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Introducing Dramafever

There’s a new kid on the kdrama-streaming block, and its name is Dramafever.com. It’s free, it’s high-quality, and it’s just about to launch to the public.

I’m posting about them because I think this is something fans would love and find tremendous use in, and because the site, which is in beta, has offered to open up invitations to Dramabeans.com readers. Woo! (I’m sorry to say that this is only available to U.S.-based users, which I’ll explain below.)

The Short Explanation

Dramafever.com is a streaming site for Korean dramas. It’s free, subtitled in English, has high-quality video, and a sleek and easy-to-use interface. Best of all, IT’S COMPLETELY LEGAL.

The Longer Explanation

Yes, we have youtube and mysoju and crunchyroll, and they all have their upsides. However, they also have plenty of downsides, which you have probably experienced for yourselves at some point:

  1. Episodes tend to be broken up in multiple clips, upwards of 7 parts per episodes, and sometimes it’s difficult finding a link that’s not broken,
  2. Subtitles are hit or miss,
  3. and when the subtitles ARE available, often they’re stolen from fansubbing groups and stripped of credit, and
  4. the biggest detractor of all, the illegality of streaming licensed content. Reported links are constantly being taken down by Youtube and user accounts deleted. Threatening letters have been sent to uploaders and fansubbers for spreading content that is legally the property of broadcasting companies like MBC, KBS, and SBS.

 
LEGAL LICENSING

Dramafever.com, however, is completely legal. The founders of the site have done what no other streaming site has — which is to license the dramas directly from the Korean broadcasting companies.

That means there’s no risk of Korean broadcast stations threatening legal action and forcing sites to pull down episodes, because the licensing has been acquired.

SUBTITLES

Also, dramas are all subtitled in English. The subtitles for many series have been provided by the companies themselves, but there’s a chance Dramafever will collaborate with With S2 fansubbers to provide subtitles to other dramas in the future.

HIGH QUALITY VIDEO

The videos are unbroken into multiple parts (meaning one episode can be viewed in one single clip, rather than six or seven), and high-quality. The Dramafever team has spent a lot of time doing their own encoding to assure high quality picture with a larger viewing screen than Youtube, for example.

AVAILABLE DRAMAS

Currenty, Dramafever has licensed some of the most popular recent kdramas from MBC, including Coffee Prince, White Tower, My Name Is Kim Samsoon, New Heart, Goong, Jumong, Thank You, La Dolce Vita. Coming soon are titles like Que Sera Sera, H.I.T., Yi San, Really Really Like You.

They are in talks with KBS and SBS as well, so hopefully a slew of those dramas will be available soon.

They also are looking to acquire sitcoms and variety shows, as well as clips of behind-the-scenes action and actor interviews.

ONE KEY CAVEAT

For now, Dramafever is available only to users in the U.S. I know that’s really unfortunate for viewers outside of the States, but this because all the content has been legally licensed from companies like MBC, and the license restricts use to the U.S. If the site ever gets to a point where it can stream internationally, they hope to do so; for now, they are launching within the States.

DRAMABEANS INVITES

Dramafever.com is currently in beta, and plans to open up invitations for users in the coming weeks. Dramabeans readers will get first priority when that happens. All you do is register (free) at Dramafever.com and use the invite code coolbeans.

I recently had the chance to meet up with the guys behind this venture, and let me say that I think it’s a really exciting way to open up the world of Korean dramas to an eager audience. I hope you will give Dramafever your support, because I think it’s a fantastic idea, and I can’t wait to see it succeed.

SUGGESTIONS FOR MORE DRAMAS?

Leave a comment below! I know these guys really take user input seriously, so if there’s something you’re dying to watch, speak up!

Thanks for reading this super-long post. Now go register!

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need help signed up but nothing happend

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ou! sound really cool!!
haha kinda like aznv.tv
but i suspect that dramafever might have
clearer videos xD
thanks so much for the heads up!! (:

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can't register. :(

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aww...why only in the US.....

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thanks for the heads up and it definately made my christmas. Hopefully they will be up and running soon!! Merry Christmaas!

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This is a great idea, I've just registered. Other than dramas, I think licensing variety shows would be even better- it will appeal to more people, and there's constantly new episodes. I know many people like infinity challenge (but subs are lacking) as well as other sunday variety shows: like 1n2d, family outing. :D

I bet variety shows are cheaper to license also ;) And it's not done by many people.

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by US....it should hav been North america =( canadians want to watch too !

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Oh, this is great. Like someone mentioned before, it IS indeed a fantastic Christmas presents for us drama fan addicts. :D

One drama series I really want to just finish watching already is When It's At Night I've been following along to the episodes at mysoju, but it's taking way too long to get the next episodes. And its driving me nuts! I'm not a very patient person, and that doesn't help if I have to wait a few MONTHS.

I'm not saying mysoju is a bad site or anything. No, no. I found that site very, very helpful for me when there was absolutely nothing on T.V. And it was very entertaining, I wouldn't be able to watch so many different drama series/movies if it weren't for mysoju. What I mean is, the site is awesome and I know that the staff do the best they can to get us "drama addicts" what we want, but some of us don't have the patience to wait that long. - Ehem, yes, that would be me.

So yeah, once again I find myself ranting again. But I don't feel so bad since this is meant for "rant/and or rave". Haha, but I'll seriously stop now though because I think I made my point. Oh, almost forgot! This "Drama Fever" do they have other types of dramas? For example: Japanese, Hong Kong? Just curious because I'm also wanting to complete this Japanese drama called Innocent Love. Haha, I'm pretty sure that everyone will try their best to totally ignore this comment because of it's long length.

Well, thanks for all the GREAT info Dramabeans! Love your site. And I don't know about other places but it IS Christmas over here so, Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have a great time. :)

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I have to get much of my K-drama online and it's been really frustrating. I see White Tower is on the list of possible downloads. It's about time that one made it to the U.S. audience. Thank you, MBC, for that. Suggestions? Can we? I'd like to see the newbie Mom's Dead Upset and the oldie Hur Jun for starters.

Thanks, dramabeans, this is a Christmas present.

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This is good news for K-drama lovers.

So sad that it only available to those in the US why not NORTH AMERICA then us Canadian will be part of that too.

Hopefully this operation will grow international soon.

and I agree 110% with #56 about variety shows coverage as well.

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this is so awesome! i'm going to register right now

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Oh, never mind about my last comment on "Is there any other type of dramas?" I just finish reading the info on Dramafever's site. Gotcha! ;) All you gotta do is read people. Just like my math teacher ALWAYS say "What are the 4-letter word that I always tell you guys to do when working on homework, or studying over for a test? - R-E-A-D, READ!"

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Best. Holiday. Present. Ever.

Or at least for this season. :-P I'm going to register right now.

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hooooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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A welcome addition to the kdrama viewing landscape. I have already registered. Thanks for the opportunity!

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Wow, that's a really good idea. I'm glad they took the initiative to work with the broadcasting companies. Wonder how they persuaded them? *must learn* :O

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what a nice gift! thank you Dramafever and dramabeans. I'm off to register now. I particularly appreciate watching an episode unbroken, not in 4-6 parts. ~ K-Drama watcher since 2002

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How wonderful! I know I'm going to enjoy this so I'm off to register now!

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this is so awsome! thank you for the tip!

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That sounds all kinds of awesome, but...it's no use to me. :(

You know, it's funny: where I live, not even cable or satellite broadcast k/Jdramas and the only ways to watch them are a)buy the dvd boxsets without ever previewing an ep so if the series sucks, you've wasted so much money, b)download them, or c)watch them streaming online. If the networks were smart enough, they'd do something for us non-US citizens too. If I like a series, I usually buy the dvds, but there's no way I'm going to buy a set just because the drama is popular and "seems" good. I think they're losing money without letting us into the loop, and yeah, yeah, I know, there are legal issues of each country to overcome etc, and that's exactly why I'm bitter and not at all hopeful.

That said, I'm happy for you guys. :) As a fan, I'm glad at least someone can freely enjoy the dramas. ;)

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Thanks for the news. Hope that it'll be open to international k-drama fans soon!

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I tries out eventhough I live in canada :)

it's my first time commenting and just wanted to say that I am originaly from Morocco and my sister just called to say that they are broadcasting Kim Sam Soon there in ARABIC :))) She soo wanted to tell me because she knows how crasy I am about Kdramas :) but can you all imagine that Kdramas are being dubbed in arabic for the arabe audience and broadcasted all around the arabe world .... I find it amazing and I am sooooo happy about it, let the Kdrama magic begin lol

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~~cOOOOOLLL.
but..I'm not in US
='(
btw...i love kdrama " Bad Family" ^___^

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wow...... this is really a big step in making kpop drama and other shows available to all its fans in the different parts of the world..... thanks

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I would definitly use it if it was available for Australians. I hope they do well and are able to expland internationally.

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Yay! this is like a dream come true. i just register for it. can't wait for it to open. Go Dramafever!

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Wow, awesome! <3

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Is it possible to ask for older drama....such as "You and I"?

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Wow ! This is really an excellent idea ! That's the way !!! And on top of all licensed, and in cooepration with fansubbing team, this is the dreaming streaming site, i'm hoping for it to be available to non us viewers... ^^ Thanks for the heads up ;)

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this is really cool! thanks javabeans! :)

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Merry Christmas, indeed!

Thanks, Javabeans!

I agree that uploading variety shows would totally rock
(Infinity Challenge, 1 Night 2 Days, etc.) but am I alone
in wanting "Hello, Francheska" and "Dae Jang Geum"?

I know you'd want Taeryung National Village, right?

So psyched about White Tower!!! It has The Voice... no?
THANKS!

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WOW that is AWESOME!!

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yayyy!!! thanks so much javabeans!!!!
time to get even more addicted -- if that's even possible!

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Wow, thats so great! thanks for sharing!!
Just wondering, how are they getting funded for this stuff?

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This is super exciting. I'm excited to browse this and see all it has to offer. It's a wonderful idea and I salute MBC for being an innovator in the international market.

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That's really awesome, too bad I don't live in the states ):
congrats to those who do anw!

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This is indeed a exciting news! Hope they can acquire Japanese dramas as well in the future, besides Korean. But for now this is really a positive direction for the Asian drama community. Which means, we're gaining more momentum and getting more support. Thanks again for providing this great update.

No current suggestions... I'll be waiting for the site to be available though!

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Such an excellent idea! I'm heading over right now to sign up and check out what they have available. Thanks for the dramas, dramafever; and thanks for the info and the generally awesome blog, javabeans.

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amazing! thank you so much for sharing the website with us!

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wow...this is such a great idea! thanks for the news!

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I just registered!

Does anybody know when it'll OFFICIALLY open?

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this is cool that the website is open ...i hope it'll be open more for everyone...although i live in U.S. ....hope they'll get series from KBS and SBS too ... wish they'll have Boys Before Flowers

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Awww only available in the US. Pity. I wanna watch White Tower because of KMM. I hope the old, old dramas can be available too and the specials, like those TV-movie they do. :D

Thanks for the news javabeans.

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Thank you so much for this wonderful invite! I'm beyond excited, and I think it is a huge leap forward to what has been available thus far on the net.

Variety shows are a MUST for this site. As a Korean-American who has been living in the states all my life, dramas are what opened a huge door for me into my culture. However, if dramas opened the door, variety shows are what pulled me in and sat me down. Seeing actual people converse, talk about their lives, and play funny games allowed me to learn more about the culture than ever before! I hope that they are able to get variety shows on their site.

Now on to the dramas (that they don't have on the site yet)....

I think that several more classics should be included as well: Star in my Heart, I'm sorry I love you, Hotelier, What happened in Bali, Lovers in Paris, Autumn tale, Winter Sonata, etc. Those oldies could help new viewers (and old time kdrama fanatics) see the progress Korean dramas have made throughout time, and see how different the styles have become. Plus, they just have a great mix of the good ole kdrama (stereotypical) scenarios: cancer, incest (?), cinderella, etc. Even though they might seem unrealistic/cheezy now, it's the underlying root of where kdramas come from! And to be honest, I love them all! :)

Some other ones I've personally enjoyed: Hwang Jini, Hardtack Teacher and Star Candy, Painter of the Wind, Devil, Women in the Sun, Full House, Alone in Love, Attic Cat, Sangdoo-let's go to school, Damo.

Ones I really want to see: Fashion 70's, Capital Scandal, Flowers for my Life, Ireland, Rebirth, Dae Jang Geum, Seo Dong Yo, Shoot for the Stars, All about Eve.

That's pretty much all I can think of off the top of my head. I'm sure I've missed plenty! Anyhow, thanks once again for amazing contributions through this site. And ...Merry Christmas!

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This is awesome! It'll be great to just watch them online instead of always waiting for my timelimit to be up on MU. Plus, it'll be nice not to feel as if I wasted downloading time on a drama that's just not cutting it for me. Plus I can check out the variety shows that I rarely get to watch. I've always been curious about them, but never really got a chance to watch one regularly. Ditto for the sitcoms!

Now I just have to wait for that email to show up so I can login! Haha, I'm impatient to start browsing. Good thing for now, as I need to head to bed soon lol. Be great to start watching at some point tomorrow!

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aww man, so close. Canadian in the hoose.

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This is really exciting! Thank you so much for sharing! I just registered and I am waiting for when it's open to try it out. Since I am at school for most of the year, I am usually stuck with streaming dramas instead of downloading them via bittorrent on d-addicts because of the school network policy (plus, the high bandwidth usage). It would be great to watch series in good quality and not in split videos :)

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this is AWESOME!!!
i'm so happy that there's going to be (another, no offense) site like this.
thanks for the great christmas present!!! =D

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oh my gosh thank you so much.. this is such a good holiday gift! im so excited.. cant wait to try it soon.

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kyaaaa! this is such a wonderful idea! thank you so much for informing us of dramafever!! i'm so happy that mbc, sbs, and kbs decided to collaborate with them!
i can't wait to watch my favorite shows, dramas, and news soon! i'm lucky to say that
i live in america so i have access to the website but i hope that it will soon be open
for people all around the world! that would be awesome >w<
aaaaand lastly, i hope it'll be a big success too!

thanks javabeans and dramafever!

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