As Korean domination fades, young Indians are diversifying their content palette to shows from other Asian nations

Younger Indian viewers, particularly Gen Z and millennials, are moving beyond the once dominant Korean wave and embracing a wider spectrum of Asian storytelling — from Japan and China to Thailand and Vietnam — signalling a more diverse consumption pattern, industry executives, market researchers and young viewers tell Brand Equity.

“After achieving a peak consumption of 60-75% nearly two years ago, the dominance of Korean content has reduced to 40-45%. There has been a visible shift toward Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Turkish content,” says Sandhya Suman, a global content distributor and Asian market researcher.

According to a study by Singapore-based streaming solutions company OTTScrape.com, 58% of urban millennials streamed at least one Asian-origin series in the past six months, while 43% of Gen Z users included such shows in their personal libraries.

Easier Access

The availability of Asian content in regional languages across streaming platforms has boosted consumption. “Beyond subtitles, Asian content is now dubbed in Indian languages and is available on major platforms and dedicated apps. Today, 77% of Indian Gen Z audiences watch dubbed or translated content,” says producer Ameya Naik.

Most of this content is watched in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, according to Asian market researcher Sandhya Suman. Streaming platforms such as Crunchyroll, Netflix, Rakuten Viki, JioHotstar and YouTube offer content both dubbed in Indian languages and with subtitles.

These streamers share that there has been noticeable growth of subscriber base in India after the introduction of UPI payments and availability of content dubbed in regional languages.

The increasing popularity of Asian content in India can also be attributed to shorter story formats and young cast. “These are shorter stories with young protagonists — teens to people in their early 30s — in the main roles. Young Indian audiences connect with them,” says Monica Yadav, a freelance pop culture writer.

Cultural Resonance

Beyond accessibility, viewers say cultural familiarity also plays a role in the ascent of pan-Asian storytelling. “There are a lot of similarities in our dreams, problems, goals and overall world view when you watch nonKorean content of the big Asian content palette,” says Ram Iyer, a 23-year-old postgraduate student.

He points to elements such as the family as a unit, identity, tradition, and universal themes such as romance, nostalgia, mature-age stories, and urban loneliness that are authentically depicted in Vietnamese, Taiwanese and Turkish content.
For many young viewers, the diversity in genres also adds to the appeal.

Young viewers are exploring anime, manga and fairy tales from Japan; historical, micro-dramas and gaming content from China; and even queer ‘boys’ love’ shows from Thailand and the Philippines, shares Yogesh Parker, a 27-year-old banking professional from Mumbai. Market researchers expect anime and ‘boys’ love’ content to see strong growth in the coming years due to their expanding fan base and revenue potential. “There is already strong demand for such content in regional languages such as Telugu, Tamil and Hindi,” says Suman.

Soft Power Show

Government investment in content creation across Asia is expected to drive further growth.

“Governments in Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, China and the Philippines have recognised the soft power of content. They are investing $8-42 billion in creating content which reflects the themes and worldview of their countries,” says a producer, requesting anonymity.

The success of the Korean wave demonstrated how entertainment can travel far beyond screens. In India, it resulted in Korean influence permeating several layers of the consumer economy — from food and fashion to face creams and furniture. Brands will be keenly watching whether other Asian entertainment industries can spark similar ripple effects.