A No-Nonsense Comparison of 6 Streaming Services for Asian and Western Content
For quite a while now, I received a monthly free subscription from my phone service. I guess being a platinum member has its own perks because now I can have prime and most streaming services without paying. Throughout the year, I also regularly received some free streaming services so if one ends,another starts.
Each of these streaming services has its own perks and advantages. I mean it all depends on what you need. Do you want to be the cool kid or do you want to learn some Mandarin and want to look at China through different lenses?
Since my focus is mostly content discovery of these streaming services, you can see quite a difference in terms of what kind of film/series that you would want to watch. Netflix is definitely your best bet if you want to be relatable with most people.
If you are a fan of K-drama, you have more options as Netflix and Viu will give you endless recommendations and series to binge.
And if you’re someone who for some reason watches everything Chicago, Prime Video got your back.
I am fairly new to prime honestly and so far, it has some of the oldest comedy shows I used to watch like Mom and 2 Broke Girls. Max is my favorite character and I was so ecstatic reconnecting with this show. Oh, if you love hot fuzz, prime has it too.
There’s also something different in terms of the actors and actresses between netflix and prime. At least this is something I noticed on South Korean productions. You normally see different casts on prime and it rarely has A-tier casts when compared to netflix. So, it all once again depends on the content or casts that you would like to see.
So, this is the chart for you and in this economy, make sure that you get all these streaming services for free 😂
| Service | Content Library | User experience |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix | Their content library is for those who follow up-to-date movies and tv series and want to relate with most people in a conversation.Great to watch high quality South Korean films and international movies. | Great user experience and quality video. It’s a hassle free streaming experience. |
| Prime Video | If you are more into Hollywood and don't mind old shows, Prime has some legendary sitcoms and comedies. Don’t have too high hopes for its Korean films and movies, there are only a few of them and the titles aren’t even intriguing. So, this isn’t the place to watch South Korean drama/movies. | So-so but not that bad. They have annoying cast trivia but not as bad as WeTV |
| Viu | Your go to Asian films, mainly Chinese but with great South Korean selections and variety shows. It also features plenty of Japanese films and movies as well. There are some high production variety shows and fun to watch. If this is your go-to entertainment, it’s worth subscribing to. | Great user experience and quality video. It’s a hassle free streaming experience. |
| Rakuten viki | I don’t know who would subscribe to this but they have some good oldies K-dramas that aren't available on Netflix, Viu, and Prime. Their content isn’t so up to date. So, don’t expect too much. | Quite okay user experience. The ads are annoying if you are not a premium user |
| We Tv | If you are more into Chinese drama and movies, WeTV is the home for them. They are uptodate and honestly a great way to see different China than the news. There are also some quality Thai dramas and Korean dramas here so, it’s worth subscribing to but you won’t really blend in into conversation well cause this is too niche even within movie/series aficionado. | Annoying as hell with their pop-up commentary that every user can leave. Otherwise, this is the only place where they allow direct screenshot unlike the others. |
I spend hours in all the streaming services and I am almost running out of things to watch especially when it comes to South Korean film and productions. However, with prime, I am a bit picky about my choice as some Hollywood productions aren't something I liked.
Recently, I watched G20 and I felt like I was wasting an hour of my time. For some reason, it was just forced and not the kind of movie that I would speak highly of. There were some more like You’re cordially invited that I watched because Leanne Morgan, a comedian I like, is in that film. Otherwise, I don’t really recommend it unless you love feel-good movies.
So, what’s your go-to streaming services?
 | Mac covers technology, philosophy, books, productivity, minimalist lifestyle, cybersecurity, coffee, and languages in no particular order. In her free time, she enjoys learning various things that would be too long to name in this ti |
I !LUV Max too! 😂 I actually learned how to manage my money back then thanks to 2 Broke Girls!
Netflix is a must for me. I used to have HBO Go just for House of the Dragon 😊
I’m enjoying Amazon Prime Video lately, mostly because of the free Amazon Gaming that comes with it. Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time on Apple TV. Severance and Pachinko are sooo good.
I tend to jump in and out of different streaming services depending on what I feel like watching but Netflix and Apple TV are my constants. Netflix is my go-to for all my comfort shows. Apple TV stays because it’s bundled with Apple Music and I get to play 200+ ad-free games too.
I ran out of new things to watch on Netflix especially it K-drama. So, I am going to wait until a few series available fully and I'd resubscribe 🤣 I hate waiting between episodes.
It's unfortunate they don't really continue the series cause the production house thought there was no interest anymore in it. I mean, last time I watched it was this episode when their cupcake funds got back into 0 and I honestly would see Max in more happy and stable relationship 🤣
Omg I feel this! I literally hop from one free trial to another just to keep watching my fave K-dramas 😂. Netflix and Viu are my top picks too!
hahahaha yeah that's how I felt too and these days I decided to pick just one or two. Viu is definitely my go-to. They have some good Korean shows.
Hmm I belong to the minority that don't really watch dramas/shows.. But I recognised 2 Broke Girls! They are so funny! Always love their humour! :)
Max has a funny self-deprecating humor🤣 and can be quite relatable. It's a good comforting shows for me.
I always watch KDrama in netflix, actually there are so many new ongoing drama.
I am not sure with recent/totally new one cause where I am from the only on-going one that I have watched is Haunted palace & resident playbook. I heard squid game season 3 is coming up. If I were to go back to Netflix, I'd wait until everything is released since waiting sucks.