It was 11:30 PM when the show ended.
At that mont, Hyerin wasn’t the only one left speechless. Across the country, millions of people felt shivers running down their spines.
Fifteen minutes later, on the popular reviews site for films and dramas CottonPop, the first critic review for the first episode of Binsfeld’s Seven Princes of Hell dropped.
Jin Chae
Thrilling sound direction, scintillating cara direction, and hair-raising performances by the seven actors.
Rated 9.4.
Two minutes later, two more reviews were added.
George Hulk
It begins with a drizzle of rain and ends with a shower of blood.
Rated 9.2
Solemnity Sean
It bewitches you from the first mont and keeps thrilling until the last.
Rated 8.9
Three minutes later, five more reviews were added.
And five minutes later, a dozen more were written.
In one night, Binsfeld’s Seven Princes of Hell received an average rating of 9.3 from the critics and 9.6 from the audience. It was placed among the highest-rated first episodes on the site.
***
In the morning when Hyerin woke up, the first thing she did was to check Averie’s Delfa account. It had beco a habit of hers.
"What—what is this?" she stuttered.
Overnight, Averie had gained 500k followers.
’Are these people high? He didn’t sign up for a cult now, did he?’
Hurriedly, she checked the internet.
"9.6 on CottonPop!" she scread.
For a while, she danced around in confusion and joy.
She nudged Averie, who was lying on a makeshift mattress nearby. But Averie wouldn’t wake up. Sleep was more important to him than so dumb ratings.
Hyerin quickly looked through the online articles.
’[Ent Interior] Despite its limited audience because of its adult nature, the first episode of Binsfeld’s Seven Princes of Hell averages 18.4% TV ratings.’
"18.4!" Hyerin yelled in disbelief.
That was a big number for an exclusively adult drama. This was beyond Hyerin’s expectations.
"Millions of people saw Averie’s performance, right?" she muttered.
She was both happy and scared. Nervously, she checked the other headlines.
’[Drama’s Hot] Shockingly explicit and violent, Binsfeld’s Seven Princes of Hell is a huge success from the very first episode.’
’[Film&TV] After the first episode of Binsfeld’s Seven Princes of Hell, the industry must ask itself if it is willing to adapt to such high standards, or are we to suffer watching ’generic slop’ like An Everlasting Romance?’
’[Actor’s Journal] Through the role of Asmodeus Binsfeld, Averie Quinn Auclair has shown how truly artistic acting can be and has attracted the interest of industry and public alike.’
A sigh escaped Hyerin.
There was nothing criticizing her dear friend. Instead, he was being praised. And she loved it.
To her surprise, Binsfeld’s Seven Princes of Hell was trending #1.
Dinner Scene was trending #2.
Asmodeus was trending #3.
Satan was trending #4.
Lucifer was trending #5.
And finally, Averie Auclair was trending #6.
Hyerin’s eyes turned wet. She sniveled like a child and hugged her friend who was sleeping peacefully.
"You did it," she cried. "You made it."
The girl was being genuine, but Averie found her annoying. He kicked her away and pulled the sheets closer.
"What an idiot," he mumbled before returning to his sleep.
He liked the girl, but she was too sensitive. She needed to be toughened.
In his sleep, he dread about dragging her to Hell and teaching her his sinister ways.
"You are an," Hyerin quietly complained.
She wiped her tears and returned to her phone.
Posts and discussions surrounding Binsfeld’s Seven Princes of Hell had been heated since the night before.
The most common response was ’Holy... what did I just watch?’
On a large forum for dramas, a number of posts related to the show were attracting great attention.
Hyerin looked up the comnts under one of them.
- Who is the actor that plays Asmodeus? Give this man an award.
- I may be ssed up, but I’ll say it. *Inhales deeply* Asmodeus, be my baby daddy!
- Yeah, you are ssed up.
- Please seek help.
- Please continue to be a good series. My heart couldn’t bear it if it turned out to be a one-episode wonder.
- What’s a one-episode wonder?
- Can’t wait for the next episode, man.
- too, man.
- three, man.
- whatever-cos-after-three, man. Haha... No seriously, I don’t know how to count...
- All my homies hate Leviathan, that disgusting snake.
- I want the seven Binsfeld brothers to take all at once. Like, pound until my tears and snot mix together. Just go to town on . Call bitch and slap in the face...
- That’s enough internet for today.
- Ti to drown myself in a bowl full of water, I guess.
- I need to donate my eyeballs. Any takers?
- I hate my parents and teachers. Why did they teach how to read?
- Not a great day to be literate, huh...
- Gotta rinse my eyes. Nothing a little acid can’t solve.
’How are critics responding?’ Hyerin wondered.
On the famous blog by retired actor and director Jae-Won Kim, a critique of the first episode was posted at midnight.
It read:
I have always wondered what evil in the flesh would look like, and today, I have received my answer.
Binsfeld’s Seven Princes of Hell is a drama that has surpassed all expectations placed on it, an achievent that I personally thought impossible.
It has proven that the audience’s expectations weren’t misplaced. It is only the first episode, yet I cannot but praise it trendously.
It is a narrative full of sin, and it dares the audience not to be affected by it. It challenges us to escape the grasp of these seven devils wearing the flesh of n. And I must say, I have failed that task.
Even as I write this critique, my hands shake and I feel cold. I have been affected deeply by the sinister atmosphere of this series.
Before anything else, I must praise the actors.
Actors Su-Jin Jas and In-Su Kim have proven why they are considered the best of the best when it cos to the film industry. They have shown us why they chose to do a drama series when they had countless film offers.
Do-Yun Park, Raymond Lee, Peter Kang, and John Strom have proven that their philosophy of art first and comrcialism second wasn’t a fruitless endeavor that only the old could chase.
And Averie Quinn Auclair—my word, what an actor—where were you all this ti? Only twenty-three years of age, yet he has managed to deliver such a rare and complicated performance that I must bow to him. In just one episode, Asmodeus Binsfeld has beco one of my most beloved characters.
The family dinner scene—so aptly executed by Su-Jin Jas and In-Su Kim—was the culmination of every little detail that led to it.
In my opinion, it was the most thrilling scene of the episode, surpassing even Asmodeus’s chase of his victim. It chilled to my bones and made shiver.
Yet sohow, Asmodeus Binsfeld manages to elevate this great scene to iconic status with his danse macabre.
The dead and the elegant cannot co-exist, yet the grace of Asmodeus strangely complints the repulsion one feels towards the dead.
I can only sit here in awe and write my scattered thoughts, as no amount of praise could ever do justice to such a masterful scene. It makes the audience curious about what lies ahead. It makes us savor this new flavor we have discovered and makes us beg for more.
The characters, despite acting in accordance with their sin, are not predictable. They behave with certain tendencies but retain an air of mystery that only intrigues the audience. They make understand that there is reason—however convoluted—behind their every action.
Writer Sophie Moon has most certainly written her greatest work yet, and I cannot thank her enough for it. Director Dae-Jung Lee now seems justified in why he suddenly chose to direct a drama.
The first episode promises the audience a great journey ahead. It begins on a dreary note and ends on a horrifying one.
"Jae-Won Kim never praises anything this much," Hyerin whispered.
The more she read, the more she beca certain. Binsfeld’s Seven Princes of Hell was everywhere on the internet. There was no ntion of An Everlasting Romance. Most had forgotten about it, while the rest were spiteful enough to laugh at it.
There were a select few who thought that Binsfeld’s Seven Princes of Hell would not be able to retain its quality. But Hyerin had a feeling that this was only the beginning.
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