Chapter 139: Counterattack (2)

Chapter 139: Counterattack (2)

The start of the Ame-talk Show!' featuring Kang Woojin was similar to other episodes. The set was familiar, and the MC, Karamatsu Soyo, who resembled a beaver, opened the show with a simple opening remark.

[It's mid-September and still hot, but our guest today is so exceptional that you'll forget the heat for a while!]

Then, MC Soyo introduced the guest.

[The hottest man in Japan right now! Korea's monstrous rookie actor, Kang Woojin!]

The long-standing entrance music of Ame-talk Show!' started to play.

-

Kang Woojin made his entrance through the guest door set up on the stage. Woojin and MC Soyo exchanged simple handshakes and then sat down on their respective sofas.

[Welcome, Kang Woojin-ssi. Please say a brief hello to the viewers.]

[Hello, viewers of the Ame-talk Show!'. I'm actor Kang Woojin. It's an honor to be on this traditional Japanese talk show. I'll try my best to be lively.]

[Wow- But you're really good at Japanese, aren't you? If I close my eyes, I'd be confused.]

[I get that a lot, but I'm still better at Korean.]

Kang Woojin on the Ame-talk Show!' was calm yet gentle. There was no hint of awkwardness.

[Ah! Is this your first talk show appearance since your debut, Woojin-ssi?]

[Yes, it's my first time on Ame-talk Show!'. So, I'm quite nervous.]

[Ah? You don't look nervous at all! Haha, but it's your first talk show, so it must be overwhelming.]

[I don't look nervous at all?]

[Eh? You're joking, right?]

[It's a joke.]

After the greetings, they talked about various topics his schedule in Korea, how busy his current schedule was, and his feelings when he first joined Profiler Hanryang'.

[How did you feel when you were first cast in Profiler Hanryang'?]

[I wondered if it was the right choice.]

His thoughts when Hanryang' became a hit in Japan, the upcoming Male Friend', the explosive increase in followers on Kang Woojin's SNS, and even his Kang Woojin's Alter Ego' channel that surpassed a million subscribers in just a few weeks.

Then, MC Soyo made a request to Kang Woojin.

[I took a peek at your youtube channel, Woojin-ssi. You don't have many videos, but you've already crossed a million subscribers. Your skills are more than just a hobby. Plus, your content is unique, covering KPOP in Japanese or English.]

[Soon, I plan to cover JPOP and pop songs in Korean too.]

[Even a casual listen would blow up the view count. Are you planning any other content?]

[I'm considering it.]

[Hmm! Could you give us a short, very brief sample of a song? The viewers would love it.]Follow current novels on novelb((in).(com)

[Of course.]

-

The request was for a single verse, but Kang Woojin sang almost the entire first verse. Interestingly.

-Swish.

Around the second verse, an unexpected guest appeared out of the blue. It was Hwalin, holding a handheld microphone. She passionately sang the second verse of Ballerina' by Elani'.

A tightly packed performance.

Following that, Kang Woojin and Hwalin sat side by side and continued with promotional talk about Male Friend', and midway, MC Soyo shifted the topic to The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger'. Discussions included his relationship with Director Kyotaro, the inside story of his casting, the content of the movie, and his mindset.

However, unfortunately, The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger' was still in a situation where details couldn't be disclosed, so the answers weren't very detailed.

At this point in the Ame-talk Show!',

[Alright! Let's change the atmosphere a bit, shall we?]

The mood was refreshed. They moved on to the Q&A session with the hundreds of audience members participating in the recording. The first question came from,

[]

A silent young boy. More precisely, a child using Japanese sign language. Of course, subtitles were running at the bottom. But suddenly.

-Swish.

Kang Woojin, seeing the question in Japanese sign language thrown by the child, stood up from the sofa and strode forward. He walked right up to the young boy and naturally communicated with him using Japanese sign language.

On the broadcast of Ame-talk Show!', various special subtitles were added to this scene.

And watching this scene.

[Grandpa! Look! I'm on TV!]

Chairman Hideki Yoshimura, deeply moved, watching with his grandson Shingo. Even as he stroked Shingo's hair, he focused intently on Kang Woojin on the TV. He assessed everything from Woojin's appearance and physicality to his demeanor. Then, his attention was drawn to Woojin's fluent use of Japanese sign language.

He was more impressive than Hideki had anticipated.

Above all,

He catches the eye. Excellent performance. Approaching Shingo to show sign language was that the production team's idea? No, it must be his own. Only someone familiar with sign language would think of that. It's important for the eyes and expressions to be clearly visible.'

Kang Woojin had a knack for making his presence felt. Though there might have been some stage direction or adaptation.

He knows how to capture attention well. Good use of the stage. The highlight is his cool composure. Truly, he is no ordinary person.'

Woojin's appeal grew even more in the eyes of Chairman Hideki.

Meanwhile,

As the Ame-talk Show!' was nearing its end, everyone gathered in the main control room of the private broadcasting station TBE was wildly celebrating.

We've surpassed 20.5%!

Even if it wasn't the overall ratings, it was sufficient. Even though it was just a real-time rating for reference, the number had far exceeded expectations. Consequently, PD Shinjo, with a flushed face from the excitement, was showered with congratulations.

Shinjo! Well done, you did great!

PD~nim! Congratulations!

We were worried about the bad public opinion, but who would have thought it would turn around like this?!

When was the last time we hit a 20% viewership rating?! Hey! Shinjo! Snap out of it!

-(Laugh) Everyone must have been curious about Kang Woojin

-I don't get the fuss about Kang Woojin? Didn't see much charm, wish he'd stop coming to Japan!

- Comments like yours are what harm people

-I saw Kang Woojin's Youtube!! Totally shocked!! He sings so well!! Incredible!!!!!!!!

-Hwalin and Kang Woojin their chemistry was good

-His Japanese is really good? You can tell he put in a lot of effort.

-Yeah, he would sound natural even delivering lines in Japanese

-Oppose!! Oppose Kang Woojin!!!

-I've started to like Kang Woojin, especially the scene where he does sign language. Going up to the boy and using sign language isn't that cool?

.

.

.

.

Of course, not all opinions had turned positive, but many changes were evident. The most influential aspect was.

-Guys, am I the only one wondering why Kang Woojin speaks Japanese so well, and even knows Japanese sign language????

Indeed, his fluent Japanese and sign language skills had made a strong impact. The next day, on the 17th, the official viewership rating for Ame-talk Show!' was announced in Japan.

Kang Woojin's Ame-talk Show!' Episode Hits Official Viewership of 20.4%

Indeed, the impact of a 20% Ame-talk Show!' episode was significant. The influx related to Kang Woojin surged several times over.

The situation was similar in Korea.

For about two days.

Even in Korea, the Ame-talk Show!' episode featuring Kang Woojin was illegally uploaded on websites.

However,

Film Industry Expert: It Seems About 70% of the Investment for The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger' Has Been Pulled Out

The crisis surrounding The Eerie Sacrifice of a Stranger' in Japan remained.

21st, morning. Suwon.

Located in Suwon was KBC's drama production center, essentially a large filming set. The KBC Production Center was divided into internal and external areas, indicating its considerable size. Inside the center, various sets were visible in each section, with numerous lights hanging from the ceiling.

At one of these sets, cameras and various audio equipment were already being set up.

No!! Not that light! The one at the back!!

Ah! I'll correct it right away!

Set team! There's a creaking noise from this door!

That's intentional! The PD wants it to sound like that!!

Over 50 staff members were bustling around. The set resembled the hallway of a luxurious apartment.

At that moment,

Art team! The PD is looking for you!!

The PD called for the art team. The familiar-looking PD had a script titled Freezing Love' tucked into his back pocket.

So, this was the set of Freezing Love'.

At that very moment,

-Creak!

Outside in the parking lot, a foreign car, a red one, pulled up. A woman with eye-catching earrings stepped out of the car. It was the star writer, Lee Wol-seon.

Interestingly,

-Thud!

As she closed the car door and turned her head, she caught sight of a van that had just parked nearby and smiled broadly.

Specifically,

Woojin-ssi, you're here early?

Ah- yes. Hello, writer-nim.

From the van stepped out Mysterious Man Next Door'. Or rather, Kang Woojin, who would be participating in the filming of Freezing Love' for about the next two days.

Meanwhile, in a somewhat dim editing room.

Numerous monitors, various equipment, and audio gear hung on the walls. The scene in the editing room was as usual, but the atmosphere was generally subdued. The room seemed to lack energy.

There were about a handful of people in the editing room. Among them, a familiar man stood out.

Phew- Ah, finally.

It was director Shin Dong-chun with dark circles under his eyes. As he leaned back in his chair, he then patted the shoulders of the surrounding editors and pulled out his phone to make a call, reaching out to Netflix Korea.

Ah- Executive Director-nim.

It was Executive Director Kim So-hyang, and Director Shin Dong-chun spoke with a slight smile on his lips.

It's all done, the post-production.

The editing had just finished. In other words, Male Friend', which included the intense first scene, various OSTs, and scenes involving Han In-ho', was now complete.

Please set the date.

It meant that only the launch was left.

*****

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