Chapter 54: Character Design
casual phone call with Ji-seong just now. Their eyes sparkled as they watched her.And Sun Na-eun smiled with her lips pursed, her eyes fixed on her feet.Jung Eundae smiled beside him, without speaking...Looking at their phones, many forums still have a lot of Chi Jingyuan's own content, and EXO fans are spontaneously promoting his new drama in various ways.
Even before EXO debuted on the peninsula, they were already gaining a lot of attention and had a considerable fan base. However, after K-Team's debut on the peninsula didn't go as well as planned, they were constantly ridiculed by fans of senior groups from other companies and rival male idol groups who debuted around the same time. Outnumbered, EXO's fans could only remain hidden online, silently supporting their idols.
Although EXO-K's debut wasn't very smooth, the main reason was due to issues with the title song's style and clothing design. In fact, each member of the group has a lot of personal charm. After all, they are ** Entertainment's major boy group launched after seven years, and every member can be said to be the essence of the company's trainees.
Especially among them is Chi Jingyuan, a real fan magnet. He single-handedly elevates the entire group's fanbase to another level.
So, EXO actually has a lot of die-hard fans. A lot of fans like them not because their songs are good, but because they're handsome, or for other personal charms.
They were ridiculed after their debut, and they couldn't even get any gigs. However, the sales of their first mini album recently reached almost 180,000 copies, which proves that they are doing well.
This is a sales figure that most groups on the peninsula haven't been able to achieve. Currently, the top boy group Big Bang's mini-album "ALIVE" released in March has only sold about 270,000 copies.
Of course, groups from Big Bang or YG Entertainment tend to prioritize sound source and popularity rather than album sales.
But it can also shed light on some issues.
Currently, of all the male groups that have released albums this year on the peninsula, only a few top-tier first-line boy bands like SJ, TVXQ, and BIGBANG have sales that surpass EXO's.
However, sales figures are only one indicator of a group's popularity and not the whole picture. Other factors include music source streams, public awareness, fame, YouTube views, performance fees, and overall buzz, which all contribute to their overall popularity.
But this is also the reason why ** company, although temporarily putting EXO on hold, still believes in this group. They are very good at attracting die-hard fans who are willing to spend money on them. It proves that their underwhelming debut was only because the song wasn't good, not because they weren't talented.
This time, Chi Jingyuan's starring role in a television drama has brought all the long-dormant fans back to the surface.
These fans are actively posting on various forums, recommending Park Ji-won and the new drama "Reply 1997" as well as the group EXO to everyone they can. They're really putting in the effort.
Basically, during this period of time, you could see their presence on major forums.
Although this did achieve some publicity effect, it also easily caused resentment from passersby and fans of other groups. Many online forums became heated with conflict.
Ji Jingyuan saw a post on a forum where a fan from another group had been provoked by the promotions and specifically posted to berate him and EXO. His fans were frantically defending him in the comments, with several people engaging in a high-intensity verbal battle that lasted from evening until early morning before finally calming down.
The fighting on the forum continues.
The company didn't give any money to the fans, and these fans are like this, powering their love.
Besides parents and family, fans are truly a group of people who are unconditionally good to you without expecting anything in return.
"Jingyuan, what are you looking at"
Yin Zhiyuan took a small electric fan and walked to Chi Jingyuan's side, finding a stool to sit down.
"Zhi Yuan Ge ah, I'm reading some news."
Chi Jingyuan glanced at the newcomer and greeted him with a smile.
Yin Zhiyuan also played a major role as Tao Xukan in "Please Answer 1997" and had many scenes with Park Jeongwon.
This guy is quite interesting in private, and he still has a bit of childishness to him. His family background is also very good. When we first met, he seemed to know something about Ji Jingyuan's family background. He was very kind and polite when Ji Jingyuan bowed and greeted him.
After getting to know each other, I discovered that the two of us also have some similar hobbies. We both enjoy playing games and have a good time chatting. We're pretty familiar with each other now.
This older brother's age is significantly different from Ji Jingyuan's, so there's no competition between them. Therefore, their interactions are quite casual.
Another main character in the cast, Lee Ha-won's male idol group fite has a very obvious competitive relationship with EXO. The two are both male idols, one is the lead and the other is a supporting role, making it difficult for them to get close. They have been on set for so many days and have only greeted each other with smiles that seem business-like.
Unless it's a girl who truly catches his eye, Ji Jingyuan generally won't take the initiative to interact with people. He doesn't snub others' advances either; he's more of a passive socializer.
Unless he really likes or dislikes someone.
Yin Zhiyuan's facial features have a slightly youthful appearance. With makeup covering the wrinkles and slightly yellowish skin, he looks quite young. Considering he was born in 1978, it is evident that he can convincingly portray a high school student alongside Chi Jingyuan, who was born in 1994.
"Oh my, what's the point of watching the news There's nothing interesting happening lately. All they talk about is the same old stuff."
Yin Zhiyuan came over and said, "The Monster Hunter 3G you recommended to me last time, I bought one after I went back. It's quite interesting, but it's too difficult."
"ZhiYuan Ge, aren't you a gaming master"
Chi Jingyuan looked at him in confusion.
"Oh my, that's all just a persona! Are you new to the industry Companies do this kind of promotion so fans think they're more amazing. Just liking games doesn't make you a pro gamer. You like playing too, right Is your level high"
He waved his hand, giving a look of amusement towards Chi Jingyuan.
"Well, it's not amazing, but it's alright." Chi Jingyuan thought for a moment before replying.
"See, that's how it is..."
Yin Zhiyuan wore the expression of a seasoned veteran, pointed at Chi Jingyuan, and inquired probingly: "That hammer is really too useless. I got stuck on my second boss."
"Then you could just switch weapons, right"
Which one do you think is more user-friendly
To put it simply...
These two took advantage of their break time, they didn't rehearse lines or ponder their roles, and just recklessly discussed games.
"What are you so happy about"
Jung Eun-ji appeared out of nowhere, her eyes crinkled into smiles.
"How did you get here again Do you play games"
Chi Jingyuan gazed at her obliquely.
"If you don't play, you can't listen, right" Jung Eun-ji broke her composure in a second, glaring with wide eyes.
"If you don't know how to play, you shouldn't be here. You don't even understand the words and you're making a fuss about it"
With a look of disdain in his eyes, Chi Jingyuan glanced over and nodded.
"Slap."
Jeon Eun-ji directly slapped him on the thigh with a loud crack.
"Hiss..." Chi Jingyuan took a breath and rolled his eyes.
The force control is really good, the sound is loud, but it doesn't hurt.
This country girl from Busan became so comfortable that she didn't treat herself as an outsider anymore. It seemed like she had brought the character of Cheng Shiyuan she was playing into reality.
However, Jeong Eun-ji is also very aware of this and handles it well, showing closeness without being off-putting. The crew all really like her.
This also reflects Jung Eun Ji's intelligence, one can only say that she succeeds for a reason.
After a while, the conversation turned to the upcoming TV drama that was set to air in less than two weeks. In fact, many people on the crew were feeling anxious and on edge about it.
Published exclusively on the Traditional Chinese Novel Network.he didn't seem to have made any particularly close or intimate friends. The only person she mentioned a couple of times who was somewhat familiar was Song Min-young, a former dormmate.Last year, I cou...