Huayu: Starting from the top talent show

Chapter 520 The Movie-Watching Craze Sweeps Across the Asia-Pacific Region

Despite the ongoing controversy in the international music scene and within Alovers regarding Shen Juan's "STAY" album featuring a male duck being stomped on the head.

The former top streaming media outlet was decisively defeated by the current new king of streaming media – this would be big news no matter when it happened!

The psychological damage Shen Juan inflicted on Gong Ya was even greater than the psychological damage Yu Shuxin caused to Zhao Lusi!
The latter is at most a temporary win or loss in terms of viewership data when comparing new dramas released at the same time.

However, the negative impact that Shen Juan brought to Duck was a comprehensive suppression, from the performance of his works to his reputation and public image!

The humiliation and powerlessness of being kicked off the throne are far more painful than a simple momentary victory or defeat.

However, the broader general public in China is clearly paying more attention to "The Matchmaker," which has recently become incredibly popular online.

This is also true for Shen Juan himself.

So as soon as the premiere ended, clips of the post-screening interaction spread rapidly online through the audience's cameras and text. From interactions between artists to questions from fans, from personal feelings to deep resonance, all kinds of discussions flooded into social media platforms, quickly accumulating a huge amount of buzz.

[The atmosphere at the event was fantastic, both for watching the film and interacting with the audience! Zhou Ye's imitation of a Samoyed's facial expressions was absolutely adorable! Her round eyes and sweet smile were off the charts! When Tian Jie came over to make a funny face and the three of them posed for a group photo, the entire audience screamed until their voices cracked, hahaha!]

[I absolutely rave about Shen Juan's acting! The emotional impact of his crying scenes was incredible! And Tian Jie's performance was also better than I expected! Her character was incredibly charming! Zhou Ye had a few scenes that weren't quite as good, but overall her performance was above average, which is amazing for a newcomer!]

[This fan named Zhang Yaqi is so lucky! She actually received a personal blessing from Brother Juan! I want one too, waaaaah!]

[Is Tian Xiwei overdoing it by emphasizing that she's playing herself? She seems eager to tell everyone that she and Shen Juan have a great relationship, that Shen Juan loves her, and that she loves Shen Juan too. But I think this actually reflects her insecurity. It seems the pressure from Produce 202 is too much for her.]

The three of them together do look harmonious, but remembering the drama surrounding their feud on Happy Camp, it just goes to show that celebrities' acting skills need to be applied to real life. Anyway, I don't believe the two of them have truly reconciled; it's just a facade. Rather than them getting along peacefully, I'd much rather they create more drama on Weibo and bring more joy to everyone.

[Shen Juan's self-deprecating humor is so endearing! He not only doesn't shy away from jokes but also actively addresses them; this open-mindedness and composure are truly rare! Thinking about it now, it's hilarious. What's wrong with a university wanting to give him an honorary title to expand the school's international influence? If you're so capable, why don't you use your fame to get one yourself?]

[Peng Peng is so good! She directly said that Zhou Ye and Shen Juan are like real childhood sweethearts, hahaha! Zhou Ye was so embarrassed by the praise that she lowered her head, and the way Shen Juan turned to look at her... I took ten screenshots from the different angles of the video circulating online, and every frame is so dramatic! Top-tier looks + deep, affectionate eyes = an unparalleled succubus!]

[It's really great that the film is thinking about cultural export! The rosary concept retains tradition while also having a fantastical feel. I hope that overseas releases will allow more people to learn about our traditional culture and the legend of the Matchmaker God. I think the key is to keep up with the times! In this era, if we want to export our culture, we need to be bold in innovation and adaptation. Just like how Japanese anime has spread globally and even attracted Russians, only by creating new things that appeal to the aesthetics of today's young people can we arouse the curiosity of overseas audiences about Chinese culture. If we keep producing old-fashioned and serious products, not only will foreigners not want to learn about it, but even our own people might not be interested in continuing to learn about it.]

Some people are discussing the plot without giving away spoilers.

There is discussion about the acting performances of each actor.

Some people are using leaked videos from the scene to ship couples.

Some people are also criticizing and belittling the film.

In short, as news and audience reviews from the premiere were uploaded online for discussion, almost all entertainment media outlets were paying attention to the film. Even the official accounts of many mainstream media outlets began to focus on "The Matchmaker," a fantasy romance film that would normally not pass censorship.

the reason is simple.

This was mainly due to Shen Juan's influence.

Overseas influence.

After all, the reason why the relevant departments allowed the film industry to break the previously established rules and give Shen Juan the green light, allowing this film, which touched on certain issues, to pass the censorship, was precisely to make the film a huge hit, so that it could be exported overseas, improve China's international image in the Asia-Pacific region, and enhance the influence of Chinese culture.
So if you can't even provide enough support domestically, why would you expect foreigners who reject Chinese culture to support you?

Just based on Shen Juan's handsome face and his group of fans?
nonexistent.

Box office revenue from any single fan group, including Alovers, can at best guarantee that the company will not lose money or will only make a small profit.

But what if we want to achieve the effect of cultural export?

Then we absolutely have to have a massive explosion!
To achieve a massive success, you need to reach a wider audience of casual viewers!
The same applies to Shen Juan's Leviathan Era tour.

At the time, he had so many hit shows and no scandals, so his popularity and public image were excellent. With continuous marketing efforts, a trend emerged where following Shen Juan was considered to be at the forefront of the times, which led to the phenomenal tour that became the first in human history to break the billion-dollar box office mark.

Therefore, the current marketing efforts for "The Matchmaker" in the Asia-Pacific region are no less than those of the Leviathan era tour.

Whether in China, the core box office market, or in Japan and South Korea, where the economy is relatively better, or in Southeast Asia, the main region for cultural export, different distributors of "The Matchmaker" in different countries and regions are using Shen Juan for high-intensity exposure marketing.

Many locals were attracted to it.

Over time, this enthusiasm has continued to grow among young people, gradually forming a unique trend of idol worship.

It seems that not watching Shen Juan's movies or listening to his songs makes one a symbol of being out of touch with the times.

Let's not even talk about the serious consequences of school bullying.

At the very least, it will attract teasing or even ridicule from classmates.

This is especially true in Japan and South Korea.

So, in order to stay relevant and fit in, many people who weren't originally interested in the movie had no choice but to follow the trend and buy tickets to see it.

The popularity of "The Matchmaker" overseas and the level of online discussion have also increased further under these somewhat peculiar circumstances.

Many celebrities and influencers from Asia-Pacific countries have updated their social media, saying they just finished watching "The Matchmaker" starring Shen Juan.

Neon side
After watching the movie, Minami Hamabe not only expressed her love for Chinese culture on social media, but also went live on Instagram to say that she has been watching Li Ziqi's videos on YouTube recently and longs for the pastoral scenery of China. However, she has no intention of entering the Chinese entertainment industry for the time being, so her intention to curry favor with someone should not be too obvious.

In fact, it is true.

Although she and Shen Juan hadn't met offline for nine months because of loyalty, they maintained a fairly close relationship on LINE and occasionally had cross-border video calls. During this process, the originally shy Minami-chan became more and more open and did similar things to Xiao Hu.

However, the difference is that Xiao Hu is bolder; when making video calls, she shows Shen Juan a picture of beer, while Mei Bo does not.

Meibo's phone camera was always pointed at her delicate and cute face. Her soft voice didn't have much intonation. Shen Juan could only deduce what her non-phone hand was doing by the subtle changes in her expression, such as her dazed eyes, biting her lip, and blushing cheeks, as well as the strange sounds that came from her.

After watching the movie with his live-in girlfriend Nana Komatsu, Masaki Suda posted a picture of the ticket stub on social media, saying that it was a very fun and entertaining movie with both funny and touching moments. He also said that Shen Juan's comedic talent in the movie was eye-opening and very impressive!

Satomi Ishihara, who is already discussing marriage with her boyfriend outside the entertainment industry whom she met at the end of last year, did not shy away from the topic at all. She not only shared her thoughts on the movie on social media, but also contacted Shen Juan on LINE, saying that she was getting married soon and asking Shen Juan if she could still meet up for dinner after her marriage.
This woman has clearly been recruited.

Shen Juan's top-tier dynamic and static talents, combined with her single-player skill set, brought her a perfect experience she had never imagined!
But after all, I'm getting older and need to settle down and start a family.

But Shen Juan could never be with her.

So let's just consider it the master's task.

The only option is to find an honest and kind person to take over.

Shen Juan's answer was, of course, yes.

Although I feel sorry for this person who is suffering from poverty,
Brother Xiaoming and Uncle Liu can actually rest assured.

Because Chinese people are not pro-China.

He is a man with strong principles and a bottom line.

It will not disrupt the marital relationship of any of our compatriots!

I will never cheat on any of my male compatriots!

Elaiza Ikeda also shared her thoughts after watching the film.

This woman looks a bit like Hu from Japan.

He has a very strong desire for beauty.

When making videos, they dare to do anything.

They seemed completely unconcerned about Shen Juan's screen recording being leaked.

Then, during her home quarantine, she was bored and started live streaming singing Shen Juan's songs. Shen Juan saw the videos and immediately reposted them, which brought her a lot of attention and traffic. To some extent, this confirmed the claims of those Japanese gossip media who said that Shen Juan and Elaiza Ikeda had an affair.

In addition, there are also new generation actors such as Imada Mio and Miyoshi Ayaka who had previously worked with Shen Juan, Nagano Mei who met through Suda, and Kamishiraishi Mone who became popular this year with "Love Continues Forever". As well as idols from the 48 Group such as Yoda Yuki, Saito Asuka, and Nishino Nanase participated.

Although, in principle, a single female celebrity shouldn't be so enthusiastic about promoting the work of a foreign male celebrity of the same age, as this would make male fans who see them as potential partners unhappy or even unfollow them, Shen Juan is currently so popular, has such a good development momentum, and is so liked by the Japanese people.

Even if they don't participate, their agencies will still ask them to ride the wave and participate in this nationwide event.

Since that's the case, there's no need to be reserved anymore. (Although Japan is generally anti-Chinese and pro-Western, Shen Juan, as an Asian, has strongly dominated the Western music market and become the pride of all Asia. In addition, as the world's number one, Shen Juan is even willing to release a Japanese album to cater to the Japanese market and give back to Japanese fans. This is something they never dared to dream of before. This is absolutely an unparalleled honor! Therefore, their admiration for strength and gratitude have now overcome their anti-Chinese sentiments. Shen Juan's popularity and general public appeal among young people in Japan, especially among women, has seen a huge increase. Influenced by the relatively open social atmosphere regarding gender, he has become the ideal type with the highest percentage of votes in street polls.)
The situation in South Korea is much the same.

The four members of GIDLE – Zhao Meiyan, Song Yuqi, Minnie, and Ye Shuhua – went to see a movie together and took a group photo outside the cinema.

While having lunch with Sister Tian and Xiao Ye, Shen Juan logged into Kakao and took a moment to reply to the messages they sent him.

He chatted with Zhao Meiyan like a normal couple.

It has to be said that Sister Mian is very good at being coquettish. She often sends him several long voice messages in the middle of the night to express her loneliness.

When facing Song Yuqi and MINNIE, he was relatively more serious and didn't talk about too many sensitive topics that could lead to flirtation.

He didn't want to be mentioned by the two of them on the show again, saying that he had discovered that a respected senior was chatting and flirting with them at the same time.

He really had no feelings for either of them!
As for Yeh Shuhua?
Contrary to her fair and innocent appearance, this Taiwanese girl gives off a very energetic and playful vibe when chatting privately.

Therefore, Shen Juan did not treat her as a proper person.

Just switch to the "bad guy" persona and play around with her.

An Alpha should act like an Alpha.

The more successful one becomes, the more one needs to have a full, accurate, and comprehensive self-awareness. So, without any narcissism or exaggeration, given his current achievements and status, he could probably make people blush with excitement just by casually chatting about everyday things.

BLACKPINK is pretty much like that.

Before venturing into America, I only thought Shen Juan was awesome.

After venturing into America, I realized that Shen Juan was absolutely amazing!
Only after truly stepping into the field Shen Juan is in can one know how difficult it is to reach his current level!
His talent and genius are simply incredible!
Interestingly, however, each of them fought their own battle.

Not only did they watch the movie separately and post on Instagram separately, but the topics and content of their chats with Shen Juan on Kakao were also quite varied.

All I can say is that team spirit is something like that.
Like Schrödinger's cat.

You can never tell whether it actually exists or is just a decoration.

Aside from fans, almost no one takes it seriously.

Kim Jisoo has clearly come to regard Shen Juan as a boyfriend she can share anything with, or as a close confidant. So, during the past six months when they haven't had a chance to meet, she has been chatting with Shen Juan about everyday things, openly showing her most sloppy and least idol-like side.

This woman actually has a bit of a homebody/lazy vibe; among the four members of BLACKPINK, she's the least career-driven and ambitious.

But none of this concerns Shen Juan.

Anyway, he likes keeping small animals at home.

I have a pet named Xiao Xiao in China.

There's no problem raising a female steroid user in South Korea.

Lisa sent Shen Juan a dance practice video to the song "Senorita" by Shen Juan and Ariana Grande, hoping for his advice. Shen Juan replied that it was already quite good and he couldn't offer any suggestions because the dance was a bit too suggestive, with references to things like "slapping the floor" and "long legs swinging around."
Shen Juan didn't need to think to know that she had a fever.

Jennie also had a fever, and asked Shen Juan when he planned to come to Seoul after the friendship ended. She said she wanted to treat Shen Juan to a meal, and even said that her cat could do backflips. She was obviously eyeing Shen Juan's Dior and wanted Shen Juan to feature her when he released a song in the future, so that she could break out of the group and become a star!

Park Chae-young didn't have much interaction with Shen Juan at first, but after breaking into the US, she saw that her teammates were all fawning over Shen Juan, and now she also wants to latch onto his coattails.

After all, everyone could see the boost that Madison Bill and Guasie's collaboration with Shen Juan gave them.

Therefore, no one could refuse to cooperate with Shen Juan.

Including those so-called top-tier brands!
In addition, IU, who previously performed as a guest at Shen Juan's Seoul concert, Kim Ji-won, whom I met at the Estée Lauder cruise party in Seoul, Bae Suzy, who became a trending topic on Korean websites for covering her face shyly after watching Shen Juan's concert, TWICE's Minatozaki Sana, Hirai Momo, and Park Jihyo, IZ*ONE's Kwon Eunbi, Miyawaki Sakura, and Choi Yena, ITZY's Shin Yuna and Hwang Yeji, as well as Nancy, Somi, Jung Eunbi, Jeon Hee-jin, and other idols from small companies with limited popularity and in dire need of support, all conveyed to the outside world through social media updates or live streams that they had watched "The Matchmaker" as soon as it was released.

This widespread public discussion seems to have become a fashionable item for these K-pop idols to show off and attract attention.

This allows them to appear to be keeping up with global trends and having a contemporary aesthetic, while also leveraging Shen Juan's international influence to generate buzz.

Therefore, this behavior of showing off ticket stubs has gradually become an implicit certification of trendy aesthetics. Rather than saying that they are watching movies, it is more accurate to say that they are using this nationwide craze to manage their public image and add labels such as "keeping up with global trends, having aesthetics in sync with the masses, and having access to high-quality social resources".

Of course, this kind of thing will basically only happen among women, since Shen Juan doesn't have a very good image in the eyes of Korean men.

The gender antagonism here is too severe.

It can't be explained in just a few words.

As the Chinese machete that the Korean woman wielded against the Korean man, Shen Juan obviously attracted attacks and jealousy from many Korean men.

(Jing Enfei, stage name Yinhe)
Meanwhile, the brands that endorse Shen Juan also set their sights on this movie that was actively delivering sales figures to their doorsteps, and they all joined in, starting their promotional campaigns according to the original plan.

McDonald's has displayed promotional photos of Shen Juan, the matchmaker, on the windows of its stores throughout the Asia-Pacific region and launched a limited-time matchmaker meal. The meal box is printed with the same promotional image and includes exclusive poster cards for "The Matchmaker" inside. Each card corresponds to a different classic scene from the movie, with five designs randomly distributed. The back of the card also has a redemption code, which consumers can use to redeem a matchmaker-themed face mask at offline stores.

LV is using both online and offline channels.

Not only did they launch the #LVMatchmakerAdventures# hashtag on major global social media platforms such as Weibo, Instagram, and Twitter, inviting users worldwide to share their expectations for love and their thoughts on the collaboration between the movie "Matchmaker" and LV, but they also launched a limited-edition "Matchmaker" co-branded product series for a limited time, stimulating the consumption enthusiasm of fans worldwide.

Shen Juan can earn a share of the profits from any co-branded product.

There is no such thing as giving someone else fame and influence for free.

Coca-Cola launched limited-edition packaging featuring the silhouette of the character Shen Juan and the words "Fate in the movie, a toast in real life." They also partnered with several designated cinemas to offer a chance to win free movie tickets by scanning the QR code on the bottle cap, although the odds of winning seemed to be only 1%.

Adidas partnered with Shen Juan to launch the #RedLineRelay# challenge on Douyin and TikTok. For every video that users post and accumulate a certain number of likes, the brand will donate clothing and footwear to the Yi District.

Although Porsche did not take advantage of the situation to launch a joint promotional campaign with "The Matchmaker", they edited Shen Juan's previous driving practice footage in Shanghai into a personal documentary and broadcast it.

One episode has been released so far.

The documentary is primarily targeted at car enthusiast communities, Shen Juan's fan base, and high-end lifestyle platforms.

Their main focus is on the high-end market!
Ferrero Rocher chocolates are wrapped in gold foil with tiny red string patterns, and the back of the packaging features classic movie quotes. Each quote is randomly included with each chocolate, adding to the surprise of opening the blind box.

Hennessy has launched limited edition bottles for its two core collections, XO and VSOP, with a movie quote handwritten by Shen Juan: "Some things will never change, even after ten thousand years." The bottom of the bottle is also printed with a unique limited edition number, which enhances the scarcity of the product and transforms it directly from a disposable item into a collectible.

Even League of Legends (LOL) has taken the opportunity to launch a limited-edition Matchmaker series of skins to cash in on its players. The skins include Rakan the Red Thread Guide, Xayah the Red Thread Weaver, Diana the Moon Goddess, Caesar the Broken String, and Nidalee the Wild Messenger. The skins are designed with red threads, marriage, and the phases of the moon as core elements, and the skill effects are designed in conjunction with movie themes.

Furthermore, purchasing five skins at once will also grant you a movie ticket redemption code for "The Matchmaker," which is still considered an official way to boost box office revenue.

In addition, the official League of Legends website announced that Shen Juan will use this skin in the match when he attends the All-Star exhibition game on the 28th of this month.

This excited female League of Legends players and male players who enjoy playing with female friends, and they all placed orders.

Shen Juan had no objection to this.

Because he can get a full 40% share of the sales revenue from these five skins, which is much higher than the share from the championship skin.

It's not like I'm losing out no matter what.

In addition, almost all the brands that Shen Juan endorses, such as Anmuxi, Luckin Coffee, YSL, Estée Lauder, Lay's, Beats headphones, L'Oréal, Canon, Guerlain, and Clear, have participated. It's clear that these guys are eager to seize this opportunity and reverse the sales slump following the emotional appeal!
From Asia-Pacific to Europe and America, from affordable to luxury, more than twenty internationally renowned brands have come to admire Shen Juan's "The Matchmaker".

TikTok challenges, charitable donations, limited-edition collectibles, limited-time events—they're all doing everything they can to make money and boost their performance.

But those in the industry understand.
This isn't a brand trying to ride the coattails of a movie's popularity, is it?
This is clearly a brand taking advantage of Shen Juan's popularity!
It's just that they don't usually have a good reason to take advantage of the situation, and this film, "The Matchmaker," just happened to provide them with that opportunity.

In fact, with the emergence of Sisyphus and the establishment of his public welfare and charity persona, Shen Juan has long been a golden brand with considerable influence and strong appeal in the global market!
There's no way around it, his public image is just too good!
Not only does he have very few scandals, but he also frequently participates in charity events, donating money and supplies, and even launching global benefit performances.

With a single move, he can convert traffic into real sales, break out of niche circles and connect with the mainstream, and even reverse the inevitable sales slump that follows a period of emotional appeal.

The promotional effect and brand value enhancement he brings to a brand are equivalent to the effect of dozens of celebrities forming an endorsement matrix, but his endorsement fee is not as much as dozens of people combined, making his cost-effectiveness extremely high!
Such explosive commercial performance is not only unique in the Chinese entertainment industry, but also unparalleled on a global scale.

So how can this not be called a hexagonal warrior?

How can he not be called the world's number one?
Kim Ji-won: [Just finished watching "The Matchmaker," and I'm still savoring it as I walk out of the theater! Shen Juan's crying scenes are so powerful; he truly brought the character of A-Ze to life. The red thread connecting lovers is also brilliant. It's a movie that brings joy, happiness, and warmth during this special time. I recommend everyone to watch it!]

(End of this chapter)