30 Best Foreign Shows on Hulu Right Now

30 Best Foreign Shows on Hulu Right Now

November 4, 2024

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As one of the big three of streaming, Hulu’s library might not be as large as Prime Video or Netflix, but it made a name for itself with their quality selection of Hollywood blockbusters and indie hits. It’s because of this that viewers might be surprised at the variety of their library, too. Hulu actually hosts not only classic American television, but also plenty of great series coming from around the world, including European mysteries, Korean dramas, Japanese anime, and Latin American telenovelas. Depending on your algorithm, some of these shows might come up on your home page, but if you’re totally new to foreign TV, here’s some of the best series from all over the world now available on Hulu.

21. Zom 100

7.2

Country

Japan

Actors

Makoto Furukawa, Minami Takahashi, Shuichiro Umeda, Tomori Kusunoki

Moods

Dramatic, Original, Quirky

Making a bucket list at the height of a zombie outbreak seems ridiculous, yet totally reasonable when you’ve spent the last three years overworked and undervalued. In real life, our workforce already feels zombified as higher-ups enslave the working class to high production and insufficient pay, so it’s nice to see Zom 100 exemplify that notion. Zom 100 also immediately captures that essential reminder to “live now,” which has become especially relevant as the Covid-19 pandemic found most people rekindling old hobbies and discovering new ones as death and sickness felt ever near.

Though there isn’t a lot of character-building in episode one, the titular 100-item bucket list promises an eye-opening, personal journey with our protagonist Akira. Thankfully, the opening didn’t shy away from the gore and electrifying tension of the zombie attacks, making this an interesting horror/slice-of-life/coming-of-age/drama to keep an eye on. 

22. Moving

7.2

Country

South Korea

Actors

Cha Tae-hyun, Han Hyo-joo, Ryoo Seung-bum, Ryu Seung-ryong

Moods

Intense, Thrilling

Based on a webtoon, Moving is for the fans of the ’06 series, Heroes. Initially, we follow a teen, Kim Bong-Seok, who has to be constantly tied down or weighed down to keep from spontaneously levitating. But the mystery and thrills immediately kick off when an assassin starts killing “retired” supers, and it becomes obvious that agencies, parents, and even teachers are aware of this. So far, the pacing allows for introductions, backstories, and action to breathe whilst quickly establishing connections between storylines to feed the intrigue. Hopefully, this carries through the entire 20-episode run and delivers a cohesive, high-action fantasy series. 

23. A Town Without Seasons

7.2

Country

Japan

Actors

Daichi Watanabe, Gaku Hamada, Sosuke Ikematsu, Taiga Nakano

Moods

Discussion-sparking, Heart-warming, Quirky

Adapting an old socio-political novel, especially after the great Akira Kurosawa, can be a challenging endeavor, but the team behind A Town Without Seasons does it wonderfully. The show takes the ensemble cast of the original novel’s characters and places them in the present time with modern-day technology and digital payment systems– yet many of the struggles remain the same. While this series takes a sweet, slice-of-life perspective on the inhabitants, it’s grounded by an underlying awareness that most of us are a disaster away from the town’s situation. A Town Without Seasons empathizes with its unlucky characters, by taking its time to introduce them.

24. Their Stories

7.2

Country

Brazil

Actors

Bia Arantes, Cris Vianna, Emma Araujo, Johnnas Oliva

Moods

Character-driven, Discussion-sparking, Original

A house isn’t just a building– it’s a space where one can be one’s self, where one can have control over one’s space. Of course, houses can differ between social classes, as the rich often hire househelp, while those less fortunate manage their own, or might not even have one. Their Stories draws its drama from this disparity, as the rich Isabel and Rosa lose control of their assets and have to move to the house where working class Marta and Jasmim live. It’s an interesting dynamic, a twisted mix of gratitude and resentment forged between former employer and employee, and all four leads portray this with the nuance and complexity that it requires. A Historía Delas might literally be hard to search on Hulu, but it’s an interesting story, one that feels unique and real enough to follow.

25. Bordertown

7.0

Country

Finland

Actors

Anu Sinisalo, Matleena Kuusniemi, Ville Virtanen

This cold Finnish series is about a successful detective who moves to a small town seeking calm. But once he settles in a town on the border with Russia, a series of murders ensue.

Because Finnish TV is alien to most of us, the way this detective story is told is so unique. It’s bleak – very bleak – and even when the most intriguing murders take place, the biggest plotlines are the ones that are driven by character development.

26. Dark Gathering

7.0

Country

Japan

Actors

Kana Hanazawa, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Rina Kawaguchi, Yu Sasahara

Moods

Intense, Quirky, Weird

It’s chilly this summer with vengeful spirits, cursed hands and double pupils in the horror-comedy Dark Gathering. Keitarō Gentōga has always attracted ghosts, and despite his fear, he is ready to socialize again after two years. Unlucky for him, his first student as a tutor is Yayoi Hôzuki, his best friend’s cousin obsessed with finding the ghost that stole her mother. Although Yayoi’s obsession with using a reluctant Keitarō is played up for laughs, her moe appearance preserves a level of disturbing (thanks to her double pupils). By episode two, the story still feels shallow, but there’s enough spook to carry you through the heat. 

27. Han River Police

7.0

Country

South Korea

Actors

Bae Da-bin, Choi Moo-sung, Han Ji-hye, Ju Jin-mo

Moods

Action-packed, Easy, Lighthearted

Most cop shows are set on land, but Han River Police is the rare police procedural set by the river. The K-drama takes a more action-comedy approach, with the comedy depending on the standard banter between cops. The unique setting presents new action sequences aside from regular brawls, with its ship accidents, evacuations, and underwater training scenes. However, while the action is fresh, and the team dynamics keep the show from being too serious, its stereotypical villains, as well as certain cops’ machismo, keeps the show from being totally unique. Han River Police still proves to be an entertaining watch, even if its stakes are familiar.

28. My Home Hero

7.0

Country

Japan

Actors

Asuka Saito, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Kyohei Takahashi, Tae Kimura

Moods

Action-packed, Character-driven, Dramatic

The love parents have for their child is powerful, but most parents normally don’t resort to murder for them. Of course, most families don’t actually need to, but like Tetsuo Tosu, they might if their daughter’s yakuza boyfriend plans to murder her first. My Home Hero depicts this scenario, slowly going into the potential sequence of events that could happen, realistically portrayed by Kuranosuke Sasaki, Tae Kimura, and Asuka Saito as the loving family. The family might be a bit cookie-cutter – we’ve seen similar characters in other series before – but they’re relatable enough to make My Home Hero a fairly decent, though generic, crime drama.

29. A Shop for Killers

7.0

Country

South Korea

Actors

Geum Hae-na, Kim Hye-jun, Lee Dong-wook, Park Ji-bin

Moods

Action-packed, Character-driven, Gripping

For better or for worse, we don’t know who our guardians really are, whether that be our parents or other older relatives. However, that usually means that we don’t get to know their dreams, not that they are involved with assassins, like the way Ji-an’s uncle is in A Shop for Killers. The action strikes hard and fast, starting the series off with a sniper attempt on Ji-an’s life, but luckily, the surprised girl can fight back, with the eccentric training that she didn’t anticipate she’ll need. While the time jumps can be a bit confusing, A Shop for Killers has a surprising mix of action and mystery that keeps things entertaining, even if it’s unclear for now how it’s a spin-off to The Killer’s Shopping List.

30. The Impossible Heir

7.0

Country

South Korea

Actors

Hong Su-zu, Lee Hwang-eui, Lee Jae-wook, Lee Ji-hoon

Moods

Challenging, Character-driven, Gripping

With morally grey characters, an excellent cast, and family inheritance intrigue, The Impossible Heir seemed like a unique Korean drama that isn’t afraid to get cutthroat, especially with those suspicious shots of blood splatters in the trailer. There’s some of that here– Lee Jae-wook plays Han Tae-oh with a cold, straightforward determination, even outright declaring he would use Kang In-ha, with Lee Jun-young matching Jae-wook’s intensity. However, part of the drama feels undercut by a love triangle that, as a concept, isn’t a terrible idea, but was just hastily introduced in the first two episodes. The Impossible Heir has excellent tension with its reluctant allyship, family mystery, and the likely betrayal already, but it just feels like it could be better without the romance.

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