China's Micro Drama Boom: A New Era of Mobile Entertainment

China's micro drama industry is rapidly growing, challenging traditional cinema with vertically shot, minute-long episodes. Popular on apps like Kuaishou, this format attracts millions, particularly middle-aged workers and pensioners. As Chinese companies expand to Western markets, they face both immense popularity and regulatory scrutiny.

On a film set resembling a Chinese lord's medieval castle, Zhu Jian, a 69-year-old actor, is part of a burgeoning industry reshaping entertainment in China – micro dramas. Zhu plays the head of a wealthy family in 'Grandma's Moon,' a micro drama with frequent plot twists designed to keep viewers glued to their cellphones.

The micro drama industry in China, valued at $5 billion annually, thrives on platforms like Kuaishou and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok). These short-format videos are increasingly competing with the traditional film industry, which is dominated by the state-owned China Film Group and is second in size only to Hollywood. Apps like Kuaishou dominate the market, accounting for a significant portion of the top micro dramas, with millions of daily viewers.

The trend is spreading to the U.S., where micro drama platform ReelShort has surpassed Netflix in Apple's U.S. app store downloads. Despite their popularity, Chinese authorities have scrutinized the content, leading to a 'special rectification campaign' that removed over 25,000 micro dramas. Despite this, the market for micro dramas continues to expand, with Chinese companies now producing content specifically for Western audiences.

(With inputs from agencies.)