Chapter 146 - A Huge Explosion Without a Doubt
Chapter 146
"Didn't something like this happen once in the TV series 'Major Crimes'?!"
"Who says Lin Yuan doesn't have influence?"
"I have to say that my parents both watched 'Mandala'. They thought that since Lin Yuan has never made a bad movie, 'Mandala' must be good. They actually guessed right."
That's the truth.
"That's the truth +1."
On this day, the popularity of "Mandala" soared to 14,362, but the increase was not particularly huge compared to the previous day.
However, for a TV series, a popularity score of over 13,000 and over 14,000 are completely different concepts.
With its popularity index exceeding 14,000, "Mandala" is sure to secure a place among the year's most popular dramas.
When Sangzi logged back onto the forum, those who were initially skeptical of "Mandala" had changed their tune.
"I didn't expect the popularity of 'Mandala'. It didn't seem like it would become a hit."
"Lin Yuan's career luck is really good; even 'Mandala' became a hit."
"It's a pity about 'Moon Shadow Starfish'. Actually, its quality is no worse than 'Mandala', it's just a bit slower. Although I prefer 'Moon Shadow Starfish' to the other one, I still wish Lin Yuan all the best."
These people spoke with a sour tone, tinged with resentment, which was exactly the effect Sangzi wanted.
Tsk, let's say something positive.
I didn't see you as particularly fond of "Moon Shadow Starfish" before, but after "Mandala" became a hit, I started to like "Moon Shadow Starfish" even more.
Tsk tsk tsk.
Those who were initially pessimistic about "Mandala" were ultimately unwilling to give up and began to analyze the reasons for its success.
The best time slot is right after New Year's Day, when viewers are eager to watch the show. As for the "shallow" plot, it only provides superficial stimulation to the audience.
"But this kind of stimulation is not deep, it is only superficial."
"Although 'Mandala' was a hit, it doesn't mean it's a good show for the audience."
Sang Zi: "..."
Can you please stop being so sarcastic?
Fortunately, there are still many voices supporting "Mandala" online.
Many critics have begun to analyze the entire story of "Mandala" in a comprehensive way.
These critics are not fans of "Mandala," but rather believe that the huge success of "Mandala" in a context where long-running dramas are gradually declining and historical romance dramas are losing popularity is enough to provide a reference for the entire industry.
The most striking feature of the Mandala is undoubtedly its rhythm.
"The pace of 'Mandala' is fast, but it is different from the pure and exciting pace of short dramas. It gives the audience time to build up their emotions, and then opens the floodgates when the audience's emotions reach their peak, allowing the audience's emotions to be completely released."
"The drama is full of character portrayals, such as the affection between siblings and their respective love affairs. 'Mandala' does not rely on agonizing over the emotional lines. Its emotional storylines are only briefly touched upon, yet they are enough to leave a deep impression on the audience. Giving Han Shen's love a tragic ending is clearly a stroke of genius in 'Mandala,' which clearly presents the images of the avenger and the good brother."
"Objectively speaking, the reason why Han Shen left a deep impression on the audience is because his character is outstanding. In recent years, many dramas produced in the industry have left me with the impression of focusing on character design rather than plot, but the character designs of those characters are not as rich as Han Shen's."
"In summary, there are also factors that actors cannot fully grasp the character design, but Lin Yuan has handled the role of Han Shen very well."
"In the drama 'Mandala,' Han Shen has many facets: an urban elite, a warm-hearted older brother, a stubborn avenger... All sorts of emotions are mixed together, which constitutes the complexity of this character. But Lin Yuan easily handles every facet of this character. When watching 'Mandala,' I was not distracted for a single minute, let alone lost in the drama. Every episode was over before I even realized it."
Critics have given "Mandala" very high praise.
When entertainment forums, drama critics, and ordinary viewers unanimously discuss "Mandala," and when nearly half of the top ten trending topics are related to "Mandala," the popularity of "Mandala" will only be pushed higher and higher.
Although "Mandala" is nearing its finale, it feels as if it's only just beginning to explode—
As discussions about "Mandala" grew, GVM began to assert its dominance, with its official Weibo account posting "...Lin Yuan wearing GVM Spring" every day as its first post.
Since signing Lin Yuan during the "Thousand Mountains" era, GVM has become a brand that many viewers remember growing up alongside Lin Yuan, with its presence growing stronger day by day.
Lin Yuan himself is a sunny and cheerful type, but most of the characters he plays are dark and bizarre. However, when these characters wear GVM costumes, they do not give people any sense of incongruity. This also makes GVM change from a mature men's clothing in the public's impression to a style that can be matched with any style.
During the airing of "Mandala", GVM's financial report was quite impressive.
Businesses that had signed contracts with the "Mandala" production team and Lin Yuan himself also launched their campaigns during this period, with slogans like "Watch 'Mandala,' use XX brand," and "XX shower gel invites you to watch 'Mandala'..."
Feng Zeng has been extremely busy lately. As Lin Yuan's agent, he is currently handling all of Lin Yuan's business deals. At this stage, the agent is making so much money that he can't keep up with the cash. He even occasionally has the thought that "making money is really tiring," and then he feels that he is too much like Versailles.
Lin Yuan already had many commercial projects, and the popularity of "Mandala" was just icing on the cake. However, for the two actresses in the drama, their career plans have undergone tremendous changes.
Shi Ran received her first invitation to a luxury brand's fashion show, and the brand plans to collaborate with her in the coming years.
She is an actress with a certain level of fame in the industry, but compared to some of the most popular actresses right now, her fame is not high enough. Generally speaking, only actresses who have reached the standard of being a rising star can receive invitations to fashion shows, and Shi Ran is clearly not qualified yet.
In addition, there are endorsement collaborations.
Over the past few years, Shi Ran's annual income has been very stable, with more than 80% coming from film and television fees, and less than 20% from commercial endorsements and collaborations. Objectively speaking, she does not have much commercial value.
But this year, it's only January, and her income is already expected to exceed that of the entire previous year.
It's not an exaggeration to describe it as getting rich overnight.
Classic invitations from platforms and TV stations, fashion shoots, interviews, variety shows...
The last time Lin Yuan saw Shi Ran, he noticed that her face looked much redder than the last time: "Did you use some new kind of cosmetic?"
"Do you want to apply it?" Shi Ran asked him.
Lin Yuan silently shook his head.
"I just slapped myself." As she spoke, Shi Ran slapped her face hard again, "to remind myself to stay awake."
She was caught off guard by the sudden windfall.
"I have to wear sunglasses when I go to the airport now."
Lin Yuan asked curiously, "We didn't need to wear them before."
"No need, nobody cares about me at all," Shi Ran said. "If I wore it back then, people would just think I was a show-off, like I thought I was some big shot."
Of course, the biggest change brought about by the popularity of "Mandala" is the script invitation.
Shi Ran is indeed the female lead in "Mandala," but the main plot of "Mandala" revolves around Han Shen, played by Lin Yuan, and Han Wen, played by Shi Ran, has far fewer scenes.
Given Han Wen's role in "Mandala," top-tier actresses in the industry generally wouldn't accept the role, even if the male lead is Lin Yuan.
But now, Shi Ran is receiving several more leading roles in dramas.
The company is now willing to promote her and let her try higher-level resources.
Before this, Shi Ran had never enjoyed such treatment.
The success of "Mandala" is largely attributed to Lin Yuan, but Shi Ran, as the female lead, also reaped considerable benefits, something she never dared to imagine before taking on the role.
...
In the final episode of "Mandala", Han Shen chose to turn himself in.
After Han Shen avenged himself, netizens made many guesses about the ending of "Mandala". Some guessed that Han Shen would wander the world and hide his whereabouts, while others guessed that Han Shen would choose to turn himself in. The option with the most votes was surprisingly guessing that Han Shen would choose to commit suicide.
The production team did not expect this outcome.
The explanation given by netizens is that the screenwriter provided the cruelest answer to Han Shen's emotional dilemma.
It's hard to guarantee that the screenwriter won't deliver another blow to the audience in the finale of "Mandala".
Anyway, you get used to it after a while, and the audience is almost desensitized.
The crew: "..."
It wasn't that cruel, just a tiny bit.
Han Shen ultimately chose to turn himself in, a decision that viewers initially accepted. However, halfway through the final episode, a comment appeared on the live chat—
"I'm going to send the screenwriter a knife!!!"
"After watching 'Mandala,' I realized how fragile I am psychologically. I'm speechless; I'm going to send the screenwriter a razor blade!!!"
In an instant, blades flew everywhere.
In fact, the ending of surrendering himself was within the audience's expectations. Although Han Shen was avenging his parents, he ultimately chose a more extreme method.
What viewers couldn't accept was that Han Shen brought happiness to everyone he loved and who loved him, except for himself.
At this moment, Han Shen had let go of everything he was carrying, shed his cold and hard exterior, and revealed his soft side.
But the more tender he became, the more heartbroken the audience felt.
Han Shen's eyes were filled with tenderness, because this might be the last time he would see his sister in his life.
If he hadn't experienced all that, if his parents hadn't died, he might have been living an incredibly happy life, instead of what he is now.
Audiences, accustomed to the cold, even cruel, Han Shen, naturally felt a lot of emotions upon seeing this side of him.
"Moon Shadow Starfish," which aired around the same time as "Mandala," evokes a sense of melancholy in the love between the main characters, just as the familial bond between the Han siblings does.
In the final episode, Han Shen cut his hair short, making him look incredibly clear-headed, just like the clear, bright sky.
The older brother gently stroked his younger sister's hair, revealing a helpless yet ingratiating smile, as if he were the one heading to prison, not the other way around, but his sister who was about to live an ordinary life and was crying uncontrollably.
Han Shen's revenge has been completed, and he has accomplished everything he wanted to do.
With no worries or burdens, he finally revealed a smile free of any pressure.
"Aa ...
"Where are the blades? I want to buy ten!!"
"I cried even louder than the day Han Shen broke up with me. Han Shen, oh Han Shen!!!"
"Just ask me what else I can watch after watching 'Mandala'? Can I find a better man than Han Shen? Han Shen in the last episode was so charming. Life, give the children a good ending."
The popularity of "Mandala" had already exceeded 14,000, and according to industry predictions, the popularity should rise even more in the final episode.
No one expected that on the night of the finale, the audience's tears almost flooded the trending topics.
The ending of "Mandala" is not a weak conclusion, nor does it have a major plot twist to frustrate the audience. Instead, it continues to keep the audience emotionally engaged.
Every step Han Shen took as he turned around struck the hearts of the audience with a resounding thud.
AIR video bullet comments, drama official Weibo comment section, actor comment section... blades covered the sky, accompanied by a chorus of wailing sounds.
The ensuing buzz was fueled by the popularity of the final episode of "Mandala".
No one expected it either.
15566!
On the drama popularity chart, "Mandala" is far ahead, with nearly 5,000 more popularity points than the second-place "Moon Shadow Star". Every scene of Han Shen is repeatedly reviewed by the audience.
Without a doubt, "Mandala" will be a huge hit!
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Author's Note: Here I am! [shy][shy][shy][shy]
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