#1
Stranger
An emotionless prosecutor and a warm-hearted detective expose the rot inside Korea's prosecution service.
Watch on: Netflix
Editorial List
Best Asian Crime Dramas
Procedurals, conspiracies, and cat-and-mouse showdowns from Asia's sharpest writers.
This list is curated by the DramaSeek editorial desk and ranks 25 titles. Each entry below is a real, fully reviewed drama or film with its own dedicated page — synopsis, cast, ratings, and where-to-watch information. Inclusion isn't decided by audience rating alone: we factor in cultural footprint, craft, rewatchability, and contribution to the genre.
If you're new to the category, start at #1 and work your way down. If you're a returning fan, scan the list for titles you haven't yet caught. For broader recommendations beyond this list, see our long-form drama discovery handbook.
#2
The Long Season
A retired truck driver, his brother-in-law, and the cabbie they grew up with reopen a cold case from a long-vanished northeastern industrial town.
Watch on: iQIYI
#3
The World Between Us
In the aftermath of a mass shooting, the killer's lawyer, the victims' families and a news editor each face the cost of justice.
Watch on: Viki
#4
Signal
A walkie-talkie connects a present-day profiler with a detective in 1989, and together they solve cold cases.
Watch on: Netflix, Viki
#5
Beyond Evil
In a small town haunted by a cold case, two detectives — one local, one Seoul outsider — circle a killer who may be one of them.
Watch on: Viki, Viu
#6
The Long Night
A man brings a corpse onto the Beijing subway, in plain view of the cameras, to force the city to read a decade-old file.
Watch on: iQIYI
#7
The Bad Kids
Three children accidentally film a man pushing his in-laws off a cliff — and decide to use it.
Watch on: iQIYI
#8
Day and Night
A pair of identical twins — one a brilliant cop, one a fugitive — share one police badge to survive.
Watch on: Netflix, iQIYI
#9
Unnatural
A forensic pathologist works for an underfunded institute investigating sudden deaths the system would prefer to forget.
Watch on: Viki
#10
Vincenzo
An Italian-Korean mafia consigliere returns to Seoul to recover hidden gold and finds himself avenging the residents of an old apartment building.
Watch on: Netflix
#11
Manner of Death
A small-town Thai forensic doctor and a mysterious teacher investigate a series of suspicious deaths.
Watch on: Viki
#12
Taxi Driver
A secret revenge agency hides behind a Seoul taxi company, taking on cases the law has abandoned.
Watch on: Viki, Viu
#13
The Knockout
Across two decades, a quiet small-town fishmonger grows into a southern China crime boss — pursued by a single relentless cop.
Watch on: Viki, iQIYI
#14
MIU404
A pair of mismatched mobile-investigation officers chase down Tokyo's most slippery suspects.
Watch on: Viki
#15
Mouse
A rookie cop and a hardened detective hunt a serial killer in a country debating whether to screen unborn children for psychopathy.
Watch on: Viu, Viki
#16
Lawless Lawyer
A former gang lawyer returns to the city that broke his family to take down its untouchable judge.
Watch on: Viki
#17
Reborn
A wounded amnesiac cop investigates the cold case of a massacre he was the only survivor of.
Watch on: Viki, iQIYI
#18
Burning Ice
A ruthless serial killer leaves a single false clue and forces a once-promising detective back into the field.
Watch on: Netflix, iQIYI
#19
The Confidence Man JP
A trio of con artists takes one beautifully orchestrated mark per episode.
Watch on: Viki
#20
Light the Night
In a 1988 Taipei hostess bar, a murder slowly poisons every relationship inside.
Watch on: Netflix
#21
Connection
A narcotics detective is forcibly addicted to drugs and must solve the case before his body or his career give out.
Watch on: Viki, Viu
#22
Chief Detective 1958
A young detective in 1950s Korea fights a corrupt police force and a city still raw from war.
Watch on: Disney+
#23
Memorist
A police detective who can read memories by touch chases Korea's most elusive serial killer.
Watch on: Viki, Viu
#24
Black & White
A by-the-book cop is paired with a gangland fixer to clean up Kaohsiung.
Watch on: Viki
#25
HIStory3: Trapped
A police officer goes undercover in a triad and falls for the heir of the family he is investigating.
Watch on: Viki
How we rank these titles
DramaSeek's editorial lists are not pure aggregations of user scores — those are useful but tend to flatten cultural context. We factor in the show's audience reception, its place within the genre's history, and how it stands up to a rewatch. We also weight more heavily for titles that are still legally streaming in major regions, since this is a where-to-watch guide first and an archive second.
The list above is updated as new titles enter the catalogue and as streaming-rights deals shift. Bookmark it and check back periodically for the current state of the field.