Oriental culture has already become part of Brazilians’ daily lives, captivating audiences of all ages and genders through its audiovisual productions. Phenomena like K-dramas (South Korean series) and doramas (Japanese dramas and series) have been gaining more and more space on digital platforms. Keeping an eye on this trend, Winnin, an artificial intelligence platform that identifies cultural trends based on video consumption, conducted an in-depth study on how this type of content has been dominating social media conversations.
The global expansion of these productions is directly linked to the popularization of streaming platforms. In the last 12 months, approximately 50,000 videos related to the theme were produced, which together accumulated nearly 12 million views and 185,000 interactions, evidencing the strong engagement of the Brazilian audience with this type of content.
The survey also shows that the audience is predominantly female, representing about 80% of the total, with the highest concentration in the age group of 18 to 25 years. Among men, who make up the remaining 20%, most engagement comes from those aged 34 to 44 years.
Beyond series, oriental culture also influences other segments, such as gastronomy, fashion, and lifestyle. Asian cuisine – especially Korean – appears among the most popular topics among consumers of this type of content.
Winnin’s analysis also revealed regional differences in how these themes are approached. In Brazil, for example, the focus is still on the repercussion and consumption of foreign content, as local production in this genre is incipient. However, the country plays a relevant role in amplifying these productions on social media. This scenario, however, is beginning to change, as some local players are moving to develop melodramas inspired by doramas, keeping an eye on the growing interest of the audience.
Among the content related to doramas and K-dramas, South Korea stands out: 56.6% of videos and 60% of interactions refer to Korean productions. Humor, in particular, has strong appeal among Brazilians. About 49.8% of views are related to videos that treat doramas in a comedic or satirical way, reinforcing a national characteristic of turning various subjects into humorous content.
“At Winnin, we’ve identified an excellent opportunity for brands to explore this rise of Korean culture, which has established itself as a phenomenon among Brazilians. The audience not only consumes but enthusiastically engages with and discusses it on social media – representing a valuable chance for brands to join these conversations,” says Gian Martinez, CEO and co-founder of Winnin.
The growing interest in K-dramas, doramas and K-pop has opened doors for South Korean culture in Brazil. The success is so significant that one of the world’s largest streaming platforms announced a $2.5 billion investment in Korean productions by 2027, reinforcing the global strength of this market.
