These are nice suggestions. The “Continue watching” was available years ago, and from a certain point they ruined it. It even remembered if you had left an episode unfinished and brought you to the exact same point.
About the reasons why Chinese content is overwhelming nowadays, it’s not entirely Viki’s responsibility. Read here: Lack of New Korean dramas on Viki - #58 by christina_
In short, the main reasons are:
The 3 Korean networks created a streaming platform called Kocowa. Viki tried to get a few of those dramas by making a deal with them, and these few are available on Viki for those who pay more (Vikipass plus), but only in America and I think the UK.
The popularity of Korean dramas has made other big streaming companies like NF or the company with the mouse (cannot be named) producing their own dramas with popular actors. Of course they usually don’t share with Viki, or if they do, it is months later.
Again because of popularity, the licenses for Korean dramas have become very high, so it’s a cutthroat competition on who is going to get them.
Whereas Chinese dramas used to suck until very recently, so they were cheaper. Now they have become much better, but still the good ones are a rare minority, most are the cookie-cutter variety with the cold heartless CEO who is inwardly a softie with mommy issues and childhood traumas. Just about when a significant number of Korean dramas had slowly started to get rid of those tropes. Sigh.
As for Japanese content, it’s a trickle. And if this wasn’t enough aggravation, they don’t choose the good ones, but mostly the tropey romantic comedies. Double sigh. Need more JAPANESE licensed dramas and movies
ANOTHER suggestion:
Many other sites that also host Kdramas and other content and they have a setting that lets you speed up or slow down the drama. I found that very helpful as I got used to using subtitles. Now when I want to revisit a drama I like the option of speeding things up to get to the parts I love best. Also to speed up and get past stressful or parts of a new drama I might not be fully enjoying to see if I want to spend more time with it etc.
It seems to me the “big three” for Korea, SBS, KBS, and MBC often don’t provide streaming rights to Viki but sell those rights to viki competitors in the US. TvN produces a lot of great K drama but from the very beginning, viki didn’t get many of them until viki’s early competitor ■■■■■■■■■■ went under. But when companies like NF and H**u started streaming K- drama, they got a lot of the recent A-list TvN dramas and now collaborate in production of K drama.
It is a shame that viki doesn’t have a stellar role in streaming J drama as viki’s owner is Rakuten, the so-called “■■■■■■ of Japan”.
I know that Viki has been showing fewer Asian dramas lately because of its rivals, but I hope that in the future they can show french or turkish series there.
Personally after watching material from all sources I have found Korean material done the best. I live in the USA, born here and English speaking… to say that the Korean material is better is saying quite alot. When material is politically or socially biased they really do lower their value. Here in the US I just got fed up with it regardless of the platform… thus looking at other venues. The Korean materials, I have noticed in some areas, have taken a hit as far as good writing etc.
It might be just me but I have come to enjoy re-watching material because I ENJOYED IT.
A drama that does NOT overly stress out the viewer (we have enough of that everyday ha ha) has occasional light comedic moments and good triumphing over evil or adversity… duh that is just the basic of MOST award winning TV or Movies. Lately I find myself stop watching something because it misses the above mentioned OR overdose one of them. Does anyone but me think this way???
I Love Korean shows too, mostly for the same reasons you stated above, but also they can be funny, sad, thrilling, and magical all in one movie, I have laughed my head off, cried my eyes out, gotten so grossed out i and gagged up a lung, I have
gotten so mad even yelled at the screen A LOT, sad, and happy, all the emotions you can possibly think of, just from watching a Korean or Chinese Drama. this series I am watching now they have been fighting and screaming on it but the stoyline catches you in its grip from the get go, so i am watching it faithfully to see how it ends, its Cinderelal Game, the writing sometimes leaves a lot to be desired, But even with all the chaos and back biting and scheming going on there is no foul lanuage except for a few b…ches once in a while, it has lots of repetitive stuff and that can get annoying especially with all the episodes there are. It is an on-going series that started in 2024, it is i think over 100 episodes and we barely just finshed E67 and have to wait a week for E68 to air on Viki
and Kocowa both, But like the one I am watching, its awesome but with so many episodes to watch it can get frustrating to have to wait a week for more, it would be great if we got more than 1 Episode a week, or even if we got 5 or 6 a week or maybe even 2 or 3 a day it would be a lot better then we are getting now, in addition everyone is getting really tired of waiting for these episodes to air, this has been on going since 2024, we are already into March of 2025 i wish these platforms would really think this when they start airing a series. By the way i love the Cdramas too, We don’t have to be from a certain Country to enjoy different Cultures, my grandchildren are 12 and 7 they also love the dramas from both the Korea and China. Both them and i were all born and breed here in the US. WOULDN’T IT BE REALLY BORING IF THERE WAS ONLY 1 LANGUAGE AND ONLY 1 CHANNEL FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO WATCH !!!
I good book (story) of any kind does not start out the gate with so much stress, etc and expect people to jump on board without something hopeful to look forward to.
I love a good Korean drama but lately some have lacked creativity and/or the ability to keep the viewer engaged long enough to want to claw their way through on crisis after another.
I am more and more finding my way to look at older dramas that keep me interested.
Most people have enough stress in their lives and usually prefer a mix of a laugh or two along with the drama. If there can’t be a bit of levity then something to momentarily lighten the mood helps me to handle the tension that is presented.
viki passplus is non-existentint the UK Unfortunately.
Kocowa is kind of available in the form of Kocowa+ but it’s terrible in comparison to Viki.it still doesn’t have some of the shows that viki has available for American users, although I think some of it might be licensed to NF and D+ in the United Kingdom and wider Europe.
Safe to say I won’t be renewing my subscription for Kocowa+ when it’s up in june as the only Kocowa+ app which works well is Roku. I believe Kocowa+ might be available in some other European countries as well.
with respect to the other points that @irmar mentioned they are indeed correct
there are some series I wanted to watch on Kocowa but who has time to watch everything??? ha ha
I have never really enjoyed the shows that have so many episodes you almost forget why you started watching.
@command_234. I believe that kocowa only carries content produced or distributed by the major “terrestial” (as opposed to cable) broadcasters in South Korea, SBS, MBC and KBS. A major producer of K drama featuring “A List” actors is tVn, as well as JTB and a myriad of smaller broadcasters and independent producers are not carried on Kocowa,. Although at the start of Kocowa, viki was a member of the consortium, viki does NOT have a license to everything now produced by SBS,MBC, and KBS.
KOCOWA is starting to show some jTBC content. The most recent being “The Art of Negotiation” and previously “The Tale of Lady Ok”.
But the quality of Viki’s shows in my opinion is far superior, this is thanks to the hard work of volunteer members.
