Celebrating the Rakuten Viki Community — Featured Volunteers, Vol. 1
Celebrating the Rakuten Viki Community — Featured Volunteers, Vol. 1
Thank you to all our community members who submitted nominations for our first-ever Featured Community Volunteers spotlight! The Rakuten Viki Community Team received over 100 nominations from 20 different countries. We heard countless stories of fellow community members who have impacted and inspired each other, and we cannot wait to feature more of you in the future!
Read about our first four Featured Community Volunteers below!
Irene (Irmar)
Please introduce yourself
I am a retired journalist (film, dance and music critic), a translator and an oriental dance teacher. I love crafts, traveling, and cats.
What is your favorite drama you’ve watched on Viki and why?
Incomplete Life — It was as compelling as a thriller and at the same time so satisfactory, you wanted to jump and shout, or cheer on, it had you totally engrossed. The characters from that drama will always remain in my heart and mind as old friends and acquaintances. They feel like real-life people.
If you were to recommend one drama or movie here on Viki to someone just discovering Asian dramas, which one would you recommend?
Pinocchio would be a good choice. It has the right mix of romance, suspense, social issues, and while the theme is contemporary and relevant to an international audience, it also shows traditional village life, family traditions, and the Korean mindset.
What is your favorite drama you’ve worked on so far? Why?
Maybe it would be W, which I co-moderated with my friend mahoula. Because it was there and then that I devised the “continuous translation” method (inspired by the way the English team works) with the use of Google spreadsheets (inspired by the ones made by French teams), to track the progress and group all the useful info for the team. I have since been using this method for all the projects I moderate.
What is your favorite part about being a volunteer?
When I have asked for a position on an exciting project and I get a message saying I’ve been accepted. When I read heart-warming messages from viewers. When Channel Managers or Channel Editors write to me asking me to be on a project because they appreciate my work so far.
Tell us about a friendship or a special memory you have here on Viki.
I have met wonderful people here. I will always remember the kindness of those who helped me in various ways when I was a newbie, my patient and kind segmenting senseis and cgwm808, who has been a constant inspiration and role model.
Cgwm808
Please introduce yourself
I’m a Viki volunteer who specializes in Korean dramas — Subtitling, segmenting and editing. I’m a mostly-retired attorney who maintains a license to practice law still in three states of the USA, and a grandmother to seven.
How did you discover Viki?
I fell in love with K-drama instantly in 2009. My husband (a non-Korean American) had been a K-drama addict since the late 1980s. I started watching a 62-episode drama he had been watching in the middle of the series, and needed to watch the beginning episodes, and found it on Viki.
What is your favorite drama you’ve watched on Viki and why?
My Love From The Star — Despite the real life age difference between the male lead and the female lead, the acting and the script made me believe the love story between an alien and a human was plausible. There were a lot of comedic elements, and fantasy built into the romance. The male lead was incredibly handsome and the female lead was gorgeous.
If you were to recommend one drama or movie here on Viki to someone just discovering Asian dramas, which one would you recommend?
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, also called Goblin — Because it has all the elements of a great K-drama: Three handsome lead actors, two beautiful lead actresses, historical elements, fantasy, “lost” memories, a fabulous soundtrack and not too long of a series.
What is your favorite drama you’ve worked on so far? Why?
Healer — Ji Chang Wook is my current favorite actor! I loved the soundtrack. The drama was fast paced, linking the present with the past oppressive regime of the 1980s. There were a lot of comedic elements. The Korean-to-English subtitling team was super enthusiastic about the drama.
What is your favorite part about being a volunteer?
I’ve made friends around the world. Almost daily, I communicate with people on many continents, not just about dramas we are currently working on separately or apart, but about life in general both on Viki and through other social networks. I’ve also had the privilege of meeting several people in person whom I met while working on K-dramas. When we do meet in person, it’s like catching up with an old friend we haven’t seen in a while and there aren’t enough hours in a day to say everything we want to share in person.
Bjohnsonwong
Please introduce yourself
I’m known on Viki mostly as BJW since my user name is so long. I love learning about other cultures and have lived in Asia for many years. Viki is a great place to meet people from everywhere around the globe.
How did you discover Viki?
I started to watch K-dramas on Hong Kong TV while living there. After moving back to the US, I was searching for a place I could find K-drama and found Viki.
What is your favorite drama you’ve watched on Viki and why?
That’s a hard question to answer. There are so many. If I had to pick just one, it would be Jewel in the Palace. It has everything from romance to beautiful photography and music.
What is your favorite drama you’ve watched on Viki and why?
I would start with a light, more modern K-drama. I recently was asked this question by a niece who was just becoming interested in K-drama and I suggested Fated to Love You which she loved.
What is your favorite drama you’ve worked on so far? Why?
I really enjoyed working on The Crowned Clown. The drama was interesting and the team just seemed to click, working well together.
What is your favorite part about being a volunteer?
I love the relationships that are built with other volunteers. Some of them have become good friends for several years. I also love being able to actually physically participate rather than just watching.
Tell us about a friendship or a special memory you have here on Viki.
My very first friend on Viki was by chance. I wanted to volunteer and felt that segmenting would be something I could be good at. I just randomly sent a message to the Channel Managers of one of the dramas I was watching at the time asking how to get started. That person was kind enough to return my message and offer to help me learn the basics. He taught me all the basics patiently and gave me places to practice with helpful feedback. We’re still good friends today.
Amypun
Please introduce yourself
I am one of the channel managers on Ninja Segging and Subbing Academy, alongside Mazza. I am an avid segmenter, Chinese to English subtitler and volunteer trainer on Viki. Outside of Viki, I am a university student majoring in nutrition.
What was the first drama you worked on?
The first drama that I worked on as a subtitler was Miss Rose (a Taiwanese drama).
What is your favorite drama you’ve watched on Viki and why?
My favorite drama on Viki is Kill Me Heal Me, where I volunteered on the channel as the chief segmenter. Kill Me Heal Me is a drama about a rich chaebol who has Dissociative Identity Disorder. I really like how this drama raised awareness of this particular psychological illness and followed the main character’s journey to uncover hidden secrets and spiritually heal himself from his traumatic past.
If you were to recommend one drama or movie here on Viki to someone just discovering Asian dramas, which one would you recommend?
For someone new to Viki, I highly recommend My Love From The Star. It was deemed one of the best Korean dramas of all time. This fast-paced love story between a Hallyu star and an alien will keep you on the edge of your seat and wanting to see more.
What is your favorite drama you’ve worked on so far? Why?
My favorite project that I have worked on is the Ninja Segging and Subbing Academy. Volunteering on Viki may be a scary experience for some people who have never segmented or subtitled before. Ninja Academy is a community project dedicated to teaching volunteers to segment and subtitle on Viki. I really enjoy exchanging knowledge and skills with new and veteran contributors.
What is your favorite part about being a volunteer?
My favorite part about being a volunteer on Viki is meeting new people and developing lifelong friendships with them. I love to exchange ideas and culture with people around the world, which makes this a unique volunteering experience.
Thank you community for telling us your stories! The next round of nominations will be in the fall/winter, so be sure to keep an eye on the Viki blog! Learn how to nominate a Featured QC here.
