Affairs, family secrets in 1-minute episodes: Chinese microdramas hook Southeast Asia
The interface of the Chinese short-form drama app NetShort displays various titles. The platform features provocative themes such as revenge, reincarnation and family secrets. Captured from NetShort
Fast-paced vertical series capture millions of viewers across region
"I don't know the main character's name. I don't know the show's title. But I just couldn't stop watching."
Le Minh Anh, a 20-year-old university student, sat at a cafe in Hanoi on Monday and said she mindlessly watches Chinese microdramas whenever she has free time. She started with just a few Facebook videos, but the clips ended on cliffhangers, prompting her to install a dedicated app and repeatedly purchase new episodes.
These microdramas — low-budget serials told in minute-long vertical episodes — typically run for 40 to 70 installments. They deliver instant gratification through intense plotlines involving power struggles within wealthy families, family secrets, extramarital affairs and revenge. The format is rapidly becoming part of everyday viewing habits in Vietnam and the Philippines, bypassing deep-seated anti-China sentiment fueled by historical and South China Sea territorial disputes.
Chinese short-form applications, including DramaBox and ReelShort, dominate the top spots in Vietnam's Android app popularity rankings. Captured from App Store
Chinese platforms dominate the regional app marketplace, with DramaBox, ReelShort and FreeReels recording 290 million, 272 million and 230 million global downloads, respectively. Production studios released more than 1,000 series in 2023. This explosive growth accelerated further in the first half of 2026, with developers flooding platforms with over 220,000 new titles generated by artificial intelligence.
The corporate expansion is highly coordinated. In Thailand, telecommunications giant AIS reported that 9 million customers use vertical series apps monthly. AIS partnered with ReelShort to launch a 5G ReelShort package starting at 39 baht ($1.19) per month.
A July report published by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, or KOFICE, detailed a similar acquisition strategy in the Philippines, one of the nations with the strongest anti-China sentiment due to ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Platforms lowered entry barriers through local-language dubbing and used Facebook and TikTok highlights to drive users to dedicated paywall apps.
Customers look at their smartphones at a cafe in Hanoi. Southeast Asia is considered an optimal market for short-form content due to its large young population accustomed to digital technology. Korea Times photo by Jung Ji-yong
The trend has also penetrated India, another massive market harboring strong anti-China sentiment. NDTV reported in August that India is witnessing the early stages of a Chinese-style microdrama boom. The broadcaster said that Generation Z is driving the demand for "fast food" entertainment, actively shifting viewers away from traditional long-form content.
This viewer response is also evident among local audiences.
Osuwanakul, a Bangkok resident in her 40s interviewed Sunday, acknowledged the appeal of Chinese microdramas.
"Compared to Korean dramas, Chinese microdramas have absurd plots and poor acting," she said. "But there is an addictive quality that keeps me watching."
Nguyen Linh, a 34-year-old office worker in Hanoi, didn't realize the content was made in China.
"I watched them without even realizing they were Chinese content. I found out only after people around me pointed it out," Nguyen said. "There are so many of them on YouTube and TikTok that they are extremely easy to find."
Industry observers say these short clips serve as a gateway to broader Chinese entertainment.
"Curiosity that begins with short clips leads to long-form drama viewing on streaming platforms like iQIYI and WeTV, and ultimately to celebrity fandoms," an official in the Thai media industry said.
Developers are already monetizing this engagement further, as in-app shopping gains traction by allowing users to instantly purchase cosmetics, fashion and products used by characters on screen.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.