Who said this top flow is crazy! This top flow is awesome!

Chapter 442 Ikeno, the Master of Aesthetic Education in the Chinese Entertainment Industry
The evening of the 31st.

Within the first hour of its premiere, the popularity of "Wang Quan Fugui" soared from an initial 6500 to 25000.

In the following hours, it climbed step by step, and by the time all six episodes had been released, "Wang Quan Fu Gui" had already surpassed 30000+ views, becoming the fastest drama to reach 30000 views in the history of Tencent Video.

In an instant, the creators went crazy, the fans of the four-character name went crazy, and Tencent quickly released various posters. Soon after, another "new good news" came, which was even turned into a meme - the staff of Tencent responsible for making the posters had moved into the company.

Very shocked.

This is the biggest feeling among industry insiders regarding the achievements and popularity of "The King's Woman" after its premiere. The unparalleled impact is as if it has truly returned to the era of "My Love from the Star" and "Goblin".

This overshadowed many other major dramas that were also scheduled to air today.

The number of views on Tencent's Penguin platform has exceeded 30,000. As mentioned before, the popularity on Tencent's Penguin platform is more unstable than that on other platforms. 30,000 is roughly equivalent to 10,000 on Kiwi and 10,000 on Kuaishou and Mango.

At present, Tencent Video's internal popularity ranking is still quite authoritative. Although there may be occasional minor padding, they are still able to control the major trends. In the previous period (the mastermind behind the poisoning incident), this control was very successful, which is one of the few "achievements" that Tencent Video can be proud of.

As the saying goes, "one generation plants the trees so that another can enjoy the shade," and thanks to the reputation built up over time, the fact that "Wang Quan Fu Gui" broke 30000 views in just 6 hours after its release is undoubtedly extremely shocking and exaggerated.

Based on the current popularity and rating from Tencent, the premiere performance of "Wang Quan Fu Gui" cannot even be described as a success; it was a complete explosion. Whether it can become a hit depends on the development of the subsequent plot.

Industry insiders generally have a positive outlook on "Wang Quan Fu Gui" because, as long as the costumes, props and sets of this kind of ancient costume drama are of good quality, even if there are some plot flaws, as long as they are not too big, given its current popularity, it will definitely attract more casual viewers.

The refugees from Ikeno should make up the largest group, so when that happens... the takeoff of "Wang Quan Fu Gui" is already foreseeable and something to look forward to.

Thus, the so-called "golden age" of the post-Ikeno era had just begun, and the winners had already emerged—the four characters and the penguin became the biggest winners and beneficiaries, reaping the greatest benefits in just six hours.

The four-character actor was satisfied, Tencent was satisfied, and even industry insiders felt it was not unacceptable. Even if there were still "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," "My Sunshine," and "Joy of Life" airing on the 1st, and Zhu Yao's new movie "West Pole Island" also gained some success, it would only be a small part of the success. The biggest piece of the pie was still eaten by the four-character actor's team and Tencent, who "anticipated the enemy's moves."

But... the audience was not satisfied, especially the "Ikeno refugees".

—They're not idiots, quite the opposite, they've certainly had their share of good food!
Regardless of how much they criticize Chi Ye now, or how many fans turn against him, the fact that Chi Ye's career collapsed not because of legal reasons, but because of relationship issues, is perfectly normal in the eyes of many bystanders.

So deep down, they didn't really hate Ikeno's character. As the saying goes, if you don't love someone so much, why would you hate them so much?
Looking back at Ikeno's past experiences and the various works she has produced, such as "My Love from the Star" and "Goblin," which sparked wave after wave of drama-watching crazes, the fans at that time were probably the happiest fan group in the world.

Now, what exactly is this "Royal Power and Wealth" thing?

Lin Yangqianrui's pockmarked old face seemed oblivious to how ugly he was, constantly crammed in front of the camera. In the first six episodes, at least five and a half were spent posing at awkward angles while playing background music...

It was one thing to have never eaten well before, but now the refugees in Ikeno suddenly realized that it was too ugly. How could there be such an ugly person? How did someone with such conditions become famous?

And this plot... it's so childish. I haven't watched any historical romance dramas in China for so many years. Has the idol drama industry in China really developed to this low-IQ stage?

Shouldn't all idol dramas be like "My Love from the Star" and "Goblin," with plot, good looks, physiques, costumes, props, background music, pacing... everything is top-notch and number one in every aspect?
Damn it! Can't we keep those ugly faces from "Wang Quan Fugui" away from us?!
"I don't understand what kind of genre this is. If it's a historical romance, why is the male lead so ugly?"

"Am I the only one who doesn't like 'The King of Power and Wealth'?"

"It really is just you... and me!"

"+1, finally someone said it! I stayed up all night watching all six episodes yesterday, and I'm really disappointed. I feel like I've been cheated... Were my standards too high?"

"No doubt about it, all idol dramas in the Chinese entertainment industry nowadays are of this level, just like those produced in an assembly line factory, all of them are industrial saccharin."

"Everyone outside is saying it's beautiful, don't they feel any remorse...?"

"It's beautiful, that's for sure. You guys are Ikeno fans, right? Are you jealous?"

"???"

"What the hell are you, barking like a dog?"

"..."

The phrase "Ikeno fans" is like a needle, piercing the hearts of all the "refugees." They refer to their time as fans of Ikeno as a "cyber criminal record," which is considered an "insult." After all, an idol with such a lack of morality is indeed a disgrace to the fandom.

Therefore, when the fans of the four-character name saw these people giving "Wang Quan Fu Gui" bad reviews and angrily coming in to label it as usual, a new battle was triggered.

Of course, these are all minor details. In fact, not only many Ikeno refugees and passersby attracted by the overwhelming marketing hype, but also fans of the original novel "Wang Quan Fugui" are questioning themselves...

Yes, they weren't questioning the show itself, but rather whether they were being too picky.

After all, Tencent Video is a relatively authoritative platform in the industry for generating buzz. If a show gets such high ratings on its premiere, it can't be a lie, right?

In places unseen by them, there may be an invisible and intangible "lower-tier market" where there are even more people. They are simply living in their own little world, which is not surprising, because that's how fandoms have always operated.

What the general public likes, they don't like; what the general public dislikes, such as the male celebrities' personal photo dramas, they flock to and rave about.

"No one has replied to my comments. It seems that only a minority of people think this way."

"It's not just a few people, and they seem to have quite a lot of voices, but there are no negative comments on Douyin and DaYan, which is quite strange."

"What's so strange? Of course you can't see the reviews. They've all been deleted, what's there to see?"

"what?"

"[Screenshot][Screenshot] Look at this, how amazing! The Weibo comment was restricted before it could even be posted. I used to think Douyin was a big platform, but this time I've learned something new. My video keeps getting throttled, and nobody clicks on it."

"Damn, finally someone else has had the same experience! Me too! I just said the male lead in 'Wang Quan Fu Gui' didn't seem that handsome, and I got banned on Douban." "Huh?"

"Awesome..."

"Make way, everyone! The real crown prince has arrived!"

With the arrival of the Crown Prince, the "wealth" in "Royal Power and Wealth" is a pre-made wealth. It is unlikely that the general public will like it much, because after its initial success and subsequent controversy, more and more different opinions began to emerge.

In reality, even if there were dissenting voices, it shouldn't have happened so quickly, because if Tencent dared to do this, it must have made prior arrangements and spent a lot of money.

Spending a lot of money serves two purposes: firstly, it's for pre-broadcast marketing and promotion to attract a large audience and casual fans; secondly, it's to prevent the content from being subpar. If a lot of negative reviews appear from the very beginning, it would be a fatal blow to a big project like "Wang Quan Fu Gui".

This has been proven countless times throughout history; films like "The Fortress of Shanghai" and "Bureau 749" are glaringly negative examples.

Therefore, we must nip any bad signs in the bud. Once we get past the initial stage, even if such voices emerge in the middle or later stages, it will already be too late.

By then, the audience who were supposed to be there had already entered, and those who weren't supposed to have entered also contributed a lot of buzz and attention. These figures clearly demonstrate the phenomenal success of the event.

As for the idea that all viewers will hate this show... that's impossible. There are too many people in China. As the saying goes, "a large forest has all kinds of birds." With so many people in China, it also means that everyone has different tastes. The ugly male lead in an ancient costume drama that you hate the most might be the brother that someone else likes the most.

So what if he's ugly? He's ugly in a unique way, ugly in a quality way, ugly in a likable way!

Shut up, you idiot!

They underestimated two things, or rather, one. They could understand why casual viewers didn't like this kind of historical drama, but their role was to generate buzz and discussion for "Wang Quan Fu Gui," which they had anticipated.

The refugees from Ikeno were alarmed by their opinion of "The King's Power and Wealth"!

Wait, didn't you guys used to love watching idol dramas? Wasn't Chi Ye a star who started out in idol dramas? How come you don't like this big-budget historical drama we've invested so much in?

Do you understand big IPs? Do you understand cast and lineup? Do you understand the pinnacle of ancient costume dramas?
"These people are truly unreasonable. No wonder Ikeno is so eager to clear his name; it turns out this is the kind of life he lives every day!"

The following day at noon, the hashtag #WangQuanFuguiIsUgly# made it to the top of the trending topics list for the first time. It broke through the encirclement of praise and compliments. Under the circumstances of traffic restriction, it showed such great strength, which shows everyone's "love" for "Wang Quan Fugui".

The director of "Wang Quan Fu Gui" was furious and berated these brainwashed female fans for not knowing how to appreciate things and having no aesthetic sense. He said that they dared to question the ancient costume drama he, a top-notch film director, had made.
"Ikeno must have hired an online army!"

He made his conclusion.

Next to him, Four-Character, whose expression had turned sour after seeing the trending topic, looked up at the director, but knew in his heart that this was normal procedure. This director was indeed too out of touch with reality. How could a filming of an ancient costume drama not be criticized?
Well… anyway, he was prepared. His only worry now is another issue: regardless of whether Ikeno orchestrated this or not, what if the other side sees it and seizes this opportunity…

Just as I was thinking this, someone exclaimed, "Hey, wait a minute, why is Tencent trending on Weibo too!"

Everyone was taken aback, and Si Zi's heart skipped a beat.

"Trending on social media? Does it have anything to do with us?"

The director also very wisely asked, "Is it good or bad?"

The messenger paused, thinking to himself, "Can't you tell if it's good or bad?"

Thinking this through, he still said, "It's about popularity, about popularity within the site..."

Before he could finish speaking, the director and the others had already gathered around, and then they saw the latest trending topic on the hot search list—#PenguinStationInflation#.

The hype is inflated...

Everyone looked at each other, not at all surprised. Of course, they knew about this beforehand, but their initial announcement was indeed massive, and they weren't sure exactly how much Tencent had bet.

Logically speaking, it shouldn't be too excessive, otherwise why would Tencent promote a movie with such a bad reputation?
—Really.

Tencent Video headquarters.

Gone was the joy of the previous night. The group of senior executives rushed into the conference room and began passionately questioning what had happened.

To be honest, "The King's Power and Wealth" isn't as bad as people say, but it's not that good either. It's just an ordinary historical romance drama. Tencent really spent a lot of money on costumes, makeup, and props. From a financial perspective, it truly deserves the title of "the pinnacle of historical romance dramas."

If they didn't have this confidence, they wouldn't have chosen "Wang Quan Fugui" as the first project in this series of major IP creations.

Isn't that stupid?

But like the others, their biggest problem in this matter was that they misjudged the "aesthetics" of the people who had left Chi Ye. Having seen skyscrapers, seeing earthen kilns would definitely make them uncomfortable. It's a very simple logic, but too many people were too optimistic in this incident and lost their vigilance.

After all, there have been similar examples before. There have been good works in the Chinese entertainment industry over the years, but once a good work becomes popular, it's over. After a while, some ordinary historical dramas will naturally appear, and then they will easily achieve good results after the "aesthetic downgrade". The audience will not care about these things; they will adapt and adjust their own aesthetics.

Where would we find such a spoiled and pampered situation?

How many works, and how deeply ingrained in people's hearts, are needed to cultivate the tastes of this group of brainless female fans in the Chinese entertainment industry?
Ikeno, look what you've done!
"In addition, his appearance is also a problem. I didn't notice it before, but now I realize that he really shouldn't take the looks route. It's not that I don't approve of his looks."

A female executive who had been holding back looked at everyone and said, "But the last person he wanted to attract as a fan was Chi Ye!"

"When it comes to looks, when Ikeno was not popular, his rivals knew to play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses, and never talked about this. Now we have forgotten about it... It's ridiculous, really ridiculous."

(End of this chapter)