Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 328, Section 326: The Savage Storm (Part 2)
When the "savage storm" that "My Sassy Girl" stirred up in South Korea and Japan was transmitted back to mainland China through industry telecommunications and the increasingly interconnected internet, sparking a new round of amazement and heated discussions, this powerful current of Asian pop culture did not stop its expansion.

With its strong financial backing and distribution network spanning across Asia, Shochiku, a Japanese film company, is naturally not content with just the Japanese market.

Leveraging its long-standing relationships and keen business acumen, Shochiku Pictures distributed copies of "My Sassy Girl" to several Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan almost simultaneously with its release in Japan and South Korea.

The film's release in Taiwan initially did not cause much of a stir.

At that time, the Taiwanese film market was dominated by local productions, Hong Kong films, and Hollywood movies.

For mainland Chinese films, ordinary viewers generally have a complex mindset of curiosity and scrutiny. They feel a sense of cultural affinity, but due to long-term information barriers and certain media influences, they also harbor a degree of alienation and skepticism.

Theaters were also quite cautious in scheduling screenings, initially not allocating many high-quality shows.

Songzhu Pictures' partner in Taiwan is a well-established local distribution company.

Their promotional strategy cleverly avoided the sensitive topic of "origin," instead precisely capturing the most appealing aspects of the film itself.

In the promotional poster, Fan Xiaopang raises his chin slightly, his eyes showing a hint of provocation and liveliness, while Deng Chao has a simple and honest smile, like a "punching bag" who is happy to accept it.

The tagline is highly provocative: "The most 'spicy' romantic comedy this winter! She's in charge of being wild, he's in charge of spoiling her—see how many times you get dumped before you find true love?"

The TV commercial quickly edited together some of the funniest scenes from the film: the first encounter on the subway and the over-the-shoulder throw, the embarrassment of being forced to wear high heels, and the hilarious "script reading session".

The strong comedic rhythm and the striking good looks of the male and female leads quickly captured the attention of young viewers.

On its opening day, the situation was rather lackluster.

But by the weekend, word-of-mouth began to spread like wildfire.

First, on university campuses.

Numerous discussion threads began to appear on the BBS forums of universities such as National Taiwan University and National Chengchi University:

"It's hilarious! The female lead is really fierce, but she's so cute when she's fierce!"

"Fan Xiaopang is so hot! That kind of beautiful and domineering girl is totally my type!"

"I thought it was just a typical romance movie, but I laughed until my stomach hurt! The male lead is so pitiful, but he's so gentle."

"I never expected that mainland China could produce such stylish and beautiful movies. It's completely different from what I imagined!"

This positive feedback from young people quickly translated into actual movie-going.

Cinemas in core business districts such as Ximending and East District have seen a surge in attendance for screenings of "My Sassy Girl" originally scheduled for the afternoon and evening, with tickets becoming extremely difficult to obtain.

Cinema managers keenly sensed the market's enthusiasm and immediately adjusted their schedules, allocating more prime time slots and large halls to this "dark horse" from across the strait.

At the Vieshow Cinemas in Xinyi District, the largest theater, Hall 1, was packed with over 500 seats at 8 p.m. on Saturday night.

When Fan Xiaopang ordered Deng Chao to stand at the entrance of the women's restroom and ask each girl who came out "if she needs toilet paper," the entire audience erupted in deafening laughter, the atmosphere so enthusiastic it almost lifted the roof off.

After the event, a young couple continued their discussion, still seemingly enjoying themselves.

The girl linked arms with her boyfriend and said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Look at Wang Yonggan, how good he is to his girlfriend! You should be just as obedient as him in the future!"

The boy grimaced, "Oh? You're going to throw me over your shoulder too?"

"That depends on how you do!" The girl playfully punched him, and the two laughed and joked as they blended into the bustling crowds of Ximending at night.

The media's stance also shifted accordingly.

What began as a routine release announcement quickly escalated into extensive media coverage and reviews as box office numbers soared and the film became a hot topic on social media. A film critic for the China Times wrote: "The success of 'My Sassy Girl' lies in its accurate capture of the changing views on love among the younger generation in a globalized context."

Women are no longer just symbols of gentleness and obedience; they can be proactive, assertive, and even somewhat 'savage'. Men, on the other hand, are also showing new qualities such as tolerance, consideration, and even a slight 'masochistic' tendency.

This subversive character design, transcending boundaries, struck a chord with young audiences who yearn to break with tradition and seek genuine emotional resonance. Fan Xiaopang's performance was highly convincing, portraying the vulnerability and deep affection behind the 'savagery' with nuanced layers, showcasing his star power.

The United Daily News, however, focused more on the cultural phenomenon brought about by the film: "It is worth pondering that a mainland youth romance film can achieve such a response in the Taiwan market. It has stripped away... and won purely through the entertainment spirit of genre films and universal emotions. This may indicate that cross-strait cultural exchanges can have a more relaxed and people-oriented approach."

Even some variety shows, such as "Guess Guess Guess," have started discussing "Can you accept a sassy girlfriend?" in their segments, with hosts and guests imitating movie scenes, eliciting bursts of laughter.

"My Sassy Girl" became a huge hit in Taiwan.

From north to south, from cities to towns, talking about "savage girlfriends" and "Wang Yonggan" has become fashionable among young people.

Fan Xiaopang's hairstyle, clothing, and even some of the accessories she used in the film have become objects of imitation for young girls.

The film's box office soared, quickly climbing into the top three of the weekly box office charts, becoming the biggest dark horse in Taiwan's film market at the end of the year.

……

Almost simultaneously with Taiwan, local distributors in Hong Kong and Macau also sensed the "savage" trend sweeping across Asia and quickly took action to bring "My Sassy Girl" to the big screen.

Prior to this, Wang Sheng's films, or rather the works of Shengying Media, were mostly released in these two regions in the form of audio-visual media (VCD, DVD), or broadcast on a few Chinese-language film channels.

This is the first time such a large-scale official theatrical release has been shown.

The Hong Kong Island distributor is an entertainment company with frequent business dealings with the mainland, and its owner is well-versed in the tastes of Hong Kong Island audiences.

In terms of promotion, they focused on "Asia's phenomenal hilarious romantic comedy" and "Sweeping Japan and South Korea, now it's coming to Hong Kong!", making full use of their success in other regions.

The Cantonese dubbed version and the original Mandarin version will be released simultaneously to meet the needs of different audiences.

The Cantonese dubbing even featured popular TVB voice actors, injecting authentic Hong Kong humor into the characters of Fan Xiaopang and Deng Chao, with surprisingly good results.

At the Broadway Theatre in Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong Island, evening screenings were packed with people.

Compared to mainland China and Taiwan, Hong Kong audiences are more receptive to comedy and their jokes are more "nonsensical".

The film's exaggerated physical comedy and the stark contrast in the personalities of the male and female leads made it a thoroughly enjoyable watch for them.

“Wow, that girl is fierce! But she’s also quite cute!” a young man exclaimed to his companion.

"That boy is really pitiful, he's been bullied so badly. But it's his own fault, what can you do when he likes it!" his companion replied with a laugh.

In Macau, thanks to its close cultural ties with Hong Kong, the filming was equally enthusiastic.

In this already small city, long queues formed outside several major cinemas to buy tickets.

Many tourists from other places and local residents alike shared in the joy brought by this wildly popular Asian film.

Media outlets in Hong Kong and Macau also reported on this cultural event in their own unique ways.

The headline of the entertainment section of the Oriental Daily News reads: "Mainland 'My Sassy Girl' Invades Hong Kong Island, Laughter Sweeps Box Office!"

Apple Daily, on the other hand, focused more on Fan Xiaopang: "Mainland China's new goddess Fan Xiaopang, her 'wild' style has captivated Hong Kong otaku."

Some entertainment weekly magazines focused on reporting on Wang Sheng and his Shengying Media background, using slightly exaggerated headlines such as "Mainland Entertainment Tycoon," "The Midas Touch," and "King of Mainland Entertainment" to attract the attention of local people.

(End of this chapter)