Hakyung: First to advance to the round of 8, Hero! Your thoughts on advancing?
Hero: I predicted it wouldn’t be easy. The games turned out to be really fun and I’m glad I advanced.
Hakyung: Oh, I see! In the winner’s match you came out with an all-in build versus Movie. Was that planned or was it improvised?
Hero: I was practicing yesterday [and with my current condition], I didn’t think I would win. So came with the plan to all-in but it got blocked. I thought I lost the game but somehow it ended up working out in the end.
Hakyung: You played some really cool games. Your thoughts on round of 8?
Hero: On stream, I usually have good weeks where I win and bad weeks where I just lose. I feel like I’m on a good week right now and I want to adjust my condition accordingly to be able to play my best for my round of 8 matches.
Hakyung: Congratulations Hero!
Group A Final’s Interview
Hakyung: The final match winner is Movie! Congratulations on making it to the round of 8 Movie, you played some very tough games. How do you feel?
Movie: I was just so nervous, I felt more nervous than at the OSL Finals. If I were to fall out of the group, it would be like falling off a cliff. I had an earnest desire for victory.
Hakyung: Did you think you’d advance first out of the group or did you predict you’d have to take it all the way to the final’s match?
Movie: I did say in the pre-game interview that I’d win [against Hero] but I was scared. He sure is a scary opponent. Since I’ve met him in the round of 16, I won’t have to meet him again in the round of 8. I think it all worked out.
Hakyung: You seem very tired out. Your theme for today seemed very prepared.
Movie: Honestly, I didn’t know I’d be playing round of 16 so quickly. I heard that I would be that night and I was sort of blanking out on what I should do. I decided to think positive [about a fast game date] and luckily it all worked out in the end.
Hakyung: Your positive mindset seemed to have helped you out today. Is there an opponent you’d like to avoid in the round of 8?
Movie: As I get older, my skill level feels like its getting lower and lower so I think it’d be best if I played versus another Protoss.
Hakyung: So... for PvP I guess you could play Bisu?
Movie: It doesn’t matter if I play Bisu! It doesn’t matter but... [T/N: the second time he says it doesn’t matter he sound very unconfident and the audience laughs] well he hasn’t even advanced yet so if he does advance I’ll think about it.
Hakyung: I see. Words for the fans?
Movie: I felt so pressured today, I couldn’t play to my very best. I made lots of small mistakes and I was disappointed in my gameplay. I’ll prepare rigorously for the round of 8 and show much better games.
Hakyung: A round of applause for Movie! Congratulations! Hero and Movie advanced to the next round in today’s group. I wish them both luck! You know everytime I come here I feel very nervous and fluttered and I feel the players might feel the same way don’t you think?
(someone in the audience asks her something)
Oh? Do you have something to ask? Oh the sexy dance! [In the pregame interview, she had suggested Movie do a sexy dance as a victory ceremony for advancing] Oh my god I almost forgot! Movie promised to do a sexy dance if he advanced!
Movie: I never agreed to this!?
Hakyung: I don’t recall anything about you declining. Since you advanced, show us your sexy dance! You want to see it, right guys!? (crowd says yes) Let’s see just a short preview!
Movie: I really can’t dance. I’ll practice a bit and how about if I win next time we do a couple dance together?
(Music starts to play)
Hakyung: Oh my! Oh my! (starts to dance)
Movie: Not today! Not today!
Hakyung: Oh not today! I panicked for a second. So Movie said he will show us his sexy dance next time. If he does advance I promise I will do a couple’s dance with Movie! Look forward to it! Congrats on advancing for today Movie! Be sure to cheer and give lots of love to the players! Good night everyone!
Group B Winner’s Interview
Hakyung: First to advance from Group B, Bisu! Congratulations on advancing! I feel like you prepared a lot for today’s games. What are your thoughts?
Bisu: Rather than specific practice, I worked more on my basics. After I beat Mind in the first set I felt much more relaxed.
Hakyung: You just played versus Kwanro, did you know you would win?
Bisu: I thought Kwanro would all-in so I tried to play as safe as possible and ended up building extra cannons. I thought this might put me behind a bit but the corsair/dark templar play worked really well giving me the advantage to be able to win the game.
Hakyung: As I was watching your games there was a moment that sort’ve stuck to my head. In your 3rd game versus Mind, you tried to expand to the 5 o clock position and was repeatedly shut down by scans and vultures. Your expression at that time seemed a bit annoyed but inside you were probably boiling with anger. How were you feeling?
Bisu: When Terran does that kind of stuff it’s very hard to deal with. Having it done to be I felt kind of mad but I can’t be showing that kind of emotion. So I just decided to play more focused.
Hakyung: I see! In preparation for today’s match, I’m sure there were people who helped with practice. Any words you’d like to say to them?
Bisu: Well there’s no one in particular. I just played a lot of ladder. For my first set versus Mind I practiced with sSak so I’m thankful to him.
Hakyung: So a word of thanks to sSak! Congratulations on advancing to the round of 8! I’ll be back after the final’s match!
Group B Final’s Interview
Hakyung: Today’s final match winner Kwanro! It’s as if your not ill at all, [T/N: The casters mentioned Kwanro was very ill and was at the hospital earlier that day] your gameplay was amazing! How are you feeling?
Kwanro:Most people usually stream before game day but I practiced in secret off stream very late into the night. I woke up today and I suddenly felt very sick. I thought at first that I would have to forfeit my spot but I was able to come out and win which was a huge relief. If I hadn’t come I wouldn’t have been able to feel the joy of winning.
Hakyung: Did you feel pressured that you had to battle it out in the final’s match?
Kwanro:I just feel so weak right now. I don’t really have the strength to be feel tense about the situation.
Hakyung: It seems you practiced too much and got sick, huh?
Kwanro: (laughs) I really did prepare rigorously, and this morning I just felt so ill.
(someone in the crowd yells “Kwanro is cute!”)
(laughs) I guess I got sick because I overworked myself.
Hakyung: So even though you were sick, you were able to play exciting games! What are you goals for this league?
Kwanro:It’s been a while since I’ve played in a league, and I’m pretty satisfied with round of 8. If I can though, I’d like to make it to the finals.
Hakyung: Aim for the finals! Thanks for your time Kwanro! Bisu and Kwanro advance from today’s group! A round of applause for both of them! As the days go by the games are getting more and more intense! I hope to see you all next time! Good night Everyone!
Group C Winner’s Interview
CBY: First to advance from Group C, HiyA! Big round of applause please! You seem so pleased!
HiyA: Of course I’m happy I advanced but I’m even more thrilled that the players who advance first from the ro16 will not have to face each other. That means I won’t be matched up against Bisu which is a huge relief!
CBY: Watching today’s games, in the first set people were giving you nicknames like Zerg hunter. Against Protoss you continued to play incredibly aggressive. From the start you started to apply pressure. Was the game easy?
HiyA: Rather than easy.. I felted pretty pressured of course but it seemed as though Tyson was also very nervous. Zero said to me before the game “If it goes to late game I don’t lose,” to which I replied “I’m not going to let it go to late game.” In the beginning though, I started out a little bit behind so I felt shaky but I think I proved even in the late game he’s no match.
CBY: You knew the opponents better than anyone and it played a key role in bringing you the victory. As the first to advance to the round of 8 from this group, what kind of games can we expect from you next time around?
HiyA: I won 2nd in the last SSL so I want nothing short of 1st. Finals is my goal. The pressure I felt was much greater this time around, having gotten 2nd place in Afreeca tournaments 5 times. This time around... I’m playing YellOw tomorrow too!.. I want to try hard this time and win.
CBY: You heard him guys, HiyA’s goal is to win. I encourage you all to go to the event website and vote for who you think will win. In addition, the FIX earphone CEO will be giving away 100 earphones if certain conditions are met! Do you guys know the conditions?
HiyA: What is it? I didn’t hear. I didn’t get earphones, aren’t I supposed to get one?
CBY: (laughs) If you search for FIX Starleague or FIX earphone on Naver and it reaches top 10 searched phrases, 100 earphones will be given out randomly to viewers. I encourage everyone search to be able to qualify for this event! Thanks everyone!
Group C Final’s Interview
CBY: Group C’s Mong advances second in the group! Mong, you finished the game before you drank the whole 1.5L bottle of Pocari Sweat.
Mong: I’m still so shaken up I can’t talk properly. I still feel so uneasy even after winning the game.
CBY: Mong’s eyes are tearing up just a little bit but not only Mong. I’m sure your girlfriend was very supportive and helped you to advance to the round of 8. A word for your girlfriend?
Mong: She’d nag me all the time saying “Practice! Practice!” which was annoying but I know it was all for my benefit. I’m so thankful that she encouraged me to practice.
CBY: Oh my~ yesterday was Valentine’s Day. Did you get presents?
Mong: No. (laugh) Before Valentine’s she starts prepping ingredients to make chocolate. She insists she has to make it herself but I end up getting it like a month later. On Valentine’s day, people on Facebook are showing off all the gifts and chocolates they got... but my present is still at my girlfriends house. I won today so “Go-Eun! Hurry up and make me chocolate! I love you!”
CBY: From the first game, you fell to the loser’s bracket 1-2 and your girlfriend was waiting with a very anxious and worried look. In this final’s match, was there a point where you thought “Victory is mine!”
Mong: It’s a best of 1, so I was thinking about trying out a playstyle that I had been practicing a lot. This build I used today is actually one that I haven’t really found much success with during practice. Trying to play management style, there always came a point where it would break down. When I took the 6 o clock expand I thought, “Please attack the 6! Tyson is sure to ram into the 6!”Hero: and he did! So I played out the rest of the game very thankful to Tyson. I think that’s when I kneww I had won.
CBY: So your girlfriend’s cheering and Tyson helped you to win today’s game?
Mong: Yes, but also the people cheering for me today. My streams managers [T/N: The Afreeca managers are like Twitch Mods], they actually came to watch me play live today. It’s tough to come to the offline and watch my games at this time but they still came. I will try even harder for the round of 8 and show better games.
CBY: Thank you for this interview! It seems Mong is still feeling the pressure of having struggled through the group so I tried to get him to relax with all these questions. Mong is the second person to advance from today’s group. To all the players who showed wonderful games and to the viewers online and offline, Thank you! I’ll see you guys again in the round of 8!
Group D Winner’s Interview
Hakyung: Mini advances from Group D! Mini, Battery of Love [T/N:A nickname he got in a Proleague game vs Piano], congratulations! Your thoughts on advancing?
Mini: I’m glad I advanced 2-0. I’ll play even better in the round of 8.
Hakyung: In the first set vs Piano you showed incredible carrier play and in your winner’s game vs Larva you showed incredible work harassment. What’s your secret?
Mini: I always play better in offline events so my performance was better than normal.
Hakyung: Having made it to the round of 8, you must be aiming for the finals?
Mini: In the round of 8 it’s going to be elimination instead of groups right? So I’ll be able to properly prepare for the match-up. I aiming to make it to the round of 4 for now.
Hakyung: Congratulations! Thank you for the interview!
Group D Final’s Interview
Hakyung: Larva is the last to advance from Group D. In comparison to round of 32 you struggled to advance in the round of 16. Your thoughts?
Larva: Yesterday and in general I’ve been practicing so hard and my back still isn’t fully healed. While playing my back was hurting so much so in the winner’s set I put my back brace back on but it was so uncomfortable I took it back off and played better in the final match.
Hakyung: I see. From today’s games which did you find your performance to be most unsatisfying?
Larva: The game versus Mini I couldn’t focus so I made a lot of small mistakes, failing to dodge storms getting worker harassed too much. I focused in the final’s match so I think I was able to play better.
Hakyung: Round of applause for Larva please! So you’ve advanced to the round of 8 and in the pregame interview you promised you’d do a ceremony for the round of 4 right?
Larva: Yup.
Hakyung: We’ll look forward to it. Mini and Larva advanced today. One more round of applause to all the players who tried their very best today. We will also be doing group drawing right after this!