Filming for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had finally come to an end.
It was the kind of time that felt long and short at once. Still, the hundreds of staff members, each standing in their own place, could not hide their excitement as emotion overwhelmed them.
"Everyone, great work!!"
"Hahaha, it's over! It's finally over!"
"Huh?? Director of lighting, aren't you a little too happy?!"
"Hey! It was a misunderstanding, I said it was a misunderstanding!"
"Ah, this feels both refreshing and bittersweet! Great work, everyone!"
"I think this project is going to stay with me for a really long time!!"
"I'm so sad it's over! Everyone worked so hard!!"
Some bent deeply at the waist in greeting. Some laughed brightly. Some had tears gathering faintly at the corners of their eyes. Some clapped.
Clap clap clap clap clap!
The staff from each team exchanged congratulations and praise. The cheers directed at the actors were especially nonstop. Kang Woojin had officially been the only actor in the final scene, but every actor from The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had come to watch the last shoot.
"Woojin!! Thank you so much!"
"Thank you for showing us such amazing acting all this time!"
"You were the best today too!"
The actors and staff mingled together, exchanging their final greetings. The same went for the dozens of extra staff members and the actors' personal teams. The rented subway station, packed with more than 150 people, was loud and bustling.
Director Kyotaro, who had several monitors set up on site, was busy shaking hands with the main staff.
"You worked hard, Director."
"Mm. The real work starts now, from editing to release, but everyone has done well."
"Haha. Still, it would be nice to rest for a few days."
The set of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice looked no different from the last day of any other film shoot.
Meanwhile, Kang Woojin, who was slowly making his way down the stairs, was being welcomed by a flood of cheers from the staff and actors.
"Woojin! Could you put me on your YouTube channel sometime? I really want to be on it!"
"If it's Mihuyu Uramatsu, of course."
"Really??!"
"Yes. I'll check and let you know."
"Yay! I'm so happy!"
He swept his gaze across the noisy crowd around him without changing his expression. His face looked as though he were acting, but what he felt was sincere.
'Hmm, so another project has ended like this?'
An indescribable emotion rose inside him.
How should he put it? It felt a little good, yet at the same time there was a discomfort to it, which kept him from enjoying it completely.
And on top of that—
'This project was pretty intense. Is it because we filmed overseas?'
The aura had faded long ago, but the scent of 'Iiyota Kiyoshi' still lingered. Was it because he had filmed in an unfamiliar country like Japan? Or because so many new elements had been added while portraying Kiyoshi?
The piano performance, the harmony within the role, the freedom of the role itself.
For both Kiyoshi and Kang Woojin, who had fully accepted all of that, this experience would remain a deep memory for a long time. When an actor finishes a project, countless farewells follow, but the farewell with a character always feels the most special.
For Kang Woojin, that was especially true.
Because he was the only person in the world who lived inside the worlds of his roles. It had always been that way, and this time was no different.
Another world had ended.
At that moment, Choi Sunggeon approached Kang Woojin's team.
"Woojin, good work."
"You all worked hard too."
"Oppa! You were amazing!"
"That's another one finished!"
The team members had all worked hard because of Woojin's packed schedule. Kang Woojin spoke in a voice filled with sincerity. As always, his voice was kept very low.
"Thank you all for your hard work."
"Huh? What is this? Why does that sound so touching?"
"Right? It's such a common thing for people to say, but when Woojin oppa says it, it feels different somehow."
Choi Sunggeon grinned and placed a hand on Woojin's shoulder.
"We climbed one mountain. Now let's wrap up everything related to The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice over the next few days, then start recording for Boy Friend: Remake. Including the smaller schedules, we should be able to finish everything within two weeks."
The dubbing and OST recording for the animated Boy Friend: Remake, along with the piano accompaniment.
"After that, once we get back to Korea, we need to finish shooting Rich."
The stylists immediately began groaning.
"Ah, one movie just ended, so why does it feel like the work hasn't gotten any lighter?"
"Woojin oppa, aren't you tired? Honestly, once you finish everything left, you should rest for at least a year."
"No way."
"Wow, you're the only one still full of energy! Robot! Monster!"
Director Kyotaro walked over to Kang Woojin, who had been talking with the staff. As the stylists stepped aside, Kyotaro looked at Woojin and held out his hand.
"It's not completely over yet, but Woojin, you did a great job. And thank you. I truly enjoyed it."
Kang Woojin took his hand and lowered his head.
"I think I should be the one saying that. I learned a lot."
After that, the once-busy set of The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice gradually shifted into a mood of closure. In the middle of it, Kang Woojin looked over the set and the staff and muttered quietly,
"It was fun."
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The next day, the 29th. Late morning. Japan.
From early morning, Japan's broadcasting world, production companies, and the entertainment industry as a whole were busy. Film companies and production studios in particular were especially restless.
"Filming for The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice wrapped up yesterday."
"Ah, really? As expected, it had a flashy start, and just like Director Tanoguchi Kyotaro, it ended in style."
"Yes. Despite all kinds of issues, they got it wrapped up. Under normal circumstances, it would've been shut down because of public opinion and industry pressure."
Rumors about The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice, which had finished filming the day before, were spreading everywhere.
"...It's still in the early stages, so it could be pushed to next year, but if everything goes as usual, it'll probably be released in the second half of this year. If the timing overlaps, it could clash with our release."
"Maybe."
Across the entire Japanese entertainment industry, The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had become a massive topic of conversation. To begin with, it was the next work from the great Japanese director Kyotaro, based on an original work by the famous writer Akari, and there had also been the sudden casting news of the Korean actor Kang Woojin. From the earliest stages of production until now, not a single moment around it had been quiet.
"CEO! Did you hear?? The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice finished filming yesterday!"
"Yes, I heard."
"It was on the verge of collapsing, but they somehow managed to finish it. I'm curious what happens now. Since the public interest is so high, it'll probably get a strong push at the start."
"Who knows. We'll have to see once it's released. The original is by Akari, it's Director Kyotaro's next project, and if you add in the cast and the Kashiwa Group's production behind it, that kind of background alone makes it look like it could easily pass ten million viewers."
The reactions inside the Japanese industry were mixed. Some saw it as competition. Others hoped it would become part of a larger shift within the industry.
"...Wouldn't ten million be difficult in the current climate?"
"Personally, I hope that movie does hit ten million. Even if it doesn't, I still hope it gets the best result possible. It's been nearly ten years since a pure theatrical live-action film pulled off that kind of success. It's about time the market changed."
"I heard The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice is going to open in Japan and Korea at the same time."
"I hope it succeeds in both countries. If that happens, pure films might finally get some breathing room again instead of theatrical animation dominating everything."
The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice was also based on an original work, but the director had adapted it himself and properly refined the screenplay to complete it as a true film. Even so, Japan's television and film industry at the time was already dominated by theatrical animation, to the point that calling it the strongest force in the industry would not have been an exaggeration.
It had been more than ten years since a pure Japanese film had achieved a truly respectable result.
On the other hand, over the past three years, the number of theatrical animation releases had surged. Two years earlier, there had even been an animated film that had surpassed 18 million viewers.
The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice had to force its way through that narrow gap.
The shared opinion, for the most part, was that the chances of that happening were very slim.
Even so, it was undeniably the hottest topic in Japan.
『Sensational The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice finished filming yesterday』
The Japanese press quickly reported the production news surrounding The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice. Through those reports, the news spread instantly and captured the public's attention. After that, interest exploded on social media as well. Riding on the recent popularity of the hashtag #KangWoojin, the story spread in an instant.
YouTube only added more fuel to the fire.
Before long, countless Japanese netizens were tapping away at their keyboards.
[I'm definitely watching this when it comes out! Lately it's been nothing but animated films in theaters, so it's been a long time since we got a proper theatrical film!]
[So filming is finally over... As a fan of the original, I still don't like that this movie is being made.]
[I'm most curious about Kang Woojin's acting! His voice acting in animation is fun too, but at the end of the day, he's an actor!]
[They pushed ahead even with the original fans against it, so the result had better be good.]
[I just hope it's at least half as interesting as the original...]
[Does it even make sense for a Korean actor to play Iiyota Kiyoshi in the first place?]
[Why wouldn't it? Kang Woojin is already a star in Japan.]
[Looking at the reactions, this movie is definitely going to cause a huge stir in its first week.]
The debate had already begun.
As The Stranger's Grim Sacrifice rapidly became a major topic all across Japan, Kang Woojin was spotted at a Korean restaurant in Shin-Okubo.
His schedule for the day had started at noon.
That was why Kang Woojin had stopped by the Korean restaurant with his team staff for a late breakfast. Choi Sunggeon, however, was nowhere to be seen.
The moment Woojin appeared, the Japanese customers inside the restaurant could not take their eyes off him.
"Wow! That's Kang Woojin!"
"Hii! It's really him?? That's really Kang Woojin!"
"Ikemen!!"
The main hall of the Korean restaurant, already packed with Japanese customers thanks to the Korean Wave, instantly grew noisy with his name the moment he stepped inside.
Soon after—
"Wow, Woojin hyung!"
Jang Suhwan, who had been sitting in a chair, beamed and patted Kang Woojin on the shoulder while Woojin removed his cap.
"Hyung! At this rate, you're doing even better than Japan's top stars!!"
Han Yejung and the stylists readily agreed.
"He's already surpassed them."
"Totally, seriously!! Did you see that K-pop goods shop we passed on the way here?! There was a poster of Woojin oppa there!!"
"Really??!"
Of course, Woojin had noticed it too from the corner of his eye, and inwardly he had shouted, 'Why is my face there?!'
Right then, Jang Suhwan, who had been looking at his phone, suddenly held it out to Kang Woojin.
"Hehe, Japan is Japan, but Korea is seriously the best, right?! Wow, no matter how many times I see this, it's amazing!!"
What else could it have been?
What he was showing him was the box office performance of the sensation-making film Island of the Missing. It had now been ten days since Island of the Missing was released, and the box office results through yesterday, Friday, had been announced today, Saturday.
[May 28, 2021 Audience Count]
[Daily Domestic Box Office]
Island of the Missing / Release Date: May 19 / Audience: 780,115 / Number of Screens: 1,159 / Total Audience: 8,364,234
.
.
.
Eight million.
It was not just a shocking figure. It was a massive upheaval.
The gap between it and the other films was obvious. The winner of the so-called 'movie war' had already been decided as Island of the Missing. At this point, the only real rival left for Island of the Missing was Naval Battle, the highest-grossing Korean film of all time.
Even then, Island of the Missing was ahead by about two days.
Kang Woojin, however, remained calm. He had already secretly jumped around in joy that morning before coming out.
"What matters more is what happens from here on. It's only been ten days."
"Even so, that's insanely fast!"
"But oppa! Do you think Island of the Missing will beat Naval Battle?"
"Definitely."
"Wow, you're really confident."
Han Yejung spoke in her usual cool tone.
"Of course he can afford to be like this right now. You've probably heard it already, but when most aspiring actors studying theater or attending acting academies get asked who their role model is, they pick Woojin oppa."
"I heard."
"When our company recently recruited new trainees, a huge crowd showed up, and more than eighty percent of them said they wanted to become like Woojin oppa. There are probably countless trainees going to watch Island of the Missing right now."
And that really was the case.
Woojin could not see it from Japan, but back in Korea, a great number of acting trainees and aspiring actors were watching Island of the Missing at that very moment.
No, it was overflowing.
In university acting departments, Woojin's acting had already become essential material in the curriculum, and many theater troupes and acting academies had taken Kang Woojin as a model for training. That atmosphere only drove the trainees' passion even higher.
Right at that moment—
Knock knock.
The food began arriving in the room. Braised short ribs, stir-fried pork, naengmyeon, kimchi stew, and more. There were so many people that the amount of food was enormous. Then, behind the two female employees serving the dishes, a middle-aged woman who seemed to be the restaurant owner entered with a smile.
"This one is on the house. The spicy braised chicken is free! Mr. Woojin, if you need anything else, just let me know. I'll bring you everything!"
Kang Woojin gave a solemn shake of his head.
"No, you really don't have to do that."
The woman answered with a gesture that clearly meant please.
"Thanks to you, we got hugely popular in Japan and our business grew several times over! Kim Ja-ban Makguksu made a huge impact too! Please enjoy as much as you want!"
By that point, Woojin had already become an icon with a national-level presence in Japan.
At the same time, at Kashiwa Group headquarters—
Inside the spacious chairman's office, a familiar man sat on a five-seat sofa that looked outrageously expensive at first glance.
It was Choi Sunggeon.
For some reason, he was dressed in a white shirt today, and several transparent documents he had brought with him were laid out on the glass table.
Sitting beside Choi Sunggeon in the center seat of the sofa was an old man.
No—more precisely, it was Chairman Hideki Yoshimura, and he looked like a lion with a thick white mane.
With his arms folded, he looked at Choi Sunggeon and spoke in a rough voice.
"Considering Kang Woojin's rise, it seems it's time for bw Entertainment to establish an overseas branch. What do you think, CEO?"
In an instant, Choi Sunggeon's eyes widened.