Oh Se-hun, Park Chan-yeol, and almost everyone else who reposted it.
The effect was quite good, especially for Kim Tae-yeon, Park Chan-yeol, and the EXO members, who are among the K-pop artists with the most fans on social media right now. Their influence was extremely strong, bringing great exposure to the drama's pre-release promotion.
The important thing is that Chi Kyung-won didn't ask beforehand; he offered to help without any prior notice.
He also saw Jung Eun-ji, who posted several updates about it. She had already been actively promoting the show when leaked photos from the set surfaced, and she updated her status again right after the press conference today.
"I watched the entire press conference carefully, but I still don't know any information. That's really something."
Chi Jingyuan couldn't help but burst out laughing when he saw it.
The people at the press conference were all talking nonsense and giving almost entirely irrelevant answers about the plot in order to avoid spoilers.
However, he remembered that Apink was either making a comeback or releasing an album these past two days, and Jung Eunji even had time to watch his drama's press conference.
That's really loyal!
Just as Ji Kyung-won was about to text her to chat, Jung Eun-ji, as if on cue, sent him a message:
"Are you really putting in this much effort? I've never seen you promote your TV series like this before."
Jung Eun-ji has clearly also noticed that Ji Kyung-won has been promoting his work more diligently these past two days than before.
"I organized half of this event, don't you think?"
Chi Jingyuan chuckled and replied.
After thinking for a moment, he tapped the screen again and typed a lot of words to explain in detail: "My collaboration with Netflix is going to be long-term and in-depth. They are offering very good compensation, and I signed a contract for two shows at once, with one more to come. This start is quite important. How the collaboration will go in the future depends on this show."
After saying that, facing his old friend, Chi Jingyuan also started talking about his personality: "And you have no idea how tired I was when I was filming this movie...%#@..."
He rambled on about all the research and immersion he went through for the role, and finally sighed deeply, "I almost drove myself crazy during that time."
"Tsk tsk, no wonder he's a TV King! He's already so successful, yet he still works so hard. No wonder he's so successful, Actor Chi~"
"You flatter me, actor Zheng is not bad either."
Chi Jingyuan chuckled and asked with concern, "So, have you taken on any new roles lately?"
"Ha ha……"
Just a second ago, Jung Eun-ji was praising each other to Ji Kyung-won. Upon seeing this, her tone immediately changed, and she said listlessly, "Don't mention it."
Jung Eun-ji's last drama was the JTBC Friday-Saturday drama "Untouchable," co-starring Jin Goo and Kim Sung-kyun. Filming began last November, around the same time as Ji Kyung-won's "The Spy."
However, "The Spy" was filmed before it was broadcast, so it hasn't aired yet, while "Untouchable" aired last December.
Grades...
To be honest, Ji Kyung-won was quite busy at the time and didn't even know that the drama had already aired. Moreover, when he was browsing the news in his spare time, he didn't see any discussion about it online.
Finally, I checked, and the average viewership rating was 2.8%.
All I can say is that it fits the persona.
Everyone says that Yoona is a ratings poison, but Yoona actually has one or two watchable works, such as her breakout role, her representative work, and her classic work "You Are My Destiny," as well as "The K2," which started strong but ended weakly, and "Confidential Assignment" also did well at the box office.
However, Jung Eun-ji rose to fame with "Reply 1997," and after leaving Ji Kyung-won, she has hardly had any successful dramas.
Fortunately, her company heavily promoted her, Jung Eun-ji herself had a good network of friends, and Ji Kyung-won occasionally lent a hand, so her resources were quite good.
Ji Kyung-won had seen her act before and felt that her acting wasn't particularly good, but it was actually quite decent... Although he was a little distracted when he saw Jung Eun-ji's face, to be honest, her acting was okay.
I don't know why I'm so unlucky.
"Kenchana~"
Chi Jingyuan seemed to sense his good friend's low spirits, and patted his chest as he began to say, "If 'Spying' becomes a hit, Oppa will have absolute power on Netflix. Oppa will take you on the next project, or find you some other role to wash away your bad luck."
Ji Kyung-won had been waiting with restraint for Jung Eun-ji to flatter him, but a minute later, a message popped up from Jung Eun-ji with a cool and teasing tone:
"Oppa, stop bragging and go promote your spying."
…………
The next day, at the CJ E&M production center.
The first recording of "PRODUCE 48" has been successfully completed, and all trainees moved into the dormitory that same day.
PD48's dormitory is located in CJ E&M's production center, a place specially prepared by the production team for the trainees.
In fact, many people find it difficult to adapt to this. Younger people are not used to group living, those who are attached to their homes are not used to living in dormitories, and Japanese trainees are not used to the high-intensity training and unfamiliar atmosphere of Korean culture.
On the first night in the dormitory, you could see people secretly wiping away tears and feeling down everywhere.
But it's all for the sake of dreams, so we can only grit our teeth and persevere.
The production team divided the participants into several groups based on their performance evaluation scores. They didn't practice or rest together, and could only interact when they were free.
However, since the cafeteria is shared by everyone, mealtime is also the happiest time, and many people make friends and become familiar with each other in the cafeteria.
Around noon, Zhang Yuanying and An Youzhen finished their practice and went to the cafeteria together.
These two are really destined to be together. They come from the same company, are close in age, and happen to be assigned to Group B. They even live in the same dormitory, in bunk beds.
It feels like we're all stuck together by some kind of cause and effect.
After arriving at the cafeteria, I observed the food... The treatment provided by the production team wasn't great; every day it was classic Korean food, with classic Korean kimchi and some meat.
The two found an empty seat by the window and sat down side by side, munching on their rice and chatting quietly.
"The dance for this main track, 'It's Mine,' is really complicated. I don't know if it's because I'm nervous or what, but even though I've memorized it all, I keep forgetting the moves when I try to dance it."
Ahn Yoo-jin chewed her food, her brows furrowed slightly, complaining with a hint of distress about her recent practice.
Zhang Yuanying whispered about the information she had recently gathered: the competition in Group C was the fiercest and the atmosphere wasn't good; Group F was mostly Japanese; and Group A was particularly hardworking, practicing secretly all the time, afraid of being overtaken...
The two chatted as they ate, and soon the conversation naturally turned to Chi Jingyuan: "Ah, we have to record again tomorrow, and there's a mentor teaching segment... I wonder if Jingyuan oppa will teach us?"
"I also want Jingyuan oppa to teach our Group B." Zhang Yuanying, her little mouth bulging from eating, kept agreeing, looking very hopeful.
"You also think Oppa is amazing, right?"
Upon seeing this, Ahn Yu-jin's eyes lit up with a smile, and she laughed.
"It's impressive, but..."
Zhang Yuanying nodded, then her eyes gleamed mischievously as she leaned closer and whispered, "Mainly because if Oppa comes, we'll definitely get a lot of screen time, not to mention anything else."
"Although they are all mentors, you can tell from the PD's reaction and tone of voice during the first recording that Yuan oppa is the most crucial among all the mentors."
As she spoke, Jang Wonyoung lowered her voice and whispered, "I overheard other unnies secretly discussing that in the episode we recorded before, even though Kang Hye-won was assigned to F and her stage performance was terrible, she definitely got a lot of screen time because Yuan oppa talked and interacted with her a lot. They said the production team definitely won't cut that out..."
"..." Upon hearing this, Ahn Yoo-jin also pondered for a moment.
Although they only recorded once, these shrewd trainees had already figured out the camera's tricks and the program's focus.
Whoever interacts more with Ji Kyung-won and says the most interesting things gets more screen time.
The two quickly finished their dinner, cleared their plates, and prepared to leave when they suddenly noticed a large group of people gathered in a corner of the cafeteria, seemingly talking about something.
"What are they talking about over there?"
Ahn Yoo-jin and Jang Won-young exchanged a glance, their innate tendency to join in the fun instantly kicking in. They turned around in unison and squeezed through on tiptoe.
As they walked over, they saw several trainees gathered around. They stood on tiptoe to get a better look, and sitting right in the center of the crowd was Kim Min-joo.
As the only trainee who has collaborated with Ji Kyung-won and filmed a music video, she is quite famous among the trainees.
At that moment, the group seemed to be talking about this, and several trainees around her seemed to be asking her about her collaboration with Chi Jingyuan with great interest.
"And then what? And then what? So you got selected?"