Viki is a streaming service that caters specifically to fans of Asian TV shows and movies, especially K-dramas. It has garnered favorable comparisons to DramaFever, the now-defunct platform that was shut down by Warner Bros. in 2018.
Libraries vary by market and include both original and licensed content, all of which are available to watch with subtitles in a wide variety of languages. Unusually, Viki – which is owned by Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten – relies on unpaid volunteers to produce these.
Users can choose between the free tier and paid plans, and some titles can be rented for an additional fee. If you’re not sure where to start, the fan-made compilations are helpful, as is the free playlist.
Viki operates in a ton of countries around the world, but since some markets are prioritized over others, to get the most out of the service, you’ll want to pair it with a strong VPN.
This is how you see Viki
Viki’s ad-supported base layer is completely free. The only catch is that new arrivals are initially locked behind a paywall.
A Standard Viki Pass provides access to the full Viki library, with ad-free streaming limited to one device at a time and 720p video quality.
Viki Pass Plus tops out at 1080p, up to four devices at a time, and lets you download shows to watch offline.
A standard subscription costs $7.99/£4.99/CA£9.99/AU$9.99 per month, while Plus costs $11.99/£7.99/CA£13.49/AU$12.99 per month.
Customers based in India and Brazil can take advantage of some of the cheapest Vikipasses. In India, a Standard subscription costs INR 299/month (~$3.24); in Brazil Standard is BRL25.99/month (~$4.97) and Plus is BRL37.99/month (~$7.27).
Are you traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to view Viki as if you were at home. NordVPN is our top choice of options.
Use a VPN to view Viki from abroad
Why is a VPN a good option to watch Viki from abroad?
Viki operates in several countries around the world. However, even if you are a paying customer, you may not be able to view Viki from abroad, depending on your subscription plan and the region where you sign up for the service.
It is here a VPN is convenient – not only does it allow you to use your home streaming services anywhere, it also protects you from potential online threats.
What devices and platforms are supported by Viki and NordVPN?
Amazon Fire Stick
Android (9.0 and up)
Android TV (9.0 and up)
Apple TV (tvOS 18.0 and later)
Chromecast
iOS (18.0 and up)
iPadOS
Web browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari)
While you can’t run NordVPN directly on other devices, such as PlayStation and Xbox consoles, TVs running Apple TV and various other smart TV systems, and VR headsets, an easy solution is to run NordVPN on your smartphone or computer and set up a hotspot.
What is Viki?
Viki is a streaming service that specializes in South Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, and Thai TV shows and movies.
While Netflix intervened in the wider K-craze with Play octopuswhose wild success has given rise to a number of new commissions, Viki is quite different in that its scope is not limited to prestige titles.
Part of its appeal is its vast reality and diverse selection of light entertainment shows that are far too niche for the big name streamers to dabble in.
Which country has the best Viki library?
The US tends to prioritize when it comes to programming, as it’s the streaming service’s biggest market and Viki itself is headquartered in California.
In general, this means that you’re likely to find titles in the Viki US library that aren’t available elsewhere, such as Chinese fantasy The Legend of the Demon Cat.
But since different movies and TV shows are subject to different licensing agreements, it can also work the other way around.
What are the best shows on Viki?
The Village Barber
Multi-award winning actor and singer Park Bo-gum runs a hair salon in a remote village alongside Lee Sang-yi and Kwak Dong-yeon in this heartwarming South Korean reality series. It’s great to see the trio making connections with the locals – and Park also knows his way around a pair of scissors.
What’s wrong with Secretary Kim
Entitled vice chairman Lee Young-joon (Park Seo-joon) vows to do whatever it takes to win back his secretary Kim Mi-so (Park Min-young) when she quits and his business empire quickly crumbles. Twist? Mi-so has a thing for Young-joon’s older brother. The South Korean romantic comedy series won several Korea Drama Awards and APAN Star Awards accolades and has inspired several international adaptations.
Yumi’s cells
The first season of the quirky South Korean romantic comedy-drama was a sensation, though it hasn’t quite been able to reach those heights since. It tells the mundane existence of office worker Kim Yumi (Kim Go-eun), after a breakup leaves her love cells in a coma – all from the perspective of animated personifications of her other bodily functions. It turned out to be a big winner at the Asian Academy Creative Awards and APAN Star Awards.
Nice runner
The critically acclaimed time-hopping romantic fantasy transports Im Sol (Kim Hye-yoon) back in time 15 years to avert twin tragedies from her own unfulfilled dreams and the untimely death of swimmer-turned-K-pop idol Ryu Sun-jae (Byeon Woo-seok). The 16-part series took APAN Star Awards, Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards and Asian Academy Creative Awards by storm.
Healer
The 20-part action-thriller series unpacks recent South Korean history through the story of the outlaw Healer (Ji Chang-wook), who slips into the life of rookie reporter Chae Young Shin (Park Min Young) at the behest of high-ranking journalist Kim Moon-ho (Yoo Ji-tae), for unknown reasons. The unlikely common thread connecting the trio is an illegal grassroots pro-democracy group formed during the country’s Fifth Republic era.
Marriage chaos
Thirties friction hits a couple’s marriages hard in this South Korean remake of the Japanese series Saikou no Rikon. Under-priest Jo Seok-moo (Cha Tae-hyun) has become bitter and resentful of the laid-back, optimistic Kang Hwi Roo (Bae Doona), and with a divorce on the horizon, he runs into his first love Jin Yoo-young (Lee El), who himself is stuck with a womanizer (LeeS Jang-hyunku).
Flashing watermelon
A magical record store rushes Ha Eun Gyeol (Ryeoun) back to 1995, where he is thrown into high school with his father Ha Yi-chan (Choi Hyun Wook) and mother Cheong Ah (Shin Eun Soo), in this time-hopping romantic drama. When future Yi-chan does not approve of music, Eun-gyeol is stunned to discover that he is in a band. And if that wasn’t thought-provoking enough, it turns out that Yi-chan is in love with cellist Se Kyeong (Seol In Ah). Eun-gyeol will have to befriend Yi-chan to get him on the right path – unless he can change things for the better.
Can I join a Viki Watch Party?
Watch Party was a feature that allowed Viki users to virtually attend TV shows and movie screenings to discuss them via a live chat portal. However, it was discontinued in December 2024.
However, it has inspired a sequel of sorts in the form of Timed Comments. The feature invites viewers to pin comments on scenes such as annotations in a book, which in themselves can spark lively discussions and take on a life of their own.
It is common practice to rewind because the timed comments are too good to miss.
You can also enjoy…
We test and review VPN services for legitimate recreational use. For example: 1. Accessing a Service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that Service). 2. Protecting your online security and enhancing your online privacy when you are abroad. We do not support or condone illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consumption of paid-for pirated content is neither endorsed nor endorsed by Future Publishing.
