The 20 most popular Netflix original TV shows from outside of the US

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The 20 most popular Netflix original TV shows from outside of the US

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Netflix

"Narcos: Mexico"

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  • Netflix has built a library of international content in recent years as it seeks to grow its global presence.
  • TV Time provided Business Insider the most popular foreign-language Netflix shows based on its 12 million users.

Netflix has built an impressive library of international TV shows in recent years in an effort to strengthen its global presence.

The streaming giant has particularly capitalized on the British market, nabbing different types of global rights to a number of shows from the UK. They include the Golden Globe-winning "Bodyguard" and "The Last Kingdom." The series benefit both Netflix and British networks, as they can attract potential subscribers and grow a show's audience outside the UK.

READ MORE: This year proved the Oscars have started to embrace Marvel and Netflix, even though 'Black Panther' and 'Roma' lost best picture

But Netflix has also dipped its hands into foreign-language content, and will focus even more on it in the future. Netflix has found early success with Spanish-language programming, including three massive hits: "Narcos," "Money Heist," and "Elite."

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As Netflix looks to expand in Asia, it announced 17 new Asian originals in November, including eight new Indian films. There are also several new Japanese anime originals in development, including ones based on Guillermo del Toro's monster movie, "Pacific Rim," and Netflix's own sci-fi series, "Altered Carbon."

Netflix hit some difficulties last year with its first Indian original series, "Sacred Games," after a petition was filed in Delhi High Court for Netflix to remove any references to India's assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The case is still ongoing. Netflix announced last month that it would self-regulate its content in India, likely to avoid a censorship crackdown.

Television-tracking app TV Time provided Business Insider a list of the most popular foreign-language Netflix original shows. TV Time based the list on the number of episodes its 12 million users marked that they watched since 2011.

Below are the top 20 foreign-language Netflix TV shows:

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20. "Always a Witch" (Spanish)

20. "Always a Witch" (Spanish)

Description: "A young 17th-century witch time travels to the future to save the man she loves, but first must adjust to present-day Cartagena and defeat a dark rival."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 40%

19. "Sacred Games" (Hindi)

19. "Sacred Games" (Hindi)

Description: "A link in their pasts leads an honest cop to a fugitive gang boss, whose cryptic warning spurs the officer on a quest to save Mumbai from cataclysm."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 91%

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18. "Ingobernable" (Spanish)

18. "Ingobernable" (Spanish)

Description: "The first lady of Mexico is a woman of conviction and ideals. But when she loses faith in her husband, she'll need her strength to uncover the truth."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

17. "SWORD GAI The Animation" (Japanese)

17. "SWORD GAI The Animation" (Japanese)

Description: "A young man becomes host to a legendary infernal sword and, with the fate of humanity now in his arm, wields its demonic power against his enemies."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

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16. "Club de Cuervos" (Spanish)

16. "Club de Cuervos" (Spanish)

Description: "A brother and sister battle high expectations and each other after inheriting a soccer team."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 80%

15. "Marseille" (French)

15. "Marseille" (French)

Description: "The longtime mayor of Marseille is preparing to hand over the reins to his protégé when a sudden and ruthless battle erupts for control of the city."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 33%

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14. "The Mechanism" (Brazilian Portuguese)

14. "The Mechanism" (Brazilian Portuguese)

Description: "A scandal erupts in Brazil during an investigation of alleged government corruption via oil and construction companies."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 89%

13. "Suburra: Blood on Rome" (Italian)

13. "Suburra: Blood on Rome" (Italian)

Description: "In 2008, a fight over land in a seaside town near Rome spirals into a deadly battle between organized crime, corrupt politicians, and the Vatican."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 100%

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12. "Devilman Crybaby" (Japanese)

12. "Devilman Crybaby" (Japanese)

Description: "With demons reawakened and humanity in turmoil, a sensitive demon-boy is led into a brutal, degenerate war against evil by his mysterious friend, Ryo."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 88%

11. "The Protector" (Turkish)

11. "The Protector" (Turkish)

Description: "Discovering his ties to a secret ancient order, a young man living in modern Istanbul embarks on a quest to save the city from an immortal enemy."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A%

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10. "The Hook Up Plan" (French)

10. "The Hook Up Plan" (French)

Description: "When Parisian Elsa gets hung up on her ex, her best friends secretly hire a male escort to help her move on."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

9. "Narcos: Mexico" (Spanish)

9. "Narcos: Mexico" (Spanish)

Description: "Witness the birth of the Mexican drug war in the 1980s as a gritty new 'Narcos' saga chronicles the true story of the Guadalajara cartel's ascent."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 89%

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8. "Baby" (Italian)

8. "Baby" (Italian)

Description: "Fed up with their families and classmates, two teen girls from a wealthy part of Rome are drawn to the city's underworld and start leading double lives"

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 80%

7. "The Rain" (Danish)

7. "The Rain" (Danish)

Description: "Six years after a brutal virus wipes out most of Scandinavia's population, two siblings join a band of young survivors seeking safety — and answers."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 81%

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6. "Cable Girls" (Spanish)

6. "Cable Girls" (Spanish)

Description: "In 1920s Madrid, four women at the National Telephone Company ring in revolution as they manage romance, friendship, and the modern workplace."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

5. "3%" (Brazilian Portuguese)

5. "3%" (Brazilian Portuguese)

Description: "In a future where the elite inhabit an island paradise far from the crowded slums, you get one chance to join the 3% saved from squalor."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 83%

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4. "Elite" (Spanish)

4. "Elite" (Spanish)

Description: "When three working-class teens enroll in an exclusive private school in Spain, the clash between them and the wealthy students leads to murder."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 100%

3. "Dark" (German)

3. "Dark" (German)

Description: "A missing child sets four families on a frantic hunt for answers as they unearth a mind-bending mystery that spans three generations."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 88%

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2. "Money Heist" (Spanish)

2. "Money Heist" (Spanish)

Description: "Eight thieves take hostages and lock themselves in the Royal Mint of Spain as a criminal as a criminal mastermind manipulates the police to carry out his plan."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

1. "Narcos" (Spanish)

1. "Narcos" (Spanish)

Description: "Pablo has escaped extradition via the back door of his five-star prison. The hunt is on. This time there will be no negotiations. Just blood."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 89%

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