The popularity of Asian – and especially Korean – movies and shows has been on the rise in recent years. More and more people have been looking for a way to enjoy their favorite K-dramas from the comfort of their homes on various streaming sites. One such site is Dramacool. But is Dramacool safe to use?
Dramacool is generally safe to use if you take proper precautions, such as not clicking on any suspicious links or ads. As with any streaming website that offers pirated content, there may be advertisements designed to install malware on your PC or phone and steal your information. However, as long as you steer clear of any suspicious links, you should have no safety issues while using Dramacool.
What Is Dramacool and Is It Legal?
This is a streaming website that offers a long list of Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and other Asian drama shows and movies. If you enjoy watching those, chances are that you’ve already heard of this site. It is tailored to the western audience, which is why all these dramas and movies come with English subtitles. On top of that, it is completely free, as the website makes money off ads rather than membership fees.
Despite the rich offer, English subtitles, and cost-free access, the platform isn’t without its issues. The original website was taken down due to legal problems and sued for copyright infringement. Namely, all the content on it is pirated (i.e. the owners of the website didn’t have the right to distribute it). As a result, the current platform keeps changing its domain name to avoid being taken down again.
Is Dramacool an App?
Aside from the site, this platform also comes as an app for phones and tablets. You can download it for free from GooglePlay. And if you’re concerned about if Dramacool uses a lot of data, the answer depends on your viewing habits. The more you watch, the more data the app consumes and vice versa.
How to Use Dramacool and Stay Safe
If you’re not too concerned about the lawfulness of this streaming website and just want to watch your favorite drama in peace, you can absolutely do that. Despite frequent domain changes, simply googling the name of the site should lead you to the currently active one. However, once you’re in, there are certainly some rules to follow if you want to avoid downloading a virus or having your info stolen.
Should I Have a VPN for Dramacool?
VPN (short for virtual private network) is a service that grants its users more privacy, safety, and anonymity when browsing the internet. It can hide your IP address and thus make your actions on the internet basically untraceable. It can also allow you to access any drama or movie otherwise not available in your country by placing your virtual address at a different location in the world.
While a VPN is not necessary to be able to watch movies and shows on this streaming platform, it is always a good idea to have one. Some of the best VPN software out there include NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Cyberghost.
How to Protect My Computer From Potential Malware?
Even if you do have a VPN, if you end up clicking on a malicious link, your computer could still catch a virus. Luckily, there are ways to ensure this doesn’t happen:
- Do not click on any ads or links. Whether an ad is telling you that you just won a prize or showing an item you have been wanting to buy for weeks, do not click on it. There is no way to know whether the advertisement is safe and legitimate, and you’re better off not finding out the hard way.
- Do not download content. Although the website also offers the option of downloading content so you can watch it offline, doing so might not be the best idea. The file you download might be corrupted and contain a virus, and once it’s on your computer, it might be too late to prevent it from wreaking havoc.
- Have a good antivirus program. Antivirus programs are designed to detect any potential threats to your computer, and they will alert you if something seems off. There are many different antivirus programs on the market, both free and paid – all you have to do is choose the one that gets the work done for you.
- Use reliable websites to watch shows. Obviously, the best way to stay safe on the internet is to exclusively use sites that are reliable and secure. Sure, with most of them, you will have to pay a membership fee in order to access and watch content, but if you ask me, that’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.
Legal Website Alternatives for Watching Korean Shows and Movies
If you’d rather stick to websites that have no legal issues, there are many quality alternatives to choose from, some of which are also free. Here are some of them.
Rakuten Viki
Rakuten Viki is a free streaming site with a wide offer of Korean, Chinese, and other Asian drama, action, and other shows. It allows you to filter content according to country, the language of subtitles (including English,) and genre. There is also a paid membership option that provides access to even more shows and films.
Netflix
Although Netflix doesn’t specialize in Korean or Asian content, the platform has been adding more and more dramas and movies from Asia. As you probably already know, there is a free trial period, after which you would have to pick one of the membership tiers ranging from $9 to $18, which differ in the number of profiles, video quality, and more.
YouTube
YouTube stopped being a platform just for music videos and short clips a long time ago. It now offers a wide array of shows you can access for free, including Korean dramas such as The Heirs, Suspicious Partner, The Doctors, Pinnochio, and more. On top of that, the YouTube TV platform, although admittedly pretty expensive, provides access to real-time content from over 80 TV channels.