Looking for a J-drama your friend told you to watch? Found a clip of a Korean game show on Youtube that you want to find out more about?
Accessing East Asian TV online from overseas is easier than you think. From established streaming platforms to Youtube channels, there’s something for everyone.
Forget about visiting sketchy websites with questionable pop-ups—read this post to find links to user-friendly and legally-operating sites to experience new tv shows virus-free!
Streaming Platforms
A typical free streaming experience on Viki: potato quality videos, but timed comments by other users (see upper left corner) will always entertain you. (Src: Defendant Ep. 1 via Viki)
Watching TV online and on-demand is the new norm, especially for Korean shows. A new streaming platform with legitimate distribution contracts seems to pop-up every year.
Think Netflix BUT exclusively East Asian content: everything properly categorized and subtitled in English. While you may not find shows from a decade ago or many Japanese and Chinese programs, these streaming sites lay everything out for you.
While DramaFever (detailed breakdown) pioneered the way for these dedicated streaming platforms, I recommend Viki. It’s great for beginners who may want to sample some dramas from different Asian countries.
Logo by Viki, Inc. via Viki
- Pros
- free-to-stream service
- subtitles in multiple languages generated by users in real-time
- large community with interactive features
- popular dramas from Korean, Japan, China and Taiwan
- Cons
- lack of Japanese and Chinese content compared to Korean
- users without paid premium membership experience
- ad interruptions
- delayed access to airing shows
- medium quality for videos at the best
Not a fan of Asian dramas?
VS Arashi, a Japanese game show (Source: Fuji TV)
Although variety shows (incld. game/reality shows) have yet to gather the same level of international popularity as Asian dramas, similar services do exist for them.
OnDemandKorea has almost every airing Korean variety show (and more) available. However, only a handful of the most popular shows get subtitled as the site is still in its early stages. If you want English subtitles for every show, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
One such alternative is Netflix. Not only has Netflix added more East Asian content over the years, but it has also put out some decent Netflix Originals to attract potential customers in Asia. I loved their few Japanese drama (co-)productions so far, so I can’t wait to check out how Netflix handled its first Asian variety show Busted! (a Korean production with a well-known cast and producer).
Logo by Netflix, Inc. via Netflix
- Pros
- popular service that you may already pay for
- reliable cross-platform access and design
- good mix of dramas and varieties from all over Asia
- Netflix Originals worth checking out:
- all of their Japanese dramas
- Terrance House franchise
- Cons
- pay-to-use service
- licensing agreements appear to end quickly and randomly
- questionable subtitles with excessive localization
Looking for more Japanese and Chinese content?
As you may have noticed, South Korean copyright-holders have inked a lot more deals with third-party platforms than those in Japan and China.
- Logo by Crunchyroll, Inc. via Crunchyroll
One exception: anime. I grew up watching it after school and on weekend mornings and you probably did as well. Anime’s international popularity is undeniably immense.
The most popular anime-streaming site Crunchyroll (detailed breakdown)actually used to illegally distribute anime up until 2009! Although anime makes up just a small portion of Japanese TV, Japanese broadcasters have slowly relaxed their stance towards distributing shows online to those of us overseas.
As for Chinese TV, tons of legal streaming options cater to those fluent in Mandarin—with Youku ruling over them all.
Official YouTube Channels
If you really want to watch Chinese TV in its purest form, it’s best to actually head over to YouTube.
Wait, isn’t YouTube banned in China?
Well, apparently most major Chinese TV networks have official Youtube channels for Mandarin-speakers living overseas.
Although English subtitles don’t exist for almost all of the videos, Youtube is an accessible option for those familiar with specific programs. Some variety programs transcend language barriers and some may even teach you some Mandarin phrases! These official channels upload full-length programs almost immediately after airing. If you have tried to watch TV online before, you know that’s as good as it gets.
The Return of Superman heals your soul with adorable children (Src: KBS World TV)
Korean broadcasters also have a huge presence on YouTube.
One channel you should check out is KBS World TV. This national public broadcaster offers full-length English-subtitled episodes of their popular dramas and variety shows with a 1-2 week delay after airing. Popular shows such as The Return of Superman can gather up to a million views per episode!
On the other hand, Japanese broadcasters tend to post preview snippets that are often blocked for viewers outside Japan. For tips on watching Japanese TV other than anime and popular dramas, it’s best to read my post on accessing unofficial sources.
Sit back and enjoy now
Now that I’ve shared all of my favourite legally-operating sites and channels for enjoying East Asian TV, why not try out some of them? Maybe you’ll find a new show to follow weekly or a completed series to binge-watch for the weekend.
Happy watching!
If you’re interested in a detailed write-up with more links, visit my supplementary resource page for anything mentioned this post and more!
Anything else I missed? What’s your favourite way to watch Asian TV legally from overseas?
#Assignment 1e
East Asian TV 