China-based streaming platform Viu is bringing increasingly popular Korean dramas to its platform with Zulu dubbing and English subtitles. Colloquially calling them “K-Zulu” shows, the initiative will kick off with three titles, with more series (and hopefully more languages) to follow should they prove popular.
A different point of Viu
The move comes in response to the supposed success of Zulu-dubbed Brazilian telenovelas on the platform. The new shows are available for both free and paid tiers. The K-Zulu programming will start with:
- Iqhawe Labafundi (High School: Return of a Gangster) – available from 30 June, this K-Drama tells the story of Kim Deuk-pal, a middle-aged gangster with dreams of a university education, who one day wakes up in the body of a bullied high-school student. The series explores themes of bullying, suicide, and second chances that should resonate with many young people.
- Ezinsukwini Zokuqala (Lovely Runner) – available from 12 August, this one is about Im Sol, a megafan who finds out her favourite pop star Sun-Jae has died. She then travels fifteen years into the past to try and change his fate. Younger K-Pop fans should get a kick out of this one.
- Izidla Mafa (The Heirs) – this teen romance, streaming from 19 August, centers around Kim Tan, heir to a large conglomerate, who falls for the groundskeeper’s daughter.
Viu also plans on expanding its stable of Afrikaans-dubbed Turkish telenovelas with Drie Susters (Three Sisters). It remains to be seen how successful the K-Zulu experiment will be. Given the popularity of soapies and K-dramas in this country, it should do just fine.
