Chapter 26
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 26
Chapter Title The Overwhelming Power of the Idol Survival Program
The impact of this meticulously crafted idol survival program defies imagination.
The pioneering survival shows had been like that, and the most recent hit, Idol Production 101, had swept the nation.
And now, the hottest topic, Idol Training Simulation, had been hyped up massively even before its first episode aired, with relentless promotion and selfpraise.
Trainee quality is topnotch Idol survival turned boxoffice guarantee, Idol Training Simulation stands out
Confidence backed by substance... Main PD Shin Cheolwoo boasts, Weve captured both talent and visuals
Idol Training Simulation, the arrival of a survival show that breaks the mold?
Amid the allout media blitz, there were a few points the production team always hammered home.
A trainee pool that could stand toetotoe with any other broadcast.
And special gimmicks designed to shatter the cookiecutter formats.
The first global voting round was still underway, and with only the premiere episode out, it was hard to gauge the latter just yet.
But the first point? It proved exactly why the Idol Training Simulation staff had been strutting around so smugly.
National Boy Group Training Project Idol Training Simulation premieres... Now I get why they claimed they gathered only the best trainees
Ratings prove it Hype machine I.t.s. explodes from episode 1... Peak viewership 2.9
Bestlooking survival cast Ive ever seen Viewers in awe, can Idol Training Simulation dominate both ratings and buzz?
Average ratings of 2.2, peak at 2.9.
For a cable channel with no episodes stacked up yet, these numbers were downright absurd.
If it kept climbing steadily without hiccups, it could surpass Idol Production 101s finale rating of 5.2.
Plus, the theme song stage videos, released before the premiere even aired, had already racked up over 4 million views.
Praise kept pouring in for actually assembling a solid batch of trainees, not just bluffing.
Naturally, even the jaded Kpop survival veterans found themselves glued to Idol Training Simulation like theyd been bewitched.
And the homma furiously clicking away at her mouse in front of her computer screen was no exception.
Individual fancam views, individual fancam views...
Right after the premiere episode kicked off, the first global voting round began, deciding survival and elimination.
The production team had to keep feeding content to the socalled national managersthe viewersto ensure they made solid picks.
Three days ago, individual fancams for the theme song had dropped all at once.
The homma hopped onto KNets official YouTube and clicked the Winner Fancams tab.
Ninetysix videos scrolled on endlessly, but the ones worth watching had already been narrowed down.
The trainees whod built early recognition were already favorites among the national managers.
Scrolling down to the middle, she finally spotted the Karis von Walden fancam shed been hunting for.
Karis von Walden Theme Song Winner Individual Fancam KarisvonWalden KarisvonWalden Winner
Personal opinion, but Kariss fancam thumbnail was a bit underwhelming.
They shouldve gone with that wink during the chorusit wouldve popped so much more.
The homma clicked her tongue in disappointment.
Still, hitting 90,000 views was a relief.
At least the graph shows steady growth, not some early spike and stall.
The top spot overall was, predictably, Song Hyeongbin.
Hed already made it to debut lineup at Awake agency, and his skills and looks were both stellar.
Knowing that, the homma had zero illusions about Karis needing to topple him.
Just below the reigning Song Hyeongbin was a tight cluster of contenders.
Karis von Walden slotted right in there.
And the most threatening rival in that pack was Ji Yuncheol.
The homma checked out Ji Yuncheols fancam, sitting pretty at 97,000 views.
Their physiques and positions overlap too muchits nagging at me.
Karis was undeniably a visualsfirst trainee whod grabbed early attention.
Without that born face, even she might not stan him.
Ji Yuncheol was stealing the spotlight too, with his young age and killer visuals.
Towering over 185 cm with killer build, plus dance skills that made full use of his long limbs.
In short, he seemed poised to clash hard with Karis in the visuals position.
Of course, this was about fan wars, not the trainees themselves.
Still, the homma was staying optimistic for now.
Lucky so many on the forums are already pairing Karis and Ji Yuncheol as the eye gods.
A rival talent could turn ally any day.
If they got shipped like this and pooled their stans, it was a winwin.
...Better not dwell on the fanbase bloodbaths to come.
The homma cracked her neck while queuing up her recorded episode 1 file.
The live reactions had been solid.
Sure, some trashed him as a talentless prettyboy pick, but it was such a cliché bash that it barely registered.
The kind of hatemail that haunted every survival visuals pick.
With that earlyrace good news in mind, she welcomed the next day.
And right on cue, fresh content dropped for the national managers.
Karis von Walden SelfPR Simulation
Selfintro videos out!
The homma squealed internally as she plopped into her chair.
She hadnt even hit play, but one thing already had her buzzing.
A way better photo than the theme song fancam thumbnail greeted her!
Looking closer, his outfit was no joke either.
Black suit with a frilled white shirt... Isnt this straightup noble vibes?
From his debut appearance, certain words had instinctively popped up among fans.
The most agreedupon? Looks like nobility, total prince energy.
And this thumbnail nailed the royal aura perfectly.
Tsundere crown prince ML from a romance fantasy!
It couldve been slapped on any rofan novel cover without a hitch.
Heart pounding, the homma clicked play.
The Idol Training Simulation logo panel split open left and right, revealing Karis von Waldens face staring straight ahead, calm and collected.
It hit like a visual assault from the jump.
So this is Korea. Unfamiliar air, but not a bad feeling at all.
Eyes and ears wide open, the homma jolted for a second.
Yeah, that screenpiercing overwhelming face was fresh every time.
But right now, that indifferent deep baritone tone and phrasing in her ears? Even more shocking.
Pleased to meet you all. Im Karis von Walden, the crown prince who came to Korea to become an idol. Its a bit awkward standing here like this after so long. But Ill do my utmost to explain how I ended up crossing oceans to this distant land.
It was like a webtoon panel come to life.
An empires crown prince from a romance fantasy giving his opening greeting.
Watching Karis, his protagonist backstory autofilled in her head.
People often ask why a crown prince with everything would chase more challenges. The answers always simple I love new things, meeting more people, basking in their love.
Karis von Walden flashed a soft smile.
His jetblack eyes, hard as obsidian, never blinked once.
With every second, the homma felt herself sucked into the video.
Song, dance, the stage theyve always been special to me. You get emotions youd never touch otherwise. Merging breaths with thousands, tens of thousands in under five minutes? What could be more alluring? No greater magic exists in this world, surely.
First with that irresistible charm of a face.
Then with his utterly unique way of speaking.
And now, with the raw sincerity woven into that odd phrasing, drawing in the national managers.
I craved that feeling more. People cheering wildly for my voice, every gesture. After ages of prep, I finally made it here to Korea.
Kariss lips curved down just a touch.
Expressionless, staring straight at the camera a subtle emotion bloomed in her chest.
Many might doubt it. My sincerity could seem fake, or they might not welcome me. But it doesnt matter. Even if just one cheers me on, Ill give my all to share the worlds beauty with them.
Cruelly, the scrollbar raced toward the end.
Drenched in feels, the homma watched Karis von Walden offer his pinky toward her.
On this stage, I promise body breaking or not, Ill fight to the end and survive. So, will you stick with me till the finish?
Time limit hit panels started closing from both sides.
In that gap, Karis fired off that same stage wink one more time.
Huuuh...
The short selfPR video ended.
The homma clutched her face and melted off her chair onto the floor.
This is straightup foul play.
A handsome face, killer voice, trainee dropping sincere lines like that without flinching?
Way too lethal for the heart.
Shed barely breathed watching it.
The homma shook her head a few times to snap out of it, then replayed Kariss selfPR video.
Once. Twice. Three more times.
That final line was gonna loop in her brain all day.
She fired up her Twitter account and dashed off a quick post.
Karis PR video final clip Killed it....... Karis
Did he know fans called him prince and lean into the concept?
Or was this purely his own story, uninfluenced?
Either way, this is gonna blow up. Guaranteed.
With her veteran stan experience, the homma was convinced.
Ifand just ifKaris von Waldens video caught fire.
This time, itd claim the top views spot for sure.