Thanks to everyone who voted in the poll; 552 votes were cast by 289 voters, and Stranger / Secret Forest came out on top, with 119 votes! Looks like I will finally watch Stranger, after putting it off for so long, heh.
At the same time, some of you have let me know that the poll results were showing inaccurately for you, in terms of the shows that you voted for. I do want to make sure that the group watch features shows that you guys actually want to watch, so I’ve taken the various opinions raised in the comments into consideration, in mapping out a solution that I hope will satisfy most voters.
I did also promise Ele, that I’d use my Editor’s Choice to balance things out, if our winning show doesn’t feature a romance, because it’s true that we’re due for some romance, in our group watch.
I really hope you guys like the solution that I’ve come up with.
The solution
Essentially, I decided that we’d plan for two group watches instead of one, based on the results of this latest poll. Meaning to say, 1st place goes to People’s Choice 1, which will be directly followed by our 2nd place winner, which will be People’s Choice 2. I will then choose two dramas, as Editor’s Choice 1 and Editor’s Choice 2, to pair with these two winning shows.
In first place, we have Stranger, with 119 votes, followed by My Mister, with 114 votes. I’ve decided to pair Stranger with Secret Love Affair, which came in third in the poll with 98 votes, and I’ve decided to pair My Mister with Someday Or One Day, which came in fourth in the poll, with 75 votes.
This way, we’ll get to discuss our two most popular shows in the poll, on Wednesdays, and since both of these aren’t romances (because Stranger is not a romance and it’s debatable whether My Mister features a romance), we’ll get to discuss shows which do feature romances, on Saturdays.
In the sections below, I outline for each show, the schedule, availability and reasons to watch. If you know of other streaming sources that I haven’t mentioned, or if you’re passionate about the shows and want to help stir up some excitement for them to draw in more group watchers, feel free to share in the comments below!
I hope that this way, everyone will be able to find at least one group watch that you’d like to join. Of course, join all of ’em, if you’d like – that’s what I’ll be doing. 😉
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*PEOPLE’S CHOICE 1*
Group Watch 1: Stranger / Secret Forest
Schedule: Wednesdays, starting 13 October 2021. Posts will go live at 8:00am, my time (GMT+8)
Commitment: 16 episodes. 2 eps per week = 8 weeks.
In other words: We will discuss E1&2 next Wednesday, 13 October 2021.
Availability: Available for free on iQIYI. Also available on Netflix.
Why you should watch:
I’ve heard that this one boasts great acting, writing and directing, and is generally really quite excellent. I’ve also heard that Show stays consistent through to the end, ie, there’s no slump in the middle, and neither does Show fizzle out towards the end. I’m told that Jo Seung Woo and Bae Doo Na are great in this.
If you’ve already seen this show, it’d be great if you could help me out in the comments by explaining a little more, of why this show is more than worth our drama hours.
Trailer:
Stranger / Secret Forest Open Threads:
I’ll be linking the Open Threads here, for easy reference. You’ll also be able to find the Open Thread links on my Full List page.
E1&2 | E3&4 | E5&6 | E7&8 | E9&10 | E11&12 | E13&14 | E15&16
*EDITOR’S CHOICE 1*
Group Watch 1: Secret Love Affair
Schedule: Saturdays, starting 16 October 2021. Posts will go live at 8:00am, my time (GMT+8)
Commitment: 16 episodes. 2 eps per week = 8 weeks.
In other words: We will discuss E1&2 next Saturday, 16 October 2021.
Availability: Available for free on Viki.
Why you should watch:
Thoroughly absorbing because of our story, our leads, their soul connection, and an amazing OST that makes the watch even more immersive. Beautiful, thought-provoking, and ultimately hopeful, while being thoroughly compelling. Both Kim Hee Ae and Yoo Ah In are excellent in this, and Yoo Ah In is particularly impressive, in that he literally learned to play piano, for his scenes in this show. 🤯
Secret Love Affair review is here.
Trailer:
Secret Love Affair Open Threads:
I’ll be linking the Open Threads here, for easy reference. You’ll also be able to find the Open Thread links on my Full List page.
E1&2 | E3&4 | E5&6 | E7&8 | E9&10 | E11&12 | E13&14 | E15&16
*PEOPLE’S CHOICE 2*
Group Watch 2: My Mister
Schedule: AFTER the group watch for Stranger / Secret Forest concludes. Wednesdays, starting 8 December 2021. Posts will go live at 8:00am, my time (GMT+8)
Commitment: 16 episodes. 2 eps per week = 8 weeks.
In other words: We will discuss E1&2 on Wednesday, 8 December 2021, after we finish our watch of Stranger / Secret Forest.
Availability: Available for free on iQIYI and Viki. Also available on Netflix.
Why you should watch:
A legit masterpiece that I think all drama fans ought to check out, at least once. It’s thoughtful, gritty, beautiful, dark (yet still warm) and haunting, and celebrates so well, what it means to connect as humans. Lee Sun Gyun and IU are wonderfully restrained yet nuanced in this. Also, the OST is ethereal and hauntingly beautiful.
My Mister review is here.
Trailer:
My Mister Open Threads:
I’ll make another announcement when we’re about to start on this group watch, and I’ll link the Open Thread posts there, as well as on the Full List page.
*EDITOR’S CHOICE 2*
Group Watch 2: Someday Or One Day [Taiwan]
Schedule: AFTER the group watch for Secret Love Affair concludes. Saturdays, starting 11 December 2021. Posts will go live at 8:00am, my time (GMT+8)
Commitment: 13 episodes. 2 eps per week = 7 weeks.*
* I know I said in my Poll post, that we’d do 1 ep a week of this. I.. don’t know where my brain was at, sorry! 🙈 2 eps a week works much better, and the episode length is comparable to the other kdramas we’ll be covering in this set of group watches, so it’s not an issue.
In other words: We will discuss E1&2 on Saturday, 11 December 2021, after we finish our watch of Secret Love Affair.
Availability: Available for free on Viki.
Why you should watch:
I loved this one so much, when I watched it, and it turned out to be my drama of the year, in 2020. I found it really well-written, well-acted and well-executed, while remaining quintessentially Taiwanese. I loved that it managed to make me think and feel, at the same time, consistently. I personally think it’s best to go in as blind as possible with this one, so just know that our story has a fantasy twist, and it’s a romance.
Someday Or One Day review is here.
Trailer:
Someday Or One Day Open Threads:
I’ll make another announcement when we’re about to start on this group watch, and I’ll link the Open Thread posts there, as well as on the Full List page.
In closing
..That’s about it, really! Now that we’ve got our group watch shows selected, please go forth and enjoy your first couple of episodes – and remember to tune in for the Open Thread posts, going live next week! ❤️