Unbelievable and a Very Excellent PD (2)
It wasn't something you'd say out in the open, but PDs from the pre-2000s era were better at sniping rivals than mentoring juniors.
Ironically, that was largely why modern Korean dramas could find breakthroughs even if ratings started off weak.
Export deals, streaming revenue, or casting idols to squeeze cash from rabid fans—
All elements unimaginable back then.
'Just twenty years ago, a drama without ratings was straight-up trash. Viewers only had the big three broadcasters anyway.'
So the showdowns among drama PDs back then were like guillotine matches.
Winner takes glory, runner-up gets scolded, and the loser gets booted.
In that cutthroat world, securing top writers and stories mattered, but so did spotting rivals' weaknesses and directing shots to exploit them.
—And Go Beom-su, CP of Black Forest, had climbed to his position on that skill alone.
"King and Sovereign's weakness is budget! Those bastards can't scale up for shit!"
"Third-rate PD directing! Long-take battles? Hang a camera around a dog's neck and even it could film that crap!"
"The writer's a total newbie! That's why they can't deliver plot punches at key moments!"
To him, a survivor of the '90s apocalypse, King and Sovereign was a drama ripe for devouring, weaknesses everywhere.
Honestly baffling. Why the hell did we lose to that garbage?
Overlooking the overwhelming set with 3,000 extras, he grinned smugly.
'No way we lose.'
'What can one good actor do against this power!!'
And so...
Two weeks of overconfidence passed.
"Opening at 10, 10.5%..."
"......"
"......"
Silence fell.
All eyes in the KBC Black Forest conference room turned to one man as episode 16 aired.
Go Beom-su CP stared blankly at the screen, looking about forty years older.
At over fifty, he seemed on death's door.
Even his mutterings sounded like last words.
"This... how can this..."
"......"
"How does a bastard like that... how does a bastard like that even exist...?"
The room, once skeptical of Go Beom-su, had no energy left for that.
They'd barely grasped Kang Min before, but lately he'd gone full berserk.
'Whew.'
The PD gazed blankly at the ceiling.
'CP Go didn't screw up or anything.'
The story slowed a bit.
But the sacrifices yielded razor-sharp daggers no one could deny, sure to hit home.
—Until one guy smashed them all.
'3,000-extra battle scene.'
Yi Hoon's communist declaration, advised by Kang Min, buried them.
'CG-heavy paratrooper drop with fighter dogfights.'
Kang Min dogfighting 50 elite warriors 1v50 as Left Prime Minister—everyone tuned in for that.
'Massive tank battle.'
Kang Min hugging the heroine and punching through the battlefield, more tank-like than the tanks—everyone watched.
'Protagonist outing traitors with cathartic takedowns.'
Kang Min crushing the nagging Minister Choi Myeong—even more satisfying, everyone watched.
Go Beom-su, once bellowing about incompetence, gradually spoke less, shoulders slumping.
—Nothing worked.
"I gave you whatever budget you wanted! Do something!!"
"......"
"Hey, Go Beom-su you bastard! You said you could handle it!!"
The beleaguered president raged at recent board meetings, but Go Beom-su just squeezed his eyes shut.
Any PD would.
What world has a drama hitting 40% on one actor's rampage? How do you counter that?
Setting aside personality, anyone would pity him...
"Hey, PD Kim."
One day, emerging from the president's office, Go Beom-su asked blankly.
"Did Han Ye-seul CP endure this insane crap the whole time?"
"Well, yeah..."
"How'd she survive?"
"...Replaced the second nap room pillows four times. Last one's still holding."
Arriving at the second nap room, Go Beom-su stared at the battered pillow, then nodded. "I see."
After a day's pondering, he seemed enlightened.
Two days later, the meeting felt different.
First, Go Beom-su bowed to the staff.
"Black Forest needs any good ideas now. Opinions to fix my mistakes."
"...Pardon?"
Staff hesitated, suspecting a new tantrum, but he was sincere.
Instead of orders, he humbly sought input from PDs, writers, staff—and listened.
No booze to drown frustrations, constant editing room and meetings, napping on-site.
Leveraging his strengths while borrowing experts for story and directing.
And so, Black Forest episode 17 emerged brilliantly after ages. Staff cheered.
"Yes!"
"This is Black Forest!"
"Ratings rebound aside, this'll reclaim viewers!"
"Just hit 20% again...!"
Episode 17 entered main control carrying hopes.
And—
That day, King and Sovereign's last lingering frustration exploded.
The Crown Prince smirks.
[At least, I can stand before those shedding blood.]
Yi Jeong, Crown Prince of Black Forest.
The man mocked as fake protagonist stares his foe down amid stunned Black Forest staff.
His eyes burn with resolve.
Learned from once-Hui-yul, now blooming fully.
—To use people as moths, you need lantern-grade resolve.
Meaning: you must have the guts to burn yourself.
The camera recaps Hui-yul's journey. The Crown Prince knows it all.
From slow-mo shots of a kid clutching ragged clothes and smiling crookedly... to Crown Prince Yi Jeong at the end.
So,
The finale inheriting it all must hold value.
It has to.
[Min-hwa showed me. Hui-yul taught me. Now I know even Father erred.]
[I know. I can't stop the Left Prime Minister. Don't qualify.]
[But know this: if you order unjust slaughter, I'll stand foremost. Unjust war, I'll lead. No blood spills before me. The masses will see.]
[That's my king.]
Quietly,
Jeong Ji-uk watched the king.
Like hearing absurd nonsense, yet beholding something radiant.
Seeing the once-immature, pathetic fool he'd kill now glaring boldly.
Proof people change, Hui-yul proved will.
Jeong Ji-uk, smirking long—
Slammed the table, eyes wide.
[Spouting bullshit—!]
Hui-yul's nemesis lord vs. king Hui-yul raised.
As they glared, staff blankly checked Black Forest episode 17 ratings.
The blue line was shattered.
Below 10% at 9.7%.
"......"
"......"
"......"
"...You heartless sonsofbitches—!!!!!"
Go Beom-su trembled, cursing worse than his predecessor, as the PD gazed at the ceiling.
Everything shit, he prayed.
'Hope former CP Han's at least happy escaping this hell.'
But alas,
Han Ye-seul around then wasn't happy either.
"KyaAaAaAk!!"
"Yi Hwan-jae!! Yi Hwan-jae!!"
"Yeon-ju unnie!! Look here!!"
"AaaAaAaAk—!!!!"
At Daejanggeum Park set in Yongin, fans spotting the van screamed beyond cheers—primal roars.
Pterodactyl wails, enough to make Richard I flee barefoot.
Even staff used to it recoiled; leads awkwardly waved, glancing around at the intensity.
Not incomprehensible, though.
'King and Sovereign isn't just successful.'
40% ratings.
In an era where all three broadcasters combined barely hit 40%, one drama shattered it.
No small feat.
'And without proper support.'
Unknown PD.
Rookie writer.
Idol leads with middling rep, overlooked newbie actor—
Plus pathetic budget, tight schedule, patchwork planning to fill gaps: that's King and Sovereign.
Who foresaw this smash in this era?
Fans mobbing for faces pre-gifts were on another level.
...Except—
'Understandable...'
"Their energy's insane. We can't lose!"
"Yes!!"
"Don't worry, my voice is killer!!"
'Understandable, but...'
"OlivePenguin couldn't make it schedule-wise, but supplied all our cheer gear. Big contrib to this tribute too."
"Got it!!"
"We'll scream for Penguin too!"
"Azar! Azar!"
'Me.'
"Actors coming! Coming!"
"Scream! Scream!"
'Me, why the hell...'
"WaaaAaAaAa—!!!!!"
"Oppa, look here!!"
"Scold us!!"
"Say it cynically like Hui-yul: 'What kinda fan shit is this with your thick skull!!'"
"Bumped achievement eval to top grade for this!! Got my report card!!!"
'Why am I even here...!!'
Ex-Black Forest CP, now unemployed Han Ye-seul, squeezed amid the shrieks, donned MinLove cap, gripped lightstick, eyes shut.
"KyaAaAaAaAk—!!!!!!"
'And Seo Bom, why not show that enthusiasm on set!!'
Last week, Han Ye-seul fielded more calls than her lifetime total.
Missed calls piled endlessly mid-convo; texts and chats overflowed.
Reporters especially lit up.
"Producer Han Ye-seul! Any comment on the KBC unfair dismissal?!"
"Thoughts on recent Black Forest backlash?!"
"True you foresaw King and Sovereign's potential early and countered?!"
"They say you saw Kang Min and called him a 'story-crushing monster' on sight—how'd you get that insight?!"
"Just one word, please!!"
Two weeks prior, treated as washed-up has-been, Han Ye-seul was now tragic genius overnight.
Thanks to Kang Min shredding Go Beom-su.
Kang Min even said in interview:
That day, her phone vibrated like a massager till it died.
From then, she pondered thanking Kang Min personally.
'Technically, getting fired was his fault...'
But no grudge now, and the interview even touched her.
Agencies struggled for his contact; she had no way. Just thought about it.
But—
If things won't work, they'll find a way not to.
One evening, a call from a drama co-worker actor.
Unexpected name; she picked curiously.
"Uh... Actress Seo Bom? What's up?"
"Oh, thanks!"
Han Ye-seul was thrilled.
Orphanage aside, their acting academy tie was known; they'd filmed together. No suspicion.
Seo Bom added:
"Possible?!"
"Fine! Please!!"
Excited, she brushed off odd details.
Producer life ahead; networking with Kang Min—genius actor—was pure win.
—Leading here.
Buried in shrieks, Han Ye-seul gaped.
"...Kang actor has tons of fans."
Beside her, a freak in mask, oversized sunglasses hiding eyes—but killer proportions screamed star.
The freak replied mildly.
"Fan cafe over 40,000."
"...You're the manager, Bom?"
"Penguin handles most, but I do too. Wrote all announcements. Secret, please."
"......"
"...Told you early arrival means crowds."
Then say exactly why, damnit—!
Han Ye-seul swallowed a wail.
A-list with ties hides as fan club prez why?!
Unaware of Seo Bom's perfect plan—'OMG, Bom you're prez?!' 'Hehe, yeah.' 'Misjudged you! Only you for me!' 'Ehehe.'—Han saw psycho.
...Knowing it'd be worse.
'And what's MinLove!? Couldn't name it less cringy?!'
As she clutched her face—
Hunched Seo Bom spoke.
"Ah, enter set now."
"...Pardon?"
"Our cafe sent food truck tribute; ops follow. Put PD Han on it. Got set visit permit."
"......"
What.
Crazy bitch?
Han nearly yelled: Joking? Makes no sense. Ex-Black Forest CP here. How introduce in this getup?
—But all vanished on one thought.
'Wait, I can watch Kang Min act?'
Hmm...
Hmm—
Devil's temptation.
Kang Min pounding pillows after screams, next day worse.
Perfect strategies crushed by one performance.
Now shredding annoying Go Beom-su.
Live, up close.
'...No, insane idea—'
Whatever.
Seo Bom rocked big mask and shades too.
No recognition.
......
......
......
......Hmm.
"...Am I talking nonsense? Sorry, bad at judging since forever—"
"No, perfect. Thanks, Bom."
"Phew, good."
The start of Han Ye-seul's tragedy.