It’s already old news that I became the lead of this drama through connections.
To be honest, it’s not a wrong statement.
Didn’t Heavenly Yuah throw in production fees to get me cast in this drama?
If giving both production funds and a lead role isn’t connection peddling, then what is it?
In situations like this, the model answer would be something like:
“There’s no such thing; I earned the role through my skills,” or “Judge my acting yourself,” or “I’ll prove it through my performances.” Stuff like that.
But do I really need to do that?
Whatever I say, that reporter will write whatever they please. And whatever they write, in a few days, everyone will know the truth.
In that case, I might as well stir up some controversy.
Don’t people who criticize me for getting in through connections at least intend to watch the drama?
They’ll have to watch it to criticize how bad I am as the lead because of my connections.
If there were more time before the drama aired, I’d be more cautious, but there are only three days left.
In this business, results are what matter. If the results are good, people will reassess no matter what.
Right now, it’ll probably lead to headlines like “Pressure from the investor and production company? Lead actor involved in casting, Heavenly Yuah.”
Or even ” parachuted lead? A drama production plagued by connections, is this okay?”
But if the results are good, Heavenly Yuah will be re-evaluated as a “top star with top-notch insight” or something similar.
—
“But isn’t it really through connections?”
“And he just admits to it like that?”
“What on earth is going on?”
When I simply admitted it, the room began to buzz.
It seems they didn’t expect me to respond like this.
Heavenly Yuah sighed and pinched her forehead, while Moon Suyeon was shaking her head side-to-side.
Nam Hyun-ho was trying his best to suppress a burst of laughter, likely finding this situation hilarious.
And Leon was staring at me with a pale face, as if wondering how such a person could exist. He looked like someone who would avoid me from now on.
Whatever.
At least I’ve successfully drawn attention.
—
Right after the press conference, just as I returned to the office, there was a summons from the president with a fairly serious warning.
The reasons were two-fold.
First, I acted on impulse without prior discussion.
Second, my comments could negatively affect Heavenly Yuah’s image.
Upon reflection, they were valid points.
This matter ultimately involved Heavenly Yuah, so I should have considered her position before my own.
Of course, I believe in my acting, and the filming went smoothly, yet the fact that she involved herself in the casting could still be an issue.
At first glance, it appears as if Heavenly Yuah used her popularity to exert undue influence.
To nitpick, what’s really the issue with investors being involved in casting? But it seems Flame Production doesn’t intend to disclose the fact that Heavenly Yuah invested in this drama.
If that’s the case, then I did indeed make a mistake.
“Well, it’s fine. Involvement in casting is true.”
“…Is that so?”
“The lead actor’s bad acting can cause stress. Such candidates need to be filtered out somehow.”
“In any case, I was reckless this time.”
Upon apologizing to Heavenly Yuah, she surprisingly casually agreed.
She detests casting unskilled actors as leads, so she prefers to block them early in the casting process.
And if people don’t like it, they can just not use her.
She’s no ordinary actress.
“Still, I think you should avoid sudden actions in the future, for your own good rather than anyone else’s.”
“…I’ll try.”
Also, Heavenly Yuah said I should avoid being reckless in the future.
Unintentionally causing trouble for others, I acknowledged this time.
“You idiot. You’re seriously abnormal.”
“That’s why I didn’t want to hear that from my senior.”
“Still, don’t lose confidence. The effect was immediate. You really drew attention.”
“Yes?”
“Yeah, as soon as the press conference footage was posted, chaos ensued.”
Because many people took an interest, many viewed the press conference footage.
Some criticized me as a newcomer inexplicably cast as the lead due to connections.
Others defended me, noting that Heavenly Yuah, known for her discerning eye for acting talent, wouldn’t have recommended someone who isn’t skilled.
Still others remained neutral, insisting that we need to see the acting first.
“But the truly keen observers are different.”
“…What’s ‘keen’?”
“Look here. This guy figured out you’re crazy right from your debut old man makeup as a 70-year-old.”
“…Ugh.”
“Also, there are people referencing old incidents. They said the umbrella incident was pure madness.”
“People still remember that.”
“Anyway, people are starting to recognize your abnormality.”
I was simply honest, but now I’m branded as crazy.
It’s hard to shake off the feeling that this is somehow unfair.
Now I understand why entertainers always wear masks.
But with the community buzzing this much, more people will probably watch our drama, so it’s not all bad.
What truly matters in the end is the drama’s box office success.
This noise marketing, which inconvenienced Heavenly Yuah, must deliver results; otherwise, it’d be too embarrassing.
—
Finally, the release day for “Gold Rush, Joseon” arrived.
Episodes one through six aired all at once, and within just a day, an immense number of views were already logged, pushing it up the Finesse weekly rankings.
—
The steam punk aspect of the drama was the first to gain attention.
“What a kill with steam punk! How much did they spend on CG?”
“They’re finally making dramas like this in Korea.”
“Even zombies pop out in Joseon, but I never thought of steam.”
The steam punk background received high praise because of the considerable effort put into the background CG.
“Joseon Gold Rush” was criticized for poor CG, but this drama couldn’t be more different.
Apparently, the investment shows results in this domain.
—
“Violet’s outfit? It’s insane, really, over-the-top.”
Violet, played by Heavenly Yuah, drew rave reviews from the start, pulling out a gatling gun in the first episode and establishing her strong personality.
—
“Damn, Heavenly Yuah. Is she on gatling gun steroids?”
“She’s the crazy one in the area, no doubt about it!”
“Black Dragon Fire!!!”
Of course, she can’t be beaten.
A golden-haired beauty with gatling gun firepower—doesn’t that sound like a dream?
To not meet the expectations set for her character would mean the actor isn’t up to the task, and this is Violet played by none other than Heavenly Yuah.
—
“Wow, Luna… I’m truly impressed.”
“I can’t believe this legendary figure shares the same gender as the maggots in my house.”
“The Seven-String Zither Dance scene is truly legendary.”
Moon Suyeon also sparked a lot of discussions.
Scenes such as her first meeting with Lee Myung under the moonlit riverbank where she sings, or the scene where she dances while he plays the seven-string zither.
They were scenes I myself marveled at while filming, so naturally, my head nods in affirmation.
She was truly legendary when it came to dancing and singing.
—
“Wasn’t the seven-string zither scene played by White Siu himself?”
“…Is that reasonable? Sure, for the guitar or piano, but that the actor played the seven-string zither?”
“Video link. Watch it and understand.”
A behind-the-scenes feature was released to coincide with the drama’s airing.
The seven-string zither scene was almost fully revealed, setting ablaze various drama community forums.
The scene itself was already stunning, but its impact was magnified due to the high quality of the “Moonlit Lady” piece that I performed.
—
“Isn’t this some actor playing the seven-string zither…”
“This guy just doesn’t follow normal rules, does he?”
I acknowledged that creating this controversial atmosphere also increased the drama’s popularity.
“Hey, looks like I might lose the crazy guy spot in this area. Do I need to step it up?”
That annoying Nam Hyun-ho next to me was as aggravating as ever.
—
“…Is this how connections work?”
“This is how connections work correctly.”
“If the civil service exam went like this, Goryeo wouldn’t have fallen.”
My own reassessment was also progressing smoothly.
One of the most talked-about scenes in the early part was the seven-string zither dance scene, with much credit due to me, as well as the one-on-one action scenes with Nam Hyun-ho, and the pursuit scene in Hanyang, where my decent action scenes unveiled my true worth.
The tender romance between Wolhee and Lee Myung gained good reviews from female audiences.
“The way Lee Myung gazes at Wolhee is so sweet, yet heart-wrenching.”
Because of this, I unintentionally spoiled the drama.
Many viewers felt that the chemistry between the two was great, but had a bad feeling about it.
Though the latter half, six episodes, haven’t been released yet, most people already sensed it.
I believe this was my mistake.
I should have paid more attention during the early parts, but unfortunately, that was when my attention was diverted by Moon Enter’s business.
Fortunately, even such performances have been highly praised.
But going forward, I should focus on the acting at the scene.
Just getting reassessed this early on feels somewhat premature.
The real action is mostly in the later episodes, and Wolhee’s death scene is also scheduled for the back half.
The most important things haven’t aired yet, yet the reassessment is already over?
Of course, there were also people advocating caution, suggesting that normal acting isn’t proof yet.
Isn’t plain acting often the hardest, though?
I’m rather curious how these people will react if they watch the entire drama.
The most fierce critic of my connection-based entry was Kim Byung-soo, the reporter from Daily News who questioned me at the press conference.
Had he just written a factual article, things would have been better, but it seemed as though he fabricated a story.
He mentioned things like how the drama would fail since the lead got in through connections or how we’ll see robot-like acting.
Did this guy not watch the Elder Yoon performance?
In any case, an extensive, provocative article was published, resulting in more people accessing the site to leave nasty comments as my acting began to receive proper recognition.
Especially the reporter, Kim Byung-gi, was forcibly renamed to Kim ByungX, so I imagine his stomach isn’t doing well, right?
Or does he enjoy it? After all, even visits to criticize are counted as clicks.
Still, it’s his fault somewhat, being known for writing unusual articles.
Especially when dealing with newcomers, he tends to be more provocative.
Rising star fans would recognize Kim Byung-soo universally.
“Kim’s gone crazy again.” Seems like it’s an in-joke among entertainment community members.
In any case, yellow journalism remains yellow journalism everywhere.
