Apps for download to watch dramas

As a rule, subscription video on demand services – whether they have a free, ad-supported option (like Viki and YouTube have) or not (like Netflix and Prime Video) – only let one download for offline viewing if you're a paid subscriber. This because the ad-supported services need to be online to get the ads and for them to get paid by the advertisers. It makes sense when you think about it: they cannot just download ads with the videos, because they need to be able to show you different ads each time you play a video, and they need to know when the ads have been played.

With services that let one buy or rent individual titles, some let you download rentals and purchases, some only let you download purchases. And some services of either kind don’t allow downloading at all. With Vimeo, it’s different from video to video, as the uploader can set the rules. 

The only free to use services that will let you download videos are those which have no advertising, because the the cost of hosting the videos has been paid for by the uploader or by public donations. Such as with the NFB’s app and some videos on Vimeo.

So I’m afraid if you want to watch commercial content offline, that’s just not possible legally.

However, they are more services than Netflix and Prime Video that allow downloading for subscribers (look in list of legal streaming websites in this same forum section; it doesn’t mention which allow downloading, but the websites and the apps’ descriptions on app stores will), as well as ones that allow downloads of purchases (though the latter tend to have mostly movies and few if any TV series).

Which part of the world are you in, approximately, if you don’t mind saying so? You don’t have to, but it would narrow which services you can get, for people to know what to recommend. Also which countries you’re looking for dramas from, if there’s any in particular.

I’m in the UK, too, so I’m pretty sick of AsianCrush being advertised to me but not available to me to see what’s on it full…

As you happen to be in the UK, that gives me someone to tell that the online SQIFF from 5–18 October (rentals from which are on Vimeo, so it might be possible to download them for offline viewing in the Vimeo mobile app – that worked for me with my rentals from Nippon Connection earlier in the year, anyway) and London Film Festival from 7–18 October (though it definitely won’t allow downloads, as it plays in the BFI Player app, which never does even normally) will have some rare East Asian film and video available UK-wide temporarily. Leeds International Film Festival from 4–19 November might do as well, if that has an online programme.

Avoid downloading from Dramacool if you can. That arrogates pirated content, so as well as not supporting the content being made and subtitled, it’s also likely to inject malware onto your computer (or carry adverts or link to sites which do) and the Japanese authorities at least are planning on cracking down on international piracy of their content. Any amount that a subscription or rental costs is far less than one can be fined for pirating something you could have got on a legal service.

As I wrote, Viki seems to not allow downloading even with a subscription, but I think the mobile apps for many of these do?

https://www.amazon.co.uk

https://www.apple.com/apple-tv-app (can also download on desktops)

https://www.crunchyroll.com/videos/drama (downloads only with a higher-tier subscription)

https://www.youtube.com (but check that the content is on an official channel)

https://www.eyelet.com

https://www.channel4.com/categories/world-drama

https://www.funimation.com/genre/live-action/

https://vimeo.com/watch (can allow downloads for free, but it depends on what the uploader has set for each video – depending on what the uploader has chosen, they might allow a video to be downloaded on desktop computers in a web browser, only on mobile devices in the app for them, or not at all, and for free, for rentals, or only for purchases – and try to check that the content is on an official channel to make sure you're watching it legally)

https://www.viddsee.com (I think this might possibly allow downloads for free in the mobile app, but I haven't tried it yet)

https://www.dekkoo.com/international

https://play.google.com/store/movies

https://mubi.com

https://www.shudder.com

MangoTV (search for it in app stores; it doesn’t have an English-language website)

https://www.iq.com

https://www.vidfish.com

https://rakuten.tv/uk

https://wetv.vip/en

With my premium subscription on the IQYI app I can download episodes for offline viewing. The subscription cost is not that high and you can download eps is high definition