This Month On Patreon: March 2022

Hi everyone! I can hardly believe we are now in March, you guys. 😅 Where has the time gone? (The answer, of course, is to dramas, mostly. 😁)

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 indefinitely, 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! 

Patreon tiers and their current benefits

Foundation Tier (US$1): Confession (bonus show!) + k-ent news and other tidbits

Early Access (US$5): +Rainless Love in a Godless Land [Taiwan]

Early Access Plus (US$10): +Thirty-Nine

VIP (US$15): +Uncle

VVIP (US$20): +Reset [China]

Ultimate (US$25): +Twenty Five, Twenty One

* 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 Twenty Five, Twenty One, you’d receive episodes notes for all the other shows as well!

* The Foundation Tier (previously known as the Adblocker Tier) is enjoying a bonus show right now! We’re currently on E4 of Confession, and I’ve been enjoying it so far!

* 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, Rainless Love in a Godless Land E2 will post today (1 March 2022), and Rainless Love in a Godless Land E3 will post in another 5 days, on 6 March 2022.

* For actual examples of episode notes, you can go here, here and here. 😊 These are my E1 & E2 notes for The Red Sleeve and my E1 notes for Our Beloved Summer.

When Patreon-related reviews will post this month

This month, several of the shows I’m covering on Patreon will finish their cycles. Here’s when you can expect to see the reviews:

Uncle: 31 March 2022

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:

Uncle: possibly to be replaced by Why Oh Soo Jae [Why Her]

Other back-up shows I have in mind (in case the shortlisted shows don’t make my cut): Juvenile Justice, Military Prosecutor Doberman, One Ordinary Day, A Business Proposal.

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 Twenty Five, Twenty One, but aren’t sure whether you’d like them enough to want to join the Ultimate tier, joining the US$1 Foundation tier will give you immediate access to Twenty Five, Twenty One E1 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), My Name and Forecasting Love and Weather.

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.

I’ve also introduced the occasional bonus show for this tier, starting with My Name and Hellbound.

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 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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Caroline Gabriela
Caroline Gabriela
1 year ago

So which show did you end up reviewing for Patreon in March?

I just finished watching Juvenile Justice and I love it so much! I love a well written, well executed legal drama that stands for something and helps me learn something new about the world (or South Korea), and this is exactly what JJ delivers.

Although JJ is devoid of the romance and comedy that makes most other Kdrama so fun to watch, I would describe the emotions in this show like a body of cold water that appears still on the surface but easily washes you away down a scary waterfall if you dare to dive in. But I think it’s huge that JJ manages to win my emotional engagement every single episode without using romantic or comical gimmicks, just pure dramatic tension and release. I found it surprisingly cathartic.

Lead protagonist Judge Sim Eun-seok comes across as a cold blooded and heartless child hater in the beginning. She shares an office with a meek and compassionate Judge Cha Tae-ju, and they report to a bad tempered and smooth talking Chief Kang Won-jung, who also happens to be a legal talk show host on a national television’s evening news.

The story takes place amid a time of public outcry opposing reforms to make juvenile delinquency laws more serious. Chief Kang, of course, smiles for the cameras and does his best to assure the public that the court will look out for Korea’s children’s best interest. But we see Judge Sim coldly examining the juvenile offenders in her court, choking the truth out of them with evidence and her signature death stares, and making sure every one of them gets the maximum sentence possible.

Over time, as well as a lot of friction with Judge Cha and Chief Kang, we see just how underneath her cold and impersonal demeanor, Judge Sim actually cares a lot for the victims whose lives were ruined by juvenile offenders, and for the systemic failures of a law and a society that enabled these crimes. We can see her spending many sleepless nights not only reading papers but also physically investigating crime scenes, looking for missing offenders, and sometimes even paying for their hospital bills.

And in the end it becomes evident that Judge Sim also looks out for the juvenile offenders’ best interests too. She comes to understand the circumstances that motivate an adolescent to offend, and balances her sentence for the juvenile offender with either criminal prosecution of the adults that violated them, or court orders that facilitate healing in the offender’s family.

All the cases are intense, and not once has Judge Sim smiled on camera. But JJ still stirs the feels in its own strange ways. There is a lot to learn about the Korean juvenile legal system and the ignorant public’s attitudes towards them. And then it takes it personal to show how juvenile crimes impact the lives of ordinary people not unlike the kind we all know in real life. There is so much to relate to, and I think many people would find it impossible to not think of a loved one, or at least somone you know and care about, as you watch each episode.

It makes you question the outcry at the beginning: are we really doing our kids—and society—a favor by protecting the status quo of a legal system that doesn’t take juvenile offenders seriously? And as you question this, you find yourself empathizing more and more with a Judge Sim who sees right through this bullshit. She knows more than anyone the kind of damage “just a kid” can do to people and their families if they’re allowed to just get away with it, and she is willing to risk her career and even life to raise her voice and get heard by the people defending the system.

I love the ending, there is much left to the viewer’s own interpretation, and I find it one that makes this entire series worth watching. There’s only 10 hour-long episodes so it’s not a huge commitment.

I looked up JJ writer Kim Min-seok but can’t seem to find much about him/her because apparently there is a much more famous actor with the same name. If anybody here knows more about this writer, please reply to this comment because I’d like to check out other shows written by him/her, if there are any.

phl1rxd
2 years ago

Fangurl – I am OK with whatever you choose!

Elaine
Elaine
2 years ago

Kfangirl, your blog has become a daily staple in my reading /break time. So I happily contribute to Patreon every month, even if I’m not following the shows you’re covering. I consider it part of my entertainment budget!!! As a bonus, because of your happy reactions over the first couple of episodes of Twenty Five, Twenty One, I have been drawn to start even though I have an irrational dislike of Nam Joo Hyuk’s face. He just kinda has a jerk face, even though I enjoyed him in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo so I know he can be endearing and charming! Haha. Enjoying the show very much now, it provides cheer and uplifting encouragement.

uyen
2 years ago
Reply to  Elaine

Elaine, I just laugh because for some reason I don’t totally love Nam Joo Hyuk either even though I like his characters in Weightlifting Fairy and 25-21 just fine LOL!

Jiyuu
Jiyuu
2 years ago
Reply to  uyen

I first saw Nam Joo Hyuk on Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart and was just alright with him. Then I watched him on Radiant (aka The Light in Your Eyes) and saw his huge improvement in acting, I ended up watching him in other shows.

uyen
2 years ago
Reply to  Jiyuu

I’ve heard good things about The Light in Your Eyes but haven’t seen it yet! Thanks for recommending it, Jiyuu

Jiyuu
Jiyuu
2 years ago
Reply to  Elaine

I laughed at your irrational dislike for jerk faces hah. I think I have a couple of actors too that I enjoy in some shows but don’t like too.

phl1rxd
2 years ago
Reply to  Elaine

Hi Elaine – I am right with you on Nam Joo Hyuk. I have the same feeling as well. It peaked while watching Start Up. I call that drama “the slipper throwing drama” as I threw my slipper at my TV at E11 or 12. I forget which episode, but that is when I dropped it. 🤣😂😅 I am sure that he is really a great human being, but I just cannot get that role of Nam Do San out of my head.

seankfletcher
2 years ago

Why Her is certainly on my plan to watch list 😊

Trent
2 years ago

Time flies! After several shows finished this last month, now looks like only one this month (Uncle)..

As for replacements… I forgot about Why Oh Soo Jae, and that it was coming this month. It’s slated to come to Viki (U.S.), so will definitely check it out.

Juvenile Justice — I’m up through episode 7, it’s fairly intense, Kim Hye-soo is her usual mesmerizing self; I have slightly mixed feelings about what the show is saying…it’s kind of episodic, with story arcs presented as cases that cover and episode and a half to two episodes of time each. Worth seeing if you’re looking for a relatively unflinching look at the juvenile court system in SK.

A Business Proposal — I thought episode one was pretty silly; Ahn Hyo-seop is definitely exuding a Park Seo-joon in Secretary Kim sort of vibe. The FL and 2FL are pretty fun together. Nice to see Kim Min-kyu (who is super handsome in this, IMO) after just seeing him in Just Between Lovers, and also to see Lee Deok-hwa as very amiable chaebol grandpa after just seeing him as the king in The Red Sleeve. Not sure I’ll continue because like I said, pretty silly/over the top.

Doberman — waiting for Viki to get its act together with subs, but I will definitely check out at least the first couple episodes of this. Like Ahn Bo-hyung and am a recent convert to Jo Bo-ah fandom after seeing her in My Strange Hero