As a low-budget web drama with only 15 episodes, Tencent can be said to have given enough face to "Beginning".
The pre-promotion started several months ago and until the beginning of last month, promotional resources for the drama were concentrated on various channels, and almost all the main advertising space on the platform during this period was reserved for this drama.
But it is normal for Tencent to do this.
Although "The Beginning" has a few episodes, it is a TV series in which "Noon Sunshine" and Gu Wei collaborate again. This alone has attracted the expectations of countless viewers.
During the early promotion, everyone knew that "The Beginning" was a modern drama with a relatively alternative theme. Everyone was curious about what kind of sparks "Noon" and Gu Wei could create after working together on classic dramas such as "Nirvana in Fire" and "The Story of Minglan".
Zhao Jinmai and Gu Wei, the brother and sister duo from "The Wandering Earth", reunited in the TV series, which also made netizens speculate what their relationship would be in "The Beginning".
Are they still “brother and sister” or become “lovers”?
At 8 pm on the 4th, [Beginning] was officially launched.
The update rule set by Tencent is to update 4 episodes on the first day, and then members can watch 2 episodes every Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 pm, while non-members can only watch one episode a day and finish it by Friday.
".How's the data?"
At the headquarters of Tencent Video, the project team in charge of [Beginning] is still working overtime.
A middle-aged man in his forties with a beer belly and a slightly bald head asked his subordinates in front of the computer.
Although he knew that [Beginning] had a high chance of becoming a huge success, Liu Chuang, as the project manager, was still a little nervous when the time came.
This drama is undoubtedly the company's key project this year and the big drama to start the year.
The company's senior management attaches great importance to this drama, and most of them are optimistic that "The Beginning" can become a hit at the beginning of 2022, which will be a good start for Tencent Video's development this year.
Today is the first day of the TV series' premiere, and he is ready to work overtime until late at night just to be able to report the first-hand data of "The Beginning" to his leader at tomorrow's meeting.
“The data has been rising since the show started at 8 o’clock.
The backend shows that the number of views and discussions has been increasing, and the overall popularity is about to break 20,000! "
The young man wearing glasses answered without turning his head while sitting in front of the computer.
"very good!
It's only been airing for less than an hour, and judging by the current data, [Beginning] can already be called a hit."
Manager Liu patted the back of his subordinate's chair and breathed a sigh of relief.
"How are the reviews going? Are there a lot of positive reviews?"
“I took a quick look and it had a lot of good reviews.
At this time, most viewers have only watched a little over one episode, and the comments section is mostly filled with anticipation and praise! "
"Based on the current data trends, can the overall popularity of [Beginning] tonight reach 30,000?"
"It's very likely that if the growth momentum can be maintained, the popularity will exceed 30,000 before midnight!"
Manager Liu nodded, walked back and forth in their group's office lobby, and clapped his hands to attract everyone's attention.
"[Beginning] is online tonight. Everyone, please work hard. If this drama becomes a hit, everyone in our team will get a good bonus!
What do you want to drink? Milk tea or coffee? Just tell Xiao Sun, it's my treat!
“Thank you, manager!”
"Thank you, Boss!"
After the first day, [Beginning] was a hit as expected.
#【Beginning】The popularity of the first broadcast exceeded 30,000! #
#【Beginning】Canon#
#Who is the real murderer? #
Entries such as "The Last Dance" and "The Last Dance" rushed to the hot search list, and the discussion volume of various topics related to the TV series increased sharply.
The internet is full of discussions about this suspenseful web drama, and 180,000 people on Douban gave "The Beginning" a high score of 8.7.
[Beginning] When the show first aired, many viewers watched it because of Gu Wei's popularity.
But after watching two episodes of the TV series, everyone's focus was no longer on who the leading actor was, but they were completely attracted by the plot and immersed in the drama, following Gu Wei and Zhao Jinmai to explore the truth and find the real murderer of the bus explosion.
[It looks good, super good looking!]
This should be the first domestic drama about time and space loops, right?
Every character has high IQ, logical logic and good acting skills, which really shocked me!
I just hope it doesn't end badly. If it maintains this quality and is more complete, I'll give it my all! 】
[Gu Wei's productions are always of high quality. My brother's dramas are always of high quality and good quality! ]
I'm writing this review after watching all six episodes in one sitting. It's absolutely amazing! This is one of the best-paced dramas I've seen in recent years. The duo of Gu Wei and Zhao Jinmai is truly fantastic, and the plot is thrilling. I hope the second half maintains that quality!
[From "Life of Pi", "The Wandering Earth" to the current "Beginning", it feels like Mai Mai has grown into a big girl all of a sudden, young and cute!
The names of the male and female protagonists have the meaning of "a crane flies above the clouds in the clear sky, bringing poetry to the blue sky". Will they be together in the end?
I think the driver's identity must be extraordinary, because he's played by Huang Jue!
I've been watching "The Beginning" for a few days now, and it's really left a lasting impression on me. Whenever this music plays, I feel like something's about to explode!
[Beginning] A week after the launch, Gu Wei had a video conference with Zhao Jinmai at his home in Beijing to promote the product.
“.I took on [Beginning] mainly because of the subject matter and the script.
At the Magnolia Awards two years ago, when I was chatting with Mr. Hou of Noon Sunshine, he said that Noon was preparing a low-budget web drama.
Although the investment is not large, the subject matter is particularly novel.
The director is also an acquaintance, Director Sun Molong, with whom I had previously worked on "Nirvana in Fire".
At first I refused because my schedule was very full and I had almost no time to take on this drama.
However, Mr. Hou insisted that I read the script before making a decision.
After reading the script, I actually changed my mind."
"What about Mai Mai? How did you get this role?"
After Gu Wei finished speaking, the host asked Zhao Jinmai.
"As for me, I received the invitation directly from the crew.
It was quite strange at first, as I had never worked with Noon Sunshine before and was not familiar with them.
Later they said it was my brother who recommended me!"
Zhao Jinmai on the other side of the screen looked very casual in her home clothes. Judging from the surrounding situation, she should be in the crew's hotel room.
A few days ago, she met Gu Wei and said that she was filming "Life of Pi 2" in Hainan, and it should not be finished yet.
"Then how did Brother Wei come up with the idea of having Mai Mai play the leading female role?"
“Because it’s appropriate.
The "Li Shiqing" in the script is 20 years old, with a pure appearance and a kind personality, and all of her characteristics are exactly the same as Mai Mai.
It just so happened that she was a freshman in college when we were filming last year. Li Shiqing was chosen by heaven!
Listening to Gu Wei's words, Zhao Jinmai on the other side of the camera smiled and felt very happy.
"The facts have proven that Mai Mai not only has the right image in every aspect, but is also dedicated and hardworking, and his acting skills are outstanding.
What impressed me most was when we were filming a scene where Li Shiqing was hit by a motorcycle. In order to achieve the desired effect, Mai Mai insisted on filming it more than ten times, falling to the ground again and again.
The director and crew members all felt sorry for her and recognized her even more."
After Gu Wei finished speaking, Zhao Jinmai waved her hands a little embarrassedly: "It's not that exaggerated.
The other senior actors in the main crew all have excellent acting skills, such as Brother Wei, Mr. Liu Yijun, and Mr. Huang Jue.
I don’t want to fall behind, so I have to work harder.”
After the two answered some more questions, the host asked a question that all fans in the live broadcast room were interested in.
"Mai Mai is working with Brother Wei for the second time. What kind of person is he in your mind?
If you were to look for a boyfriend in the future, would you choose someone like him?"
After the host asked the question, fans in the live broadcast room flooded the screen with messages.
"Maimai is a grown-up girl now!"
"I didn't expect that Gu Wei could be Jinmailang. I always thought they were a good match as brother and sister."
"That's great. Mai Mai has grown up, and she and Gu Wei look like a perfect match!"
"[The Beginning] was quite sweet, but influenced by [The Wandering Earth], these two always have an orthopedic feeling."
Zhao Jinmai thought carefully and said, "Actually, before I started working with Brother Wei, I was his fan.
When I was in middle school, I especially liked watching his dramas. "Love O2O" and "Swords of Legends" were my favorites.
Later, we collaborated for the first time on "The Wandering Earth". After meeting him in person, I felt like my idol floating in the sky had landed.
We were filming together, and after the filming he would tutor me in my homework.
At this time, his image in my mind became more down-to-earth, like a big brother next door.
By the time we filmed [The Beginning], we were already very familiar with each other, and the image we had in our minds hadn’t changed much.
As for finding a boyfriend in the future, I haven’t thought about it yet.
Because my current focus is on study and work.
But if there really is a guy as good as my brother, I wouldn't consider him."
Zhao Jinmai's answer was quite standard and there was almost nothing wrong with it.
But at the end, she recalled the kissing scene with Gu Wei when filming "The Beginning", and her face turned slightly red.
Next, the host asked the two some questions from the audience and finally ended the live broadcast.
After waving goodbye to Zhao Jinmai and his fans, Gu Wei closed the software and shut his laptop.
"That little sister of yours obviously has a crush on you!"
A female voice came. Liu Yifei was sitting opposite Gu Wei, crossing her legs, drinking water and flipping through something.
"How is that possible? Mai Mai is still a little girl."
Gu Wei stood up and sat over, putting his arm around the other person's waist without any hesitation.
Originally, Liu Yifei had asked Gu Wei to have dinner with her today. After they finished their meal outside in the afternoon, Gu Wei suggested that they go to his house to rehearse the script of "Go Where the Wind Is" together.
Liu Yifei knew exactly what he was thinking, but she didn't point it out. After dinner, she followed him to his home in [Embassy No. 1 Courtyard].
Gu Wei just had a video call with her, and she listened to the whole thing, but she was sitting opposite him.
“Little girl?
I've also been following [Beginning] these days. Zhao Jinmai doesn't look like a little girl anymore. She should be in her 20s, right? "
Gu Wei thought for a moment and said, "Mai Mai should be exactly 20 years old this year."
"Twenty years old, the age of beauty!"
Liu Yifei sighed.
“It’s also the age when young girls are in love.
I remember that "The Wandering Earth" was filmed four years ago.
She knew you when she was 16, and then worked with you again when you were 20, playing a couple in a TV series. How could she not be moved?"
"Well, I really have always regarded Mai Mai as my younger sister."
Gu Wei was not lying about this. When he met Zhao Jinmai, she was not yet an adult. It was impossible for him to have any thoughts about her. He had always treated her as a sister for so many years.
"Hehe, you treat me as your sister, but I don't just treat you as my brother."
After Liu Yifei finished speaking, she turned over the laptop on the table and opened it.
"You should have Tengxun Video here, right?"
"Of course I have. Why?"
"At this time, today's two episodes of [Beginning] have been updated. Of course, I'm watching the show!"
Following Liu Yifei's request, Gu Wei turned on the computer again and clicked on the episode "Beginning" updated today.
"Hey, how about you tell me who the real culprit behind the bus bombing is?"
The theme song of the TV series was playing, and Liu Yifei pushed Gu Wei and asked.
Gu Wei laughed and said, "Do you know what people who watch dramas hate the most?"
"What?"
“Of course it’s a spoiler!
I definitely won't be the one being hated.
You can’t deprive me of the joy of watching the show!”
“Hmph~
Don’t tell me, I can guess it myself.”
"Then who do you think the murderer is?" Gu Wei asked curiously.
Liu Yifei thought for a moment and said, "It should be the bus driver.
Although he looks like a good person, what people say online is right, Huang Jue's role shows that the character itself is not simple.
I feel like he's the murderer!"
After she finished speaking, she blinked her big eyes and looked at Gu Wei: "How is it, right?"
Gu Wei nodded with a smile: "Well, that's not accurate."
“Inaccurate?
Who else could it be?"
"You'll find out when you watch it later. It just so happens that today's two episodes show the discovery of the real culprit."
In the two episodes aired today, the protagonists first tested "Ma Guoqiang", who had been imprisoned for killing someone.
It turned out to be a misunderstanding. The bag contained watermelons he brought from the countryside and he was going to the city to see his son.
In the second episode, when the two tried to test "Tao Yinghong" with the red bag again, they found out that "Auntie Guo" was the real culprit of the bus explosion. There was a pressure cooker filled with explosives in her red bag.
After finding the real murderer, Li Shiqing and Xiao Yunhe began to think of ways to prevent the explosion.
After the TV series was over, Liu Yifei suddenly realized.
“It turned out to be her. This character had a small presence in the first few episodes and was easily overlooked.
The murderer has been found by episode eight, so what's next?"
“It’s not difficult to find the murderer.
There are only a few people on the bus, and we will find them if we try them one by one.
The key is how to prevent the explosion after finding it, or even to isolate this period of time."
Liu Yifei nodded.
"I understand. According to the previous process of exploring the stories behind each suspect, there must be an unknown story behind this murderer.
The next few episodes will probably be about finding out why she blew up the bus and then trying to stop her!"
"clever!"
After saying this, Gu Wei lowered his head and kissed Liu Yifei on her clean face.
“It’s getting late, I’m going to take a shower, do you want to join me?
My jacuzzi is big and comfortable!"
Liu Yifei rolled her eyes: "Didn't you say you were leaving in two days and asked me to discuss the script of "Where the Wind Is"?
You haven’t even looked at the script yet.”
"We can still discuss the script when I get back.
I'm talking to you about the bathtub now, don't change the subject."
"I'm really impressed by you!"
Liu Yifei said this, but she still stood up and followed Gu Wei into the bathroom reluctantly. (End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
