The service had recently been released in India too. Also, I was hoping that it would eventually arrive in Europe. The sudden close just doesn’t make any sense. What about all the dramas on their severs? Are they lost forever? And why did they licence dramas until the very end, including Terius Behind Me which is still running?
On a personal level, I’m just sorry about the people who were laid off so close to the end of the year. I’m sure it was snowing, too, when they were told to clear their desk. Such a cruel world…
Oh, it already snowed in the U.S. Some of my FB friends were complaining about the weather over there. Global Warming is more than just high temperatures, but that’s a discussion for another topic.
Thank the Drama Gods for the Viki Subbers who volunteer…which must help keep the costs down for this site. I read a Variety article saying that the american rights for a drama are between $800,000–$100,000. Immense. Viki—pwighting!
They only had their dramas in 3 languages tops however. And a 2 day lag from airing. And even daily run dramas were only put out several days per week. They cut a lot of corners on their subbing process.
I agree about the lower quality of their subs. The VIKI volunteers (and I’m not one, by the way) i always seem to do the extras like including a korean word and explaining it’s use. i.e. ‘oppa’ can mean older brother to a woman…a guy friend or boyfriend. They also put in asides about korean history or landmarks which have helped me understand the country & their culture a lot more. I wasn’t a fan of the american colloqialisms and slang that were a staple of DF. One DF subber (can’t remember which Drama) translated a girl calling her boyfriend ‘brother’ throughout the romance. Felt creepy. There’s a disconnect for me also when I heard the word “dude” instead of "hyung’ when I’m watching a korean drama. Matter of taste I guess.
Most of all, I was frustrated when DF dropped the comments section available after each episode in a drama. It was a place for many of us to exchange viewpoints…and on Viki since it streams so many different languages…we hear from many people from other countries commenting in english.
Definitely many different perspectives which adds to the discussion. DF stayed with a flat rating system which had no filters that you could access when trying to find a new drama to watch. I am grateful for the chance on VIKI to see both the top and the bottom rating reviews to see if it’s a good fit for my tastes. All in all…I’ve always preferred Viki…yet did subscribe to DF to make sure I didn’t miss any goodies. Do I take the money I’m saving now and finally sign up for Viki pass?
I say yes! Put your $$ here so we can get more dramas! I agree with you about your observations- their “Americanized” subs felt really white bread (generic) and really killed the cultural nuance which is what I love about international dramas! Also, since subbing with so many people from so many places, it really has help me to learn all sorts of cultural nuance- Like calling someone “little puppy” as a term of affection.
One positive about Dramafever after closing shop? Yesterday I heard from them. They deposited the full amount of the yearly subscription I paid for last month. Now that’s classy. Very surprised and also quite relieved. So now I can take that refund and sign up for Viki Pass plus!
