Chapter 176
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 176
Chapter Title: The King's Name
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"Wow. Why does it feel so busy this year?"
"Well, we were prepared for it, so it's fine..."
Ring—
"...It's not fine."
The Cocoa Entertainment Team 2 office was once again buzzing with calls trying to cast Seojun.
Every phone in the office was ringing, and the email inbox looked ready to explode. Text messages were also pouring into the employees' personal phones from all over.
"The opening score was a million, after all. We expected it to be a hit, but now that the results are tangible, everyone's going crazy."
"I heard it's doing well in the U.S. too?"
An Daho nodded at the employee's question.
"According to King's Agency, it's been selling out every day, and apparently, more non-Koreans are watching it than expected."
"It's probably thanks to *Naeuiwon*, right?"
"I'd say so."
Korea was just as abuzz as the United States. SBC was diligently re-airing the episode of *Working Man!* where Seojun had made a surprise appearance, while other stations were delving into *The Diary of Prince Nosan*.
With the news of *Yeok (Reverse)*'s production, historians who had anticipated another boom similar to the one during *Naeuiwon* had already been researching King Danjong and King Sejo for months. Thanks to their efforts, many newly discovered stories were coming to light.
'History,' a topic that had faded from public interest, was now causing a stir across Korea.
There would be no better time to make a name for oneself. Moreover, these broadcasts wouldn't be confined to Korea alone.
The historians, recalling the 'traditional Korean medicine' craze sparked by *Naeuiwon*, were fired up with determination.
Just as everyone predicted, people who watched the movie *Yeok (Reverse)* became curious about King Danjong and King Sejo, leading to quite high viewership ratings.
"When is the Plus+ video supposed to be uploaded?"
The upcoming 'Yeok+ Plus' produced by Plus+. It was planned as a multi-part series, covering everything from light topics like the vocabulary used in historical dramas to heavier subjects like the culture and legal systems of that era.
"I heard they're uploading it soon since the U.S. box office results exceeded expectations."
The Team 2 employees nodded at An Daho's words.
"The 'Understanding Yeok' series was good, so 'Yeok+ Plus' should be similar, right?"
"Probably. Oh, Team Leader, I've checked this one too."
"Yes, thank you."
An Daho took a script from the employee. Filming was over, and the time had come to find Lee Seojun's next project.
* * *
[Yeok (Reverse) Opening Score Hits 1 Million!]
[Completely Different from Naeuiwon! The Two Actors in the Movie Yeok (Reverse)!]
[Lee Jiseok and Lee Seojun's Brilliant Acting!]
[Everyone, Grab Your Tissues and Head to the Theater! A Reminder of Shadowman 1's Tear Challenge!]
[Perhaps This Was the Truth in History!]
[The Diary of Prince Nosan. How Much of It Is True?]
[A Flood of Tearful Reviews from Day One!]
[Is This a Historical Drama or a Horror Movie? The Chilling Final Scene.]
[Understanding Yeok Website! Visitor Count Skyrockets!]
-One of the 1 million here.
=Could be two. I saw it twice in one day hehe.
-Aren't Lee Seojun and Lee Jiseok from *Naeuiwon* just people with the same names as the two actors in *Yeok*?
=22 I agree lol. Or maybe the two actors actually have a bad relationship (just kidding, of course).
=There was absolutely nothing to worry about. They were simply Danjong and Suyang.
-Everyone brought tissues, right?
=Yup. Any Korean who doesn't bring tissues for a story about Danjong is weird lol.
=I cried my heart out too.
-The tear challenge, haven't heard that in a while.
=This time, the tears just flowed ㅜㅠ.
-Watching *The Diary of Prince Nosan* after this gives a totally different vibe. King Sejo is written up to be so amazing, and it pisses me off how they keep calling Danjong 'Prince Nosan' lol.
-That final scene. It's no joke.
-Lee Jiseok's acting was incredible, but just looking at the bedchamber gave me a weird feeling.
[Simultaneous Release in the U.S.!]
[Theaters Showing Yeok (Reverse). Sold Out Day After Day!!]
[Not Just Koreans. Even Foreigners Unfamiliar with the Story Are Lining Up!]
[Watch First, Research, Then Watch Again! How Foreigners Are Approaching an Unfamiliar Historical Film!]
[Danjong's Diary, The Diary of Prince Nosan, and the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty!]
[Let's Learn About the UNESCO Memory of the World, the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty.]
[Plus+ 'Yeok+ Plus' Uploaded!]
-For real, sold out?
=Yup. I live in LA, and it's been sold out since the first day hehe. I didn't think many people would see it, so I didn't book in advance and ended up catching the last showtime of the day hehe.
=My friends saw it twice too. The 'Understanding Yeok' series was well-made.
-Who knew the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty would become famous like this hehe. I never imagined it.
-With *Naeuiwon*, there wasn't much politics or rebellion, so it was more of a slice-of-life... though it was too sad for that. Anyway, it was an easy watch... but here, everyone's dying and it's chaotic. So there are quite a few foreigners curious about the real history.
-That show that explained the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty for King Taejong during the *Naeuiwon* run hehe. It has English subtitles now hehe.
=lol King Taejong lol. Plus+ should import it, right?
-This is how Lee Seojun enhances national prestige lol. I never expected the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty to come up here hehe.
=22 Who would've thought foreigners would be interested in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. They're not even history students, just regular people, which makes it even cooler.
-Oh. 'Yeok+ Plus'. Should I check it out?
* * *
"I've been getting so much flak lately. People are asking if Royal Physician Heo was my true self. If I betrayed him in the end because I was from Lord Heo's bloodline. Even my parents said my acting was so good it was annoying."
Kim Jongho and Park Dohun burst into laughter at Lee Jiseok's words.
Sizzle.
Delicious beef ribs were placed on the grill. It had already been two weeks since *Yeok (Reverse)* was released. The four actors from *Naeuiwon* had gathered together.
"Well, it ends with consolation, at least."
Due to King Sejo's atrocities, Lee Jiseok, who had portrayed the role so masterfully, found himself receiving compliments mixed with curses from the public.
But even as they cursed him, they would recall the final scene where he seemed to receive divine punishment and offer words of comfort.
"Me too."
"Hm?"
Seojun spoke up.
"My friends told me to forgive him in moderation."
"Hahahahaha!"
In the end, Kim Jongho let out a huge laugh. The private room echoed with his booming laughter. Park Dohun also chuckled as he placed a perfectly grilled piece of beef rib in front of Seojun.
"It's causing a stir everywhere. Seojun really is amazing."
"I heard they've added more theaters in the U.S.?"
Lee Jiseok and Seojun nodded at Park Dohun's words.
"Yeah. They said it's going to be released in other countries too."
"My friend in France was so happy she'd get to see it in a theater."
"You have a friend in France too?"
"Yes. A friend I met at a Halloween festival a long time ago."
"Ah... I remember. The werewolf?"
"Yes!"
Seojun nodded. He recalled Charlie's message, saying he wouldn't have to wait for the Plus+ upload and would go see it right away.
Park Dohun was impressed. A historical drama, which would normally be a high barrier for foreign audiences, was being screened beyond Korea, in the U.S., and around the world.
"Has there ever been a Korean historical drama this famous?"
"There was. A TV series."
Kim Jongho answered Park Dohun's question. The three actors who had starred in that drama burst out laughing.
Kim Jongho spoke with a pleased expression.
"We paved the way with *Naeuiwon*. It'd be a shame if it didn't do at least this well."
"That's right. It should be an even bigger hit."
Another round of laughter erupted at Seojun's cheerful reply.
* * *
The screen was filled with the now-familiar face of a man.
"Hello. I'm Yeonghwagaek."
-Yeong-hi! (Basically means 'Hi Yeonghwagaek'!)
-Hi-yeong! (Basically means 'Hi Yeonghwagaek'!)
"Today, I'll be reviewing the movie *Yeok*."
-I just came back from my 6th viewing!
-Congrats, congrats. I'm on my 3rd hehe. It's so emotionally draining. But it's so good ㅠ.
-After tomorrow, I'll be in the double digits!
"I've also seen it over five times. Now, then. First, the trailer."
When Yeonghwagaek clicked the mouse, the trailer for *Yeok (Reverse)* played on the screen. Along with the grand music, cries of "Cheonse, cheoncheonse!" rang out.
"The trailer was great from the start. It showed Danjong above and Sejo below, then the screen would flip to show Sejo above and Danjong below. A trailer that perfectly matched the title. There were posters too, right? I've collected both versions."
-Me too, hehe.
-Seems like the distributor prepared plenty, hehe.
-The other version was good too. The solo shots.
"That was great too. The two kings' postures were different, which made it even more impressive. Of course, I've collected those as well."
-Our thrifty Yeonghwagaek-nim hehe.
-I collected them all too hehe.
"*Yeok* begins with two shadows."
-I can't believe those shadows turned out to be who they were.
-At first, I thought it was Danjong and Kim Jongseo.
What appeared on the screen were two shadows drawn by Yeonghwagaek himself. His younger sister, seeing his drawing skills—which he sometimes used to avoid copyright issues—would often say with a laugh:
-You're really bad at drawing.
Yeonghwagaek gave a wry smile.
"You're saying the same thing as my sister. Well, since you've all seen it, let's just skim over this part."
-Yup.
-I've seen it 4 times, so I'll just imagine it.
"I also thought it was Kim Jongseo at first. Grand Prince Suyang crossed my mind... but it was just a slight suspicion. After that, the gates of Gwanghwamun close, and the story begins with the death of King Munjong."
A picture of the coronation ceremony appeared on the screen. It was a clip from the trailer.
"Honestly, even at Danjong's coronation, his presence felt a bit weak. At that point, I wondered if this was why he lost the throne to Grand Prince Suyang."
-Yup, I thought so too.
-It was touching and admirable to see him trying so hard... but he felt more like a prince than a king.
-22
"But, that wasn't it. Of course, the power to make all the officials bow their heads is necessary for a king, but there was something more important. That was his meeting with Gangdol. That mindset of caring for his pitiful subjects is exactly what a king needs. I was happy to see Hunminjeongeum here."
-It really showed that this was a story set after King Sejong the Great.
-Yup, the reply was great too.
"Yes. I felt a sense of pride reading Gangdol's reply. After that, the awakened... I can call it an awakening, right?"
-lol awakening lol
"Yes. Grand Prince Suyang's reaction upon encountering the awakened Danjong was terrifying. Suyang probably realized it then. That Danjong would soon become a truly powerful king."
-It was seriously scary.
-I never imagined Lee Jiseok could make a face like that.
-I couldn't even squeak hehe. The whole theater went silent hehe.
"Yes, it did. And Grand Prince Suyang made his move one step faster. The scene that was similar to actor Lee Seojun's historical reenactment video, the night of the Gyeyu Coup."
-ㅠ I wanted to see this, but at the same time, I didn't.
-It was similar, but way more tense.
-I thought he was really going to cut him down.
-But why did Danjong provoke Grand Prince Suyang?
Yeonghwagaek nodded.
"If an enraged Grand Prince Suyang were to kill Danjong, that would be treason. Suyang's justification is the 'treason of Kim Jongseo and Grand Prince Anpyeong.' If Danjong dies here, that justification becomes false. The noblemen across the country would surely rebel."
-Justification is important.
"Besides, although he killed Kim Jongseo, Grand Prince Anpyeong is still alive. If rebellious forces rise up across the country and Grand Prince Anpyeong is given a legitimate cause, it's over for Suyang. Danjong judged that it would be better for Anpyeong to become king than for Suyang to take the throne."
-Danjong was so smart ㅠ. He really risked his life to stop the treason ㅠ.
-Grand Prince Suyang did well to hold back.
"As the second son of King Sejong, Grand Prince Suyang would have been constantly compared to his older brother, Munjong. Moreover, his brother became king. While his brother became king, Suyang himself, if not for his father or brother, would have been unable to even hold a government post like an ordinary royal relative and would have lived and died as an idler. That sense of injustice and inferiority must have piled up."
-Then King Munjong died.
"Yes. If his young nephew were gone, the successors to the throne would have been Grand Prince Suyang himself and Grand Prince Anpyeong. Unlike King Munjong, who held powerful royal authority, Danjong was endlessly vulnerable."
Recalling the pitiful Danjong, Yeonghwagaek spoke.
"In this scene, this is the line I like the most."
-What line?
"The line where Grand Prince Suyang shouts, 'Lee Hongwi.'"
-? His name?
-Just his name?
"Those three syllables, 'Lee Hongwi,' hold a much greater meaning than you might think."
-??
-I thought so too!
-?? What is it?
Yeonghwagaek smiled.
"Everyone. Have you ever heard of 'Pihwi'?"
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