The Malicious Member is Back! - Chapter 87
[But isn’t the narrative for the AG pure-bloods way too much? It’s kinda gross ;; Why are they already sticking together like that?]
[⎿Exactly… Didn’t they say only the strong survive? But we don’t even have time to see the others ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[⎿For real, aren’t they mistreating trainees from other agencies and individuals too much? This makes me want to support the other trainees more.]
[But are the AG trainees really that much better than the others? I don’t see it ㅋ It’s just AG favoritism.]
It wasn’t just the community boards. On SNS, where anonymity was easier to maintain, the comments were even harsher.
[ㅇㅇ @FNPAPOWEJDFA
#TargetingStar #AGTrainees We don’t buy forced narratives, we don’t consume, we don’t support, we boycott AG.]
[너죽고나죽고 @killlllkillll
What’s with Ahn Jin Woo’s snaggletooth? Looks so different from the photos? And this guy is an AG pureblood ㅋㅋㅋㅋ The level is clear, right?]
[⎿Crazy person, the personal attack is strong ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[⎿This is the fun of watching survival shows ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
“Ha ha….”
Lee Hyeon Jeong pressed the back button with a slightly uneasy expression.
Although these were posts the production team had anticipated, it still wasn’t easy to read. It wasn’t just criticism, but outright attacks directed at trainees they’d been watching for over two months now.
…All from people who had only seen them for 5 to 10 minutes.
‘Still, we have to look. We live off people’s reactions. If we don’t see this, we become outdated!’
Even this negative buzz ultimately contributed to viewership ratings.
It was a fact that Joo Cheol Young had taught her.
‘Well, anyway, it’s better to have screen time than none. I haven’t done anything wrong. This should be good for them too.’
With a weary determination, she widened her tired eyes and calmly observed the reactions to other trainees as well.
[I Like British Guys @logaaaanUKUK
(Video) (27K views)
I made a new account just for this guy… How about a British guy with a guitar singing his own song on a Korean boy group survival show, crazy. But his screen time is so short, damn these stingy broadcast station bastards.]
[Seriously, Seong Won Hyeop went through such a tough trainee life… Kicked out of the debut group twice and now in a survival show? If it were me, I would have cried and studied for the civil service exam. You’re amazing, Won Hyeop.]
[⎿They should have shown more of him ㅠㅠ]
The evaluations of trainees who received less focused editing compared to the AG trainees were definitely more straightforward. They showed more of the performances themselves rather than focusing on their backstories.
[ㅇㅇ @DNAAPEJFK
(Video) (5.4K views)
Ah, damn, watching a new boy group survival show because of my younger sibling and this guy is hilarious ㅠㅠ Didn’t prepare any backing track or dance, but he’s so confident… I really don’t understand today’s idol aspirants.]
[⎿And his name is Gao Yan ㅠㅠ]
Most of the negative comments about foreign trainees or those with less experience were usually accompanied by laughter, aiming to get reactions on SNS.
Among them, one trainee elicited a more cult-like response.
[Title: Is Gao Yan’s name important right now? We have ‘Kim Chunyong’!
Author: Somewhat
Views: 67,224
(Photo) (Photo)
An idol trainee named Kim Chunyong? It’s seriously infuriating, crazy.
Plus, he got chewed out by Min Si Young… His future looks bleakㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ He’s not super handsome like Son Jae Ha, and he looks a bit like a thug, so opinions are split ㅠ Are the fangirls already swooning over just his face?]
Kim Chunyong, who garnered the expectations of the main PD. Lee Hyeon Jeong read through the post focusing on his name.
‘For someone who the PD has such high expectations for, there seem to be a lot of negative comments….’
However, when she checked the comments on the post, Lee Hyeon Jeong couldn’t help but widen her tired eyes.
[Despite that, Jin Dasol seems to love him to death? Honestly, I liked him too…]
[⎿(Author) Right, I honestly like talented guys… and there’s some demand for that thug look ㅋㅋ]
[⎿Min Si Young’s harsh evaluation is practically viral? People will remember him as the trainee who got roasted by Min Si Young ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[I totally agree. His name is Kim Chunyong, and he even got trashed by Min Si Young. But he’s getting hotly pursued by Jin Dasol < Star power is insane.]
‘…It’s not as bad as I thought?’
[Chun-myeo-deul-da… @springdardar
Without realizing it, I’ve gotten into him and made a new account. Damn, who is Kim Chunyong, and why do I keep watching him?]
From posts proclaiming unexpected fangirling to accounts fiercely promoting him:
[늘봄미르 @NBML__0000
#TargetingStar #KimChunyong #YongYongi
(Video)
Check out this adorable Chunyong surprised by Jin Dasol’s compliments ♡]
…even to dedicated fan accounts engaging in intense promotional wars.
Of course, it couldn’t compare to the AG trainees, but the reactions were far from flat and dismissive.
It was like what the main PD said:
“Writer Lee, true stars drive both fans and haters crazy!”
Just like that.
‘To think Kim Chunyong would get this kind of reaction…. Is this why the PD is called the Midas touch of survival shows?’
Lee Hyeon Jeong’s scrolling slowly came to a halt. She saw a section where anonymous users were discussing the program itself rather than just the trainees.
[Hey, Targeting Star seems better than I expected? With just 18 people, I don’t have to memorize too many names ㄷㄷ]
[Do I need to download a voting app for this? If someone has a link, please share.]
[Ah! Why are the ads so long? Hurry up and release episode 2, damn it!]
[⎿This person will lose it when they realize there’s only one episode a week.]
“…If this keeps up, Targeting Star might have the highest ratings among all Music Days survival shows.”
Hyeon Jeong giggled tiredly, thinking about the long vacation she’d soon be taking.
She had already forgotten the harsh reactions towards the trainees.
‘Should I go to Boracay or Cebu… Anyway, it has to be somewhere I won’t hear Korean.’
“The first episode turned out pretty well. The ratings are looking good, right?”
“Oh, PD-nim.”
Joo Cheol Yeong, who had snuck up behind Hyeon Jeong, also wore a satisfied expression.
“See, this is how editing should be done to get reactions. Making the kids fight from the start doesn’t work.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes. First, you make people fall in love with them, then you create conflict. We can start showing the conflicts from episode 2 as planned. It’s good that we packed all the conflict elements into episode 2.”
Joo Cheol Yeong, who was repeatedly stroking his chin, suddenly had a thoughtful expression as he spoke to Hyun-jung.
“…No calls from AG yet, right? Like from President Do Jae Chan or their rookie development team?”
“They’re probably all busy monitoring the live broadcast, so they’ll call afterward. Besides, since we gave the AG trainees plenty of screen time, they likely won’t complain.”
“That’s a relief. Still, now that episode 1 is out, I’m starting to feel a bit anxious….”
As soon as the PD finished speaking, Hyeon Jeong’s phone rang loudly.
Both their gazes locked onto it, and Joo Cheol Yeong and Lee Hyeon Jeong exchanged worried looks.
“…Damn it.”
Speak of the devil.
[AG Director Shin Ki Ho]
The tiger had come.
