As the drama's opening credits finished, the group chatted intermittently.
"Is this a school drama?"
They had been incredibly busy with their comeback and hadn't paid much attention to recently aired dramas.
"That's right, it's adapted from a webtoon."
After they finished speaking, the plot on the screen happened to reach Kwon Hyun Hyuk's appearance.
The group fell silent, watching the screen carefully.
"Yah, Eun Dan-oh, why didn't you answer my call?"
On the screen, Kwon Hyun Hyuk, dressed in a school uniform, sat beneath a fountain sculpture. He took off his headphones, his brows slightly furrowed, and expressions of confusion and annoyance appeared timely on his face.
"He's really handsome."
Lim Nayeon watched the close-up shot of Kwon Hyun Hyuk's face, casually popping a snack into her mouth, and commented while eating.
Tzuyu's eyes were fixed on the screen. After hearing Lim Nayeon's comment, she looked a bit longer, but the camera quickly moved on, and there were no more shots of Kwon Hyun Hyuk. She wondered when he would appear again.
As the plot deepened, the story took a turn. The fantasy setting, breaking the fourth wall, which was different from ordinary school romance stories, caught their attention, and they gradually focused on watching.
"Wow, this setting feels so fresh."
Someone said, and Tzuyu, with her bright, almond-shaped eyes, was immersed in the plot's development and subconsciously agreed, "It's very interesting."
This comment was temporarily ignored by everyone who was seriously watching the drama, going in one ear and out the other.
This scene was not only happening to them but also in front of televisions across South Korea at this very moment.
Extraordinary You aired on October 2, 2019, at 8:55 PM, with two episodes broadcast daily during the Wednesday-Thursday slot.
And as the two episodes finished airing, related online reviews appeared in due course.
"The plot is interesting, the pace is fast, and the gathering of fresh faces has a healing effect that purifies the eyes..."
"It's so exciting, the plot and the actors are so enjoyable, it's worth watching."
"Love it, love it!"
"The female lead acts so well. Is Kwon Hyun Hyuk the male lead? So handsome."
Because the male lead, Haru, didn't appear until the fourth episode, the audience assumed Kwon Hyun Hyuk was the male lead, which was a small misunderstanding.
The viewership ratings were also released hot off the press.
The first episode's nationwide AGB rating was 3.1%, and the second episode's was 3.5%.
There are two methods for viewership rating statistics: AGB Nielsen and TNMS.
With the development of the times, the current mainstream is AGB Nielsen, with AGB Seoul Metropolitan Area ratings serving as an important reference for reactions and profits.
A rating of just over three percent is not high, even unremarkable. If viewed pessimistically, it could be considered a bit of a flop.
But times have changed, and viewership ratings are no longer the only indicator.
Completely contrary to the viewership ratings were the heated discussions online and the burgeoning reactions overseas.
Simply put, most overseas audiences who watch korean dramas are young female teenagers, primarily those who enjoy watching 'Mary Sue' idol dramas filled with handsome men and beautiful women. Following this logic, Extraordinary You perfectly hits these key points, while also having a novel setting, making it difficult for it not to make waves overseas.
When the viewership rating information was sent to the production team, the atmosphere was somewhat subdued.
Strictly speaking, this rating was indeed average, and since only two episodes had aired, the overseas reaction hadn't yet picked up, so everyone faced a bleak outlook.
"It's just started airing, don't worry too much. I see that overseas audiences really like it."
Kwon Hyun Hyuk shook his phone at them, and the screen displayed some trending Twitter posts.
The day's filming ended early, so several main cast members, along with the director, screenwriter, producer, and others, went to a restaurant for a group dinner.
Sure enough, after the producer announced the initial viewership rating results, the atmosphere became somewhat subdued.
Everyone wants the drama they produce to be a huge hit, and they've all prepared for an average reaction, but when the not-so-good results actually came out, no one was in a good mood.
"The competition among dramas airing concurrently is so fierce. This start actually has great potential, and what's more, the overseas reaction really looks very good."
Kwon Hyun Hyuk tried to liven up the atmosphere. In such situations, especially when a group of behind-the-scenes creators are present, as an actor, he naturally had to ease the tension, rather than waiting for the director or screenwriter to speak.
Other actors at the table wanted to speak, but in the slightly somber atmosphere, they became cautious. Only Kwon Hyun Hyuk stood up and spoke loudly, looking at everyone present to adjust and ease the atmosphere.
"That's right, the subject matter of this drama was prepared for this. Young people rarely watch TV, and this is just the beginning."
The producer spoke up at this time, looking at Kwon Hyun Hyuk, who had actively stood up to liven the mood, and his estimation of the young man before him rose even higher.
Among young actors, there aren't many with such good judgment and quick reactions. The entertainment industry is also a circle, and one has to 'mix' in it. An actor's own social skills can also secure many resources.
This is why some people wonder why certain actors, despite not being particularly outstanding or having deep backgrounds, continuously get resources.
"Kwon Hyun Hyuk is right. Actually, it's nothing. It's just started airing. Isn't it just as Kwon Hyun Hyuk said? The online reaction is also a pleasant surprise."
To put it plainly, the earlier gloom was only a matter of a few breaths. Kwon Hyun Hyuk reacted quickly, dispelling the momentary stagnant atmosphere beforehand. Otherwise, the director or producer would have had to step in to ease it and stabilize morale.
"Our viewership rating has already surpassed many concurrently airing dramas."
Because Kwon Hyun Hyuk knew the future trends, he spoke with particular confidence, which also gave people an inexplicable sense of trust.
How did the concurrently competing dramas perform?
KBS's when the camellia blooms reached 11.0%. This drama could be said to be KBS's drama king of the year, sweeping everything recently, with an impeccable cast and production.
Besides that, the others were more or less similar: MBN's "Graceful Family" at 7.981%, SBS's "Secret Boutique" at 4.2% (-0.8), tvN's "Miss Lee" at 2.495% (-0.491), and OCN's "The Running Mates: Human Rights" at 0.6%.
It's 2019 now. Although the power of the internet is great, it still cannot overturn the important reference indicator of offline TV viewership ratings. The true arrival of the internet era will have to wait until after the 2020 flu pandemic fully catalyzes its development.
Kwon Hyun Hyuk looked down at his phone, at the promising initial overseas reactions and his own reaction.
[Baek Kyung is indeed handsome. I even specifically searched the cast list and found out he's not the male lead.]
[The irritable but caring Baek Kyung... so charming, I'm going crazy.]
[I can't say how much more I love the setting of this drama, this is simply a perfect start!]
Just as the lotus bud reveals its sharp tip, Kwon Hyun Hyuk, who had faltered in the survival show, finally made a splendid comeback, appearing in the public eye with an unparalleled momentum.