I’d like your opinion, you guys!
As I type this, it’s been almost 2 years since we started having group watches on this site, and since our Chuno group watch started in November 2020(!), we basically haven’t had a break from group watches.
With the participation rate appearing to drop in the last couple of group watches (for both Wednesdays and Saturdays), I’m wondering if it’s time to recalibrate.
Since this is a space that you guys have helped to build with your suggestions and opinions, I thought the natural thing to do, would be to ask you guys what you think. 😃
What are our options?
This isn’t cast in stone, but just off the top of my head, here are a few options that we have available to us:
1. Keep going with the group watches
2. Keep going with the group watches, but with tweaks. Such as.. covering more recent shows, perhaps?
3. Pause the group watches, because you’d like a break to watch your own thing for a while, but you’d like to start back up eventually, because you still like the group watch experience.
4. Stop the group watches altogether, because you’d like me to focus on watching more recent shows and write more reviews.
Here’s a quick poll, so that you can easily let me know which of these is closest to what you’d prefer.
[democracy id=”18″]
Poll goes till end of Monday, 15 August 2022, my time (GMT+8). You may revote if you change your mind.
Of course, feel free to share your more nuanced thoughts in the comments, along with any other ideas or suggestions you might have, for our group watch slots!
Thanks for loving and supporting this space like you do, you guys.
Love ya~
KFG ❤️
I feel like everyone has aired out various good points…what I would emphasize:
There’s a certain gestalt to a group watch, that depends not just on the quality of the show chosen, and its discussability, and the number of people watching together, but also how that all gels into a lively discussion each week.
Some of our watches have been great, just because all the various elements came together and wow! great discussion on a consistent basis (Chuno, NiF, Money Flower, My Mister, Secret Love Affair, to name just some of them). And honestly, I’m quite grateful, not only because the discussions really enhanced the viewing experience, but because some of those great shows I might never have got around to, while others it would have been awhile (i.e. Stranger and Secret Love Affair were both on my list, but I don’t know when I would have gotten to them without the GW to prod me).
I am…perhaps perplexed is the wrong word… but not sure why participation has fallen, it seems recently. For example, Heard it through the Grapevine is the sort of show that it seems (having seen it) would be right up a group watch alley: off the beaten path, but meaty, interesting plot and tone, great performances, etc. But although we had a few stalwarts, not as much participation. (This is not to call anyone out, by the way; people have the right to allocate their time as they please, to state the obvious).
Perhaps it’s as some have noted–a combination of summertime, and more especially, Covidtimes pretty much winding down, people venturing out more, turning away from the isolating and quarantining vibe that lent itself so well to watching dramas? I dunno, but sounds at least somewhat plausible.
Anyway, I’m rambling, but before I stop, two things: appreciate the work you put into these a lot, KFG. Your weekly notes are a great summary and encapsulation of the week’s episodes, and a great springboard into the discussion, and I know it takes time and effort to do it so well.
And second, I’d like to see them continue, although I don’t know that the participant volume will necessarily support two watches running at the same time. Maybe if it picks back up that will change? But maybe give a one-at-a-time model a trial run? I do think that making it over a longer time interval than weekly will end up just bleeding too much momentum, though. And I do regret that going to one at a time risks giving up the “editor’s choice” slot (unless we let you pick the watch–which I’d actually be willing to do–rather than vote), because we got some great selections from the editor’s choice (Money Flower in particular; I would have never thought of that one on my own, or voted for it, probably, if left to my own devices).
There. My thoughts, y’all have them. 😊
Very good thoughts all round, Trent. Generally, for me I rarely rewatch a show. I like the concept of a rewatch with kfangurl, but there are not all that many shows I’m tempted to do that with. Queen In-Hyun’s Man did get me of the shelf for instance and I enjoyed the rewatch challenge 😊😊😊
Then there are those shows that I didn’t rewatch, but made comments anyway. This was mainly due to the enthusiastic watchers who were enjoying these awesome shows.
I think it’s natural for a drop off in watching, or even reading of posts, sometimes. Like all things – is there a silent majority out there? Watching, but not commenting, but reading others comments? I guess the number of views re episode posts would give a good idea around that.
Interestingly, the polling is running at 80/20 in support of a rewatch of some description. So, there is an awesome solution in there somewhere 😉
The “silent majority” theory is an interesting one… having active participants in discussion is what really makes it groove, but on the other hand, if there are some/lots of people who are just enjoying reading the comments, that’s good too, although…not if everybody goes that route.
Also a good point about not necessarily wanting to rewatch shows. I’ve been mostly lucky because the shows chosen have been ones that have a good reputation, but since I haven’t been around that long to watch everything, particularly older shows, I’ve had much less overlap with shows I’ve already seen. The few I have, it’s kind of been case by case: I was perfectly happy to rewatch My Mister, even though I’d just watched it for the first time only a few months before, just because it’s that good; but I found that although I tried the first couple episodes of Some Day, One Day, I just couldn’t get motivated to stay with the rewatch because I knew where it was headed and just didn’t love it as much as many did. (Strangely enough, I’m actually kind of interested to check out the kdrama remake of that one, just to see how it’s been tweaked, and also to see if a different cast makes a difference (since, sorry y’all, I didn’t love the original cast that much).
The flip side problem of that, of course, is picking a new show so it will be fresh to everyone, and then well, how to know ahead of time it will be a great show to watch for everyone? I mean, on paper, Jirisan looked like it would be fantastic, and…turned out to be kind of a major disappointment, you know?
@Trent – ahhh, Jirisan – what could have been 😢 Yes, whether a potential show is on paper or even a video promo – both can be deceptive to the viewer (Yes, Netflix – take note)
I’m finding my Top 10 is under siege at the moment with Love Like a Galaxy 1 & 2 storming up my all time favourite list. So, I may need to rewatch one or two shows to work out what needs to be relegated. One thing I know for sure though is My Mister will never leave its pride of place in my Top 3.
With Some Day, One Day, I didn’t take to it, though technically it should have been a no brainer for me 🤷♂️ So, I’m not sure I will even check out the Korean remake.
Sometimes, I think about BSC – before streaming content, when dodgy shows and potential new hits were aired after the final viewing season for the year. So, for us it was always in the middle of the night, during summer. I loved some of those really bad shows, because some of them were actually good, but never gained an audience.
I guess where my thoughts are going is along the lines of a kfangurl rewatch season each year. Three months of cracking good shows to rewatch when kdramaland goes off the boil. I know some will say that’s hard to pick, but it’s possible to do. Anyway, food for thought re some version of this 😊😎😉
sean, i didn’t take to it either, i mean some day one day. and like trent, i tried to rewatch with the group, but did not manage to stay with it. but… the comments generated enough interest so that now i am waiting for the korean version, as i feel, i must be missing something, as so many people from the group loved it.
the things i love about the comments, is that it is loaded with all kinds of information, and not just about the drama we are watching. for example, hearing it through the grapevine did not get much participation at all, but i think that if anybody would check out our comments, they are reflective of how truly interesting, amazing and intellectually delicious this drama is, and they might want to give it a try.
there are a lot of sites on the internet where people post their impressions, loves and dislikes about dramas, etc., but what makes really appealing to me here, are the comments. and the comments are not coming from some random people, but people that we go back and forth on some dramas and topics, and even when i disagree i am still interested in their way of thinking. to sum it up, these are people that i already have some kind of familiarity, and that is special and different from other sites.
Eda – those last few sentences were perfect. Bravo!
One of the great things with how we interact, Eda is the conversation we have on whichever topic can be across many different kfangurl pages and posts and even continued over on Patreon.
Maybe a way round is no vote at all. Let kfangurl choose based on the buzz she’s hearing at any given time. It’s very unusual for me to not agree with kfangurl – perhaps that’s true for most of us, which is why we’re all here 😊
For the record, I have never vote in the show selection and would be perfectly happy for kfangurl to select the show. Also, I’ve only done a couple of rewatches with the GWs and enjoyed both a great deal – and they are the only times I’ve ever rewatched a drama.
Just my $0.02 on these points.
@j3ffc – just so you know your $0.02 is worth $0.028 over here 😂🤣😂
😆
looks like most people do support the GW, in some way or another.
i wonder, if these 14 voters who want just reviews – did they ever participate in our GW’s? i doubt. i would like to hear from them what exactly does NOT meet their expectations (or do they even have any, may be they just love to be fed with a spoon reviews in general, which the internet is full of those).
anyway, please come out and post a comment, like we do, explaining the reasons of your wish to give up the GW.
Sorry I’ve not been joining the recent group watches, as I’ve simply not been interested in the choices. I do think though that certain shows are more engaging for a group watch than others. This may be an over simplification but I think a straight forward Rom com will probably not garner much discussion, whereas a meaty, dramatic, thought provoking show would. I was super invested in the Nirvana in Fire and My Mister group watches, for example! For the Someday One Day group watch I was busy with work but had enjoyed the show and enjoyed reading the comments when I could. I followed the Stranger group watch, but even though the show was twisty, I found that show was straight forward and didn’t inspire me to comment much. So my suggestion would be to reduce the frequency of the group watches to say one a week, and pick something hyped or controversial. 25 21 would have been a blast to discuss live, haha. I love rom coms but personally I don’t think they make the best choice for group watch as they probably won’t provoke much controversy or difference of opinion. I like what some suggested which is to pick a theme, like comparing and contrasting dramas about a certain historical period, or for Christmas.
I just want to say thank you for initiating the group watches! I really enjoyed the rich discussion on the watches I took part in, and benefited a lot in my understanding of the show. As Eda said, through these group watches, the blog and Patreon, we really have formed friendships, even though they are virtual! It is so hard to get consensus on what show to watch, and when. But I have no doubt that when we figure out the right show to chew on together, it will be an awesome time!
The way I see it, the main issue here is the amount of time and efforts KFG puts into writing episode reviews. This needs to change. So, maybe shorter reviews, fewer reviews, no reviews…
Group watches could continue. I think they increase traffic to the site, even if there are fewer comments.
KFG or anyone else can even suggest to stop GW midway, if there is no participation (especially when a show is long).
Or GW could be paused and then resumed, once people finish watching that show and want to discuss the whole thing.
KFG will make the decision. Or people can vote again.
I agree with Eda that it’s unrealistic to have many GW at once and expect a lot of comments in post lockdown environment. During lockdowns pretty much everyone was stuck at home and had nothing better to do than watch Asian shows 😊.
So, having fewer GW going on at the same time might help.
I also realized that, when voting for a show/movie/,“liking” it shouldn’t be the only criterion.
For example, I like ‘Heard it through the grapevine’ very much and I voted for it. But it turned out that I didn’t care enough about the main characters to engage in the discussion. I guess I need to want to talk about the characters.
Since the circumstances have changed, we could experiment and see what works. I mean KFG could experiment.
Aw, kfangurl, I for one have LOVED the group watches!!! I enjoy sharing the experience of really good shows.
As a general rule, I only group watch shows I haven’t seen at all or for over a year – although I just managed to keep my counsel on Chuno and Money Flower. Anything for Jang Hyuk!! It helps having an appalling memory, but I do worry I might give away spoilers if I’ve seen it recently….
I find the most enjoyable group watches are generally ones I would love even watching alone – which I never know until I’ve started. Not helpful, I realise. For example, I am watching Love Like the Galaxy at the moment (I know you are on Patreon) and I SO want to chat about it and am mournful that it’s not a group watch as I think it would be an excellent one to share. I mean, hello, I did not even realise til episode 10 and I looked him up, that not only is the compellingly brooding heroic god of General Ling a mere 22 years of age but he is also… YAH, Fei Lui from Nirvana in Fire!!!! 🤯 I’m such an idiot not to have noticed 😳 I feel like a group watch would have saved me from the shame.
So, yes, maybe when a show gets that initial buzz – you know, when you email out the trailers and we’re all like, ooh, interesting – maybe those should be the shows we group watch??
Anyway, oh please do keep doing group watches, even if only one show a week. Thank you, kfangurl! You are the best, as are the lovely lot who come along here and comment and share in the kdrama / cdrama/ tdrama / jdrama love 😍
KFG, it will be really sad to see this little creation of yours to disappear. i think, it is kinda unique as a real community has gathered around. it is not just random people, loved a drama and jumped in to share their thoughts who jump in and jump out never to be seen again (which happens on other sites). we have relationships, “internet relationships”, but i can not describe other than true relationships.
to take a break will create a gap, and some will wonder of looking for other reviews, comments and so on. some might not come back.
assuming that one of the problems was the summer, why don’t we wait, start 2 more dramas, and see how it goes after the summer.
My thoughts are around the strategic space on this issue. I am an infrequent group watcher, however like many others, I read all the commentary.
I did vote for the “tweaks” option, because this reflects very much your modus operandi re continuous improvement.
That being said, I am not sure what the tweaks could be, however, I think some of our fine group have said some of these below.
If I look at the communications plan and communications strategy I have just rolled out with the staff where I am presently, we will be tweaking our content dependent on the key demographic we are dealing with at any given time.
Perhaps, therefore, one of the questions you might ask could be around the type of watcher we are and as a result build a profile of what could be provided and then tweak away.
Finally, awesomeness grows on awesomeness, and what you do is certainly that and then some 😎 😎 😎
It is typically thoughtful of kfangurl to query her readers about the future of the group watches –just as it was to institute them in the first place – considering that she does all of the work and we get all the benefits. I’ve watched every one of the group watches and have done my best to comment as thoughtfully as possible as we’ve gone along. To me, the benefits are manifold: (1) increasing the sense of community of The Verdict and, hopefully, its traffic and general success, (2) providing an excuse for people to watch outside their comfort zones, (3) having the commentary of one of the world’s top drama experts, often along with input by fellow bloggers who just looove the show in question, all of which add enthusiasm, verve, and wit to the proceedings.
However, after a couple of years, more or less non-stop, and with (as others have pointed out) the passing of the Covid lockdowns that increased available screen time for many, it does feel as though things ain’t quite what they used to be. There were so many insightful and lively discussions around shows like Chuno (Chuno!) or Nirvana in Fire that even just reading along was thrilling and entertaining. I like to think of The Verdict as graduate school for K-dramas, and the group watches were like the best seminar class you could imagine. I think the recent discussions have been no less passionate and intelligent, but there are fewer participants (shout-out to stalwarts @Ele and @Eda Harris and @Trent, among others) and it does feel as though the spark is a little dimmer.
From the perspective of someone with so much to learn but very limited drama time, I have sometimes found it a bit hard to keep up with two group watches at a time, which likewise makes it hard to watch more than one of what I call my “optional show” alongside them. (This leads to serious FOMO when I wander over to Patreon and just get a glimpse of what others are watching.) I’ve enjoyed thee group watches so much that I’d hate to see them go away entirely, but it does seem like a good time to slow down, maybe take breaks, or limit the watches to one show at a time.
Act the end of the day, though, I think that the most important thing is kfangurl’s workload and whether the effort expended adds enough to the heath of the blog. Either way, I’ll keep reading and enjoying, as I’m sure everyone reading this would as well.
I am now proudly wearing a badge saying ‘kfangurl stalwart’ 😊
Hear hear! Kfangirl does indeed dedicate a lot of time and effort to consult us readers, even though she does all the work and we get all the benefits as you said! Kfangirl, we heart you and all you do for the blog! But yes, it is timely indeed to reassess if efforts are going in the right direction or could be channelled elsewhere.
Fangurl – I think the summertime 🌞 is a hard time as so many folks go away on vacations. How about 1 drama a week and give yourself a two week break between GWs? You could also pick a drama to match the season (Christmasy drama at Christmas time) or better yet, pick a dorama which only has 6-8 episodes. I also appreciate BE’s suggestions below.
I do worry thinking you are working too hard! I am guilty of not joining in HITTG! My apologies! I miss some of our wonderfully stellar GW commentators as well. 😥🙍♀️
That being said, I find that the Drama Exchange | Deep Dive Zone over at Patreon is an excellent place to discuss ongoing dramas (new and old) with the Patreon group. I love it over there! 💖💖💖 I realize not everyone can join so having a GW here covers all your bases.
I admit I’ve never ventured over to the Deep Dive Zone. I’m worried I might ignore the baby for hours if I go there!
You’re encouraged to drop by! It’s been relatively quiet lately! A few months back, it was breaking 1,000 comments a month, and now…well, not that many!
(I have been trying to contribute by posting my episode notes on my retro watch of Autumn in my Heart…)
This will probably sound silly but I feel shy – a bit like entering a room full of people talking in interesting ways and then blundering in to say something totally vacuous… 😳 I know you’re all lovely and very kind so I may sidle by and take a quiet peek 👀 and say something highly intelligent, naturally 😅
Aw, shoot…it’s not silly at all, but I assure you, no need to feel that way! All thoughts and contributions welcome! And I’m sure it will be highly intelligent and a worthwhile contribution, if you feel moved to comment on anything…
Ah, thank you @phl1rxd @Trent 😍 At the moment, I only want to squeee incomprehensibly about General Ling and Niao Niao 😄 It’s probably just as well I compose myself before I knock on the Deep Dive door. xx
Ele – it is really nice – come and visit! Trust me – no one makes fun of my dumb comments! 😂🤣😅 All opinions are welcomed.
I have never gone to the Deep Dive Zone either as I assume that it is a minefield of spoilers….😳
and i never go to patreon, as i am sure my life would become a slave to patreon. i am that obsessive. there will be too many dramas, too much to read and too much to respond. sad, but true.
Important to remember how this started as a result of a couple posters interested in watching Chuno together and requesting a place on your site to interact about it.Chuno is an old favorite of many long time posters and you, featuring the career making performance of perhaps the most popular actor among the same posters, Jang Hyuk, but also an epic, world class entertainment of serious complexity open to a myriad of takes for is possibilities and interpretations. The success of that group watch gave birth to some real excitement, but as I noted above, it also was something that bubbled up from a couple of posters interested in watching the show together and requesting your permission to converse with one another on your site as they did so.
My first thought is there ought to be a book in these compendiums some publisher might be interested in. Secondly, why not, given the episode by episode work you are doing with Patreon, put the group watch on hiatus, perhaps even waiting till another convo about an old chestnut comes up.
But if folks wish to continue maybe change the focus, perhaps for a change of pace trying a combo film/ tv series if enough are into it like Masquerade & The Crowned Clown, or The King’s Letters and Deep Rooted Tree, or even a pair of historical dramas covering the same subject like Taxi Driver & Youth of May. I am not a rom com guy, but I am sure there are also simalarly related romcom pairings. Or finally, film/ series pairings featuring a single artist—Lee Byung-Hun comes to mind, but there are many others.
But the key has to be at least a few folks passionately into the enterprise, helping everyone to be engaged.
As a lurker only these days, really this should be something for which your current avid commenters should have the important input, but as a fan of yours K, I thought I would throw out my 2cents.
BE!! Your two cents is always welcome!
thanks phl
💖💖💖 Sending you some “painting” good energy! Hope all is well and that each day brings you new joy! 👋👋🎨🎨
these are excellent suggestions – the pairings. i think it can be very interesting and engaging.
BE!!! I’ve missed your 2 cents!!
thanks eda and ele. fyi I did post on K’s review of Our Blues.
best to everyone.
i did go and enjoyed reading it, as always. excellent drama, and excellent review.
Hi KFG and all. I’ve joined a few group watches, I think the latest was Stranger which was great. Before that Some Day or One Day, Nirvana on Fire. There have been quite a few I’ve dropped (My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, Secret Love Affair, Grapevine). I found that I would write some comments after each episode but there was not much interaction with other watchers, I think I am not much of an internet chatter. So I started just watching the shows I wanted to (My Liberation Notes, Extraordinary Attorney Woo).
Thanks for all that you do!
Often, I’m a “silent lurker” during group watches. I get behind or zip ahead. I do like to read the comments/
I love your reviews so if giving up group watches means more reviews, I’m all for it. I really like your answers to questions when you provide a list of shows (for example, iconic dramas, etc.) and your analysis of the Kdrama business.
But….it’s your talent and your time so I’m a fan of whatever you decide to do.
What about discussing an airing show some time? At least for me, as a veteran kdrama viewer, older shows don’t appeal to me that much and I prefer something more fresh and trendy…Plus, I think the experience of live watching is better in the sense that time between episodes allows to form a deeper impression.
I guess it’s riskier because you never know if the series will turn out to be great, but with some high profile dramas it’s clear that many people will be watching.
KFG, first of all, thank you again and again for ALL you do!
i also noticed the lack of participation in our last group watches, but it think a lot of it was timing. during the active pandemic people were mostly home and had more time to get involved. after more than 2 years of this, it seemed like the world is waking up again, and after a long slumber people turned to other activities more than ever, like going on vacation, traveling to visit, hanging out with other people, restaurants, movie theaters… and it was summer months – people in general do more with the kids, family, and especially after a long break.
but even that they did not write their own comments, i feel many still followed ours, and were benefiting from this.
as for me, i really like the active exchanges on the blog and it enriches my drama watching, definitely. it adds another perspective to the characters, events and the drama itself. i also value other people’s suggestions for other dramas. so i am happy to stay with the group watches as is.
but if you are considering to reduce it to once a week, here is the problem, as i see it. if we still choose 2 dramas, then each drama will have to wait 2 weeks for continuation – that seems to be too long, especially some dramas just nag you to continue and it is hard to wait even a week. also, some details become fuzzy after waiting such a long period and probably everyone watching a bunch of other dramas in between. that’s something to consider.
but bottom line, what is your wish, KFG, after all your voice should be the most important. do you want to move on to something else?
it is your baby, and we enjoy “babysitting” it.
I haven’t been as active in group watches but I do love seeing them! I enjoyed watching Stranger after the group watch and catching up that way on all the comments. Same with Someday or One Day — I’m dropping it for now because not totally feeling it, but I enjoyed reading yours and everyone’s reactions.
Hello Fangirl. I did notice the declining no. of comments but perhaps there are some silent lurkers? Nonetheless I too should apologise as I was one of those who couldn’t keep up.
My preference is to cut to 1 a week or have some breaks in between – the main reason why I couldn’t keep up was a lack of time rather than a lack of interest!
I do appreciate your hard work in writing your reactions + everyone’s comments and I still read the open threads for the current group watches even though I couldn’t watch them along with everyone!
@KFG – I think its really up to you because you do all the work with the group watches. Even though, I cannot keep up with the group watches, I love reading your notes and everyone’s comments. For example, without the notes and groups comments for Some Day One Day I would have been so lost 🙂
Id say since things have changed a bit since you started group watches two years ago maybe switch to one a week? Or gasp! Once a month? Or call them Weekend Watch? Just some ideas 🙂 I think if you pause the group watches they may not start up again because once you lose the momentum you have built so far…….
Weekend Watch sounds good.
JJ- I second Ele – Weekend Watch sounds good.