Affairs, family secrets in 1-minute episodes: Chinese microdramas hook Southeast Asia
"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…
Chinese microdramas, brief yet captivating serials, have captured the attention of Southeast Asian viewers. Le Minh Anh, a 20-year-old university student in Hanoi, finds herself hooked on these shows whenever she has free time. Initially, she watched a few Facebook videos, but the cliffhangers drew her in, leading her to download a dedicated app and purchase additional episodes.
These microdramas, typically ranging from 40 to 70 installments, are low-budget productions with intense plotlines centered around wealthy families. They delve into power struggles, family secrets, extramarital affairs, and revenge, offering viewers instant gratification. Despite the presence of anti-China sentiment in the region due to historical disputes and territorial issues in the South China Sea, Chinese platforms have dominated the regional app marketplace.
Platforms like DramaBox, ReelShort, and FreeReels have amassed over 290 million, 272 million, and 230 million global downloads, respectively.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
