Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 689 Fire! fire! fire!
At 6 PM on October 21, "20th Century Girl" was released exclusively on Netflix worldwide as scheduled.

The strong buzz surrounding the film during its pre-release period, the positive reviews from the Busan International Film Festival, and the chemistry between the on-screen couple Kwon Heon-hyuk and Kim Yoo-jung have already made many viewers eagerly await its release.

And this pre-launch buzz has yielded corresponding results.

Within just 24 hours of its release, the film quickly topped Netflix's global non-English movie charts and firmly held the number one spot on daily charts in multiple Asian countries and regions, including South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia.

In total, it ranks first in nearly twenty countries and even enters the top ten of the list of seventy countries.

According to Netflix's official calculations, the total global viewing time exceeded an astonishing 1800 million hours within 72 hours of its first weekend.

This data is already very impressive.

If the subsequent results are good and the long-tail effect is obvious, getting closer to breaking 100 million is not a big problem.

For non-English films on Netflix's charts, breaking 100 million dollars is a significant milestone.

A viewer's watch time exceeding 100 million is enough to qualify them for the top ten.

After all, in the global scope of dissemination, non-English languages ​​are a hurdle, teen romance films are another hurdle, and there is also the cultural hurdle of East Asian campus culture.

This achievement is truly remarkable, and arguably the best performance ever for a Netflix Korean film.

Low cost, high return.

Movie-related keywords such as #20thCenturyGirl#, #BaekHyunJin#, #RaBora#, and #Netflix have been trending on major social media platforms around the world, including Twitter, Instagram, Weibo, TikTok, and Korean forums.

Viewers took screenshots of famous scenes from the show.

The film features Kwon Hyun-hyuk's scenes, Kim Yoo-jung's clumsy and adorable moments, their interactions in the video arcade, their tearful farewell kiss at the train station, and Han Hyo-joo's heartbreaking adult monologue.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk's portrayal of Baek Hyun-jin, with his refreshing and handsome appearance, gentle and affectionate demeanor, and first-love-like image, has made him a favorite among female viewers, a "white moonlight" figure, and related discussions and fan-made videos have flooded the internet.

Especially on Douyin, domestic film editing bloggers Juanshengjuansi created a commentary video for the film within a day of its release.

Some of them aren't even narration videos, just videos with background music, especially those with a very suitable atmosphere of suspense.

As the saying goes, "When the drowning begins, pure love takes center stage."

Kim Yoo-jung's performance also received widespread acclaim.

"Vivid and natural", "Perfectly portrays the heart of a 90s girl", "Strongly moving crying scenes".

Audience feedback was almost overwhelmingly positive, with key words being emotion, nostalgia, youth, and regret.

There are also things that are absolutely unavoidable...

pain!
Just like the reactions of Chou Tzu-yu, Yoo Ji-min, and Minatozaki Sana, the second half of the film, with its themes of separation, loss of contact, forgetting, and the final, cathartic monologue, became a powerful tearjerker.

Social media is flooded with comments like "not enough tissues," "couldn't stop crying," "the aftereffects are too strong," and "felt empty after watching," so many that they're beyond description.

There are also some insightful comments.

[@AddMeatNoSoup: Love is simply hearing a name similar to yours enough to make me cry uncontrollably.]

This is about Luo Baola, who, after being out of contact for a long time, chose to go on a blind date. It turned out that her blind date was also named Yun Hao. Upon hearing this, she couldn't hold back her tears and cried uncontrollably.

Kim Yoo-jung's crying scenes were truly captivating, drawing many viewers, especially female viewers, who also shed tears along with her.

Although it is said that 99% of the audience is female.

[@Cr: The reason he calls her the 20th Century Girl is because he never saw her in the 21st century, only in her teenage years [crying][crying][crying]]

[@MakeYourWishBoldly: I tried so hard to see you in the 21st century, but I'm forever stuck on the first day of the 21st century.]

[@Late: I finally understand what it means to "die in the year he loved her most" [crying]]

Han Hyo-joo's final performance brought an imperfect but profound end to this regret.

Movie OSTs, such as theme songs and incidental music, are widely loved for their fitting plot and moving melodies, and have topped various music charts.

The movie created a great atmosphere, from the filters to the set design. Before its release, some viewers complained that the filters were too thick, but after its release, the reviews completely reversed.

The film's accurate recreation of the late 90s has been well received by audiences of all ages.

Older viewers find memories of their youth in the film, while younger viewers are filled with curiosity and longing for that slow-paced, humane era where love was expressed through actions.

Details such as video arcades, cassette players, old-fashioned computers, and flip phones are often talked about and considered important contributors to creating a sense of the era.

Director Fang Youli's first feature film thus gained initial recognition within the industry.

Although the film has plot twists and drama, the core emotions are portrayed very sincerely.

Luo Baola's impulsiveness and sincerity, Baek Hyun-jin's restraint and deep affection, and the steadfast friendship between the best friends all evoked strong empathy from the audience.

The focus of the discussion was not only on love, but also on the regrets of youth, the cost of growing up, and the importance of learning to let go.

Many people said they saw themselves or people around them reflected in the characters.

Kwon Heon-hyuk's acting was natural and fluid, and he was considered to have given Baek Hyun-jin a charm that went far beyond the script.

This performance truly lives up to his title of Best Actor; it was outstanding, and a perfect score is well-deserved.

The original Byun Woo-seok's performance was just average; he was completely overshadowed by Kim Yoo-jung in the storyline.

Although Kim Yoo-jung is the central figure in this film, Byun Woo-seok's performance is not comparable, which makes the film a complete showcase of Kim Yoo-jung's talent.

Kim Yoo-jung's performance is also considered a breakthrough for her as the nation's little sister. She brought to life Na Bo-ra's impulsive cuteness and deep affection, and her crying scenes were very moving.

Online media outlet Naver Movie in South Korea maintains a high audience score of over 9 points, while professional film critics' scores are also at a mid-to-high level, and user scores on major platforms such as international platform IMDb and Chinese platform Douban are quite impressive.

These days, it's incredibly rare to find a great romance movie.

Mainstream media outlets such as the Chosun Ilbo and the JoongAng Ilbo's entertainment sections have published articles affirming the film's success. Film critics generally believe that with Kwon Heon-hyuk's involvement and the script's adjustments and optimizations, this work will become a phenomenal streaming youth film.

Overall, although unlike theatrical releases where you can see actual box office records, the feedback after three days of online release is enough to prove that this film has been a success.

Whether a Netflix movie will be a hit depends not only on the data but also on the social media buzz; it's not entirely clear in three to five days.

This has always been the case with online streaming media.

The success of "20th Century Girl" further confirms Kwon Heon-hyuk's golden status and aura.

It's impossible to count how many hits he's had in a row now, not even a single failure or a work that was broadcast on a regular basis; they've all been hits.

This is outrageous!
The existence of the entertainment industry is simply a bug; even those who aren't superstitious will find themselves superstitious.

The ripples quickly spread to the business world, with Dior bearing the brunt, especially since it was in the crucial period of contract renewal. With the renewal process at such a critical juncture, Kwon Soon-hyuk's new drama series is practically a death sentence for Dior.

Dior has already made an exception and granted global ambassadorship titles to two of their lines. If it weren't for LV's competitive terms, they would have given the title to the main line as well, instead of leaving them in this awkward position.

How much is considered a gift?

The Paris headquarters and the Korean branch communicated urgently as soon as the data was released.

Looking at the staggering global data on the screen and the massive discussions on social media, Liu Hongzhen felt both happy and anxious.

So they called Park Jung-jung again, saying that they would further increase the maximum promotional budget on top of the existing global ambassadorship for both fragrance and beauty products, which sent a positive signal.

If Kwon Heonhyuk doesn't renew his contract with LV when it expires, Dior is willing to sign him and promote him to a global brand ambassador.

This bait is really tempting.

On the other end of the phone, Park Jung-jung listened to Yoo Hong-jin's almost overflowing urgency and a knowing smile appeared on his lips.

Dior's move was just the beginning. Other top brands that Kwon Heon-hyuk endorsed also keenly sensed this wave of popularity and adjusted their promotional strategies, striving to get a share of the pie.

La Mer reacted the fastest. They immediately released pre-prepared behind-the-scenes footage of Kwon Heonhyuk filming the advertisement on their official global accounts such as Weibo and Instagram, along with accompanying text.

[On and off screen, ultimate repair, witness the power of purity. #KwonSeonhyuk #LAMERAsiaPacificAmbassador #20thCenturyGirl]

By directly linking his pure image as "Baek Hyun-jin" in the movie with the brand's core values ​​of repair, luxury, and ocean purity, the ad's click-through rate and brand mentions increased accordingly.

The Weibo splash screen ads in China have been further increased to ensure that users see that face, made even more attractive by the movie, as soon as they open the app.

As a brand ambassador for technology and lifestyle, Dyson's approach is more relatable and fun. Its official social media accounts in South Korea and Southeast Asia released a creative poster.

On one side of the screen is a retro still from the movie, featuring Kwon So-hyuk in a 90s school uniform with tousled hair, while on the other side is an advertisement photo of him with a modern hairstyle, holding a Dyson styling product. The caption is connected by a dotted line.

[A timeless styling power. #TimelessClassic #TechnologicalEvolution #DysonStyle #KwonSeonhyuk #AHairStylistFromThe20thCentury?]

The clever use of movie elements, while highlighting the product's value in modern design, sparked discussion among fans.

Coincidentally, similar tactics are being used one after another. Who would want to miss out on the blockbuster hype of a movie? And the brands associated with him are also capitalizing on the constant promotion and traffic.

This action also helped Quan Xuanhe, causing his exposure to skyrocket.

Even some brands that have not yet made an official announcement or are in contact with the company have seen a clearer value in this wave of enthusiasm.

My artists are expensive, but they are well worth the price and definitely not a loss.

Are you going to vote or not?
Because of this movie, Min Hee-jin contacted Kwon Seon-hyuk again, hoping to meet with him as soon as possible to communicate and exchange opinions and shoot the NewJeans music video.

And the most insignificant film contracts.

Film offers are pouring in like snowflakes. With Kwon Hyun-hyuk's string of successes, any script he wants will practically end up in his hands.

This wasn't due to the film's sudden popularity, but rather the halo and golden aura that were once again confirmed after the film's success.

Even screenwriters who supposedly have the autonomy to choose actors are still subject to changes and revisions from production companies.

In the entertainment industry, popularity is the underlying logic.

Night had fallen, but the lights on set were still on. Kwon Hyun-hyuk had just finished a night shoot and hadn't even had a chance to sit down when his phone started buzzing in his pocket, displaying Kim Yoo-jung's name on the screen.

He swiped to answer the call.

"Oppa, did you see it?" Kim Yoo-jung's voice came through the receiver, filled with undisguised joy and happiness.

Her previous two works, "Red Sky" and "Convenience Store Rookie," were quite successful. This time, she switched to film and became a huge hit as soon as she teamed up with Kwon Heon-hyuk, achieving her best results ever.

Daebu!

She licked it correctly!

"I haven't had time to look closely yet, but I heard people in the group saying that the response has been very good."

"Not just good, it's absolutely fantastic."

Kim Yoo-jung's voice rose a octave, "It's absolutely insane."

"You acted very well. Can't you see everyone is praising your crying now?"

Quan Xuanhe said with a smile.

This movie is the one that helped him maintain his popularity with the Korean Wave. Although he has changed his image now, he can't just give up his popularity with the Korean Wave anytime soon.

He's not even thirty yet, and he's already making a living off his youth.

Fortunately, the results were good, and the popularity of the Korean wave remained high and was maintained very well.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk understood what she meant.

The attention brought by his participation, the boost from his acting skills, and even his suggestions for revising the script, have all propelled this film, which might have originally been just a lighthearted online movie, to phenomenal heights.

"You caught the chicken coop yourself, Yu-jung, you deserve the applause."

Quan Xuanhe said with a smile.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, with only her slightly deep breathing coming through.

Then, her voice became softer and gentler, as if she were leaning closer to the microphone, with a slightly tipsy nasal tone, inviting her warmly.

"Oppa...the movie is so good, shouldn't we celebrate? Let's go out for a drink after Oppa finishes filming this scene?"

The enthusiasm almost seemed to surge through the airwaves.

Quan Xuanhe's mind flashed back to the feeling of the fluffy rabbit ears and soft waist in the hotel, and his heart stirred.

Kim Yoo-jung wins because of the contrast. Somi is hot and open, but she doesn't give off a sense of contrast. Go Yoon-jung is beautiful and has a good temperament, but she doesn't have such a sense of contrast.

Kim Yoo-jung wins this round!

"Okay, wait until I'm done here."

"Yes, I understand." Kim Yoo-jung's voice was full of energy again, filled with the joy of being granted permission.

"Then let's wait for news from oppa."

I wonder what surprise Kim Yoo-jung will prepare for him when they meet again.

(End of this chapter)