Chapter 141: Public Opinion Before Broadcast
Chapter 141
"Doesn't this situation seem familiar?" Lin Yuan asked his agent.
Feng nodded in deep agreement.
It's roughly like "Linlang" is to "The Powerful Minister", "The Immortal" is to "Thousand Mountains", and now it's like "Moon Shadow Starfish" is to "Mandala".
Director Zhuo Yuan and screenwriter Zhong Jiangyu of "Moon Shadow Starfish" are a well-known golden duo in the industry. They are from the same school but have taken different career paths. As a result, Zhong Jiangyu understands Zhuo Yuan's ideas and can always write stories that satisfy Zhuo Yuan, while Zhuo Yuan can always present the stories written by Zhong Jiangyu in the best way.
Before video websites emerged, the two collaborated to create numerous viewership miracles.
In recent years, Zhong Jiangyu's writing skills may have declined somewhat, but compared to the average level in the industry, the collaboration between Zhong Jiangyu and Zhuo Yuan is still top-notch.
"Moon Shadow Starfish" is a masterpiece that Qingxi Video has poured its efforts into. It is adapted from the representative work of a well-known female writer in the 1940s. It tells the story of the ups and downs of a young couple in a chaotic world, their ideals and reality, poverty and indulgence, aging and regret. It can be said that Zou Yueying and Gu Haixing are a couple that are remembered by countless viewers.
This is why Qingxi Video insisted on inviting Zhong Jiangyu and Zhuo Yuan to come out of retirement—ordinary industry partners cannot adapt a story like "Moon Shadow Starfish".
"Mandala" just happened to clash with "Moon Shadow Starfish".
With other works, it wouldn't be a big deal if it ran into something like that. However, with the opponent being "Moon Shadow Starfish", the fate of "Mandala" seems to be sealed.
The male and female leads of "Moon Shadow Starfish" are both actors who have close working relationships with Qingxi Video. The male lead, Ou Kai, has worked with Qingxi Video several times before, while the female lead, Wu Yao, did not have much fame for several years after her debut, but later became a big hit with a drama produced by Qingxi Video.
Considering that "Moon Shadow Starfish" is a mega-project, Qingxi Video didn't even choose the young actors and actresses signed with the platform, but instead cast actors like Ou Kai and Wu Yao who had already achieved success.
While the young actors and actresses promoted by the platform may have popularity, they may not be able to handle a big project like "Moon Shadow Starfish".
In conclusion, "Moon Shadow Starfish" is coming on strong, embodying Qingxi Video's ambition and aspirations.
In comparison, the Mandala is indeed at a disadvantage.
Aside from the male lead Lin Yuan, the female lead Shi Ran and the supporting actress Yuan Yuan are only considered second-tier actresses in the industry. "Mandala" is not a project with a huge investment; it can only be considered one of the projects that the platform barely favors.
If they were completely pessimistic, AIR Video and Xingyao Video wouldn't need to both try to acquire "Mandala".
Of course, "Mandala" isn't as bad as the public opinion makes it out to be, but in terms of scale, it certainly can't compare to a behemoth like "Moon Shadow Starfish".
...
"Mandala" is scheduled to air on January 5th.
The old story of Lin Yuan and Qingxi's video call is no longer mentioned by many people. As Wink's popularity declines year by year, the glory of "Tomorrow's Star" has become a thing of the past.
Back when Wink was at the height of its popularity and its members were all thriving, the media and marketing accounts would tirelessly mention "Star Road to Tomorrow," and various program production teams would often broadcast clips from "Star Road to Tomorrow."
Now, whether Lin Yuan is on a TV show promoting his drama or giving an interview, when talking about his rise to fame, the program teams always start with "Thousand Mountains". If it were earlier, they might mention "Tomorrow's Tomorrow". No one would be so tactless as to broadcast anything related to "Tomorrow's Star".
Although "Tomorrow's Star" wasn't exactly Lin Yuan's Achilles' heel, it wasn't something that made him happy either. Since he had agreed to appear on the show, the production team wouldn't cause him any trouble.
However, many marketing accounts are aware that Lin Yuan and Qingxi Video have no pleasant past—Lin Yuan has even collaborated with Xingyao Video, a platform that strongly promoted Ji Xiaming and Ye Liuchuan, yet in the years since he became popular, he has had no overt interaction with Qingxi Video, which is enough to explain their relationship.
Qingxi Video single-handedly destroyed Lin Yuan's chance to debut, causing him to be in a slump for several years. In the subsequent "Come Travel," the platform gave Geng Yue enormous authority. Although Geng Yue's agency contributed more by kicking He Xun out, the platform should not have done nothing.
"After all, Lin Kangaroo is a person with a temper."
"However, I think 'Mandala' is really in trouble this time. How can it compete with 'Moon Shadow Starfish'? I see absolutely no chance of success."
"Zhuo Yuan and Zhong Jiangyu are too authoritative. They've never made a mistake, right? In my impression, Zhuo Yuan is a bit better. He can make an 8-point script look like a 10-point script. In this respect, I guess 'Mandala' can't compare."
“The Mandala is bound to lose.”
"Actually, I've always been very optimistic about Lin Yuan. No matter how much people were pessimistic about 'The Powerful Minister' and 'Major Cases,' I always stood by Lin Yuan. But now... 'Moon Shadow Starfish' is no ordinary competitor after all."
"I look forward to this moment."
"Upstairs, it's not...you..."
"Can Lin Yuan only succeed and not fail? Is this some kind of unspoken rule? I still remember how Lin Yuan's fans bragged when 'The Powerful Minister' became a hit. 'Lin Lang' isn't exactly a big production, is it? Lin Yuan's fans wanted to throw a party to celebrate winning this drama. This time, we've finally met our match. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."
"+1, hahaha, the 'Mandala' production team even said that Lin Yuan's first work in a long time is coming out, lol, how long has it been? But the entertainment industry changes too fast, your Lin Yuan is no longer so effective."
"As a fan of Geng Yue, I sincerely look forward to that day. Lin Yuan has caused so many people to be stuck at home picking their toes without any acting opportunities. Shouldn't he learn his lesson?"
"@AIR Video, it's still not too late to reschedule 'Mandala'! Hahahaha, I'm so happy."
It's worth mentioning that "Mandala" had its release date changed midway through; it was originally scheduled for November.
There weren't any big productions airing during that period; it was just that the platform hadn't coordinated the timing properly. But as "Mandala" was scheduled for January, a rumor began circulating online that "Mandala" had deliberately changed its release date to avoid "Smoke of War," only to clash with "Moon Shadow Starfish," which had been moved up at the last minute and decided to be Qingxi Video's major drama of the year.
Qingxi Video has also had a mediocre year in recent years, without producing any hit dramas. By releasing "Moon Shadow Starfish" at the beginning of the year, they hope to get off to a good start for the year.
Netizens who were pleased to see the two clash claimed that the "Mandala" production team had ended up losing more than they gained by trying to steal a chicken.
The crew of "Mandala": "..."
To be honest, nobody had that thought.
The production team did consider adjusting the release date, but after negotiating with the platform, they decided not to change it.
Adjusting the schedule is already quite stressful and can affect viewers' perception of the show. Rather than making a last-minute change that invites ridicule, it's better to just go for it.
Even though the release date has been changed, it doesn't mean that "Mandala" won't encounter other problems in the new release date. If the quality of the series is good enough, there will definitely be viewers.
Lin Yuan was very confident about this.
He decided to take on the role after seeing the script, and Lin Yuan also put a lot of effort into the character of Han Shen in this drama.
As an actor, Lin Yuan also looks forward to Han Shen meeting the audience soon so that they can give a more objective evaluation.
"Moon Shadow Starfish" may have a huge investment cost and a strong cast—this is beyond doubt, Lin Yuan has already seen it. The supporting cast of "Moon Shadow Starfish" consists of veteran actors who are among the best in the industry.
However, the themes of "Mandala" and "Moon Shadow Starfish" do not overlap. The problems pointed out in "Mandala" are also present in "Moon Shadow Starfish". Its original work determined that it was not a comedy story. The joys and sorrows of the characters are presented in the play, and the final ending is melancholic.
In comparison, the revenge process in "Mandala" is at least quite satisfying.
Anyway, the schedule was already set. From the day the broadcast was confirmed, the main actors of "Mandala" dutifully forwarded and promoted it on their Weibo pages. Lin Yuan, Shi Ran, and Yuan Yuan even booked a variety show, and he had to take leave in the middle to promote the drama.
AIR Video also provided "Mandala" with good promotional resources. The marketing materials were ready, and the platform gave "Mandala" the best promotional position. Lin Yuan personally felt that "Mandala" was treated quite well.
Of course, this is far inferior to "Moon Shadow Starfish".
Even before the series premiered, Qingxi Video had already heavily promoted "Moon Shadow Starfish" during its own New Year's Eve gala. The offline promotional resources were countless, including subway screens, bus advertisements, and social media platforms. Even when Lin Yuanyuan was filming "Bloody Past", large promotional posters for "Moon Shadow Starfish" could be seen.
The production team also collaborated with the original novel, releasing a new deluxe edition of "Moon Shadow Starfish" along with related merchandise. Lin Yuan's frequently used social media platforms have recently been pushing "Moon Shadow Starfish" related content on their homepages, encouraging netizens to participate in discussions about the tragic love story of Zou Yueying and Gu Haixing.
"Mandala" and "Moon Shadow Starfish" aired on the same day.
The day before, a marketing account posted a comparison of the daily search volume of the two dramas—"Moon Shadow Starfish" was far ahead, eight times that of "Mandala".
"The 'Mandala' is in danger, and the Lin Yuan effect doesn't seem to be working anymore."
Lin Yuan: "..."
He was actually looking forward to the marketing accounts explaining to him, the person involved, what the "Lin Yuan effect" meant.
When did he start to have an effect on this kind of thing?
Regardless of what anyone says now, Lin Yuan himself believes that the success of "The Powerful Minister" and "Major Cases" was due to luck, with no other factors.
On January 5th, "Mandala" and "Moon Shadow Starfish" were officially broadcast.
Despite the lively online discussions, the production team of "Moon Shadow Starfish" didn't actually take "Mandala" seriously.
It wasn't that the production team was arrogant; it's just that "Moon Shadow Starfish" had such a large investment, with copyright fees alone costing a fortune. The production team simply couldn't tolerate failure.
Therefore, the entire crew of "Moon Shadow Starfish" focused all their energy on themselves and had no time to pay attention to the crew of "Mandala" or other competitors.
For the crew of "Moon Shadow Starfish", winning over the audience is the most important thing right now.
Marketing accounts are hyping up the conflict between the production teams of "Moon Shadow Starfish" and "Mandala," but both sides remain quite calm.
The only one that took action was Qingxi Video – the night before the broadcast of "Moon Shadow Starfish", Qingxi Video inexplicably pushed the debut night live stream of "Tomorrow's Star Road" to its homepage.
This way, netizens will have the opportunity to appreciate how Lin Yuan failed.
However, for Lin Yuan's fans, this was not a provocation at all; on the contrary, it made them feel that Lin Yuan was young and tender at that time.
"It's crispy and looks delicious."
"Who would have thought that Lin Yuan, who was like this, would become a professional pervert a few years later?"
"He didn't play that many perverts, just a little bit. I have to say, Lin Yuan's aura has been amazing these past few years."
For Lin Yuan, posting the debut night video of "Tomorrow's Star" wasn't really a form of punishment.
That was just to prove how amazing he is, and incidentally to highlight the contrast between Wink's past and present.
Wink's fans will be even angrier.
As expected, Qingxi Video's attempt to gain an advantage backfired. Ye Liuchuan and Xie Yu, who had already lost their presence in the entertainment industry and quietly faded into obscurity, were instead ridiculed even more by Qingxi Video's actions.
For the production team of "Moon Shadow Starfish", Qingxi Video did not bring any benefits, at least not in terms of increasing popularity.
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Author's Note: Update! [Kiss][Kiss]
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