Maj writes:
I have paid subscriptions to NFlx, Prime, VIKI, YouTube.. but still out of luck. There are so many warnings about ”bad” streaming services.. what to do?.. could you write about the topic of access??
Dear Maj,
I feel your pain. It’s frustrating when you dearly want to check out a particular drama, but can’t seem to find it.
The reason I’ve held off on writing about drama access, is because it differs so greatly across regions. Geo-restrictions are a Total Thing, and what’s accessible to me would naturally be different for you (unless you’re in Singapore where I am, in which case we’d have the same access).
HOWEVER! I’ve noticed that you guys have been chatting about this on the blog recently, and have been sharing with one another which shows are available on which platforms, and I thought this would be a great time to put this post out, and give everyone a place to share tips and information specific to your location.
In this post, I’ll be sharing what I know about legal streaming access. There are.. uh, other options available, but since those aren’t actually legal, and can expose you to questionable malware and other nasties, I won’t be covering them in this post.
Everyone, please do share ALL about where one can watch dramas where you’re from, in the comments. This truly is a case of Sharing is Caring! <3
IMPORTANT NOTE: Because sharing about questionable drama sites could expose this site to DMCA bots and make it vulnerable to takedown notices, PLEASE don’t share questionable drama sites in the comments. (If I spot any, I will have to remove problematic links from your comment.) Thank you for looking out for the blog! <3
THE STREAMING PLAYERS: WHAT I KNOW
Netflix
Arguably the biggest recent player in the streaming game, Netflix carries a good number of dramas, and it appears that the number is increasing. From what I understand, you do need to be savvy with alternative drama titles, since Netflix tends to use different drama titles than the origin country. Netflix is subscription only, ie, there is no free option available.
Viki
A longtime streaming source, Viki is pretty excellent, if the dramas are not geo-restricted for you (like they are for me, most of the time). Subtitles tend to be more nuanced and detailed, and there’s also the option of allowing comments from other viewers to show, which gives you the feeling of watching with a community, rather than on your own. Viki is subscription based with no ads, or free to use with ads.
Kocowa
A collab between MBC, KBS and SBS, to bring their content to US audiences. Like Viki, Kocowa is subscription based with no ads, or free to use with ads. Random factoid: Kocowa stands for Korean Content Wave.
Amazon Prime Video
There’s a selection of Asian dramas and movies available, and you pay for what you choose to rent. A useful resource, if you’re already an Amazon Prime member. But it’s probably not worth it to pay for Prime just to get access to the shows – in my opinion, anyway. 😅
https://www.amazon.com/korean-drama-Prime-Video-Movies-TV/s?k=korean+drama&rh=n%3A2858778011
YouTube
There’s a nice number of dramas available on YouTube. There are lots of Chinese dramas available on various channels. The easiest way to figure out if a C-drama is available to you, is to use the search function on YouTube, because there are literally too many C-drama channels too keep up with. For kdramas, you might want to check out KBS World and SBS World, as there are selected dramas available. Generally, on YouTube, if subs are available, you’d need to click CC to see them.
Viu
Viu’s a streaming service that carries a decent range of dramas, with both subscription-based and free options. However, Viu is only available in selected countries (Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and South Africa).
HotpotTV
Hotpot TV offers free to watch Chinese and Taiwanese dramas, and appears to have a nice selection. However, geo-restrictions apply. I personally can’t seem to access any of the shows I’ve clicked on, but the shows might be available to you where you are.
Hulu
Appears to have a smallish selection of kdramas and movies, among its other offerings. Subcription-based, with a free trial available for new subscribers.
AsianCrush
Free to use, and appears to have a selection of Asian movies, among its other offerings. I wasn’t able to access the movies I clicked on, so geo-restrictions seem to apply.
OnDemandKorea
Offers a pretty wide selection of Korean – and some Chinese – dramas, with subtitles (sometimes only Chinese subs seem to be available, though mostly, English subs seem to be available). Some titles are available only on the premium plan, but otherwise many titles appear to be free to view. Geo-restrictions apply, but if you’re located in North America, then this could work for you.
https://www.ondemandkorea.com/
OnDemandChina
Basically the Chinese version of OnDemandKorea, with the focus mainly on Chinese dramas. There’s an option to navigate the site in English (top right hand corner of your screen). Many titles are available, but most are only available with Chinese subtitles. Also, geo-restrictions apply.
https://www.ondemandchina.com/
Edit: Tubi TV
Thanks to Coqui on Facebook, and to Snow Flower, for the information on Tubi TV! Tubi TV is free to use and has quite a nice selection of dramas and movies. I spotted Korean and Chinese titles when I visited, but none that looked especially recent. Classic titles like Coffee Prince and The King 2 Hearts are available though. Geo-restrictions do apply (so if you’re not in the US, you can use the next tip, on VPN!)
https://tubitv.com/category/foreign_language_tv
EDIT: GETTING AROUND GEO-RESTRICTIONS
Thanks to munkondi for the reminder; there is a way to get around geo-restrictions, and that’s by using a VPN service. There are free VPN services available, but the amount of bandwidth you’re allocated wouldn’t be enough for you to watch dramas, so you’d have to go with a paid subscription. But, it does give you access where otherwise you wouldn’t have it?
2nd Edit: Yet another way of getting around geo-restrictions, thanks to Annette for the tip!! Basically, you can use Opera as your web browser while accessing the dramas. Opera has a free, built-in VPN which you can turn on in the settings. Annette has helpfully provided a link to a tutorial here. Thank you, Annette!
IN CLOSING
I know that this might not be super helpful in itself, since this is just a broad strokes look at the streaming players. But I do think that as everyone chips in to share in the comments, that many of us will be able to find helpful tips and information specific to our location.
I hope this helps! Share away, my friends! 😀
Love! ❤
~kfangurl
POST-SCRIPT:
1. If you feel that I missed anything, or if you have your own insights that you’d like to share with the rest of us, do tell us about it in the comments!
2. Do you have a question of your own? Drop me a comment here or on the Dear kfangurl page, or send me an email!
Wonder if you saw Tokyo Girl on Amazon Prime. I quite liked it. (I am based in New Zealand)
Thanks for this post, so helpful! I had been searching for Nirvana in Fire, good to know about Viki Europe. So werirdly specific ha ha.
Geo-restrictions can be such a pain! 😝 But, now with Opera and its built-in VPN, it’s a whole new world for us! 😀 My mom rewatched NIF on Viki recently, using the VPN hack and setting her location to Europe. So it’s tried and tested! 😉
If anyone ever comes across a site that has the original, English subbed version of my favorite Asian drama ever made, Nirvana in Fire, please pass that info along.
I watched it on Viki, and – thankfully – managed to finish it before they dropped the license, and replaced it with a horrible English dubbed version. It’s not available anywhere I can find – Prime, Viki (except awful dubbed version), Netflix, YouTube or anywhere else. (and it obviously won’t be on Kocowa, since it’s a Cdrama).
I email Netflix every once in a while to beg them to license it, but so far no luck.
I just finished the NIF series this week. Let me see if I can figure out a way to list the site here. In case you didn’t know, it’s a no-no to spell out the actual web addresses of the illegit sites on personal blogs as it can create all types of problems for the blog owner.
Here goes [hugs]asian.**m. Obviously without the brackets and instead of hugs we like to pucker up and kiss. 😉
Watch out for popups and whenever it asks you do you want to leave or stay on the page, ALWAYS click “stay”.
Hi vespertyne29 – Beez is correct – you will have to go over to that site to see it. It is also at a site drama[warm]. Just type the opposite of ‘warm’ in there. Amazon Prime has it to watch in HD but not in the US. DVDs are available at Amazon but read the reviews. I will not buy those DVDs based on the reviews (quality|# of episodes). Note – the book is translated up to Chapter 138 (of 174) at Novel Updates.
At least Viki had the subbed version up there for a few years. Maybe using Opera browser VPN trick to see if you can access it on Amazon Prime? Other than that you will have to go to the ‘other side’ to see it. As Beez says you have to be careful but it is worth it for the watch.
My Amazon Prime version is listed just to take you to the Viki version. (I’m in the U.S. too)
phl1rxd – I thought you would’ve had something to say about my overall impression of NIF that appears here???: https://thefangirlverdict.com/2015/12/09/flash-review-nirvana-in-fire-chinese-drama/comment-page-2/?amp#comment-88387
(I’m thinking you may not have seen it because of where I added it)
You can also use the Opera browser, with its built-in VPN, to watch NIF on Viki. Select Europe as your region. 🙂
Have you seen Netflix’s newest Original “Psycho But It’s Okay”? Two episodes in, it seems to meet the hype and then some, with its dark fairytale vibe, timely mental health commentary and explosive chemistry between the leads.
Not yet, but it’s on my list! 😀 Great to hear that it’s off to a promising start! 😀
They are beautiful indeed! Now I can’t wait until the next episodes!
For me, this show has been absolutely jaw dropping!
Hi! I’ve read almost all of the dream dramas before and I wanted to reread then but I can’t find them on app?
Where do I find them?
Hi! You can find the dream dramas here. 🙂 Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Thank you so much! 😃😃
You’re very welcome! <3
Look up the drama you want to see. Then type in Dramac**l after the title. It works. From Kansas
*Comment has been edited just to be sure to stay on the safe side of DMCA bots ~kfangurl
Thanks for sharing Caprice.. I hope you don’t mind that I edited your comment to stay on the safe side of DMCA bots.. DC is a “dark side” site after all. 😛
Hi KFG: This is a very useful post for someone like myself who is looking for the older Kdramas that typically aren’t on Netflix, especially after reading about them in various posts. I actually got a good start with alternative sources in your other post (found two older, great shows not on Netflix) about the bloom falling off the K-rose or is it the other way around?
Anyway, this topic deserves its separate billing, thank you.
I’m so happy you find this post useful, Geo!! 😀 (I do think the bloom falling off the K-rose is probably the more correct way of putting it; I just opted to use the original phrasing from the comment that prompted the post. 😅) I managed to find My Girlfriend is a Gumiho on Viu where I am in Singapore, so I’m guessing that if you use the VPN setting for Asia, you might be able to find some older gems on Viu. 🙂
Ah, the ever present dilemma of where to watch your dramas. 🙂 VPN is a godsend and I’ve been using a paid one for some time now. Quite a lot is available through Viki and Netflix here and oddly enough, surprisingly many cdramas are also available in my region. For jdrama one has to resort to ‘other means’, unfortunately.
Talking about cdramas… Cfensi, a blog on Chinese media content has a very handy page that lists all the leagal places to watch cdramas online. There’s also a list of dramas (currently airing + those already aired in 2020), where to watch them and if they have subs. I’ve found that pretty useful.
Yes! I’ve just discovered the NIF is available on Viki, in your region, and not anywhere else!! It’s odd that it worked out that way, but with VPN, now we can ALL watch NIF on Viki!! 😀 It’s a whole new world! And with the Opera hack, now it’s available to everyone! 🤯🤩
Wow! That page on Cfensi is SO COMPREHENSIVE!!! 🤯🤩🤯🤩 Thanks for sharing it, Timescout!! SUCH a rich resource to mine, for fans of C-drama!!
Thank you very much Timescout for that link which I promptly bookmarked. That page is seriously great. Now to find Darker 3 with English subs..
Spoke too soon – Darker Season 3 is on Tencent WeTV with English subs so the world will need to stop until I watch this LOL. I have been waiting for that for a long while so extra big thank you for that link Time Scout. Yay!
Hi Kfangurl, thank you so much for this post. I have had a bad experience of being exposed to nasties and as a result ended up losing everything on my computer and so I absolutely do not want to use illegal sites. I pay for both Netflix and Viki and they are both excellent for me but because I’m not in the US, I cannot watch a lot of the shows due to geo-restrictions. I have been wondering about VPN and so this post is super helpful. Thank you again. 🙂
Aw, I’m sorry to hear that you’ve lost stuff on your computer before, due to nasty drama sites, D! 😛 I’ve tried the Opera VPN hack, and it really does open up so many more drama possibilities!! I highly recommend trying it out! 😀
I have tried it out and I cannot believe it. It felt like a dream. 🙂 I cannot believe so many drama possibilities had opened up for me. I am so excited. 😀 Thank you to Annette who originally posted about this too. Now I have to pay extra for kocowa content as well but that’s ok. 🙂
Ahh!! I’m so glad it works for you, D!! 😀 I know the feeling – when I first tried the Opera hack, and it worked, it felt like a dream to me too!! 🤯😆 Annette’s opened up a whole new drama world for us! 🤩
I confess I don’t have any tips to add on, I just love the R1994 pictures! Hehe. Thanks for all the tips – we’re quite lucky to have good access to dramas but if I ever need I’ll come back to this post for answers!
Tee hee! Thanks for enjoying the R1994 screenshots! 😀 I’ve tried out the Opera VPN hack, and it works like a charm!! I can now access so many more dramas on Viki than before! I think it’s definitely worth trying out. 😉
Just want to check out others opinion on Netflix ever increasing focus on Kdrama contents. I can see remarkable change in their kdrama inventory. They seem to also invest in producing them.
Although I am of course happy on the easy access to more dramas, I’m concern on the smaller players. I much prefer the personal touch and the sometime added social context put on Viki translations compared to the somewhat sterile Netflix translations. I would hate to see them go down in business like Dramafever (RIP).
I’m also somewhat annoyed by Netflix imposing the multi seasons Western TV setup into Kdrama (Arthdal and Vagabond, anyone?).
When Netflix first began having newer Kdramas (besides the few that had been on their line-up for years), my response was bigger than an animae characters squared lipped yelling NO! NO! NO! KEEP YOUR PAWS OFF MY KDRAMA! The first fiasco was Man to Man. The whole “air 8 episodes then hold the series for 6 weeks (or however long it was) then release the remaining 8 episodes” had me in a panic because I was afraid they would get other dramas and do them the same way. I called them constantly to complain and explain that they would be ruining the entire way that we watch Kdramas and interact with our online communities on currently airing shows. I’m sure enough people must’ve also complained because they did a couple more dramas that way but haven’t since.
I agree that the subtitles are lacking and so are Kocowas. I hate that “Oppa” is translated many times as “brother”. I love that Viki will give an explanation in parentheticals the first time in appears in a drama (usually). Seeing the explanation will encourage people to look into it which will give a greater insight into names and titles and how that drives the culture. It gives a richer understanding of why characters respond or don’t respond a certain way to other characters and the nature of their relationship, which will enrich the understanding and therefore, the enjoyment of what you’re watching. (I also hate that Netflix and Kocowa remove “Halmoni” and “Haroboji” when addressing the elderly as if they think people will misunderstand that it’s the character’s actual grandparent instead of a sign of respect.
I still don’t like Netflix having Kdramas. I hate how much longer it takes me to watch on Netflix because I don’t care how carefully I tap the rewind button to only go back to catch the last word or two in a sentence, it goes back waaay too far. I have finally accepted that is just how it is. But give me a choice to watch between Netflix and Kocowa and I’m picking Viki every time (if they have the show available).
I have just Netflix but it has a very decent collection where I am, especially when you’re just starting out in kdrama world, as I was. Amazon Prime seems to have decided not to bother – it has one show available and nothing available even for pay. I thank Netflix every day for the great joy it has given me these past few months😊 Truly!
That’s great that Netflix has more than enough dramas to keep you feeling satisfied! 🙂 Happy exploring! <3
I do want to say that I love what you write. Discovering your blog has been the highlight of the lockdown for me! Thank you!
Awww!!! That makes me feel super happy, that the blog’s been a big highlight for you!! 🥰❤ Thanks for enjoying being here!
Great list 🙂 It’s definitely hard for us drama fans to track down all of the shows we want to watch. So many sites and then each site has regional restrictions. Luckily in the US, most new shows can be watched through Viki and Netflix. A few slip through though. But older dramas are a different story and not near as readily available. Dramafever had the best library of old dramas, so it was terrible when that went away. Viki is has been adding more old ones in recently, so at least that’s a plus 🙂
Oh that’s great that Viki’s adding older titles to their collection! 😀 Some older shows deserve more love for sure! (I’m assuming My Girlfriend is a Gumiho is among Viki’s titles? Or else I’m sure you’d have Many Words to say to Viki! 😁) It’s actually great that the US is such a primary market for kdrama exports, so that most titles are available to you.. for those shows with regional restrictions, you could try Annette’s hack on using Opera’s free built-in VPN to get around it? I’ve tested it and it works! 😀
You just cited my main reason for checking out this article: “Gumiho” is not available on Viki in the US, and it’s the main older drama that I have been looking for everywhere. I haven’t tried the VPN trick yet but am a little worried that using it might be itself illegal 🙁 I did use a very icky site to watch “Biscuit Teacher and Star Candy”, low-low res and filled with awful popups, but only on an old computer just in case something happened. Won’t do that again.
Hi there Jeff, after you mentioned the question of whether using VPNs is legal or illegal, I did a quick search to educate myself a bit more, and found this article, which I think is useful. From what I can tell from the article, using a VPN to watch content off a legal streaming site seems fine.
I managed to find My Girlfriend is a Gumiho on Viu, which you can access using Annette’s Opera VPN hack, and selecting your region as Asia. 🙂 I hope that helps! 🙂
Thanks so much for the info; I’ll give it a try. Something to look forward to! (I’ve also been holding Goblin off as a destination watch, so it may be something to do with mythical beings starting with “G”…)
Yep, while they are definitely missing a lot of classics, I am glad to see them adding some of them to their catalog. Sadly, My Girlfriend is a Gumiho is not one of them though 🙁 It’s not on any of the US sites. Being my favorite drama, luckily, I have that one on DVD though. Couldn’t risk not being able to see that amazing drama whenever I want, hehe 🙂
Ahaha!! I can’t say I’m surprised that you own the box set of My Girlfriend is a Gumiho!! 😆😆 If you’re ever in the mood to watch and don’t have the box set handy, I managed to find it on Viu where I am. So I’m pretty sure you’d be able to watch it off Viu, if you use Opera’s VPN and set the location to Asia. 🙂
Oooh, that’s good to know 🙂 I’m quite familiar with the experience of wanting to watch a show but just being to lazy to put the DVD in. So being available for streaming makes things much easier, hehe 😂
Kay, I agree with you. I am happy that most of the new shows are available on Netflix and Viki, but also concerned that older shows are becoming hard to find. I wish that the broadcasting companies made their older shows (10 years or older) available with English subtitles on youtube or another site without geo restrictions. Now that kdramas have found fans all around the world, many old dramas can find new fans.
I know that some old classic dramas are already on youtube, but unfortunately without subtitles. I am wondering if it is possible to contact the broadcasting companies directly and ask them to make their older dramas accessible to a worldwide audience through subtitles (English, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, etc.) I am sure there are many other fans who would be very happy about it!
I too wish that broadcasting companies were more inclined to make their older shows more available through mediums like Youtube. Or a site like KOCOWA that already owns the content, so they could have a massive library of their old content if they wanted.
Sadly, I think it just comes down to demand, and most fans, particularly casual fans, aren’t that interested in the really old content. There are those of who are passionate about old shows and appreciate it, but many feel it’s too dated to enjoy. So it gets so little views that broadcasting and streaming companies just don’t see it as worth the effort. Of course, some of the really popular ones make it, but even then, the older the series, no matter how popular it was, it seems like it’s always just a matter of time before they deem it not financially lucrative to keep around 🙁
I notice Kocowa is steadily adding old dramas to their site. This week they added Empress Ki which I’ve long heard people complaining about being unable to find it anywhere (it’s available on Tubi for free but with commercials).
I watch Kocowa through the app on Roku and its impossible to miss when they add new content because it shows up under “new episodes” which is usually a short list of the latest episodes for the week. So that’s where I usually check first and it will be the latest 2 episodes of a few dramas and a few variety shows, but when they add a new series ALL the episodes appear there. So this week, good luck looking for new episodes of currently running shows because they were mixed in and scattered among all 51 episodes of Empress Ki. It’s not a huge deal, it just seems they could have a better way to add a show and notify that it’s added without disrupting the established system. \_(ツ)_/¯
Yep, I noticed that KOCOWA was adding in some older dramas too. Kinda like Viki, not a ton, but it’s nice to see the slow and steady influx of some of the classics 🙂
And yeah, I know what you mean, I’ve never been big fan of KOCOWA’s set up, and mixing in the episodes like that makes no sense 😛
I noticed differences in subtitles based on what streaming service I use. Since I don’t speak Korean, it is difficult for me to tell which is a more authentic translation. I’m wondering if there is a streaming service that offers better translations or if this is just a random thing?
Hi drzeka, generally speaking, the subs on Viki are more detailed, nuanced and therefore more accurate than the ones on Netflix. I believe it’s because the Viki subs are fan-driven, and fans tend to care more about accurately depicting nuances. The subs on Netflix, and in the past, DramaFever, were done by translators hired for the job, and I noticed that the subs on those platforms were more interested in translating the general gist of what’s said, so many times, nuances are literally lost in translation. It’s not ideal, but I am still grateful that subs are so available these days compared to before.
I’ll never forget watching My Name is Kim Sam soon and there was some instance where the characters names appeared in a gossip column. Suddenly the characters were reading the article and saying Ms. G and Mr. [forgot who the male was]. I was totally lost as to who they were talking about. I realized later because when Koreans use K and G, they sometimes give them both the same sound. So they were talking about Ms. K but saying Ms. G. If I knew what episode that was, I would totally go back and watch that scene to see who they were talking about. lol
I can imagine how that would be super confusing for you!!! 😆😅 Well-translated subs are SO important!!
Just to let people know, WeTV and IQIYI now have Websites where you can stream content with subtitles on your computer. You do not have to watch only on the Apps. IQIYI has a search capability which is great because not everything shows up in the browse area. You can just type in the title of the drama you are looking for and it will come up in the results if it’s available at IQIYI. Both WeTV and IQIYI are geo-restricted content, so some dramas may be available in one region but not another.
WeTV: https://wetv.vip/en
IQIYI: https://www.iq.com/
For anyone interested in Thai dramas with subtitles, Netflix and VIU have content. There is also a new service called Dimsum. It’s based out of Malaysia, so I can’t access here in USA, but if you have VPN or are in one of its regions, you can give it a try. They have content from all over Asia: China, Korea, and I think Taiwan as well as Thailand with subs, but they are best known for the Thai content.
Dimsum: https://www.dimsum.my
Thanks for the tips, Table122000!! 😀 Very helpful indeed!!
No problem. Thanks for making this list-so helpful to have everything in one place. I try to watch at legal sites if I possibly can.
It’s great that the list has grown more robust and useful, with everyone chipping in! 😀 I’m so happy that you find it helpful! <3
Very useful list….but alas, most of the sites are not active in the my region. My go to sites are Netflix (so glad it has huge collection if both old and new shows) and Viki.
Annette shared a tip on using Opera that changes the whole game, snow! You can now use free VPN built into Opera to get around geo-restrictions! I’ve put the details in the post! 😉
Oh really! I read your post sometime back via Twitter and commented just now. Thanks!! Let me check it out 🤗🤗
Yeah, the post has been updated a couple of times, after folks shared their tips! 😀 I tried the Opera hack just now, and IT WORKS!!! 😀
Thank you, kfangurl and everyone who commented on this post! Kfangurl, can you make info about legal streaming services easily accessible on your site (like your full list of shows)?
Recently I discovered Tubi TV because I was looking for a free and legal way to stream Gu Family Book. They have small selection of kdramas.
Thank you for the tip on Opera. Will try it and report the results.
Thanks Snow Flower! I’ve just added Tubi TV to the post, so that more folks will see it! That’s a great idea, to make this list easy to find. I’ll put it up on the sidebar, once it gets overtaken by a new post! 🙂 Also – I tried the Opera hack, and it works like a charm!! 😀
Any suggestions for Jdramas?
Hi there rookie, I’m less well-informed about J-dramas, but I do know that Netflix and Viki carry a selection of J-dramas. You could try Annette’s Opera hack to get the best selections, as I know geo-restrictions apply on Viki. 🙂 I hope someone else can add on to this, to add on to the J-drama resources!
There is not much J Drama content available with legal streaming sites because of liscensing issues. That being said, I have seen Japanese dramas and films at the following legal streaming sites:
Viki, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Asian Crush, Crunchyroll.
Crunchyroll is mainly known for anime, but they have expanded to include live action. They have a few titles.
Asian Crush is mainly films, but they have started to add some J dramas.
I’ve now watched 2 Jdramas – This Guy Is the Biggest Mistake of My Life (interesting but the middle episodes were boring) and Switch Girl (adorable).
A nice list, and one that you can’t go too far wrong with. A personal favourite is Hotpot TV. The site is well set out, the shows and their episodes are well presented and it has videos from enthusiasts re Chinese culture and so on (well they are not as “excitable” as Avenue X when it comes to sharing information 😂).
In terms of shows and their different names, it’s always interesting. For those of us who use MDL to track the shows we watch, it generally has the full range of names for many dramas. My episode count has just topped 9,000, so I can generally spot a show on Netflix or Viki that may be called something else. I won’t mention how provocative the names of some Jdramas are though! There is no doubt that You Tube is handy on occasions. As for Amazon Prime, well anything and everything is ending up on there at the moment.
I recently read a report on two computer programmers prosecuted in the US late last year for creating two illegal streaming sites that were bigger than Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. Imagine that 😱
My wife has laryngitis at the moment, so we are having a little laugh about that at home, however, the laser beam eyes are still more than effective, as are the lightning fast texts. I took my mother-in-law to see my father-in-law in hospital today and he found it very amusing that his daughter can’t say much at the moment 😂🤣😂
Hi Sean!! 😀 Thanks for sharing your experience with Hotpot TV!!! I personally haven’t used it coz of geo-restrictions (though that might be changing soon, thanks to Annette’s tip on Opera’s free built-in VPN!! 😱🤯 Also, WOW, 9000 episodes of drama!!! Your drama watching prowess is unmatched, Sean!! 🥳🥳 I don’t keep track of my episode count, so I only know that I’ve watched something like 450 dramas to date. I know some people might say that’s a lot, but.. I’m sure that pales in comparison to many, including your list! 😅
WOW. The computer programmers created streaming sites bigger than Netflix, Amazon and Hulu??? That’s quite something indeed! 😳 It sounds massive!
I’m sorry to hear your wife is suffering from laryngitis, but it does sound like she’s fast with her glares AND her texts, which should more than make up for it!!! 😆😆 I hope she gets her voice back soon!!
Hmmmm. A site with more content than Netflix, Amazon and Hulu – that sound like DC (the one that shall not be mentioned but has ALL the dramas com the beginning of time 😆). If you guys recall there was a time when you would open their home page and instead of dramas you’d see a legal notice plastered over everything. Then it seemed they were running from their prosecutors and hopping web addresses every couple of months. I haven’t seen them running scared for a good while so hopefully whatever the issue was has resolved or at least gone away. 🤞
Yes, Annette has opened my eyes to the other viewing opportunities as well, and I am very grateful too. I do have “state of the art” VPN with my security software, and didn’t even consider its possibilities until looking into Opera’s VPN. So, now that the “penny has dropped”, I have started to use my VPN quite happily 🤗
Thank you for your well wishes re Linda. It will be a few more days yet. I try not to make her laugh too much. When all else fails, she just pokes her tongue out 😂
Oh my Sean, you got me beat by a mile as I am only at 6812 episodes and 86 movies (really a little more movies but the old ones are not listed). MDL really is a good way to organize our watches and remind us what dramas we have seen and their various names. The feeds can get a little heated though.
Laughing at the comment about your lovely wife’s laryngitis. It could be a reaction to all the grocery store battles. She is a trooper for sure. Hope she gets better quickly.
I don’t know about you, but I cannot love this post enough. I found dramas I have been looking for for a few years on new sites listed in these posts. I checked out Hotspot TV. First thing I notice is that it has Justice Bao S1 and AvenueX. They let you know which drama is subbed in English as you browse. Very cool. Do you stream it on a PC or on your TV via an app?
Hello phl! I was perhaps a member of MDL for a year or so before I started listing any dramas. So, I still find the odd one here and there I have watched but not listed. This was the case when I was going through Viki the other day and I noticed a show I had missed and subsequently added it to my completed list. I am almost certain, there will be others 😱 I have, perhaps, been “bitten” three times on MDL. Anyway, I have always given a rational response. One of the “testy” feeds on MDL at the moment is King Maker: The Change of Destiny (Wind, Cloud and Rain). Once you get through the first 30 minutes, it is in fact a very good show. The attention to detail is worth watching for that aspect alone. Much of the commentary is around PSH’s controversial past (and also his more recent comments about Go Sung Hee, that might, just on this occasion, be taken out of context). Kfangurl wrote a good and sensitive blog some years back re events concerning PSH. That aside, Go Sung Hee is exhibiting a fine performance.
Needless to say, on the home front, I got into trouble again this morning 😂
Without a doubt, this post was a timely injection re my viewing experience ☺️. I thoroughly enjoyed Justice Bao S1 (even though some of the local critics may not have). I thought Shaun Tam brought a levity to what is normally seen as a very serious, important character re Chinese history and “mythology”. I now can’t watch any Chinese historical drama without looking out for the three guillotines he used so judiciously – to see if other magistrates will do the same 🤣 Justice Bao was also supposed to be Nancy Wu’s big change in direction and I think she achieved this. I stream on my PC and devices. My next challenge is to make things happen on the big screen (that’s if I can ever kick the boys off long enough from partaking in their most recent gaming purchases and Wifey and Daughter re watching RuPaul’s Drag Race).
Have a look at “Fake Princess.” It’s stronger than “Love is All.” It is just as funny at times, but perhaps has a little more oomph. I think “Love in Between” might be one to look out for in due course. I am going to take a look at “Chef Hua” as well. Then there is “Miss S” (fyi kfangurl – starring Ma Yi Lil) which, perhaps might happen at the end of the year. It’s based on Australia’s own Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (great books, an enjoyable show and movie – Phyrne’s costumes are always amazing. In the movie, she is on the run through the main streets of 1920’s Cairo wearing bright red – hilarious).
In terms of kdramas, I am enjoying “Team Building: Off-duty Investigation” – it’s great. Just the right level of quirkiness, fun and mystery. Then there is “Dinner Mate,” which is a perplexing show because the first three episodes were fabulous, then it nose dived for eps 4, 5 and part of 6 and then, episode 7 was like – oh wow!
Sean, I watch all dramas on my tv’s. The set top boxes are so cheap nowadays. I have two Amazon TV Sticks and a Roku box and a Roku tv to cover the two large screen tv’s.
I can get Kocowa and a variety of British streaming networks with Roku. While the Amazon Tv Stick doesn’t get Roku, it has the advantage of being able to access the internet which means I can even watch dramas from D*Cool on the tv’s as well.
Wow Beez, you have it all figured out! I am going to bend my will to make it all happen shortly 🤣
Hi Sean – first, Happy Fathers Day from the US! I had to take a few days off from all things electronic as so much is going on here it gets overwhelming. Yes, I did see that thread and same goes for the Eternal Monarch thread LOL!
Laughing at the home front comment!
As soon as I work my way through Darker 3 I intend to look at Justice Bao S1. You make it sound very, very interesting and I love my who-dun-its.
I fully intend to check out Fake Princess as I thoroughly enjoyed Love is All. I love Miss Fisher so I am also looking forward to Miss S!
Referencing Beez’s post – I also have a FireStick as well as Roku box as I prefer to watch all my drama on my TV. Beez is on point with her set up. My FireStick is about 4 years old now and I got Roku 2 years a ago and both are still going strong and both are used a lot.
Hello phl – thank you for the Fathers Day greetings 😊
Good on you for taking some time off from the electronic mill stone! I hope you and yours do get the chance to take a deep breath and keep enjoying those moments together. As for the Eternal Monarch thread – it certainly shows the level of confusion out there.
Justice Bao S1 can be found in its entirety on TVB Thailand – YouTube. The only thing is it’s dubbed into Thai with English Subs. I enjoyed it, because in the first half it was very much about solving the mysteries together etc.
Darker does look like something for me to have a dabble in soon. My run on cdramas seems to be continuing.
I failed to mention that we use Play Station 4 to download and stream a range of different tv apps on the big screen. I just need to track down some of the other apps.
So, on the movie front, even though our daughter’s film has been put back a year, the complexity of the sets to be used continues to grow. Oh, and my wife is in charge of the catering for 200 – 300 cast and crew. Apparently, (and as I always do as I am told) I will be assisting for part of it 😂 Which is fine, because I will get to see the filming of the night battle scenes.
I forgot to add “I LOVE LOVE LOVE Phrynie Fisher! The movie was a bit of a disappointment but it’s understood they did what they could with a fan raised budget. I’m just glad they cared enough to make it happen and, the most important thing – they didn’t skimp on her clothes budget!
Sean, my elderly cousin also loves Miss Fischer and started me watching the series. Her daughter would come in and say “Is she watching Mystery ‘Ho again?” Which is so funny because our family is so very square old timey Christians. That’s probably why we enjoy living vicariously through Miss Fischer. lol
By the way, are you aware Miss Fischer has a spin-off that’s about her niece and set in the 1960’s? I need to go on and watch it so I can cancel my subscription to AcornTv once I’ve watched it.
I’m glad you really love Miss Fisher, Beez. She is very special. Spot on re the clothes budget! Even as the series was being filmed and airing here at the same time, there was just as much discussion re the costumes as the stories themselves.
I stumbled across Phryne when I was CEO of a particular local government at the time and decided to drop in on the staff at the library we shared with a local high school. Needless to say the librarians were surprised by my visit (they grilled me for about five seconds before suddenly realising who they were talking to – after spotting my name badge – because CEOs, they informed me, never drop by), and even more so, when I asked whether they had any good Australian detective novels. Well, there’s Phryne Fisher by Kerry Greenwood was the reply. So, after dodging the groups of different kids from various classes that had also turned up at the same time as myself, I grabbed five books and never looked back. As much as I love the show, the books are really something else.
With your family Beez, that’s delightful. Phryne is such a great character, it’s hard not to let her into your life 😂 Perhaps my favourite episode is “Murder Under The Mistletoe.” And as for one of my favourite scenes (after Hugh hangs up of the phone):
Detective John ‘Jack’ Robinson: What’s that all about?
Hugh Collins: Miss Fisher’s gone on holiday again, sir.
Jack: Huh. Anyone dead yet?
Hugh: Only one so far, sir…
Yes, I was aware of the spinoff series re her niece, but we haven’t watched it as yet. It was interesting they went down this path.
As for Miss S, the same Australian production company that made Miss Fisher here will be assisting the Chinese producers. So, it will be interesting how it all turns out – I wonder what the censors will make of it 😉
@beez @sean – I also love the Miss Fisher Mysteries, discovered them on Netflix and watched the 3 seasons (think it was 3) in 2-3 weeks. This pandemic is good for some things, like life, nothing is totally bad or good, just got to learn to manage both sides. Anyway, it’s great to find other Miss Fisher fans, I’ll have to look out for the sequels with her niece.
Hello Geo, yes it was three seasons. If you ever get the chance to see the film one day, Jack finally gets the chance to put things on the other foot with Phryne 😂
And don’t forget the spin off. Although, I can’t vouch for it as I haven’t watched it yet. It seems to be only 4 episodes. There’s a one week few trial with Acorn which I’m way beyond. I need to hurry and watch and cancel since I’ve already got too many Kdramas to catch up on so I know I’m not going to search the rest of Acorn’s catalog looking for other shows.
Haha! I’ll never forget, I think it was the very first episode – I was expecting something liked many of the staid British detective shows – and if you’d seen my expression and thoughts when – doubletake – “was that a man’s naked butt I just saw?!!! I called my cousin and asked her “What’s the deal on this show?” She’s even more forgetful than I am and she was like “What? I don’t remember anything like that.” Then every few episodes I’d be calling her going “Why didn’t you tell me about Phrynie’s love life?! How can you not remember all the mostly bare men traipsing in and out of her bedroom?! Your daughter’s right! Mystery ‘Ho’ indeed!”
Funny thing is, she didn’t remember that but she remembers Miss Fisher’s clothes and even though it’s been a while now since we watched the series, we still talk all the time about her coats and matching cloche hats. lol
The only problem I had with the show was sometimes the reasons given for Miss Fisher to go along with the detectives were very weak. But it was easy to sit that aside and just enjoy the cheeky “hot mess” that was Miss Fisher. 😆
I’m located in the US and use Viki a lot for kdramas (used to be Dramafever 😥), and I do like how the volunteers sub and explain idioms or puns that I might not get because it gets lost in translation. However, Viki has a decent amount of shows that I can’t access in my region, and it seems that number is increasing esp with older shows. I try my best to find legal sites and am willing to sit through ads because of how I think show numbers are factored in and licensing fees, but sometimes I just don’t know what region a show is available in.
For Cdramas now, I tend to use YouTube (channels like Tencent or MangoTV) where they often upload full eps with Eng subs. I’ve also turned to the Iqiyi app for so many Cdramas with high quality subs. They’ve recently added some Kdramas too (Dinner Mate and Backstreet Rookie)!!! I find the ads on Iqiyi easier to deal with than Viki’s, for what it’s worth, and sometimes it’s easier to prop my phone up and watch a drama while I’m using my laptop.
I didn’t know that’s what Kocowa stood for; I learned something new! I’ll have to consider that too because I didn’t know they were available in the US.
Ah, I forgot about iQiyi!! Thanks for giving it a shout-out, rainmakermelody!! 😀 And that’s quite impressive, that iQiyi has current dramas like Dinner Mate and Backstreet Rookie! Wow! 🤗
Yes, Kocowa is available in the US. In fact, I think the US is their primary market, so all their content should be available for you! Also, I’m wondering whether Annette’s Opera hack (below) would work for you, with accessing Viki’s geo-restricted content? 😀
Tried most of these but sadly Europe is always geo restricted….
The VPN thing is kind of expensive here and you always have to do an abo of 1 or 2 years….
But thank you for showing me that there is more than in my opinion crappy Viki page 🙂
Oh, hey Larius! 🙂 Maybe you could try Annette’s suggestion below, of using Opera as a web browser, since she says there’s a free, built-in VPN with Opera. Worth a shot? 😀
Yeah I heard about that but Opera is “crap”. I have so many IT friends and they all say it ^^
Oh, I’m actually going to try using Opera just for watching dramas with VPN, and see how that works out. I plan to keep on using Chrome & Safari for everything else. Might be worth it for the drama access it gives? 😀
That might be true 🙂 I will consider it after I get out of stage 4 (referencing last post)^^
I’ll give my two cents here. If you are watching mainly from your desktop computer, use Opera browser. It comes with free, built-in VPN so you can bypass geo-restrictions. You’re out of luck if you want to watch from your TV (unless you do the whole mirroring thing, which is quite complex).
Another website I would like to recommend, is WeTV. WeTV is mainly catering towards the Chinese drama market, but they also have a handful of KDramas as well. It’s free to watch, except the super new ones in which you pay a fee to become a premium user to be able to watch it as it’s just released. However, most content become free after a few weeks, after losing its “shine”.
Other platforms I use mainly are Netflix and Viki too, though Viki is geo-restricting too much for my liking, and I can’t access it because I watch from both my desktop and my TV. TV box VPN are generally paid versions, no free ones, as far as I can tell.
Ooh, thanks for the tip on Opera, Annette!! I didn’t know about that, and that could be quite a game-changer for lots of people!! 😀
I haven’t tried WeTV, but it sounds like a useful site, especially for those of us who’re keen to watch more Chinese dramas. Thanks for sharing your tips! <3
You’re welcome! Opera’s VPN needs to be activated first by going into Settings. It’s not turned on by default. I gave it a try just now with Viki’s geo-restricted content and it worked like a charm! Of course, the speed you get is dependent on the server, or you can try other countries to see if it works.
Take a look at the tutorial here to turn on Opera VPN: https://blogs.opera.com/desktop/2016/09/free-vpn-in-opera-browser-40/
Ah! Thanks for the info, Annette, that’s super helpful!! 😀 If this works for me, you would’ve changed my entire drama game!! 😱🤯🤩 I’ve been resigned to having SO MUCH stuff not available to me, it’s going to be a WHOLE NEW WORLD!!! 🤩🤩🥳🥳 Gosh, THANK YOU!! ❤❤
I decided to update the post with your tip on Opera, so that more people will be sure to see it. Thank you, Annette!! 🥰❤😘
Yay! Let me know how it works out for you! 👏😄 And you’re very most welcome. I get so much resources from you, it’s nice to be able to help you and your readers a bit.
I installed Opera just now and followed the tutorial to set the VPN settings, and then tested it on Viki, and by golly, IT WORKS!!! 🥳🤯🤩 You’ve done more than helped us a bit, Annette!! You’ve opened up our entire drama worlds! You are today’s MVP, hands down! 🎉❤😄
I think I mentioned before that Netflix started my kdrama fling, so kudos for that, but it has its drawbacks. Mainly the available selection depending on country of origin and that it in general only features more recent releases. Plus, no release will remain available forever, at least, not to my knowledge.
I knew of Viki, but as of yet have not used it. Not sure about their retention rate; is availability permanent?
In my case it meant that getting older releases (say older than 2 years) was a bit of an issue. So I did resort to “other options” (specifically torrents) and personally I can live with the “guilt”. If there were strictly legal ways available for me to get to see those older releases I would use those. Like Netflix for example which I do still use for newer releases.
I would even buy DVD/Blu-ray releases of some favorite series (with English subtitles), but, the chance for those kind of releases happening is practically nil…
Anyway, I will be following the comments here to see what other options might turn up.
Hi Rokuro! 😀 Yes, Netflix ought to get brownie points for getting you on kdrama! 😉 But, that’s a downer, that the releases might not be around for the long term. I think the same is true of Viki, because there’ve been times when something was available to me – and then not, later on. I guess licensing goes through some kind of cycle? Hopefully we’ll have more suggestions come in, as folks share their drama sources! 🙂
This is an excellent list. You should be able to easily get around geo-restrictions at Viki etc with a VPN service. That’s what I have. Viki was great when they had things to themselves but now it’s a much more fragmented market unfortunately. That is unless you’re prepared to take the, ahem, ‘unofficial’ route where there is pretty much everything on tap in very high quality.
Ah! How could I have forgotten about VPN?!? 🤦🏻♀️ Let me update the post to include your suggestion on VPN, thanks munkondi!! <3