On Sunday, the FX series Shogun won the Emmy for Best Drama, marking the first time a non-English-language series has claimed the award in this category. The last foreign language film to be nominated for this category was the South Korean series Squid Game, which remains the No. 1 most-viewed non-English TV show on Netflix.
Shogun won a total of 18 of the 25 Emmy awards it was nominated for, breaking the all-time record for Emmys won for a single season of television. Another Japanese period piece, Blue Eye Samurai, won an Emmy for the best animated series.
Streaming platforms are proving to be a stage for new frontiers of globalization, offering audiences access to content from cultures around the world -- and subtitles are no longer the barrier they once were.
"It was an East-meets-West dream project with respect, and 'Shogun' taught me that when people work together, we can make miracles," lead actor and producer Hiroyuki Sanada said in his award acceptance speech. "We can create a better future together," he added.
The historical series Shogun, mostly subtitled, is loosely based on the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and portrays life in Japan during the 17th century. Although adapted from a novel by James Clavell, the film was acclaimed for its historical accuracy and provides viewers with a foothold into the history and culture of Northeast Asia, potentially inspiring deeper exploration.
While it has long been thought that American audiences were resistant to films in foreign languages, Shogun's success suggests that this perception may have been in-part self-imposed by the industry and that western audiences have an interest in what lessons the history and culture of Northeast Asia have to offer. Over 70% of the dialogue in the Shogun series was in Japanese.
A recent trend that could be contributing to this shift is the growing use of subtitles, particularly among younger viewers. A poll conducted by British research group YouGov found that most American adults under 30 prefer watching TV with subtitles -- even when they know the language. For audiences, the subtitles that were once seen as a large wall now appear more like a small garden fence they are willing to cross to experience the wealth of culture on the other side.
South Korean director of the film Parasite Bong Joon Ho echoed similar sentiments at the Golden Globe Awards in 2020.
"Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films," he said.
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Parasite became the first Academy Awards International Feature Film winner, as well as the first non-English language film overall to win Best Picture.
The cultural exchange taking place via streaming services is not one-sided and platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video have shifted from catering primarily to domestic markets to becoming global powerhouses.
Netflix, for example, has seen significant growth in the Asia-Pacific region, adding 45.3 million subscribers in 2024. This expansion has contributed to Netflix's global subscriber base reaching an impressive 260.28 million worldwide, representing a 13% year-over-year growth. Netflix has invested heavily in Asian content, with over $2.5 billion allocated for South Korean productions over four years.
In 2021, Disney announced a goal to produce 50 original Asian Pacific films and television series by 2023. This expansion is not just a cultural exchange, but a business strategy aimed at tapping into underserved markets.
These shifts signal a future where content from all corners of the globe will increasingly be part of the mainstream, reshaping the boundaries of entertainment. Through the lens of Shogun and other international successes, streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ are proving to be potent vehicles for globalization in media, breaking down linguistic and cultural barriers in unprecedented ways.