Cover Steven Yeun and Ali Wong star in the Netflix series ‘Beef’ (Photo: courtesy of Netflix)
Steven Yeun and Ali Wong star in the Netflix series ‘Beef’ (Photo: courtesy of Netflix)
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The streaming giant’s subscribers are showing a penchant for Korean, Japanese and Thai content. And it’s not just manga that’s caught their eye, but also thrillers and dramas
Netflix has struck gold again recently with its new series Beef, created by Korean director Lee Sung Jin, and starring the brilliant Ali Wong and the talented Steven Yeun.
The comedy drama has been available on the platform since April 6, and even reached the third place of the top 10 most-watched series in the week of April 3 to 9 on Netflix with 34.08 million hours watched in just three days.
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Critically acclaimed, collecting a score of 99% on the website Rotten Tomatoes with the highly prized “certified fresh” label, Beef seduced viewers who praised its Asian-led cast and its theme—which has been rarely seen before in this kind of programme—of anger among people of Asian descent, who are most often portrayed in a rather caricatural way associated with calm and wisdom.
The series tells the story of two strangers whose lives take a dramatic turn following a car incident in a parking lot.
Something for everyone
Beef isn’t the only unique, Asian-led series to find success on Netflix.
Among the most popular shows of the moment, the South Korean drama series The Glory retained top spot in the top 10 non-English-language series from April 3 to 9 with 18.57 million hours viewed in one week.
Topping the chart for 10 weeks, it stands as the fifth most-watched non-English-language series in Netflix history, Variety said. The Glory tells the story of a woman seeking revenge on the people responsible for the horrific abuse she endured in high school.
In second place, the first season of Copycat Killer managed the feat of being the first Taiwanese series to reach the streaming giant’s top 10. Adapted from the Japanese novel Mohōhan by Miyuki Miyabe, the show follows the investigation of a psychopathic killer who doesn’t hesitate to brag about his murders to the media.
Korean drama Divorce Attorney Shin and Korean comedy-drama Crash Course in Romance take the fifth and sixth place respectively.
Also noteworthy is the success of From Me to You: Kimi Ni Todoke, ninth in the top 10. This Japanese romantic series which follows the life of Sawako, a student who has difficulty integrating, is adapted from manga.
“We’ve seen more shows and films from APAC reaching our Global Top 10 lists over the past year, and it’s particularly encouraging to see this variety of content from across the region,” Minyoung Kim, VP of Content, Netflix APAC, told Variety.
“This week’s list includes APAC titles that span genres from lifestyle comedy to serial killers, and the languages ranging from Thai to Chinese to Korean. We know authentic local stories have the power to transcend borders and cultures, and it’s great to see this happening with global audiences embracing titles across our slate.”
Action films in the lead
While Asian-led series have found a global audience, movies from the region have also managed to win over Netflix subscribers.
At the top of the list of non-English films is Kill Boksoon by Byun Sung-hyun.
The South Korean thriller, a sort of Korean version of Kill Bill, tells the story of a single mother and renowned hitwoman. The film has totalled 25.71 million hours of viewing and has held the top spot for the second week in a row.
Thai film Hunger, second in the top 10, focuses on the story of a young chef who is willing to push her limits to be trained by a great chef who is talented but difficult to work with.
Meanwhile the Indian thriller Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga, directed by Ajay Singh, was able to break through on Netflix by coming in fourth on the chart with 4.2 million hours of viewing logged in three weeks.
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