Asian Dramas Like NCIS

Same energy. Different language. These Korean, Chinese, and Japanese dramas share the exact DNA of NCIS — same tropes, same emotional beats, same kind of story.

2003 TV Show Crime Drama Procedural
10 Asian Drama Matches
16 eps MBC Action Crime Drama

A pragmatic detective, a fiery firefighter, and a sharp paramedic are thrown together by circumstance and forced to work as a team across jurisdictions none of them were trained to…

If you loved NCIS's ragtag group of people who slowly become each other's whole world, The First Responders delivers exactly that. At its core, it's about the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. Same engaging and warm energy throughout.

Where to Watch

Unnatural

24% match
10 eps TBS Japan Thriller Crime Drama

Mikoto Misumi is a forensic pathologist at the Unnatural Death Investigation Laboratory — a fictional body that investigates deaths too strange, too suspicious, or too politically …

If you loved NCIS's ragtag group of people who slowly become each other's whole world, Unnatural delivers exactly that. At its core, it's about the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it.

Where to Watch

MIU404

22% match
11 eps TBS Japan Thriller Crime Drama

The Mobile Investigative Unit 404 consists of two detectives who couldn't be more different: Ibuki, who acts on instinct and charges at problems head-on, and Shino, who thinks four…

If you loved NCIS's ragtag group of people who slowly become each other's whole world, MIU404 delivers exactly that. At its core, it's about the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. The pacing is tense enough to make you watch through your fingers.

Where to Watch

Upper Ground

19% match
8 eps Disney+ Thriller Mystery Drama

A journalist investigating a cold case involving a prominent politician's family disappears. Her younger sister, a civil servant with no investigative experience, starts pulling on…

Both are built around the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. The pacing is tense enough to make you watch through your fingers.

Where to Watch
16 eps JTBC Crime Thriller Drama

Detectives Kang Do-chang and Oh Ji-hyuk return to investigate a case that links a cold-blooded murder to a high-profile politician with the connections to bury it. The sequel deepe…

Both are built around the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. The pacing is tense enough to make you watch through your fingers.

Where to Watch

Social Detective

18% match
12 eps Netflix Thriller Mystery Drama

A former social media investigative journalist — who got too close to the truth and lost everything — returns to the work as an independent contractor for law firms and NGOs. She u…

Like NCIS, it leans hard into case of the week. At its core, it's about the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. The pacing is tense enough to make you watch through your fingers.

Where to Watch
48 eps iQiyi Historical Mystery Bromance

Tang Fan is a scholar-official with an exceptional eye for crime in the Ming Dynasty, partnered with Sui Zhou, a military commander whose methods are blunt where Tang Fan's are cle…

If you loved NCIS's ragtag group of people who slowly become each other's whole world, The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty delivers exactly that. At its core, it's about the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. The pacing is tense enough to make you watch through your fingers.

Where to Watch

Crash

16% match
12 eps ENA Crime Thriller Action

An elite traffic investigation unit — staffed by cops with too much ambition, too much trauma, and zero social skills — investigates accidents that turn out to be murders. When a n…

If you loved NCIS's ragtag group of people who slowly become each other's whole world, Crash delivers exactly that. At its core, it's about the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. The pacing is sharp and witty — you'll miss lines if you look away.

Where to Watch
21 eps MBC Romance Thriller Crime

A rookie prosecutor with a relentlessly positive attitude joins the Special Investigations unit and clashes with her cold, arrogant senior — who turns out to be connected to a case…

Both are built around the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. Same engaging and tense energy throughout.

Where to Watch

Missing Noir M

16% match
8 eps OCN Crime Thriller Mystery

An elite FBI-trained detective joins Korea's first Missing Persons Crime Investigation Unit, tackling meticulously crafted disappearance cases that reveal the dark psychology behin…

Like NCIS, it leans hard into case of the week. At its core, it's about the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. The pacing is tense enough to make you watch through your fingers.

Where to Watch
more shows you might be obsessed with 🔥

Asian Dramas Like NCIS: FAQ

What K-drama should I watch if I like NCIS?

If you love NCIS, start with The First Responders or Unnatural — both share the same Crime and Drama DNA. DramaMatch found 10 Asian drama matches total.

Is there a Korean version of NCIS?

The closest Korean equivalent to NCIS is The First Responders (2022), which scores a 24% match on DramaMatch. If you loved NCIS's ragtag group of people who slowly become each other's whole world, The First Responders delivers exactly that. At its core, it's about the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. Same engaging and warm energy throughout.

Where can I watch Asian dramas like NCIS?

Asian dramas similar to NCIS are available on Netflix, Viki, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Hulu. DramaMatch shows the exact streaming platform for each recommendation so you can start watching immediately.

Why do NCIS fans like K-dramas?

NCIS fans tend to love K-dramas because Korean drama storytelling delivers the same emotional intensity, strong character arcs, and genre-blending — especially Crime and Drama. K-dramas often tell tighter, season-long stories without filler episodes.

got another show you're obsessed with? I can find its Asian drama match too.

find another match →

Get the Asian drama watchlist your friends don't have

Monthly picks — hidden gems, new releases, best matches. No spam.