Asian content platform Rakuten Viki has announced the launch of a new transactional video-on-demand service that will bring Asian box office releases to the U.S. much sooner than before. The launch is marked with two brand new Korean films: Josée which launched in December and is a platform exclusive, and New Year Blues which was released in February.
Rakuten Viki viewers in the U.S. and Canada can now view the films, followed by many more to come from across all of Asia, by logging into their account and paying a one-time fee of $4.99 or less.
Josée, which will be exclusive to Rakuten Viki,is a critically acclaimed romantic drama film based on a Japanese short story, Josee: The Tiger and the Fish, written by Seiko Tanabe. It was directed and written by Kim Jong-Kwan and stars actress Han Ji-min (One Spring Night, Familiar Wife) asJosée and actor Nam Joo-hyuk (Start-Up, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo) as Lee Young-seok.
“Rakuten Viki aims to bring some of the hottest Asian movies and dramas to fans within days after their debut in Asia,” said Sarah Kim, senior vice president of content and partnerships at Rakuten Viki. “With the launch of TVOD, fans can quickly and easily access highly anticipated films like Josée, that they can then watch anytime, anywhere and at their own convenience. It’s also a way to watch in-demand, exclusive content that isn’t too hard on the wallet.”
Rakuten Viki showcases a vast collection of more than 1,700 TV shows and movies from Korea, Japan, mainland China, Taiwan and Thailand that are accessible for free or through a subscription.