Sally propped her chin, analyzing calmly: "Although Ming Qian's professional skills aren't great, he is still a freshly debuted member of GCD boy band. The fans' novelty hasn't worn off yet, and their passion is still blazing. "Furthermore, because he initially lacked the awareness to cultivate a more selective fanbase and instead indulged all supporters indiscriminately, the overall composition of his fandom is now rather volatile. They function like a collection of walking powder kegs, prone to explosive reactions at the slightest provocation, which instantly propels them onto the trending lists."
Sally picked up her coffee and took a sip. "With such a fanbase, anyone with a little cunning would try to find ways to use them. Such a sharp and convenient tool—why not use it if it's free? Probably Feng Yu thought the same, hence this move."
Assistant Guan nodded in agreement nearby: "Because if they only provoked Rong Yu's fans, nine times out of ten it wouldn't cause an uproar. They are more Buddhist."
Sally: "Not Buddhist, just don't have much time. I've investigated, most of Xiao Yu's fans are working adults, usually quite busy. They don't have the leisure to hang out on Weibo every day checking in and organizing super topics."
"So, what do you think we should do this time?" Yin Chengjue said.
Sally: "If nothing unexpected happens, next they should drag the original book fans of both dramas into the fight, then let 'Worlds Apart, Yet So Close' step on the hype earlier generated for 'Blood Mist' to climb up."
Yin Chengjue frowned: "One is a time-travel wuxia, the other is a modern crime investigation—completely different genres. There's no basis for comparison. How can they step on it? Force it?"
Sally: "Ah-heh, this is where you're out of touch, President Yin. Like now, they can criticize the most basic costumes, makeup, and props. They can criticize whether the web drama plot fits the original, whether the adaptation changes too much, whether the casting is suitable. "The more the two sides engage in mutual disparagement, the more incensed the original fans from both camps will become, ultimately drawing them into the conflict."
Sally: "Book fans aren't like those in the entertainment circle, they don't have as many rules. They gather simply because they've read and liked the book. Of course, I'm only talking about the majority."
Assistant Guan suddenly said: "It's here."
On the hot search, the hashtag "#BloodMistPlagiarizesWorldsApartYetSoClose#" was pushed up.
Sally curled her lips into a smile: "See? What did I just say? If they want to step on something, there's nothing they can't step on. Whether they can step on it to climb up is one thing, just stepping on it is profitable. It doesn't matter if the aired dramas are the same type or not. That's the thinking of those people."
Yin Chengjue was about to say something else when a message from Qin Linlin popped up in the crew's large WeChat group.
Qin Lingling: I'm so mad I'm going to die! "Tian Chi" has such nerve! Who plagiarized them?! If you're blind, go get treatment! [Stabbed by a salty fish]
["Tian Chi" (天痴) is a sarcastic misspelling of "Tian Ya" (天涯), from the drama title (天涯咫尺, Tiān Yá Zhǐ Chǐ). 天 (heaven) + 痴 (foolish) = heavenly fools.]
Qin Lingling: They're really going crazy trying to ride the hype! Me, plagiarize them? I time-traveled to the future to plagiarize a novel written years after mine? If I had that ability, why would I be human? Wouldn't it be better to be a little fairy who can predict the future?
The actors in the group chat quickly joined in, offering words of comfort one after another while also voicing their anger over the situation.
They were all in the same boat now, sharing glory and shame. If the original work of the web drama they were acting in was accused of plagiarism, it would affect their reputations too.
Moreover, these accusations were completely baseless slander.
But if they really let this matter slide, then after the discussion hype died down, the impression left on casual observers would be that "Blood Mist" was associated with the word "plagiarism."
Even if it was false, why would casual observers bother to verify it?
It's the same old saying: spreading rumors requires only a mouth, but refuting them requires running your legs off. And even then, people aren't willing to listen to refutations because others' gossip is always more intriguing the more outrageous it is. Truth or falsehood doesn't matter to the listener.
Before Yin Chengjue's side could act, Qin Lingling's book fans had already risen to counterattack. They were usually quiet readers who didn't pay much attention to these matters, but recently, with the "Blood Mist" drama adaptation starting, they were drawn to Weibo to check on the official account's status from time to time. Suddenly seeing their favorite book accused of plagiarism, and plagiarizing a romantic time-travel novel published three years after "Blood Mist," instantly made them furious.
What the heck? These days, can anything be linked to plagiarism? They know full well that authors consider this the ultimate taboo—accusations that are equivalent to professional suicide—yet these unscrupulous marketing accounts still use it to stir up hype. It's simply bullying others too far. Did they really think these old book fans are soft persimmons, easy to pinch?
[软柿子 (ruǎn shìzi): lit. soft persimmon; fig. an easy target, someone easily bullied or manipulated]
Therefore, before Yin Chengjue's side could figure out the appropriate PR strategy, some book fans had already spontaneously created comparison charts for the two books. From the overall story background to character personality settings, from the full structure to small unit structures, from the main plot to side plots, down to the background stories of every supporting CP... etc., etc., there were simply no similarities whatsoever! So how could it be plagiarism?
Moreover, Blood Mist was both published and completed before Worlds Apart, Yet So Close even began serialization. If any copying occurred, the logical conclusion would be that the latter must have drawn from the former—not the other way around.
Some are just too stupid😒
ReplyDelete