It Still Doesn't Feel Real.
‘...Overseas debut?’
In the midst of the crowd's roaring cheers, Tae-gyu blinked in a daze. Honestly, by this point, even he knew it. His reflection on the TV screen looked every bit the part of a skilled actor. Sure, wielding the dokkaebi fire to channel the character's "real" emotional arc had been a massive help.
...But this is scaling up way too fast.
Ji PD was name-dropping Netflix in Japan, Spain, France, and beyond.
Thwack.
Choi Sung-chul, the cinematographer sitting beside him, lightly patted Tae-gyu's shoulder.
"What're you spacing out for?"
"Huh?"
"From now on, you gotta keep your head in the game."
Choi Sung-chul raised a finger, pointing one by one at the people in the wrap party lighting up whenever their eyes landed on Tae-gyu.
"Soon as Ji PD wraps up, the folks gunning for meetings with you won't be just one or two. Hell, starting with me."
"Today?"
"It's the wrap party, ain't it? Meeting you's gonna get harder by the day."
"Hm."
"You get what I'm saying."
As Tae-gyu tilted his head, Choi Sung-chul flashed a knowing grin.
"...Come tomorrow, you'll feel it in your bones."
The next day.
After the Monster City finale aired, Korea's drama communities exploded.
There were plenty of reasons for the uproar, but topping the list was the fact that Lee Tae-gyu—not Han Joo-hyuk—had claimed the final shot of episode 12.
Build-up to faction wars till the penultimate ep, then final boss fight pops off like that? No foreshadowing for this ending? Teasing billionaire Han Joo-hyuk just to yank it. Straight-up viewer betrayal. Writer's artsy syndrome.
The community heated up fast. Debates raged on. To back their sides, folks dug up Monster City analyses, interviews, expert reviews—even that famous critic from premiere week.
"...the actor who masterfully embodied a face devoid of reason, fully capturing Seoul's inherent madness, has—in contrast to concerns raised on a recent 9 PM news broadcast—delivered one of the key questions Monster City poses as satire of modern society..."
The mood escalated. As always.
With unearthed materials and rewatch analyses, viewers spotted the foreshadowing the writer and PD had layered from the start for this exact finale.
From ep 8 reappearance, gangsters freaking over unpaid debts, drug cartel comms you miss? Plus from ep 2 "death" fakeout, constant endboss mentions.
Opinions settled. Amid sky-high buzz and fierce debates, consensus formed: "Bit overkill at end, but solid noir overall."
Foreshadowed from start, pure noir vibe to finish. This ending? Chaebol dream skip is win enough.
Debates shifted to characters.
Barely alive, jobless, broke Han Joo-hyuk vs. Briefcase cash but will blow it all at baccarat Lee Tae-gyu
Spotlight naturally zeroed in on Han Joo-hyuk and Lee Tae-gyu.
Mentions heavy, ok. But ally build-up? Briefcase is pocket change vs gold bars, just tossed to ditch pesky gambler?
Of course, the core was Tae-gyu.
He kept the gambler's 'romance'... Spares the guy who loaned him cash, fearing he'll cheat next round... Wins big but that chilling grin hints he'll blow the briefcase by morning 'romance'... Completing the drama's final 'romance'...
Amid it all, articles and reviews poured in.
Just like the communities, clashing tones swirled around Monster City.
But the beneficiary was clear.
Lee Tae-gyu, the mad face dominating the finale—not mere scene-stealer, but threading Monster City's theme from start to end. Universal rave reviews.
All eyes on him. Lee Tae-gyu.
This tidal wave of attention hitched a ride on someone's SNS, snowballing toward the next blast.
Toward Asia's biggest film fest, now under two weeks away.
Arena Short Film Festival
O Director, learning yoga for mental health, was deep-breathing to scatter rising stray thoughts.
Hoo... haa... hoo... haa...
Tougher than expected.
The pressure he'd figured manageable was ballooning beyond imagination as time ticked on.
No.
Quiet retirement? Scrapped long ago.
Expected some buzz? Fine.
But actors screaming their endorsement that loud? Unforeseen.
Not just articles. Film/drama forums boiling over.
Don't prove it... too much pressure...
Cough! Cough!
O Director had just attained mental peace.
Driving him nuts lately.
Friends' texts first.
Then industry contacts.
Please stop...
Everyone piling pressure on O Director.
Ding!
Heart pounding, he checked the latest text.
Friend's text with link—he flopped down flat.
No compares... no win plans...
"O Director?"
Yoon Chang-ho sighed as he spoke.
Here was:
Stranger Tastes
Like the old "Boasts and Gripes" crew of Ryoo Seung-wan, Bong Joon-ho et al., this was the current powerhouse directors' circle wielding real sway in Korean film.
In other words.
"...Dunno, his films don't click for me."
"Why?"
"Kinda superficial? Hits too on-the-nose, feels shallow."
Among name-brand directors outside, perfect spot for subtle ego clashes over differing tastes.
"Sounds too dismissive."
"Hundreds of films yearly—gotta be picky to spot gems. Jeon Director must have endless viewing time."
"Haha, thorns in your words?"
"Train to see sharp, even if just one."
"Sure, your sharp eye called that 10M hit tanking below 1M last year?"
Twitch.
Yoon Chang-ho's brow arched; others grinned with interest.
Straight-laced scholar vibe, melo specialist Yoon Chang-ho.
Round affable face, noir specialist Jeon Yong-il.
In Stranger Tastes, these polar opposites clashed hard.
"...So Jeon Director judges films by box office sales first?"
"Can't ignore it."
"Wild. Thought you deliberately ignored it."
"What."
"No 10M films on purpose?"
Twitch.
Jeon Yong-il's brow now.
Oho.
That stung.
Heh.
Others watched eagerly—this sparked their spat.
Arena Short Film Festival
Busy schedules, but these two accepted jury invites.
Plus.
Jeon Yong-il hyped Sai-bi Church Maknae Son starring Monster City's scene-stealer.
Longtime frenemy Yoon Chang-ho sniped, igniting the feud.
"Thought you shunned popularity on purpose."
"Heh heh."
"Heh heh."
"Just my taste. Even straightforward stuff—it's the cinephiles who dig it?"
"Heh he—"
"Awards over real fan love? Heh heh."
"..."
"Ah, sorry. Yoon Director wouldn't get it."
Wrinkle.
Yoon Chang-ho's forehead creased. Jeon Yong-il poked his sore spot: Cannes actors but zero director awards.
"...Forgot, no need to apologize again."
Jeon Yong-il smirked at Yoon, the "King of No Awards" for his bizarre director award curse despite domestic nods.
Others nodded as their gazes locked mid-air.
Here we go.
Starting.
It's on.
Stranger Tastes' thrill kicked off like this. Among prideful directors who'd be corpses stripped bare.
"No director awards, but my eye ain't worse than some no-10M hack."
"Yeah?"
"Doubt it?"
"Not convinced."
"Bet then? In front of everyone?"
From petty bickering to wagers.
"On what."
"What else."
Arena Short Film Festival juries weren't just Korean. Japan, Hong Kong, China, Thailand heavyweights inbound too.
Thus.
Lee Tae-gyu's Sai-bi Church Maknae Son entry hit their chopping block.
"This fest."
"...Predict the winner."