The battle for traffic in Chinese entertainment

Chapter 505, "Childhood Games," is now available.

Is "Childhood Games" any good? Why is it getting so much hype online?

[I watched a few clips, and they seemed quite gory?]
Isn't it just a battle royale?
What's so great about that?

Li Yifeng's previous film, "Animal World," was a battle royale movie; it received decent reviews but flopped at the box office.

"Childhood Games" went viral just an hour after it was released, even at 4x speed.
What's the point of this show going viral on Weibo if it's not even airing in mainland China?
A direct order has been issued from above: Hong Kong dramas must be revived!
"Looks good, love watching, currently watching! [hehe]"

"—Did you watch it on Netflix? Why can't I find the resource on any other website? Is Zheng Rong bullying pirate websites again???"

—"You guys have ruined the word 'bullying'... [sweating]"

"Doesn't every name automatically explode worldwide? Why can't 'Childhood Games' explode? [Eye roll]"

"To be honest, the fancy special effects in Animal World are idiotic, not as satisfying as the blood spraying in Childhood Games."

"You have to admire Zheng Rong's boldness. Before this drama was released, there were concerns that the level of gore would be compromised in order to pass censorship in mainland China. As a result, Zheng Rong directly gave up selling the domestic copyright and filmed the original battle royale without any compromise, even exceeding expectations. There were no dramas like this in mainland China before, so it is normal for it to become a hit as soon as it airs. Even if Xing Sheng did not act in it, the audience-generating effect would be the envy of other dramas."

"The mainland China rights for 'Someday or One Day' and 'Signal' both sold for 500-600 million yuan. Although Xing Sheng didn't act in 'Childhood Games,' it will definitely sell for 300-400 million yuan. He just said he didn't want it, I really admire Xing Sheng! [laughing and crying emoji]"

"Maybe it's because the first episode was so explosive that everyone started praising it after watching it?"
It was quite boring at first; the male protagonist was an unemployed, good-for-nothing middle-aged man who stole his elderly mother's wages. However, it satirized the inexplicable sense of superiority among the people of Hong Kong and depicted the current desolation of Hong Kong very vividly.

Once the battle royale game started, it got really fun. The first game, "Statues," wiped out a huge number of players, spraying blood everywhere. Those who enjoyed that kind of thing were thrilled and probably posted about it online to get validation.

I really enjoyed watching it.

"Don't a lot of people like to hype up these kinds of shows? A few shots and some tomato sauce and they're all excited, then they add a few sarcastic remarks about why mainland China can't make them. [Hehe]"

"The fans are already lamenting why they can't watch it in mainland China. This hype is definitely Zheng Rong's doing, and his intentions are despicable! Zheng Rong wants to push for the relaxation of censorship and open the door for Netflix. This is treasonous behavior!"

Is Hong Kong drama really about to take off again?

At the premiere the day before yesterday, many people in the group were still mocking the Hong Kong entertainment circle for dreaming, and even Apricot Mushroom didn't think much of "Childhood Games".

But right now, "Childhood Games" is incredibly popular overseas. Its initial viewership is even comparable to Kosei's "Signal" and "Someday or One Day," with many foreigners watching.
"Just be happy, whether you get up or not is up to you. Are you hungry? Go get a bowl of noodles."

—"I glanced at it a few times. TVB die-hards are devastated! What does this show have to do with Hong Kong dramas?! [vomiting]"

"Just profiting from the success of 'Alice in the Land of the Dying.' [Smirk]"

—“Netflix executives have said in interviews that they decided to start the project “The Land of the Dying” after “Childhood Games” because they recognized Xu Xing’s accurate vision.”

"It's just a TV series... [sweating]"

"The hype surrounding the king oyster mushroom has been so great that it's been revived regardless of whether there's any real revival. If other Hong Kong dramas don't perform well in the future, it's a waste of Hsing Sung's hard work and a way of closing the door again."

"A bunch of washed-up Hong Kong stars are trying to ride the wave of popularity. It's been a long time since I've seen Hong Kong entertainment so lively..."

"Netflix is ​​promoting 'Childhood Games' with the same level of hype as Yukihiro's starring role, so isn't it normal for the opening numbers to be so high? Many foreigners think this is a new drama starring Yukihiro. Now there are many people on Twitter asking which episode Yukihiro appears in."

"After pioneering the eras of hip-hop, idols, and bands, Xing Sheng has now revived the era of Hong Kong dramas! His greatness needs no further explanation! [Thumbs up][Thumbs up][Thumbs up]"

[It must be so easy for Xing Sheng to be a screenwriter!]

[First of all, I want to say that I especially love another work by screenwriter Yukito, "Bad Genius," which is currently showing in theaters. I've attached my ticket stub as proof.]

But the popular science article I just read, "Childhood Games," pays homage to it yet again!
Previously, Xing Sheng would pay tribute to one work per drama; this time, he paid tribute to four works at once.

Kosei paid homage to all of these works, including "Gambling Apocalypse," "Liar Game," "Listen to the Gods," and "Alice in the Land of the Dying."

It even paid homage to a South Korean variety show.

A tribute to other films, this is the work of a peerless genius, the top screenwriter in the Chinese entertainment industry, making all professional screenwriters feel ashamed of their inferiority.

King Oyster Mushroom and Zheng Rong have launched a massive online campaign to cover their mouths, and this post is on the countdown to being deleted.
[Bad Genius ticket stub.jpg]
"Seriously?! Has anyone seen this? Is it really that outrageous?"

—"Not just four, there are also 'Hello, Teacher' and 'Money Heist'."

"Criticizing is just whitewashing. The basic premise of battle royale games is perfectly normal, and the decisions made in life-or-death situations aren't surprising. The glass walkway and the log bridge aren't even the same thing, and 'The Land of the Dying' only premiered last month. If we're really going to talk about plagiarism, only the 'Wooden Man' and that Korean variety show are somewhat copied, but Japan and Korea are our tributary states, so what's wrong with them being ours? [eye roll]"

"If Xing Sheng comes out and explains that he was unaware, I will believe him. Because many screenwriting teams operate this way, including the most famous and top-notch screenwriters. They choose the subject matter, have their subordinates write it, and then just review it and put their names on it. I guess Xing Sheng just didn't watch those dramas and overlooked them. But you can't blame these big screenwriters. The distorted environment of the Chinese entertainment industry means that whether a project can be done depends entirely on how famous the screenwriter is. That's the prevailing attitude in the entire industry. [Sigh]"

"Your team's bashing of Yukito is getting better and better! [Thumbs up]"
"Nobody cares, nobody's going to delete your post, too lazy to report it. [Yawn]"

"I've gotten used to copying all these years. [Thumbs up]"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"One, two, three, freeze!"

boom!
"Ahhhhh!!!"

Bang bang bang!
"Ahhhh!!!!"

boom! !

Bang bang bang bang! ! !

Bang bang bang bang bang! ! ! !

When the screams and gunfire stopped, the bodies dressed in green were piled up on the ground, with large patches of blood on the ground. Everyone, whether standing or lying down, was terrified and dared not move an inch.

Bae Suzy crossed her legs and leaned closer to Heo Haeng.

With a mischievous streak, Xu Xing's fingers couldn't stop. She tried to make herself as comfortable as possible, as Xu Xing's embrace made her feel quite safe.

It wasn't a good time to protest, because after Xu Xing returned to the villa, she planned to continue working things out, and she wanted to watch "Childhood Games".

Bae Suzy overheard part of Erika's phone call and also took a moment to search online on her phone. She found that this drama was already the beginning of a phenomenal hit.

She naturally had a lot of curiosity about this drama.

With Xu Xing's interference, I watched the drama absentmindedly, and Bae Suzy didn't find it particularly enjoyable either. However, she did notice some things.

"Just like the kind of thing you would write," Bae Suzy muttered, biting her lip. "You like to be in control of everything, to manipulate others, and you make even the most ordinary things sound perverted?"

The complaint received a response.

Bae Suzy's face burned even hotter, and her body went limp, leaving her with no strength left.

But the criticism is absolutely correct!
Xu Xing has a twisted gene in his body; he likes to push all good things in the completely opposite direction.

The game that made other people happiest in their childhood, he used to kill people for fun.

Over the course of three days, Xu Xing made her dress more and more innocently, but he became increasingly... When they went out to watch a movie together, he always made her wear a high-hemmed pleated skirt to keep her cool.

Like the characters in the drama, she was completely powerless to resist.

She also gets teased by Xu Xing from time to time, who says she doesn't want to resist, that she's getting closer and closer to her true nature, that she's just a slut... How awful!
"Nuna only just realized it now?"

Xu Xinghao laughed.

Bae Suzy wanted to complain, but... but... she was about to collapse again.

Thankfully, my phone rang!

It's still Xu Xing's!
If it were hers, it would be even more agonizing; things are a little easier now.

However, Xu Xing hung up the phone quickly.

"Erika is here."

"Huh? What? She's already here?"

Bae Suzy looked a little flustered.

After being tormented by Xu Xing, she was about to reach a crucial moment.

Based on Xu Xing's behavior these past few days, Bae Suzy strongly suspects that Xu Xing will let her in front of Erika...

Fortunately! ! !

He stopped!
So, Miss Bae Soo-ji, with eyes as gentle as water, obediently cleaned Xu Xing's fingers, and then Xu Xing gently brushed the back of his fingers across her hot, smooth cheek, leaving a damp mark.

Her cheek was patted again. "Let's go downstairs together. You don't need to change your clothes; you look pretty like this."

After saying that, he helped her tidy up her messy hair.

"Hmm~"

Bae Suzy nodded silently.

When Erika saw Heo Haeng and Bae Suzy walking downstairs together, her face lit up with a wide smile.

Before coming, Bae Suzy repeatedly confirmed with her that she could leave early this morning. However, not only did Bae Suzy not return to Korea, but she also followed Heo Haeng around with a delicate figure and a blush on her face.

As they were walking down, Bae Suzy's legs suddenly went weak. Luckily, Heo Haeng was right beside her and pulled her into his arms.

Then Xu Xing put his arm around her and they went to the sofa together. He first let Bae Suzy sit down on the sofa before sitting down next to her.

Xu Xing didn't reach out to hug her again, but Bae Soo-ji leaned on Xu Xing's shoulder, and Xu Xing then hugged her again.

Erika, who was watching from the sidelines, smiled like a proud aunt the whole time.

Hsu Hsing is the most important thing!
Of course, what makes her happiest right now is that "Childhood Games" has far exceeded expectations.

Before "Childhood Games" was released, she thought it would only be slightly better than the Japanese drama "Alice in the Land of the Dying" which aired at the beginning of last month.

In fact, "Alice in the Land of Dying" was quite successful, and it topped the viewership charts in many countries. It is Netflix's second Japanese drama to perform well globally, after "Full Nude Director".

However, the series starring Hsu Hsing herself is the kind of show that can top Netflix's global weekly streaming charts. "Childhood Games" did not have Hsu Hsing in it, and it was just the second "The Land of the Dying".

However, since its release, "Childhood Games" has been making history in Netflix Asia Pacific with its performance data across the board!
Moreover, the fact that all nine episodes were released at once, along with the high viewer retention rate and the positive reviews on social media, proves that this is not just a short-lived phenomenon.

Xu Xing's fans and the audience of "The Land of the Dying" gave "Childhood Games" a historic explosion, and the drama also caught the explosion!

New memberships are growing rapidly in many countries and regions across the Asia-Pacific region.

The show's performance in Europe and America far exceeded expectations, with many viewers actively watching it and never turning it off after starting.

It's late at night in Europe and America, so it will take some time to prove whether it's just a preference for a show with explicit content in late-night slots. However, according to user profiles, most Netflix viewers have this preference.

Therefore, less than three hours after "Childhood Games" was launched, Erika saw the backend data and received the first batch of audience feedback, and immediately popped champagne!

Let Tony on your head go eat dog poop!
Tony questioned Hsu Hsing, but Erika has always supported her!

It was she who prevented Hsu Hsing from being poached by Disney+!

With Disney+'s aggressive entry, even Netflix headquarters believes that Xu Xing will find it hard to resist Disney's allure. If Xu Xing wants to further develop her career in Hollywood, Disney will be the one that can offer the best price.

Then, Xu Xing always stood with her and Netflix!
Now, we will achieve even greater historical successes!
At such a crucial moment, "Childhood Games" can help her solve all the difficulties she is facing!
The minor setbacks in "The Three-Body Problem" are no longer worth mentioning!
"How can I thank you enough, Xing! 'Childhood Games' is the best and most important gift I've ever received! It's unbelievable! You saved me! I... I don't know how to describe the feelings in my heart..."

Erika's exaggerated and continuous exclamations, and finally her indescribable words, left Bae Suzy, who felt she should lift her head from Xu Xing's embrace, stunned for several more moments.

She really didn't expect Erika to be so "humble" in front of Xu Xing!
Three days ago, Xu Xinggang arrived in Gangcheng. At the villa next door, Erika simply introduced her to Xu Xinggang and then immediately saw him off.

Although Erika's familiarity with Heo Haeng at the time made Bae Suzy mutter a few complaints about Erika's arrogance in front of her and the Korean film and television industry.

But Bae Suzy didn't have a deep understanding of it either.

Given Xu Xing's status and achievements, and the fact that Erika had known him for a long time, it's normal that they were closer.

But now, Erika's continuous exclamations, in contrast to Xu Xing's calm smile as he embraced her, made Bae Suzy realize that the scene wasn't just two collaborators celebrating their success; it seemed more like Erika was desperately trying to prove to Xu Xing how much she valued him, afraid that Xu Xing might be dissatisfied with the extent of her gratitude...

Just one hour after "Childhood Games" was launched, he couldn't wait to share the good news with Xu Xing, and then rushed to Xu Xing's villa... to "report in person"?
That's the feeling Erika gave Bae Suzy.

Only now does Bae Suzy realize that Erika's claim of contacting headquarters that day was merely a pretext to get Heo Haeng to enjoy her as soon as possible.

Is "Childhood Games" really that well-made?

At that time, the outside world only felt that "Childhood Games" was a very successful series because of the huge amount of traffic it generated on social media.

Only Netflix executives like Erika have access to more authentic internal data.

Did Erika mean that "Childhood Games" is better than all the dramas Xu Xing has acted in before?
Bae Suzy couldn't help but snuggle closer to Heo Haeng-soo's strong embrace.

"To be honest, Erika's performance in Childhood Games finally put my mind at ease. You might not believe it, but I was more nervous about this show than about the shows I act in myself."

Xu Xing smiled.

It was a very humble joke, and after hearing it, Erika's overly enthusiastic expression softened and became more natural.

He can make everyone feel most comfortable, if he so chooses.

Thinking about his intentional, perverse sense of humor, Bae Suzy bit her lip again.

Therefore, the one who makes everyone feel like they're basking in a spring breeze is actually the most deceptive mask, while the lewd and eccentric maniac is the real him!

As Xu Xing naturally touched her legs and slowly measured them, Bae Soo-ji really couldn't control her resentment!

The skirt Xu Xing had made her wear was already quite short and revealing, but he kept measuring it higher and higher...

Ok!

They measured it back again...

I'm back again...

I went back again...

again……

Bae Suzy raised her head, revealing a pure and calm smile.

She stopped caring about how Xu Xing measured it.

Xu Xing was discussing serious matters with Erika, and getting involved in this kind of conversation was somewhat beneficial for her.

Unfortunately, neither Xu Xing nor Erika paid any attention to Ms. Bae Suzy, who was trying to compose herself.

After discussing the initial performance of "Childhood Games," Erika brought up the topic of increasing investment in Hong Kong dramas, saying she would ask Hsu Hing for advice.

Erika then nervously brought up "Childhood Games 2," and after receiving Xu Xing's promise that the script would be finalized soon, Erika gave another round of exaggerated thanks.

Bae Suzy felt like an outsider.

When discussing Netflix's strategies in the Asia-Pacific region, Erika looked at her, seemingly wanting her to leave, but Xu Xing ignored her and continued to hold her close and measure things.

Erika stopped trying to hide anything, although she didn't reveal any particularly important information.

However, the fact that "Childhood Games 2" was quickly finalized and approved, and that Netflix's increased investment in Chinese dramas would inevitably reduce investment in Korean dramas, is also useful information.

"Childhood Games" is not only made by Chinese people, and its current success will make countless people flock to it.

It wasn't until Erika mentioned Heo Haeng's film and television company in South Korea that Bae Suzy was brought into the conversation.

Xu Xing took the initiative to talk about "Anna".

"Oh, Suzy told me about it, and I've thought about it carefully. Originally, I wasn't too optimistic about that kind of story. I felt that a female lead like that might not be very popular in the Asia-Pacific region, and it also seemed to clash with Suzy's personality. However, since you think so highly of it, of course there's no problem. No one in this world can doubt your judgment. I've already started to reflect on my production philosophy."

Erika smiled.

Bae Suzy was delighted, amazed, and moved.

This is Xu Xing!
Hsu Hsing is like a Netflix "owner".

After Erika left, Bae Soo-ji, as if possessed, called out several times under Heo Haeng's prompting, with a smile on her face the whole time.

until.

A woman with an incredibly innocent smile walked in.

"This is Zhang Ruonan, your partner tonight."

(End of this chapter)