Chinese Content Accounted for 51% of Asian Content Views in the First Half of 2026 in Russia.
According to a joint study by streaming platform KION and delivery service Samokat, the audience for Asian series in Russia grew by 19% in 2025, followed by a further 6.7% increase in the first half of 2026 compared with the second half of 2025. At the same time, Russians are increasingly ordering Asian food products and ready-made dishes, ranging from noodle soup to coconut milk with pineapple.
Until 2026, South Korea had led in Asian content views in Russia, but China has now overtaken it. The share of Chinese content increased from 39% in 2024 to 51% in the first half of 2026. Japanese content is developing along its own trajectory, with anime accounting for almost all views.
Chinese content accounted for the majority of the 30 most popular Asian titles in 2026. These included the documentary series «China’s Wild Secrets,» the animated series «Throne of Seal» and «Soul Land 2: The Peerless Tang Clan,» the melodramas «Falling Into Your Smile» and «Moonlight Mystique,» and the fantasy series «The Untamed.» The ranking also included the South Korean dramas «True Beauty» and «Cinderella with Four Knights.»
Demand for Asian content is not limited to new releases. Viewers regularly rewatch series released between 2006 and 2016, including the Korean series «Guardian: The Lonely and Great God» and «Cinderella with Four Knights,» as well as the Chinese series «The Untamed.»
Growing interest in Asian culture in Russia is reflected not only in streaming data but also in book sales. In the first quarter of 2026, revenue from sales of Asian comics and manga on Litres increased by 55% year-on-year, while KION Stroki recorded a 78% increase. Downloads of apps featuring Asian content on RuStore rose by 32% in March.
The Chitai-Gorod – Bukvoed bookstore chain also reported increased demand for manga. The bestselling series in the first quarter were «Jujutsu Kaisen,» «Solo Leveling,» «Chainsaw Man,» «Berserk» and «One Piece.»