Generation Z Artists

Chapter 272 Everyone Goes Crazy
"Fang Xinghe's literary talent is like the sun in the sky, possessing the value of illuminating the world and dispelling confusion. As the legitimate successor of the Ming Dynasty, our Republic of Korea should more deeply and meticulously explore those precious legacies, unite Korean consciousness, extract great genes from our national character, and become the leader and shaper of Asian culture in the new era..."

The South Korean cultural scene is in a frenzy, *kuku*.

Because South Korea's literary scene is too small and has too little influence, it has not formed a separate circle, but rather is coupled with the broader cultural sphere.

From directors to screenwriters, from writers to journalists, from scholars to teachers, they are all members of the broader cultural community.

But it is precisely because it is not isolated that the South Korean cultural scene possesses an extraordinary influence.

Now, they've started frantically deconstructing "The Sino-American World" and adding a lot of drama to it.

"Fang Xinghe's critique of American freedom is exactly the same as my research on American society. As a professor at Seoul National University, I believe that this kind of thorough research has the following benefits..."

"Fang Xinghe's six philosophical principles deeply embody the essence of Korean Confucianism. Each principle is a brilliant collision between modernity and classicism, providing an excellent modern learning model for the younger generation in Korea to inherit the wisdom of their ancestors..."

"The state of Korea during the Warring States period was the predecessor of our Republic of Korea. According to scholar Park Jin-hyung, after failing to resist the tyrannical Qin Dynasty, Korean immigrants crossed the sea eastward, fled the Central Plains, and came to the Korean Peninsula, where they established a civilization called the Three Hans, which eventually evolved into the modern Korea of ​​today."

We, the people of the Republic of Korea, have the same courageous and intelligent blood flowing in our veins as Crown Prince Yu, which is why we have been able to create an extraordinary and brilliant modern Korean civilization.

Historically, we have been brave and skilled in battle, defeating the most powerful central empires of the time on several occasions. We also played a significant role in World War I and World War II, which earned us the appreciation and encouragement of the new hegemon. As a result, we quickly recovered from the post-war depression and created the Asian economic miracle.

Fang Xinghe is of the same origin and race as us Koreans; this is an indisputable fact…

It's a common and evil thing.

Fang had already anticipated this, so he simply didn't read any of the South Korean reports, only glancing at the South Korean box office figures.

Today is January 5th, and Kim Jae-hee has sent several data points from South Korea.

On its opening day, "Hero" attracted 30 viewers.

This data is impressive, but not the most impressive.

Previously, all records for South Korean films were held by "Titanic" until the end of 99, when the record was rewritten by "Shiri".

Then, in 2001, "Friend" sparked a nationwide movie-going frenzy. Its rapid opening broke all the speed records previously held by "Shiri," making it the strongest opening film in Korean film history at the time.

On its opening day, it attracted 450,000 viewers; it took four days to reach one million, seven days to reach two million, and ten days to reach four million.

The opening performance of "Hero" was significantly lower than that of "Friends". Logically speaking, the final box office should only be about half of that of "Friends".

But in fact……

"Hero" also broke one million viewers in four days, which then triggered a viewing frenzy that was unstoppable.

"Crown Prince Yu is Korean!"

In late 2002 and early 2003, this sentence ignited the South Korean internet.

In fact, in Romanized phonetic symbols, "hanguo" and "Korea" are completely different things, but South Korea still uses Chinese extensively. In Chinese, "Korea" and "Korea" are the same.

So... you know what I mean.

Fang Xinghe glanced at the box office, smiled slightly, and then went along with their excitement, ignoring it.

Kim Jae-hee, on the other hand, was extremely excited.

"Boss, judging from the current trend, we are capable of reaching at least 800 million viewers. Based on an average ticket price of $6, the domestic box office in South Korea has a good chance of reaching 5000 million!"

In South Korea, the production company can only get a quarter of the box office revenue, and in reality it should only be around 20%.

The $1000 million in revenue, after being split with New Picture, is nothing to Mr. Fang.

However, from the perspective of global box office statistics, South Korea's $5000 million would definitely rank in the top 5 in a single market, making a huge contribution.

Therefore, Brother Fang was exceptionally kind to the Koreans this time.

"You handle the media relations for me, and say the nice things. After I finish my trip here, my next stop will be Japan and South Korea."

I have to go to South Korea again. Whether the person in person is present or not could affect millions of moviegoers.

Moreover, leveraging this popularity can further solidify the reputation of Korean stars.

To be honest, North American and European fans are quite generous, even the most ardent fans, their dedication, duration of support, and willingness to spend are still far lower than those in Japan and South Korea.

They do have a stronger ability to pay, but they tend to pay for the works themselves, lacking the strong dedication of Japanese and Korean fans.

During the screening of "Hero" in South Korea, the Korean film company "Full Star" organized several large-scale promotional events, bringing their own food and standing in front of major shopping malls in Seoul all day long to attract passersby to the cinema.

Some groups even raised funds to buy movie tickets and distribute them to passersby, hoping to spread the influence of "Hero" as soon as possible.

This move left many in Europe, America, and even China completely stunned.

Of course, the Japanese region's starry sky is not only not to be outdone, but is even more frenzied.

The report by Entertainment Jump almost sent half of Japan into a frenzy.

"According to our reporter's in-depth interviews at places like Okubo Park in Shibuya Ward, it was found that His Highness Fang Xinghe's influence has already formed a strong belief among middle school students..."

Provincial regulations: New rules have been introduced in Tokyo regarding aid-to-people exchanges.

The middle school girls' demands changed from simply giving them cash to taking them to see the movie "Hero" and buying them a complete set of posters and a photo album titled "Born to Be a Madman".

Why do they collect these things?

Because having multiple posters can increase the chances of winning a lottery.

That dog Fang Xinghe... oh no, that dog Kadokawa Tsutohiko announced ahead of time that His Highness Fang Xinghe would be holding his second autograph session in Tokyo.

Holding an official, genuine movie poster of "Hero" is sufficient for nomination.

Then, a lottery will be held based on the assigned number, and the winner will receive a signed ticket to meet Fang Xinghe in person at the event.

30 seconds per person, super affordable, you can sign at least four or five books.

Because Fang Xinghe's personally signed works are so rare in each country, yet there are so many enthusiastic fans, this thing is not only an honor, but also a source of money.

Unsigned copies of "Born to Be Wild" cost less than $100, but last month a wealthy American woman bought a signed Chinese version for $4.

Japan has a large number of autographed works, but after going through several resale markets, the price of any autographed work is now no less than 300 million yen.

Forging Fang Xinghe's signature can now be more profitable than counterfeiting luxury goods.

Of course, the head of the online trolls had anticipated this, and all the autographs were signed by fans themselves, bearing their names.

Therefore, if you want to sell a secondhand item, you must attach a signed photo to prove that you personally obtained the genuine item in order to get a high price.

However, the booming fan market is merely a byproduct of this media frenzy. In Japan, "Hero" and "Chinese Consciousness" also caused a huge sensation.

Japan's situation differs from South Korea's; compared to Chinese consciousness and American-style liberalism, they are more concerned with Fang's philosophy. The literary, artistic, fashion, and media circles themselves have engaged in in-depth discussions on this topic.

"Fang Xinghe didn't reveal his entire philosophy; he concealed a crucial core, which made what was originally an extremely powerful chapter incomplete, blah blah blah..."

What exactly is the core concept?
The silence of death, the beauty of silence, the sorrow of beauty, the joy of sorrow...

In short, Japanese commentators maintain that Prince Fang Xinghe possesses a cruel, self-destructive tendency that is born with a love of solitude, and that he will eventually succumb to solitude.

Discussing with unwavering conviction when Fang Xinghe will commit suicide, and swearing to follow him to his death, is a daily routine for some extreme fans.

The Yomiuri Shimbun wrote: "The philosophical thoughts in the article 'The Sino-US World' are excellent, but they seem too positive. We all know that is not the real Fang Xinghe, at least not the complete Fang Xinghe."

Of course, we can understand that the original intention of this article was to fight back and criticize, and it was not necessary for him to reveal all the cruel beauty. I deeply regret this, but I still think it is very powerful and just right.

In Fang Xinghe's artistic world, he is the ruler of everything, the strong and agile king of beasts. His philosophy should be positive, magnificent, and grand.

This is an extremely beneficial addition to our traditional Japanese philosophy.

It fully demonstrates the attitude that citizens of a great power should have when facing hegemony, and serves as an important guide for our new generation of young people on how to actively save ourselves for the country and the nation…

The discussions in Japan may seem skewed, but they are actually rooted in the country's specific circumstances.

The term "Heisei otaku" was coined after 2005, but they didn't just appear in 2005.

In fact, as early as 1991, the bubble economy collapsed, and Japan entered a "lost decade, two decades, three decades"...

Young people in the job market during this employment ice age no longer have stable jobs and can only become informal employees. They then begin to wallow in depravity within the increasingly mature stay-at-home culture.

"下流" is not a vulgar term, but a specific Japanese term for something that flows downwards.

When a social phenomenon begins to be summarized and refined into specialized terminology, the severity of the situation is self-evident.

At this opportune moment, Fang Xinghe's new article precisely addresses a major problem in Japanese society through the lens of "individual liberalism."

As a result, the Japanese cultural scene experienced an instant surge of excitement, just like in South Korea.

The reasons are different, the causes are different, but the level of fervor is the same.

The overwhelming number of analytical articles, along with the resulting interpretations and arguments, occupied a significant amount of print media space and online space.

Although it is essentially still using Fang Xinghe's story to perform its own play, this time it has been mixed with the brilliance of "Hero" itself, naturally creating a huge wave.

Countless young people walked into the cinema alone and watched the movie quietly.

After watching it, I went home and picked up my keyboard.

"Banzai! It's an action movie even more exciting than Rurouni Kenshin!"

"I love their deaths; they're romantically brilliant to an unimaginable degree!"

“I don’t understand philosophy, but His Highness Fang Xinghe made me cry.”

"Stop spouting nonsense! The movie and the article are completely different things!"

"The movie was great, but the article was even better. The resonance of ideas is far more touching than the messy fighting. I am grateful to this movie for inspiring Prince Fang Xinghe to write again."

Arguments are inevitable, but this time, no one criticized the film; the controversy focused on the article.

But with nowhere else to release its heat, it can only be released to "Hero".

Therefore, "Hero" also soared at the Japanese box office, like an out-of-control train crashing through everything in its path.

The world's second-largest voting bloc is brewing a monster...

……

Old-school Europe, especially the United States, absolutely adored Fang Xinghe's "The Sino-American World".

The Times reprinted the story immediately, sparking heated commentary.

"Yes, Americans are used to playing double standards, one set of values ​​inside and another outside, one set above and another below. Each set is different and hypocritical. They have neither the character of a gentleman nor the courage of a warrior. They only have an indelible robbery mentality, which is disgusting."

"Star River, with unimaginable sharpness, pierced through the glamorous cloak draped over the body of the US government and American capital, revealing to the world the bloated, rotten, wrinkled, and foul-smelling body beneath."

The renowned British literary critic Charles wrote a lengthy commentary on this matter.

"Their Declaration of Independence is indeed quite poetic, but don't you find it amusing that those gentlemen who proclaim the equality of all men in the halls of Philadelphia can return to their plantations and continue to enjoy dinners served by enslaved people with a clear conscience? This cognitive dissonance is a prime example of colonial aesthetics."

Star River's portrayal of American freedom is generally objective and accurate—though not comprehensive—but it is already quite surprising, considering he is only 17 years old. We can certainly expect him to make even more groundbreaking contributions to true freedom in the real world.

……

Finally, and this is my honest opinion, Star River's stellar performance will not change anything or anyone in America.

But he successfully changed my view of China—it is a great country. I love the tea tableware set from the Qing Dynasty royal court. More than two hundred years have passed, and the glaze of the porcelain has become more and more warm and thick, just like the elegance that Star River exudes from its bones. It is the iconic blood radiance of cultural genes planted in a young body.

I love this brilliance. Modern China is not civilized enough, but Star River's level of civilization is far ahead. I look forward to the day he wins the Royal Prize for Literature from the United Kingdom..."

The arrogant British didn't say anything nice, but they considered themselves to have praised Fang Xinghe quite highly.

Indeed, they did have a particularly good impression of Fang Xinghe.

However, when Fang learned that the total box office revenue in the UK over 10 days was only £542 million, he easily and without hesitation gave the publisher from the UK the middle finger.

"Get out! Don't even think about touching any of my work!"

The publisher's hasty retreat did little to improve Fang Ge's mood; the total box office of less than $2500 million across Europe in ten days was hardly a fair assessment of his hard work.

Fang Xinghe decided to temporarily ignore the European market; they didn't deserve to waste any more of his energy on it.

But he cannot ignore the Chinese market.

Hero is a hit again, just like before.

But "Hero" is being criticized again, just like in the previous life.

Zhang Yimou ultimately stubbornly decided to release the verbal version in China, and unsurprisingly, it was met with a barrage of criticism.

Actually, he can handle it; he didn't take it seriously at all in his past life.

However, this time things turned out very differently.

Because the overseas versions were completely different, when the news reached China, the already angry media and movie fans finally had a more specific outlet for their anger and a demand for fairness.

They started frantically calling for an international version.

(End of this chapter)