From dramas to anime, Asian TV programs offer a wide range of titles that cover all kinds of genres and stories. And unlike most Western shows that would require us subscriptions, cable TV, and other fees to watch, we can still enjoy many Asian series without paying a single peso! On this list, we’ve rounded up websites and apps where you can watch anime, Korean and other Asian dramas, and more for free in the Philippines– and all legally!
Bilibili is a video streaming platform that describes itself as a “highly engaged, interactive and sticky video community” that brings viewers content on anime, games, and comics. They offer a rich library of free anime titles, with more anime movies and episodes available with a premium subscription for only P79 per month.
Viu is an online platform where you can stream dramas from Korea, Japan, China, and more, plus popular anime titles available for free with ads, and via premium subscription. The streaming service also gives Pinoys the option to enjoy some of the most popular dramas out there in Filipino dub.
Viki is yet another streaming platform that has a wide selection of Asian dramas that you can watch for free without having to create an account. You can also easily navigate their content and choose a show according to your taste as the platform’s selections are categorized by their country of origin, genre, and even by their famous lead stars.
iQiyi further advanced its foray into the streaming industry by providing a decent library of content for Asian viewers, even partnering with our local producers to create Filipino originals. Like the other streamers on this list, iQiyi has a decent selection of shows that range from K-dramas to C-dramas to Japanese dramas and anime.
From Chinese entertainment giant, Tencent, WeTV has furthered its reach among Southeast Asian audiences after acquiring iFlix. The streamer has a wide library of dramas and anime from different countries, but if you want to watch more Chinese titles, be it romance, period dramas, or comedies, then WeTV is a great option.
Crunchyroll is one of the biggest streamers when it comes to anime, offering almost every title fans could think of. While viewers can fully enjoy everything that Crunchyroll has to offer by getting a premium subscription, you can still watch episodes for free albeit a bit later after its release.
FOX Entertainment’s Tubi is an ad-supported video-on-demand service packed with shows and movies one can stream for free. While most of the available titles are from Western producers, Tubi also has a humble anime section comprised of both classics and newer anime series.
When it comes to video streaming, YouTube offers a plethora of things you can watch, and they’re easily accessible. Of course, the platform rarely has the shows and films one can find on paid streaming platforms (at least not legally), but there are companies that have allowed select shows to be streamed on YouTube. For example, you can get your anime fix from YouTube channels such as Muse Asia and Ani-One Asia.
After the success of Extraordinary Attorney Woo, fans looking for more legal dramas from Korea finally have a new series to follow: The Law Café.
From Noh Seung-Ah’s web novel to a webtoon, and now adapted into a K-drama, The Law Café follows the righteous pro bono lawyer Yu-ri who believes that problems can be solved even before they proceed to court. She then opens a law café where she can cater to those who are seeking legal advice. Meanwhile, the landlord of Yu-ri’s café turns out to be an old friend she had known since high school, the former prosecutor Kim Jung-ho.
Aside from the legal aspect, The Law Café also tells of a complicated romance. Jung-ho has feelings for Yu-ri, and he tries to win her affection but it frustrates him because competition seems to be persistent all the time.
The new K-drama stars Lee Se-young of Seoul Vibe and The Red Sleeve as Yu-ri, and Lee Seung-gi of Mouse and My Girlfriend is a Gumiho fame as Kim Jung-ho. It is directed by Lee Eun-Jin. The first two episodes of the 16-part series are now available for streaming, with two more episodes dropping every week.
Where to stream The Law Cafe: This new legal drama is available for streaming in the Philippines through Viu. You can watch the preview for free, and the full episodes by signing up for Viu Premium. As of this writing, you can avail a Viu Premium subscription for P49 on your first three months.
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ASTRO’s Cha Eun-woo who has starred in dramas My ID is Gangnam Beauty and True Beauty is back to star in the new K-drama A Good Day to Be a Dog (working title).
The series is based on Lee Hey’s Naver webtoon of the same name, which is a fantasy romance involving a curse that can only be broken by a kiss. It follows the story of Hana who was cursed to transform into a dog whenever she kisses a man. The only way to lift the curse is for her to be kissed again, but the man who has to do it has a great fear of dogs due to a traumatic event he can no longer remember.
Cha Eun-woo stars as Jin Seo Won, the man who must undo Hana’s curse. Meanwhile, the actress who will play Hana is yet to be announced. Other details about the series are still under wraps.
In the meantime, fans can also check out the webcomic A Good Day to Be a Dog on the Webtoons website. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get the latest news on film, TV, and more updates around the city!
After the refreshing legal drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo and the action-packed heist film Seoul Vibe, Netflix is set to bring us yet another exciting title from South Korea, this time a thrilling drama that promises a lot of hard-hitting twists– Little Women.
Before its premiere this September 3, we’re giving you five reasons why you should catch the new series when it finally drops on Netflix this weekend.
1. The director of Vincenzo is back to bring us a new gripping mystery.
Vincenzo is one of the K-dramas that got us thrilled and entertained as we stayed at home in 2021. This year, Vincenzo‘s Kim Hee-won is back on the director’s chair to bring us yet another gripping mystery. For Little Women, Hee-won joins forces with writer Chung Seo Kyung, who is known for her works in the masterpiece The Handmaiden and Decision to Leave. Seo Kyung wrote this new tale where three sisters who live in poverty find themselves going against the richest and most influential family in Korea.
“Writer Chung Seo Kyung reimagined the novel Little Women, starting with the question ‘What if the sisters came to Korea?” explained director Hee-won at a recent press conference for the series. “The tightly-knit narrative is brought to life by the production designer Ryu Seong-hee and the powerful cast performances. It was a great experience to work with this dream team.”
Photo courtesy of Netflix
2. The show is led by three strong women played by brilliant actresses.
Little Women is led by three sisters with diverging personalities, but love and protect each other nonetheless. Playing the eldest sister, Oh Injoo, is Kim Go-eun,who has exhibited her acting skills in titles like Yumi’s Cells, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, and The King: Eternal Monarch.
“Injoo is a hardworking girl and always does her best, who seems to think it is the reason for her existence-she is complex and multifaceted, so I dived into the character from various angles,” said Go-eun about Injoo.
Photo from ‘Little Women’ trailer
The second sister is Oh Inkyung who is played by Nam Ji-hyun from 100 Days My Prince. Wiser than the eldest, In-kyung also loves her sisters but she does not want to be enslaved to money like Injoo. Finally, Park Ji-hu of All of Us Are Dead fame plays the youngest sister Oh Inhye, an art prodigy who feels that her sisters’ love are a little burdening.
Director Kim Hee-won stated, “The three actors have such a warm chemistry with their kind personalities and professional attitudes. They are supportive of each other, which makes them a perfect ensemble”.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
3. Wi Ha-Jun & more well-known actors complete the cast.
Also joining the cast of Little Women are more well-sought and veteran actors that will bring life to the characters surrounding the Oh Sisters’ lives. Wi Ha-joon of Squid Game and Bad and Crazy will play the mysterious character of Choi Do-il.
“The more I read into the script, the more I found him mysterious,” shared Ha-jun at the press conference. “’What was his upbringing like? How did he end up with such convictions and values? Why does he act that way? How does he feel about In-joo?’ I had endless questions about him, wanting to find out more about him. I found that appealing and wanted to flesh that out about him.”
Photo courtesy of Netflix
Also part of the cast are Kang Hoon (Into Your Time, Twenty Five Twenty One), Kim Mi-Sook (Artificial City, Man in the Kitchen), Uhm Ki-Joon (The Penthouse, Defendant), Uhm Ji-Won (The Cursed: Dead Man’s Prey), Jeon Chae-Eun (If You Wish Upon Me), and Jo Seung-Yeon (The Perfect Couple) to name a few.
Photo from ‘Little Women’ trailer
4. It’s a drama that “little women” can relate to.
Much like the novel that inspired the drama, Little Women aims to tell stories about the women of the world sunk in poverty and feeling powerless. “I dared to use the title Little Women with reverence and gratitude for the novel, and because the story is relatable to all girls in poverty in any place, any time,” said writer Chung Seo-kyung in a statement. “I wanted to add our story to the story of little women all around the world. I wanted to write a story where people in their teens to their 30s are the main characters.”
Director Hee-won also added that Little Women “contains both a reality relatable to all, and the mysterious workings of the imagination. Though it seems like a small and trifling story, there’s a large and deep implication underneath.”
Photo courtesy of Netflix
5. Expect a detailed mystery with beautiful mise-en-scène
Director Kim Hee-won is known for the amount of details she puts into her work, making the audiences coming back for more. In her latest drama, the director says that she wanted to “Overturn people’s expectation that Little Women is just a cozy and warm story,” and reflect the dark truth in our society through the issues each sibling is faced with.
Hee-won also expressed her admiration for the show’s writer, Chung Seo-kyung; production designer Ryu Seong-hee; and music composer Park Se-joon. “It is an honor to work with director Ryu on her first series who did a perfect job in painting the perfect picture,” stated Hee-won. “She created never-before-seen, elaborate sets that were all unique but under a unified theme. Music composer Park Se-joon who worked on Vincenzo with me, composed different genre tracks including classical music, which imbued power into the entire production.”
With such a powerhouse of creators paired with a talented cast, viewers can expect Little Women to be a work of art with a fast-paced storyline, compelling motive, and a beautifully put together mise-en-scène.
Photo courtesy of Netflix
The 12-episode drama, Little Women, starts streaming on Netflix this September 3. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get the latest news on film, TV, and more updates around the city!
Lee Do-Hyun is offered the lead role in the upcoming Korean drama Bad Mom, Soompireports. According to the actor’s agency, Yuehua Entertainment, Do-Hyun is positively reviewing the offer.
Bad Mom is set to be directed by Shim Na Yeon, who has also worked with Do Hyun in the thriller Beyond Evil. This time, Na Yeon will be directing a touching comedy-drama a mother and son from writer Bae Se Young.
The series tells the story of Kang Ho, the role offered to Do Hyun, who becomes a prosecutor just as his mother Young Soon had wished him to be. However, Kang Ho loses his memory and behaves like a young child again. Young Soon, who becomes the ‘Bad Mom’ while trying to do the best for her son, is reportedly being played by Ra Mi Ran.
Lee Do Hyun is best known for his roles in dramas such as Prison Playbook, Sweet Home, 18 Again, Youth of May, and Melancholia. Meanwhile, Ra Mi Ran has starred in titles such as Reply 1988, Avengers Social Club, Miracle That We Met, Black Dog, and Honest Candidate.
More details about the upcoming drama are yet to be revealed. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get the latest news on film, TV, and more updates around the city!
Looking for the next K-drama to get into? You might want to check out the new series If You Wish Upon Me,starring Ji Chang Wook and Girls’ Generation’s Choi Soo Young!
The new series tells the story of a man’s path to redemption after doing community service at a care facility for the terminally ill. Watch the trailer for If You Wish Upon Me below:
If You Wish Upon Me stars Chang Wook as Yoon Gyeo Ree, a man who has only known misery having been abused as a young boy and served time in prison as an adult. His life changes when he is ordered by a court to spend his community service at a care facility for the terminally ill. Here he meets Kang Tae Shik, who created a volunteer unit called Team Genie, which is dedicated to granting the final wishes of their dying patients. Gyeo Ree also meets the young nurse Seo Yeon Joo, played by Soo Young, who never gives up on her patients.
Directed by Kim Yong Wan, this K-drama also stars Sung Dong Il, Won Ji An, Yang Hee Kyung, and Kil Hae Yeon. You can now stream the first episode of If You Wish Upon Me on Viu.
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If you’re looking for a new drama to binge on this weekend, here’s something you might want to check out!
The first six episodes of the new K-drama Dear. M is now available for streaming! Based on the web series Love Playlist, this mystery romance drama stars NCT’s Jaehyun and Park Hye-soo of Saimdang, Memoir of Colors and My Shy Boss.
The series begins with a school mystery that surfaced at Seoyeon University. The peace within the campus is turned upside down when a mysterious “M” makes an anonymous post on the school’s online community. A post that drew the attention of every student, prompting them to set out to uncover the truth.
Ma Joo-a, a second-year student in the Business Administration Department is one of the people interested into finding out M’s identity. Having no interest in pursuing her own dreams nor having any romantic relationship, she decides to take on the challenge. Joining alongside her is her old friend Cha Min-ho from the Computer Science Department, Economics major Seo Ji-min, and Business Administration major Park Ha-neul.
As they go on a journey of solving this mystery, the four friends would also find themselves navigating their young-adult lives filled with morphing relationships and budding romances.
Park Hye-soo stars as Ma Joo-a while Jeahyun plays Cha Min-ho. Noh Jung-ui and Bae Hyeon-seong also star as Seo Ji-min and Park Ha-neul respectively. Dear.M is directed by Park Jin-woo and Seo Joo-wan.
Where to watch ‘Dear. M’?
The first six episodes of Dear. M is now available for streaming for free on Rakuten Viki. The remaining six episodes of the drama will be available a week later on July 6.
Streaming giant Netflix has released the pilot episode for the new K-drama, Extraordinary Attorney Woo. A show revolving around an autistic lawyer, making it a court drama equivalent to the hit series The Good Doctor.
The series follows Woo Young-woo, a young autistic woman who just got into a respected law firm. Due to her peculiarities, she is quickly met with skepticism, with the people around her doubting if she could really work as a lawyer. But despite their prejudgments, Attorney Woo would exhibit brilliance in the courtroom as she defends her clients and upholds justice.
Created by Yoo In-sik of Vagabond and Moon Ji-won of Innocent Witness, this new K-drama stars Park Eun-bin, Kang Tae-oh, and Kang Ki-young. New episodes will be released weekly, every Wednesdays and Thursdays, with a total of 16 episodes for its first season.
If you enjoy courtroom dramas or heartfelt shows that feature characters on the autism spectrum, then ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo‘ is definitely worth checking out. Stream it now on Netflix.
Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Areais coming to Netflix this Friday! The new show is the K-drama adaptation of the hit series from Spain, which follows a gang of thieves taking over the Mint of a unified Korean Peninsula.
Watch the trailer for Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area below:
Synopsis
Set in a fictional Korea where the borders between the North and the South have been removed, this series follows the criminal mastermind known as the Professor who gathers a group of professionals to pull off the biggest heist in the mint of the unified peninsula.
Clad in red jumpsuits and traditional Hahoe masks, the group must handle their hostages from inside the mint while the authorities surround them from every corner.
The series is directed by Kim Hong-sun and written by Ryu Yong-jae. It is based on the Spanish TV series Money Heist or La Casa de Papel created by Álex Pina.
Cast & Characters
Yoo Ji-tae (When My Love Blooms) as the Professor
Jung Jong-seo (The Call) as Tokyo
Park Hae-soo (Squid Game) as Berlin
Lee Hyun-woo (The Liar and his Lover) as Rio
Lee Won-jong (My Unfamiliar Family)as Moscow
Kim Ji-hun (Flower of Evil) as Denver
Jang Yoon-ju (Citizen Deok Hee) as Nairobi
Kim Ji-hun (Chimera) as Helsinki
Lee Kyu-ho (The Good Detective) as Oslo
Kim Yunjin (Confession) as Seon Woojin
Lee Joobeen (Doctor Lawyer) as Yun Misun
Park Myung-hoon (Parasite) as Cho Youngmin
Kim Seung-o (Graceful Friends) as Cha Moohyuk
On adapting the Spanish series into a Korean Drama
In a recent press conference for the series, writer Ryu Yong-jae and director Kim Hong-sun shared their first impressions on the original series and how they ended up making a Korean adaptation for it.
“When I watched season 1 and 2 of the original Spanish series, I was very much intrigued, and I became a big, big fan,” shares Ryu. “So I was sure I wanted to make a remake of it. And because it’s a Netflix original series, I can’t just buy the copyright for it, they have to offer me the job. And we knew that we could twist this into a Korean tale, and we pondered a lot. And then, we showed our plan to the original creator and we talked a lot with Netflix, and we were able to make it into a Korean tale.”
Director Kim also adds: “I saw the original for the first time in 2018, and I thought that there were so many characters in the show, but what’s amazing is that all of them have their own personalities and charms, and it was just so fun to watch them all. And I knew that the characters would be very intriguing whenever and wherever they would be placed in. So I thought, if we translate the background and characters into something Korean, I thought we could give birth to something novel. And that’s how we started.”
Photo: Jung Jaegu/Netflix
A unique tale set in a unified Korea
Asked what their comments are on the premise of this Korean adaptation, actress Kim Yunjin says: “Well, the original series is so popular, so I was unsure of whether we should actually make it in the start because I felt a lot of pressure. But unfortunately, Korea is the only divided country left on the world and we were able to create something by compressing all the good essence of the original and writer Ryu actually created a really beautiful script. And reading the script, I thought that I would be able to do this because the script is so good.”
The Professor, Yoo Ji-tae also says: “It is a show with great fandom, I know, but a great story would be told well in any situation, any country, I thought. And Korean content is now beloved by so many people around the world, and that is probably because Korean content creators have really clever ideas and smart approaches. And that was of course done on this show as well. I mean, our own charms and our own sense of humor are all infused in the show.”
The meaning behind the Hahoe mask
Money Heist‘s mask based on the Spanish artist Salvador Dali has become iconic since the rise of the show’s popularity around the world. Now, the Korean version of the Money Heist gang will be wearing the traditional Korean mask of Hahoe.
Berlin actor Park Hae-soo explains the meaning behind the new disguise: “In Spain, the Dali mask was used to send the message of freedom, and in Korea, we used the Hahoe mask from the Andong area, and Hahoe mask has some significance to it. It is embodying the criticism of the powerful, and it has the sense of humor in it as well. And when the mask was first brought to me, I actually felt this sense of overwhelming power when the mask is worn by every member of the cast. It has different angles from the center and from the side as well. I mean, the look that the mask is portraying from different angles may seem quite different, so that is something that intrigued me.”
Lee Hyun-woo who plays Rio also shares how the mask gives him confidence during filming.
“When you put on the Hahoe mask, people can’t see your facial expressions. So somehow, I got a little more confident so I could act a little more boldly when I’m behind the mask. And when we’re in the red jumpsuit altogether and when we’re standing together, that kind of uniformity gives that camaraderie. So I felt backed up and I felt more energetic when I was wearing the red jumpsuit,” said Hyun-woo.
The Professor and Seon Woojin
In the original series, we got to see the complex relationship between the Professor and Spanish Police Inspector Raquel Murillo. In the Korean adaptation, the heist’s mastermind will go against Seon Woojin.
“Seon Woojin is a senior inspector at the Gyeonggi Police Crisis Negotiation Team,” explains actress Kim Yunjin. “As a negotiator in the joint task force team, she is really excellent in her own prowess and she is really calm and cold-hearted. And she is looking into the weakness of the robbers to finish the situation as soon as possible.”
“Woojin and the Professor actually have something in common. They do not want any harm on anybody. So Woojin doesn’t want to go for armed repression. She wants to finish things in peace. With ideas and conversations, she wants to address the situation peacefully. So I think in that sense, Woojin and the Professor have something in common. And Woojin is a single mom on the outside of the joint task force and she is having a custody dispute with her ex-husband. And what makes her heart broken is that her mother is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and she has to deal with the big crisis while taking care of her sick mother as well,” Yunjin adds.
Photo: Jung Jaegu/Netflix
A very different Tokyo joins the team
Jun Jong-seo who starred opposite Park Shin-hye in The Call, will be playing Tokyo in the new series. According to the actress, she really wanted to play the role of Misun, but naturally, she got the role of Tokyo. She also shared that the Korean version of Tokyo will be the most different from the original character.
“She is a Gen Z, she’s in her 20s, and the realistic elements of those in her 20s are reflected on the show,” said Jun Jong-seo. “She is the most pure, I would say, and she is so much into the conviction of the Professor so she doesn’t get distracted, she’s very stable, and she is just focusing on one goal. And she is trying to lead everybody to go to that goal, so she is not a troublemaker.”
Moscow and Denver’s tight-knit relationship
Korean actor Lee Won-jong plays Moscow, the dependable father of Denver, who hopes for a better future for his son. According to Won-jong, he also feels father-and-son relationship between the two characters even from behind the scenes.
“In our shooting process, the most difficult actions were played by my son Denver,” says Won-jong. “And there were so many dangerous scenes. He was rescued from the wall, and in that moment, I was really holding onto him really tightly because I didn’t want him to get hurt. So I kind of felt this fatherly love towards Ji-hun naturally.”
Photo: Jung Jaegu/Netflix
Denver’s actor Kim Ji-hun also agrees, saying “I’ve been in many projects, and I’ve acted as a son many times, but he was a dad that really cared for me like I was his real son. I could really feel that love. So I could open up to him really fast, and he was a dad that really pulled at my heartstrings. It was just natural that we felt this love towards each other. He talked about us hugging after a dangerous scene, I think it was the first scene where there was an explosion of the wall. Moscow comes out from the explosion and he almost died, well I wouldn’t say that, but I could feel that in my ears because the explosion was so loud, it looked so realistic. So I just had to go and hug him.”
Will Money Heist: Korea beat Squid Game?
During the global press conference for Money Heist: Korea, Park Hae-soo who played Cho Sang-woo in the hit Netflix series Squid Game and is now playing Berlin in the new series, was asked if he thinks that Money Heist: Korea will beat Squid Game in popularity.
Hae-soo answers: “I’m not quite sure how it will unfold, but what I want to tell you is that there is a really big strength in Money Heist Korea. That is the great ensemble of the great cast. And the show is set against the backdrop of the divided nation and there are some emotional conflict that is inherently embedded in the storyline. And I think the global audience will be able to find joy in watching the show. And we have great artists and creators in Korea, and Squid Game actually followed the path of these creators and I’m sure Money Heist Korea will follow the same path and create more opportunities for the people who are following. So I really hope to see great progress in that regard going forward, and I’m sure that we’ll see that coming.”
Photo: Jung Jaegu/Netflix
Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area starts streaming on Netflix this June 24, 2022.
Netflix’s Korean zombie thriller All of Us Are Dead has been renewed for a second season!
The streaming giant has just announced the return of the hit horror drama which topped Netflix charts around the world and remains one of the two Korean shows– following Squid Game— that are in Netflix’s Top 10 Most Popular Non-English TV Shows.
In season one, we were introduced to a number of students stuck inside their campus, Hyosan High, when a zombie outbreak began. It follows characters like Nam On-jo and her reliable childhood friend Lee Cheong-san, the popular and athletic Lee Su-hyeok, the studious loner Choi Nam-ra, and more. The season 1 finale left room for endless possibilities, and so we can only wait to see how season 2 will unfold.
Back in January, right before the premiere of the show’s first season, director Lee JQ told the media about the uniqueness ofthis series: “There is a lot of zombie content and in most stories, we look at what happens to adults when they [encounter] a zombie virus. But this was a little bit unique. First, it happens in a very confined space that is a school, and it happens to students, who are not yet mature adults. We often say things like, some adults are ‘childish’, but I wanted to look into what kind of choices– and I felt that it would be extremely interesting and intriguing to look at the choices– that these young adults make, and I felt like it could bring a new meaning to the zombie genre.”
The series stars Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young ,Cho Yi-hyun, Lomon, Yoo In-soo, Lee You-mi, and Lim Jae-hyeok. More details about All of Us Are Dead season 2 including its release date are yet to be revealed. Stream the first season of the series now on Netflix.
