Chapter 352 Competition Between Contemporary Dramas

Chapter 352 Competition Between Contemporary Dramas

"Dark Academy" was nothing like the popular shows of the moment. While other celebrities loved starring in romance dramas, as if their good looks would be wasted if they weren't falling in love in every historical setting, audiences were growing tired of the same old love stories. 

Viewership for TV dramas had been declining year by year. But the arrival of "Dark Academy" piqued everyone's interest, even drawing in people who usually didn't watch TV shows. The trailer had them asking in the comments when it would premiere.

The release date was set for the 10th of the following month, just two days after Tessa's show. Some gossip accounts stirred the pot, asking why Victoria's show wasn't airing on the same day as Tessa's. They suggested it would be a perfect opportunity to compare the two "most famous actresses of Starlight Entertainment" and see who could pull in better ratings. The drama would be entertaining.

Even though the two shows were airing two days apart, they were still considered direct competitors. The team behind "Missing is like Flowing Water" initially thought that with no other hit shows airing at the same time, most viewers would choose Tessa's show, ensuring good ratings. But with the sudden appearance of Victoria's new show, they got nervous and ramped up their promotional efforts.

Before the shows even aired, fans of both sides were already clashing. Someone edited a video from the Golden Eagle Awards night, showing Tessa looking visibly upset when Victoria won an award, completely forgetting to manage her expressions. Tessa's haters mocked her for being outshone by a newcomer and for being so petty that she couldn't even congratulate someone else. 

They said it was no wonder she had never won Best Actress. Tessa's fans, on the other hand, blamed Victoria, spreading rumors that her award was rigged. However, many netizens who had seen the success of "The Bronte Chronicles" felt that Victoria's win was well-deserved.

Another rumor started circulating, claiming that the success of "The Bronte Chronicles" was mainly due to the writer, Leon. Without him, Victoria was just an average actress. Her new show was written by an unknown writer and was bound to be terrible. They urged people not to waste their time on "Dark Academy," calling it a trashy show with a dark filter, and instead to watch "Missing is like Flowing Water," which had a well-known writer and director guaranteeing its quality.

In response to these smears, the official "Dark Academy" account didn't argue back. Instead, they released an even more exciting final trailer, with the caption: "What kind of result will Victoria and the new writer bring? Good or bad? Tune in on the 10th of next month to find out."

Amidst this buzz, "Missing is like Flowing Water" premiered. The show was well-produced, and although the plot was somewhat clichéd, the pacing was good and it captured the audience's interest. It garnered 80 million views on its first day, shooting to the top of the year's first-day viewership rankings! 

The production team quickly released celebratory posters, and the show trended on several social media platforms. Tessa and her fans were thrilled. Many marketing accounts praised her, saying that even without starring in a teen romance, Tessa could still draw in viewers. Some speculated that she might win Best Actress next year for this show.

Starlight Entertainment also quickly bought trending spots for Armando, marketing him as the heartfelt second male lead, and released a set of polished photos, promoting him as "a fresh new face in the entertainment industry, a clean-cut college boy."

When "Dark Academy" aired, it didn't trend as much as "Missing is like Flowing Water," making it seem less popular. Tessa's fans were quick to mock: "We told you Victoria couldn't compare to our Tessa. Airing their shows together just proves whose popularity is real. Without Leon, no one wants to watch Victoria's show."

"That 'Dark Academy' is so dark and gloomy, it just puts you in a bad mood. Who wants to watch that? 'Missing is like Flowing Water' had 80 million views on its first day, breaking records for similar shows. Can 'Dark Academy' even get half of that? I think Victoria is only half as good as Tessa."

"Exactly, once the viewership data is out, it'll prove that this year's Golden Eagle Award was unfair. They stole the award that should have gone to Tessa, but they can't steal the viewership numbers."

Victoria's fans fought back: "The viewership data isn't even out yet, how do you know 'Dark Academy' won't beat 'Missing is like Flowing Water'? All my friends are watching 'Dark Academy' and they love it. I even posted on Facebook recommending it to my family and friends."

"So annoying! Every time I check the trending topics, it's all 'Missing is like Flowing Water.' The leads and even the supporting actors are buying trending spots, thinking we can't tell? Just because you have a lot of trending topics doesn't mean the show is good, it just means you have a big marketing budget. Spending so much on marketing, who knows if you'll even make your money back."

Some enthusiastic fans even went to the official account to urge them: "Hurry up and release the viewership numbers! Don't you have the data yet? You should know the numbers before us viewers, hurry up and release them to shut them up!"

It wasn't until after noon that the official account released the data: across all platforms, "Dark Academy" had 150 million views on its first day! The official account posted several celebratory posters, each one marking another 10 million views. They almost ran out of the large posters they had prepared.

Victoria's fans and the fans of other actors were ecstatic! They went to the posts from Tessa's fans from the previous day to gloat: "What now? 'Dark Academy' has almost twice the views of 'Missing is like Flowing Water.' Bragging before the data was out, now you regret it, don't you? Still think Victoria isn't as good as Tessa? Victoria's viewership is twice Tessa's!"

Viewers of "Dark Academy" felt proud, thinking that the show's popularity validated their good taste. The show's first-day viewership breaking 100 million quickly became a top trending topic. After a night of buzz, discussions about the plot also started trending.

Audiences speculated about what kind of torment Victoria's character, Lucy Kim, would face next, when she would fight back, and how. They debated whether the girl who helped Lucy hide in the bathroom was a friend or foe. 

Some thought she was sincere and genuinely wanted to help Lucy, believing that the protagonist would at least have one true friend. Others found her timing suspicious and pointed out a fleeting smile in the end credits that made her seem like a villain.

Discussing the plot and guessing the story's future developments was so much fun that it greatly increased audience engagement, making them even more excited for the next episode. Some viewers even found out that the international version airing simultaneously had longer episodes, so they watched those too, discovering more clues and sparking new discussions.

Tessa's fans couldn't believe it and even started conspiracy theories, claiming that the viewership numbers for Victoria's new show were bought!