Chapter 208: Counterattack

Chapter 208: Counterattack

On the first day of "The Heaven Dragon's Eight Parts," the ratings reached 1.42, securing it the second spot for this year on Huadong Satellite TV. Despite lacking a renowned director or famous stars, and being a niche wuxia series, achieving such ratings was quite remarkable. However, compared to "Immortal Melody's Six Realms" at 1.79, it seemed insufficient.

Initially, it was expected to be a fierce competition between the two shows. But after reaching a certain level, their ratings started to tug against each other.

To compete head-to-head, both dramas' first two episodes didn't air commercials, as they dared not let advertisements potentially lower their ratings and prompt viewers to switch channels to the rival station. Consequently, during the initial stage, both shows experienced a sharp rise in ratings by attracting viewers from other channels. "The Heaven Dragon's Eight Parts" fluctuated around 1.5, while "Immortal Melody's Six Realms" maintained a straight line at 1.89, struggling to surpass the real-time rating of 1.9.

Online comments quickly emerged, mostly pessimistic about both shows' ratings performance.

This outcome was unforeseen, with neither drama meeting expectations. Although "Immortal Melody's Six Realms" claimed victory over "The Heaven Dragon's Eight Parts," its winning margin was less impressive than Tang Fei's "Happiness Hotel" and "Psychic Frenzy."

Especially "Psychic Frenzy," which had just concluded its run.

It premiered with 2.2 ratings and ended with a high of 4.1. Yet, "Immortal Melody's Six Realms" pulled it down by 2 points, settling at only 1.79.

What use is it to triumph in "The Heaven-Swallowing Dragon's Eight Provinces"? In the end, one is still a defeated foe under Tang Fei's command in the same year.

Nie Xiangyin had originally intended to belittle this niche wuxia work, "The Heaven-Swallowing Dragon's Eight Provinces." In her understanding, such a genre had long been discarded by the market and couldn't possibly attract any viewers anymore. To her surprise, the plot of "The Heaven-Swallowing Dragon's Eight Provinces" turned out to be engaging, and it didn't conform to conventional wuxia tropes. It lacked the outdated martial arts moves, instead presenting a novel and innovative system.

The fight choreography no longer emphasized realistic violence.

It was graceful and varied, with visuals that were visually stunning, even more captivating than those relying solely on special effects.

As a result, many who didn't typically watch wuxia found themselves stopping to watch the battles. They felt a mix of fear and admiration when they saw Zhong Ling controlling snakes. Zhong Ling, with her wit and kindness, was adorably charming, and the contrast between her and the snake control added a delightful touch of quirkiness.

For these two dramas, the consensus within and outside the industry was uniform.

"A lose-lose situation."

"What a shame, both shows are quite enjoyable, yet they had to compete head-on, forsaking their chances to reach greater heights."

"They were both poised to break 2 in ratings. Colliding like this resulted in a double loss."

"Jin Ling San Sheng has profited greatly; wuxia dramas typically yield explosive ratings. Nie Xiangyin's drama, which usually stably breaks 2, only reached 1.79. Winning is embarrassing, while losing is glorious."

"Most likely, the two series will just end like that," everyone assumed. But Tang Fei and the book enthusiasts held a different view—Tian Long Ba Bu was a slow-burning drama!

Did you find the beginning appealing? Let me tell you, what comes next is even more captivating! More thrilling!

It starts with a rating of 1.4, but could soar to 3.4 later on!

The readers were confident. Tian Long Ba Bu seemed like an ordinary read at first, but as you delve deeper, you'd find yourself staying up late, captivated by the characters and each of their compelling stories.

Duan Yu, Xiao Feng, Xu Zhi, Mu Rongfu, Duan Yanqing, Duan Zhengchun.

Enthralled by every intricate martial arts move, some even attempted to mimic them. The discrepancy between the novel and history only added to the allure, making it seem as if such a wondrous world and martial realm truly existed.

There was Lingbo Microstep, Six Meridian Divine Swords, One Yang Finger, Star-Defying Palm, Fei Ye Fei Ye (a character), the befuddled Shaolin Abbot entangled with Ye Erniang, the obsessed reconqueror, the lovesick woman, and those who inspired respect regardless of their lineage.

Each character possessed their unique charm.

In the future, they never worried about ratings. Even Tang Fei felt that the start was good – a 1.42 rating on Huadong TV, ranking second for its premiere. It was unwise to aim too high and expect instant success. With their own strength, they would eventually make a comeback.

During breaks from shooting Mercury City, Tang Fei would keep an eye on the show's progress. Zhou Weichuan, who visited the set to see her, seemed more concerned than she was about her own TV series. He teasingly said, "Tang Fei, you're so invested. Will it affect your current filming?"

Zhou Weichuan finally felt a bit relieved. Given Tang Fei's previous situation, he had even considered persuading her to quit acting and seek help from a psychiatrist.

He didn't want her to be ruined by her work.

Without turning around, Tang Fei continued to monitor the comments from different platforms. "Of course I'm invested. This is my baby that I've nurtured. If I'm not invested, who will be? This is our trailblazer. If we succeed, we can adopt this seasonal format for future major IP productions. The growth of both actors and the show can mitigate investment risks.

The martial arts, music, and character designs all embody my vision. If it fails, only I can take the blame. How could I not care?"

"Are you satisfied then?"

"Satisfied, very satisfied. My baby did the best. I believe we'll surpass Immortal Melody Six Realms by the third day."

"You watched Immortal Melody Six Realms?"

"Mm-hm. The show is decent but not exceptional, neither terrible nor surprising. It relies on attractive actors and dazzling special effects to draw viewers. But it can't compare to the entirely fresh world of wuxia that Tianlong Babu unfolds. Actually, Immortal Melody Six Realms has the best script with plenty of cute moments. If acted well and the chemistry between characters is good, it's sure to attract audiences who dream of love."

"So you're implying that their acting was subpar?"

Tang Fei nodded. "It's understandable for the main male and female leads to guard against each other forming romantic pairings outside of the drama to avoid stealing fans from one another. However, if they maintain this attitude within the drama, it's absurd."

Zhou Weichuan observed Tang Fei's insightful remarks on the matter and silently confirmed that she had indeed recovered, as He Zhou had claimed.

He patiently encouraged her to continue, widening his eyes adorably. "How come I didn't know about this? What was their performance like in the drama?"

"What performance?! They barely made eye contact when they were supposed to be in love, behaving like enemies instead. When they should have shown hatred, they appeared wooden and devoid of emotion. There was no trace of affection between them. Then, their chemistry with the secondary leads was overly flirtatious, leaving the audience with a bitter taste. How did Nie Xiangyin approve such a production? Didn't she consider the possibility of ruining the drama?"

Tang Fei was still somewhat irked. "I even praised the script back then and considered taking the role. Fortunately, I didn't, or else I'd rather be at home with my feet up than deal with such a male lead."

Zhou Weichuan chuckled. "Don't be upset. I'm aware of the situation. Nie Xiangyin doesn't have full control over the drama; she mainly listens to the investors. They wanted the main leads to promote the secondary leads, boosting their popularity. That's why it turned out this way.

Indeed, the main leads had conflicts on set. They've worked together in their youth and reportedly argued back then. Their fans also have a history of animosity. Perhaps Nie Xiangyin initially intended to leverage the fans' rivalry to generate buzz.

The actors don't ruin a drama; it's always the creators who do. Actors are just ingredients for the main dish. You can't blame the ingredients or seasonings for a bad dish; the chef and recipe are ultimately to blame."

"That's true. So, whether 'Dramatic Heaven Dragon Eight Chapters' succeeds or fails, it's on me."

"Do you believe it'll take three days to surpass Immortal Melody's Six Realms? We'll just have to wait and see if your judgment is accurate."

"Sure thing."

Tang Fei agreed without hesitation.

She had absolute faith in The Heaven-Swallowing Eight Phases. However, she had still miscalculated. When the first two episodes of The Heaven-Swallowing Eight Phases suddenly saw a surge in online views, surpassing those of Immortal Melody's Six Realms, industry analysts promptly predicted that by tonight, with the third and fourth episodes, The Heaven-Swallowing Eight Phases would overtake its rival!