Everyone around you seems to be three episodes into a K-drama, so where do you start? Viki, the Rakuten streaming app for Asian series, is a sensible first stop: Korean dramas lead its store listings, and part of the catalog is free to watch with ads.
The catch is that free on Viki has edges. Some shows go to subscribers first, and what you can watch depends on your country. Knowing where those lines sit saves you from starting a series you cannot finish.
The good news is that those lines are written down. Viki’s help center spells out what each plan includes, and this guide sticks to what it says, from the free tier to the TV apps.
6 min read
📋 What you’ll find here
- Why K-dramas are easy to start and hard to stop
- What Viki is and how the app works
- What is free and what Viki Pass adds
- How to pick your first K-drama
- Watching on your phone
- Moving from the phone to the TV
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Key Takeaways
- Many K-dramas run one season with a planned ending, which makes them an easy first commitment.
- Viki is a Rakuten service with officially licensed dramas, movies and variety shows from across Asia.
- Selected titles are free with ads in standard definition. Viki Pass removes the ads and adds HD.
- Some shows stay with subscribers for a while, and what is available changes by country.
- Chromecast casting and the Viki app on LG and Samsung TVs are reserved for Viki Pass.
Why K-dramas are easy to start and hard to stop
Korean dramas are built differently from the long-running series many viewers grew up with. Many of the best known run a single season, often 16 episodes or fewer, and the story is written toward an ending instead of being stretched across years.
That shape is a big part of the pull. Episodes tend to close on a small cliffhanger, the central couple or rivalry is set up early, and it is easy to promise yourself one episode and look up at two in the morning.
The range is wider than the romantic reputation suggests. Office romance and romantic comedy are the classic entry points, but historical dramas, crime thrillers, legal and medical series, and time travel fantasies all have big followings.
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What Viki is and how the app works
Viki is a streaming service from the Rakuten Group. Its store listing describes dramas, movies and variety shows from Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan and Thailand, and states that all of its content is officially licensed, which matters in a genre full of unofficial sites.
The layout will feel familiar. The home screen shows featured titles, the search tab filters by genre, and each show page lists its episodes along with viewer ratings and reviews. A plus icon on that page adds the show to your Watchlist.
You need a Viki account to watch, and both Viki’s terms of use and its help center set the minimum age for an account at 18. The account keeps your Watchlist and remembers where you left off.
The help center lists iOS 18 or later for iPhone and iPad, and Android 9.0 or later for phones and tablets.
What is free and what Viki Pass adds
Viki’s help center puts it plainly: certain content is free to watch, with ads and in standard definition. Viki Pass is the optional subscription, in two tiers called Standard and Plus, with monthly and annual billing. The plans and prices offered where you live appear at checkout.
The part that trips up new viewers is exclusivity. Some shows go to subscribers first and open to everyone later, after a wait that varies. Others stay behind Viki Pass until the license ends, and some shows still on air open only their first few episodes.
Regional restrictions apply to every plan, so paying does not unlock a show that is not licensed where you live.
| What you get | Free | Viki Pass Standard | Viki Pass Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ads | Yes | No | No |
| Video quality | Standard definition | HD (720p) | Full HD (1080p) |
| Catalog | Selected titles | Full library, where licensed | Full library, where licensed |
| Subscriber exclusive shows | No | Yes | Yes |
| Casting with Chromecast | No | Yes | Yes |
| Viki app on LG and Samsung TVs | No | Yes | Yes |
| Downloads for offline viewing | No | No | Selected titles |
How to pick your first K-drama
The free tier is a good place to test your taste. A few habits make that first pick easier.
- Start from a genre you already enjoy in other shows, not from whatever everyone is talking about this week.
- Check the episode count on the show page, so you know how long the commitment is.
- Read the viewer rating and a couple of reviews before pressing play.
- Look for the subscriber icon on the show page, so a Viki Pass exclusive does not stop you halfway.
- Give a new series two episodes before you judge it, since the first one has a lot of introductions to get through.
Watching on your phone
On the phone, Viki behaves like any streaming app. Open a show, tap an episode and turn the phone sideways for full screen. The three dot menu in the player opens the video settings.
One setting deserves an early look: Autoplay. It starts the next episode on its own, which suits a weekend marathon and works against an early night. You can switch it off in that same menu.
Streaming eats data, so long sessions are better on Wi-Fi, and the free tier has no downloads for offline viewing.
Moving from the phone to the TV
Viki has its own apps for several TV platforms. The help center lists Android TV, Google TV, Apple TV HD and newer, Amazon Fire TV, Roku in selected countries, and LG and Samsung TVs from 2018 on. You sign in with the same account as on your phone.
There are limits on the free side. The help center reserves casting from the phone with Chromecast, and the Viki app on LG and Samsung TVs, for Viki Pass. On the other TV apps, sign in and check what plays on your account before you plan an evening around the big screen.
From an iPhone or iPad, AirPlay works only to an Apple TV. Screen mirroring, an HDMI cable and the web browser built into smart TVs are all listed as unsupported, so those shortcuts will not put Viki on the big screen.
Before you install
Both listings are free to download, and Google Play labels the app with ads and in-app purchases, which is where Viki Pass is sold. Streaming apps attract lookalikes, so use the buttons on this page and check the publisher: Google Play lists Viki, Inc., and the App Store shows ViKi Inc., with viikii pte ltd as the seller.
Checked on September 28, 2026, the United States App Store listing showed 4.8 stars from 493,744 ratings, and Google Play showed 4.7 from 1.15 million reviews and over 100 million downloads.
This article is informative and independent. We have no connection with Viki or Rakuten, and we are not responsible for how the app behaves, for which titles are available where you live, for changes to what each plan includes, or for any charge on your account.
FAQ
Why can’t I find a show I heard about?
Viki licenses each title region by region and for a set period. A show can be on the app in one country and missing in another, or leave when its license ends, and a renewed license may come back with different free access. Where there is no license, the app says the show is not available in your region.
How many screens can stream at the same time?
The help center lists one stream at a time for Viki Pass Standard and up to four for Viki Pass Plus. You can stay signed in on several devices, but a stream beyond your plan’s limit triggers a streaming limit message.
Can I download episodes for a flight?
Downloads come with Viki Pass Plus, or with a title you rent separately, and only on titles that show the download icon. They work on one phone or tablet per account, and a countdown shows how long each download has before it expires.
Can I lock mature shows on my account?
Yes. Content Restrictions asks for a four-digit PIN before any title at or above a rating you pick, using the ratings for your location. You set it up on Viki.com in a browser, not in the app or on a TV, and it then applies on every device.
Can I skip the opening credits?
On some series and movies, a Skip Intro or Skip Recap button appears as an episode starts, and a Next Episode option shows up when the end credits roll. The help center says it only works on certain titles for now.
