Affairs, family secrets in 1-minute episodes: Chinese microdramas hook Southeast Asia

Chinese microdramas are rapidly gaining viewers in Southeast Asia, especially in Vietnam and the Philippines, with minute-long vertical episodes built around family secrets, affairs and revenge. The format is spreading despite anti-China sentiment in parts of the region. Platforms such as DramaBox, ReelShort and FreeReels are driving the boom through app downloads, local dubbing and social media promotion.

DramaBox, ReelShort and FreeReels recorded 290 million, 272 million and 230 million global downloads, respectively.

Production studios released more than 1,000 series in 2023, and developers added over 220,000 new titles generated by artificial intelligence in the first half of 2026.

In Thailand, AIS said 9 million customers use vertical series apps monthly and launched a 5G ReelShort package starting at 39 baht, or $1.19, per month.

A July report by KOFICE said the platforms use local-language dubbing and Facebook and TikTok highlights to pull users into dedicated paywall apps.

The article says in-app shopping is also growing, letting users buy cosmetics, fashion and products used by characters on screen.

Published Sep 11, 2026 12:00 am KST

Fast-paced vertical series capture millions of viewers across region

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

"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.

中国微剧在东南亚地区迅速走红，尤其是在越南和菲律宾。这种时长仅一分钟的竖屏短片，剧情围绕家庭秘密、婚外情和复仇展开。尽管该地区部分地区存在反华情绪，但这种短片形式仍在传播。DramaBox、ReelShort 和 FreeReels 等平台通过应用程序下载、本地化配音和社交媒体推广，推动了微剧的蓬勃发展。

DramaBox、ReelShort 和 FreeReels 的全球下载量分别为 2.9 亿、2.72 亿和 2.3 亿次。

制作公司在 2023 年发布了 1000 多部剧集，开发商在 2026 年上半年增加了 22 万多部由人工智能生成的新作品。

AIS表示，在泰国，每月有900万用户使用垂直系列应用程序，并推出了5G ReelShort套餐，起价为每月39泰铢（约合1.19美元）。

韩国电影电视网 (KOFICE) 7 月份的一份报告称，这些平台利用本地语言配音以及 Facebook 和 TikTok 的精彩片段，将用户吸引到专门的付费应用程序中。

文章指出，应用内购物也在不断发展，用户可以购买化妆品、时尚服饰以及屏幕上角色使用的产品。

发布于2026年9月11日凌晨12:00（韩国标准时间）

快节奏的垂直剧集吸引了该地区数百万观众。

中国短剧应用网短的界面展示了各种剧集标题。该平台主打复仇、转世、家族秘密等引人关注的主题。图片来自网短。

“我不知道主角的名字，也不知道剧名，但我就是停不下来。”

20岁的大学生黎明英（Le Minh Anh）周一坐在河内一家咖啡馆里，她说自己一有空就漫无目的地看中国微剧。起初她只是在Facebook上看一些短片，但那些短片总是留下悬念，促使她下载专门的微剧应用，并不断购买新剧集。

这些微型剧——低成本的连续剧，每集时长仅一分钟，采用竖屏格式——通常有40到70集。它们通过讲述富裕家族内部的权力斗争、家族秘密、婚外情和复仇等紧张刺激的剧情，为观众带来即时的满足感。这种形式正在迅速成为越南和菲律宾人日常观看习惯的一部分，巧妙地避开了由历史遗留问题和南海领土争端引发的根深蒂固的反华情绪。

包括 DramaBox 和 ReelShort 在内的中国短视频应用在越南安卓应用受欢迎程度排行榜上占据主导地位。数据来自 App Store。

中国平台主导着区域应用市场，DramaBox、ReelShort 和 FreeReels 的全球下载量分别达到 2.9 亿、2.72 亿和 2.3 亿次。制作公司在 2023 年发布了超过 1000 部剧集。这种爆炸式增长在 2026 年上半年进一步加速，开发者们通过人工智能生成了超过 22 万部新剧集，并涌入各大平台。

企业扩张计划协调有序。在泰国，电信巨头AIS报告称，每月有900万用户使用垂直系列应用。AIS与ReelShort合作推出了5G ReelShort套餐，起价为每月39泰铢（约合1.19美元）。

韩国国际文化交流财团（KOFICE）7月发布的一份报告详细介绍了菲律宾类似的收购策略。菲律宾是世界上反华情绪最强烈的国家之一，这主要是由于南海领土争端持续不断。这些平台通过本地语言配音降低用户准入门槛，并利用Facebook和TikTok的精选内容将用户引导至付费应用。

在河内的一家咖啡馆里，顾客们低头看着自己的智能手机。东南亚拥有庞大的年轻人口，他们习惯使用数字技术，因此被认为是短视频内容的理想市场。（韩国时报，郑智勇摄）

这一趋势也蔓延到了印度，另一个拥有强大反华情绪的庞大市场。NDTV在8月份报道称，印度正经历着一场类似中国式微剧的早期热潮。该电视台表示，Z世代正在推动对“快餐式”娱乐的需求，并积极地将观众从传统的长篇内容转向其他类型的内容。

本地观众也表现出了类似的反应。

周日接受采访的曼谷居民奥苏瓦纳库尔（Osuwanakul）40多岁，她承认中国微剧的吸引力。

“与韩剧相比，中国微剧的剧情荒诞，演技也差强人意，”她说。“但它们有一种让人欲罢不能的魔力，让我一直追看下去。”

34岁的河内上班族阮灵并没有意识到这些内容是在中国制作的。

“我看这些视频的时候根本没意识到它们是中国内容。直到周围的人指出来，我才发现，”阮说。“YouTube和TikTok上这类视频太多了，很容易找到。”

业内人士表示，这些短片是通往更广阔的中国娱乐世界的入口。

泰国媒体行业的一位官员表示：“人们的好奇心始于短片，进而促使他们在爱奇艺和WeTV等流媒体平台上观看长篇剧集，最终形成明星粉丝群体。”

开发者们已经开始进一步利用这种互动来盈利，应用内购物通过允许用户立即购买化妆品、时尚服饰和屏幕上角色使用的产品而越来越受欢迎。

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。