Sincerity Gets Through (2)
Kang Min already had some recognition overseas.
It wasn't quite a full fandom yet—mostly just meme fodder—but recognition was recognition.
The actor who gained fame from the Pavlovsk Experiment Station episode—better known as The Amazing Actor and the Utterly Stupid Broadcasting Station—had boosted his profile with Unbelievable and its mustached character, then rapidly expanded his reach overseas as the warrior from the imported King and Sovereign.
It was the opposite trajectory from Korea, but the results weren't bad.
At the very least, he was generating buzz in America's biggest drama community.
If the drama communities overseas offered faint hope like that, there were even more enthusiastic reactions elsewhere.
These fans erupted in cheers that put Korea's responses to shame the moment they heard about Kang Min's new project.
They were K-POP fans more interested in the rice bowl than the actor himself.
These overseas idol fans—sure, they had their biases—but they didn't stick to one group. That was their thing.
Compared to Korea's cutthroat fan wars and scheming, it was weird, but it probably stemmed from K-POP still being niche overseas, even more so before. They saw themselves as fans of K-POP as a whole, not just one group.
Korea was a country where idols branched out into other fields like acting all the time.
Of course, they were ready to cheer anything good for their 'Oppa.'
Naturally, in that situation, they all hated each other.
But both camps cheered equally when news broke that America's United Talent Agency (UTA) was approaching Kang Min with a contract offer.
UTA, home to German-American actor Stefan Geisler, was a solid agency in the US. If Kang Min signed, it could lead to better projects or pave the way for more Korean actor-idols.
But Kang Min chose to stick with Korean MBS over a global giant...
Both communities were disappointed, but it was still okay for now. Unlike Japan, where you could thrive domestically like a Galapagos island, the endgame for Koreans was clearly overseas expansion.
Whether streaming like WebFlix or global studios like those behind Kim Chul or Lee Hyun-seok, it was just a matter of time.
The communities decided to wait patiently.
...Until the Must Die to Live trailer dropped, that is.
Reactions to the 1:30 trailer of nonstop dying knew no borders.
Actually, the initial response was muted. Everyone just blinked in confusion, like, What the hell is this?
Humans don't get mad at scenes too far beyond comprehension—they just go blank.
But someone kindly fanned those blank stares into flames.
The creator of The Amazing Actor and the Utterly Stupid Broadcasting Station, which had racked up 83 million views.
He couldn't contain his rage and whipped up a sequel in a single day.
His video, having devoured every Kang Min appearance, was impressively detailed.
Specifically, he edited in clips and subtitles from Dr. Krear, the Ecuadorian priest, and Hui-yul.
...Unfortunately, the first half felt like peak masterpiece territory.
Viewers who clicked casually were instantly overwhelmed by the epic music and editing.
[These seeds and research data will be the key to surviving Siberia's harsh cold. With this foundation, selective breeding could save tens of millions from starvation.]
[Heh heh, heh heh heh...]
[...I see.]
Do people come from good...
[Democracy, majority rule, conscience, solidarity, peace—countless injected concepts have eroded our ethnic consciousness and cultivated self-loathing.]
[Will—that's everything. The will to remake humanity! If I weren't the superman called to it, I'd gladly step aside!]
[Loyalty oaths are unnecessary now. The vow to fight—that's all.]
Or from evil...
[Who should I defend between bloodsuckers draining us now and madmen screaming for tens of thousands as sacrifices for future glory? Who says what must be done?]
Or neither—
Heavy direction.
Faces flashing by.
Burning red subtitles on screen—
Casual clickers couldn't help but doubt their eyes and lean in.
Even those who knew Kang Min only as a meme, and those who didn't, couldn't pause. No one believed one actor's face could shift so dramatically.
...No, honestly, this looked like the real new trailer.
What is this?
How's it gonna end?
Viewers swallowed hard as the video sought answers.
Everyone watched to see what genius this actor had uncovered.
But as everyone knew,
what emerged wasn't an answer—but something groundbreaking beyond belief.
[KREEEEEAAAAAHHH!!]
[UEEEEEEEK!!]
[WUAAAAH!]
[KUUUUUUK!]
[KHEUK!]
[GUK!]
[Krrrk.]
[Gllrk.]
Thus ended the 1:30 rage-fueled video.
And people realized what they had to do.
Explosive reactions erupted everywhere.
If even the relatively rational drama communities were this bad, the K-POP ones were beyond words. Screams and curses poured out from all sides.
Overwhelming firepower that put even the 'but' era to shame.
And unfortunately,
the endpoint of those reactions wasn't Kang Min this time either...
"...We've got all sorts of nicknames based on our MBS initials, VP."
"Like?"
"Mother B..."
"Enough."
The VP's eyes were hollow, as always after a board meeting.
The department head's were too.
They stared blankly at the ceiling in silence.
Yeah. Maybe it was greed. Handing Unbelievable to Kang Min had been his own mistake, after all.
But this time, it felt so unfair.
So damn unfair...
The VP, wiping his eyes, asked,
"So, what'd Kang Min say?"
"Well..."
Department Head Kim Kang-hyun hesitated.
"There's some misunderstanding right now, but he thinks sincerity will get through."
"..."
"..."
"...Who greenlit their pitch again?"
"Us."
Damn it—
The VP squeezed his eyes shut.
How did a lunatic like that slip through...!
But he couldn't blame anyone. They'd both approved it willingly.
They could only seethe in frustration without pointing fingers.
And actress Yoo Ji-yu felt the same.
...No, worse, actually.
#
"Actress Yoo! Entertainment Today! About this teaser trailer—"
"Sports Weekly! Do you know the overseas reactions?!"
"The Amazing Actor... Part 2 hit 100 million views—what do you think?!"
"Between claims of MBS pressure and Kang Min's 'grand plan,' which is true?!"
Yoo Ji-yu's shoots had always been elegant.
She was an undisputed top actress with no scandals, so reporter questions were predictably bland.
But now it was shattered.
Facing reporters spewing nonsense, Yoo Ji-yu felt her expression control crumble for the first time.
...But that paled next to the shoot itself.
"Alright, Senior Yoo. Ho-jin and I will demo. Just follow along—"
"Hey, 'follow along'? I've survived this industry six years. I can handle most action scenes. Don't underestimate me."
"Mm, got it."
Cha-chang!
Cha-cha-chang!
Shuuuk.
Whirrlik.
Kwa-kwa-kwang!
"Like that."
"How the hell do you expect me to do that!!!!!"
"?"
Hm.
Like that, huh.
Can't do it?
Kang Min's casual acceptance made Yoo Ji-yu's stomach churn.
The already bizarre set, full of 'kreuek' dying sounds, went full insane once stuntman Kim Ho-jin joined.
Kang Min kept pulling off impossible scenes with his lunatic recruit, then nodding like, Like that, huh. Can't do it.
...No, it was straight-up bullying to anyone watching.
Argh...!
Kang Min suggested using a stunt double if needed, but had Yoo Ji-yu ever acted that way? For her serious actress image, she gritted her teeth and refused.
Chased by lunatics on set, reporters off it.
Even tough Yoo Ji-yu felt tears welling on this grueling march...
"Why'd it come to this, Manager unnie..."
"'Cause you wouldn't listen and barged onto set your way?"
"..."
"...Just use a double now? You'll take some flak short-term, but once they see the scenes, they'll get it."
"Absolutely not. That'd be losing."
"Just lose already..."
Even so, Yoo Ji-yu clung to faint hope.
Topic heat was massive now. Premiere ratings would be huge too. No helping that.
But it won't last forever...!
How many dramas spiked early on aggro then sank? Must Die to Live wouldn't be different.
Yoo Ji-yu gnashed her teeth.
"Premiere's next week."
"..."
"Everyone's thrilled about the insane buzz, but it's temporary! Who'd praise a batshit drama like that! That's when I step up...!"
"...Sure."
Her manager thought she'd been repeating this lately but didn't point it out.
Thus, with overseas on fire, Korea ablaze, reporters raging, and only Yoo Ji-yu's faint hope left, premiere day arrived.
And
her last hope began getting crushed in an unexpected place, as always.
#
A few days later, Burbank, California.
In the office of the so-called Steel & Witstone Studio overseas branch, a man thoughtfully stroked his chin.
"Hmm..."
On screen: the video stirring massive controversy.
But he wasn't angry or exasperated.
He kept rewinding the 'uheuk' and 'keuheuk' scenes over and over.
A colleague nearby asked curiously,
"Something wrong, Director Lloyd?"
"Ah, Shirakawa. Nothing much."
The man—director Lloyd Gonzalez—grinned smugly.
"Just wondering if I'm the only one who sees the hidden aesthetics in this."
"?"
As always, sincerity got through.