This Month On Patreon: November 2021

Hi everyone! It’s already time for my November edition of This Month On Patreon! Wow. We are  starting to wrap up 2021, aren’t we? I feel like we’ve barely just started the year! 🤯

This is my monthly post on:

1. What’s happening on Patreon in a given month,

2. Exactly when you can expect to see various Patreon-related reviews in the month,

3. What shows I’m considering for coverage on Patreon, to replace shows that have completed their cycles, and

4. What you can expect, as a patron.

I hope you guys find this helpful &/or informative, and I hope you’ll consider supporting me on Patreon! ❤️

Click here to go directly to my Patreon page!

Why I’m on Patreon

My work has been on hold for more than a year now, because of the pandemic, and this is my way of trying to create a viable alternative source of income. As it stands right now, it’s murky and uncertain, whether work can resume for me, and if so, when that might happen.

I love this blog and if I had to switch careers, I would most likely have to quit blogging (those of you who’ve blogged before, or are still blogging now, would know what I mean when I say that blogging takes up a LOT of time 😅).

Rather than quit the blog, I decided to try blogging full-time, and that’s where Patreon – and everyone who values what I do on this blog – comes in.

I am very grateful for all the support that has already been given (thank you to all my existing patrons, you guys are the best! 😘). At the same time, the amount raised each month isn’t quite enough to cover my living expenses, and is still quite far from being a proper income, which is why I do hope that my Patreon page will be able to continue growing.

If you value the work that I do here on the blog, please consider supporting my work on Patreon. ❤️

Psst! If you’re curious about the nuts and bolts of the work that goes into maintaining this blog, here is a Dear kfangurl post about this very topic; I hope you enjoy! 

Shows currently covered on Patreon + their tiers

Early Access (US$5): +Yumi’s Cells

Early Access Plus (US$10): +Lost (Human Disqualification)

VIP (US$15): +The Bond [China]

VVIP (US$20): +Hometown Cha Cha Cha

Ultimate (US$25): +The Rational Life [China]

Ultimate (US$25): +My Name (bonus show!)

* Just to be clear, the tier benefits are cumulative, so if you sign up for the Ultimate tier, you wouldn’t only receive episode notes for The Rational Life and My Name, you’d receive episodes notes for all the other shows as well! Yes, that’s right, the Ultimate Tier is enjoying an additional show right now, as a thank you bonus! ❤️

* I publish one set of episode notes each day, so each show’s episode notes will publish once in 5 days, since I usually cover 5 shows on Patreon. For example, Yumi’s Cells E6 will post today (1 November 2021), and Yumi’s Cells E7 will post in another 5 days, on 6 November 2021.

* For actual examples of episode notes, you can go here and here. 😊 It’s my E1 notes for Yumi’s Cells and Hometown Cha Cha Cha, both of which I’m enjoying very well, and am currently still covering on Patreon!

When Patreon-related reviews will post this month

This month, only one of the shows I’m covering on Patreon will finish its cycle. Here’s when you can expect to see the review:

The Rational Life [China]: 12 November 2021

Do stay tuned for that! 😃

Replacement shows I’m considering

This isn’t yet cast in stone, because I’d need to check out the shows to make sure I like them enough to cover them on Patreon, but here are the ones that I’m considering:

The Rational Life [China]: possibly to be replaced by The King’s Affection

Other back-up shows I have in mind (in case The King’s Affection doesn’t make my cut): The Veil, One The Woman, The Red Sleeve Cuff, Melancholia, Jirisan.

If you have other great shows to suggest, do let me know in the comments! Please do remember to bear in mind their airing schedules, though!

Patreon Highlights

If you’re new to my Patreon page, here are a handful of things you might like to know:

1. ALL tiers receive my episode 1 notes for any show that I’m covering on Patreon. 

Therefore, if you’re curious about my notes for The Rational Life, but aren’t sure whether you’d like them enough to want to join the Ultimate tier, joining the US$1 Adblock tier will give you immediate access to The Rational Life E1-2 notes. After this, if you wish to upgrade to the Ultimate tier, Patreon would simply charge you the difference, while immediately unlocking all the posts that your new tier entitles you to. That’s exactly what Michelle did with Vincenzo, and I’m happy to report that it worked out really well! 😃

2. The Ultimate tier also receives E1 notes for all shows that I’m watching (or have checked out), INCLUDING shows that I’m NOT covering on Patreon.

This has included E1 notes for shows like True Beauty, Lovestruck in the City, Sweet Home, Shanai Marriage Honey (Japan), Must You Go?, Love In Between (China), A Thousand Goodnights (Taiwan), Zombie Detective, Here’s My Plan, Hello, Me!, Taxi Driver, At A Distance Spring Is Green, Monthly Magazine Home, Takane and Hana, You Are My Spring, The Witch’s Diner, D.P. (Deserter Pursuit) and My Name. I call these posts Early Access Extras, and as a patron on the Ultimate tier, on average, you can expect to see about 2 of these posts each month.

In case you’re wondering, whether I eventually review these shows on the blog, really depends on how my experience with the various first episodes works out. I’ve carried on to review a number of the shows listed above, but I’ve also chosen not to continue watching a handful of them as well.

3. You can interact with me and with one another, on Patreon.

There is a comment feature on Patreon, so, much like here on the blog, you’d be able to comment on posts and share your thoughts with me and with other patrons. There is also a private message function, so you’d be able to message me directly on Patreon, if there’s something you’d like to talk with me about, but you feel isn’t relevant to the posts on Patreon themselves.

Aside from a web browser, you can also access my Patreon posts and messages on the Patreon app. You can find the Patreon app on Apple’s app store here, or on Google Play here.

4. You can feel safe to pause your subscription, or move between tiers at any time.

Moving between tiers

Because you are charged upfront on the 1st of each month, that tier’s privileges will continue to be open to you, even if you choose to move down a tier sometime during the month, or if you choose to pause your subscription.

For example, if you were on the Early Access Plus tier, and on the 15th of the month, you decided that you’d like to move down one tier, to the Early Access Tier, you can make that change right away – but because you’ve already paid for Early Access Plus privileges, those will remain open to you until the end of the month. And then you will be charged your new tier rate, at the beginning of the following month.

If you choose to upgrade your tier, you can also do so at any time, and you will simply be charged the difference, eg, US$5, if you’re moving from the Early Access tier, to the Early Access Plus tier, and the additional privileges will be immediately unlocked for you as well. You will then be charged the new rate on the 1st of the following month.

Pausing your subscription

If you choose to pause your subscription on the 15th of the month, you will not be charged on the 1st of the following month, and your Patreon benefits will remain open to you until the end of the month. Thereafter, feel free to reactivate it at any time.

Please let me know if this explanation isn’t clear!

5. There’s now an annual subscription option available!

I only activated this option recently, because someone expressed interest in it. I just.. hadn’t realized that you guys believed in me enough, to want to sign up on a yearly basis. 😅

With the yearly subscription, you receive a 5% discount, and you will be charged on each anniversary of your join date. The only downside to this, is you don’t have the flexibility to move between tiers from month to month, according to which shows spark your interest.

6. The Patreon page has become a cool little community!

Besides the episode notes, there are lots of other conversations going on, on the monthly Drama Exchange posts that I create. One is the Drama Exchange: Spoiler-free zone, where you can safely exchange drama recommendations and chat about other things, without the danger of encountering a spoiler, and the other is the Drama Exchange: Deep Dive Zone, where you can discuss other shows that you’re watching, that I’m not covering on Patreon, in all its spoiler glory. Since these posts have been introduced, literally hundreds of comments have been exchanged, on each one!

ALSO. As part of the Patreon community, you’ll get various updates from me, including k-ent news that I come across, as well as personal updates that I don’t share elsewhere. I’m very blessed that the Patreon community has turned, effectively, into my inner circle. I’d love for you to join me, if you can! ❤️

I suppose it goes without saying, but just in case it isn’t clear, these conversations are open to all patrons at all tiers.

What about one-time contributions?

If you prefer, you can also support the blog through easy one-time contributions by clicking on this other cute lil icon below.

I’m told that you don’t need to have a Paypal account in order to do so, but if that changes, or is different in your region, a Paypal account is pretty easy to set up; there are no sign-up fees involved, and you don’t have to keep a balance in it, unless you actually want to. You can choose to link a bank account, a debit card, or a credit card, to facilitate your contribution.

Click here to go directly to my Paypal.Me page!

Thank you!

..And that’s about it, for this month’s updates! If you have suggestions for other things that you’d like me to include in these monthly update posts, do let me know in the comments, and I’ll see what I can do, to incorporate them into future posts. I aim to publish future update posts on the first of each month.

Thanks for reading, thanks for your support, and thank you for being here! Big hugs to ya! 🥰❤️😘

Once again, you can find my Patreon page by clicking on this cute lil icon below:

Thank you for your love and support! ❤️
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phl1rxd
phl1rxd
1 year ago

Hi Fangurl – I am intrigued by Melancholia mostly because of Lee Do Hyun. He is such a good actor I will def give that a go. I dropped One the Woman @E8 due to the OTP but it might work well for others. Still trying to get to the Veil. Jirisan has me seriously dazed and confused, and although I have thoughts to drop it Trent’s comments are good enough to make me stick around.

I am going to stick with The Kings Affection to the end as I am totally enjoying Nam Yoon Su and his character. I will probably check out The Red Sleeve Cuff – it has been a few years since Lee Jun Ho has graced my screen.

All that being said I am OK with whatever you select!

Shahz
Shahz
1 year ago

I have to admit I paused King’s Affection as I wasn’t convinced by it. Gutted because of PEB ( she is excellent in it) but who knows I may pick it up if reviews say it holds up. Unfortunately, Rowoon’s character is poorly written. I think show has a bit of an identity crisis going on trying to be serious and also be a rom com at the same time and it isn’t working.

Jirisan seems solid but I have only watched the first two episodes and I am bit worried the paranormal isn’t going to stand up.

Melchanolia seems a good shout. And I was thinking about picking up One the Woman at some point as well.

Trent
1 year ago

The year really is heading into the home stretch, isn’t it?

I am continuing to enjoy The King’s Affection; I don’t love Rowon as an actor, to be perfectly honest, but he’s at least getting the job done, and of course PEB is a delight. You should definitely canvass a wider range of views on this one, because I may be out of step with the general opinion?

I am two-thirds of the way through The Veil (episode 8), and to be honest, it does have some strengths, but I feel like it has gotten bogged down in convoluted plot complications. I suspect that is maybe just an essential element of this particular sub-genre (espionage and secret agent “thrillers”), so if that’s to your taste, have at it! The first three episodes were pretty exciting…

I am enjoying Jirisan a fair amount: the first episode was really exciting (I don’t give any credence to mutters about “green screen” and “bad CGI”; I thought it looked fine). The cast is just A+ top of the line, the scenery is gorgeous…the plot has been a bit confusing in subsequent episodes, but I think (through ep. 4) it is starting to get focused in; there is apparently more of a supernatural element involved than I was expecting, but it’s a relatively light touch and I’m fine with it so far.

I have mixed thoughts about The Red Sleeve Cuff: I liked Lee Se-young a lot in The Crowned Clown, and this looks like a tonally similar role, maybe? On the other hand, don’t know anything about the ML, other than another idol-turned-actor(?), and not sure if I’m up for another sageuk palace romance at the moment…

Melancholia…maaaybe? Lee Do-hyun is a draw, to be sure, but I’m immediately put on guard by anything that has teacher-student romance vibes, even if the romance doesn’t actually start until later, so…

phl1rxd
phl1rxd
1 year ago
Reply to  Trent

Trent – Jirisan. I had no issues with the CGI – my issues was with the camera work. It is almost as if the shaking camera was a cover for the CGI (which was not necessary as the CGI was not bad). I think netizens confused themselves over the real issue – the camerawork. I am sure this approach was intentional although I saw no reason for it. E1 gave me a headache. 🙄 My other issue is with the time jumps. I was so ready to click that dropped button, but reached out on Patreon for some confirmation that it gets better. Thanks for answering my question and I will hang in there.

Last edited 1 year ago by phl1rxd
Trent
1 year ago
Reply to  phl1rxd

— I am here for your Jirisan handholding needs! 😁

The shaky-cam, interestingly, didn’t really bother me, in fact I’m not sure I even noticed! I suspect it was introduced (assuming it was intentional) to lend a frenetic, “this is an emergency” sort of feeling. I can see it backfiring, though.

Jirisan–minor spoilers for first few episodes:

As for the time jumps–here’s the framing that has kind of been working for me and helping me get settled into it. Right now, the entire narrative is turning around the hinge of the big accident that happened to our two main characters. There’s a pre-accident portion and a post-accident portion, while the how and why of the accident itself is still mostly a mystery. The year flashing on screen to demarcate the two halves is okay, but even easier is that pre-accident is the main couple uninjured and moving around, and post-accident is FL in a wheel chair and ML not present at all, except in a coma in the hospital bed (or is he really? There’s hints now that maybe he’s somehow spirit walking? Or something? Much yet to be revealed…). Also, if you see Go Min-si (who is adorbs as perky pigtailed rookie ranger, acting as a proxy for the FL), it is the post-accident portion.

Eps 2&3 I think had some fragmentation where it’s not entirely clear how or if events fit together. But I think ep.4 is starting to draw some of the strands together, and I hope/expect the next set of eps will continue to add clarity. We’ll see.

phl1rxd
phl1rxd
1 year ago
Reply to  Trent

I appreciate the way you laid that out. I have resolved to go back and take another look at E1 and 2. I am very glad to hear it gets more cohesive. Thanks Trent!

Trent
1 year ago
Reply to  phl1rxd

Glad to help! Also, keep in mind…I may be wrong? (I know, I know!)

JJ
JJ
1 year ago
Reply to  phl1rxd

@Rita – Me, too!!! I am here for you with Jirisan! I LOVED the opening intense fast moving operation sequence. I had no time to think and just experience the whole opening. The way they decided to film the opening I really felt as if I was in the middle of the action and that I loved even if it was a little disorienting at times and part of me kept thinking wait, wait, wait, let me catch up and figure out who is who and whats going on.

Reminded me of the movie “The Impossible” from 2012 about a woman and her family caught in the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. I read the director said everything they did was intentional to make the audience feel as if they were there with the female lead in the tsunami instead of just watching their story.

I will say though I am not a fan of storytelling with the back and forth different years. Not that I need a linear approach, but this one is a bit jarring. At least, they do put the years when they do go back and forth to different time periods.

Trent does an excellent job of framing the different time periods!

Hope you can stick it out with us 🙂

BE
BE
1 year ago
Reply to  Trent

Even before I got laid up I was having a hard time connecting with shows, and since I have found little patience for tv in general, but just watched 1st episode of Jirisan, and despite plotholes in the initial hook, and the temporal shift, I have to say this is the first initial episode of a series that has piqued my interest in some time. The ensemble is so solid, they certainly provide a foothold even with the shifting camera work, and having lived in a mountain locale where most of my neighbors would testify I knew its geography better than anyone who lived up there, I can tell you wandering around at night in a typhoon sized storm, slick rock faces, off trail utterly overgrown woodlands, even the incomplete suspension of my disbelief. But I just like the feel of the show, and even if there seems to be a fantastical element driving show’s central plot and mystery, I also like the initial lack of cynicism, ick, serial killers, dystopic malaise, and forced ooey gooey rom com. It appears to be a straight up action adventure with a bit of magic thrown in and a cast that will keep the show safe even when it wanders off trail and someone breaks an arm or a leg. Hoping this is not another I drop after 6 or 7 from loss of interest, but fingers crossed, I am hooked to begin with.

Trent
1 year ago
Reply to  BE

@BE — Yes, a real strength is that it has a markedly different “feel” than most of the kdrama offerings I’ve seen lately…a straight up outdoorsy action adventure with gorgeous scenery and a fantastic cast might be just what the doctor ordered? I’m hoping it has the goods to keep us all engaged for the duration…

JJ
JJ
1 year ago

Yay for New Patreon Cycle!!!!! Welcome November! Started Jirisan, loving it so far 🙂 Heard The Veil was very good.

Love your Episode Notes on Patreon ❤️

Thanks again for the Drama Exchanges on Patreon. Its been so much fun chatting with everyone and learning about new and old dramas to put ones never ending hope to get to in this lifetime list!!!!