ARTS / CULTURE & LEISURE
In one-minute tales, Chinese dramas find new worlds
Short and spellbinding
Yu Qingyi (second from right) communicates with actors. Photo: Courtesy of Yu Qingyi
In recent years, a new wave of Chinese cultural products, represented by games, short dramas, and online literature, has captivated millions overseas.
Data underscores this rise. In 2024, Chinese independently developed games generated $18.56 billion in overseas sales, Chinese short drama companies have launched over 300 apps overseas, amassing more than 470 million downloads across over 200 countries and regions, while a top Chinese platform for online literature exports attracted nearly 300 million users from abroad.
More importantly, this global spread of culture has evolved from "one-way exports" to "co-creation." In this "Cultural Voyages" series, the Global Times will talk to cultural consumers, creators, and practitioners from both China and abroad to see how Chinese cultural products are changing people's lives.
Crew members work on the set of a short drama in California in October 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Yu Qingyi
These bite-sized love stories are lighting up screens across the world. Typically consisting of doz-ens of minute-long episodes featuring intense plot twists and rapid story development, short dramas are usually watched on smart devices. On platforms popular around the world, short dramas are find-ing huge success far beyond their home market, China.
And they're booming. In the first quarter of 2025, global in-app purchases on short drama apps surged to nearly $700 million, almost four times the amount from a year earlier. The US accounted for nearly half of that spending, according to app intelligence provider Sensor Tower.
"The overseas expansion of Chinese short dramas is a significant example of cultural export in the digital age, centered on balancing 'Chinese experience' with 'global adaptation,'" said Sun Jiashan, a researcher at the Central Academy of Culture and Tourism Administration.
"Chinese short dramas could become a key vehicle for the country's cultural soft power and carve out a distinct path in the global streaming competition," noted Sun.
Behind the buzz
In Sun's view, the successful overseas expansion of Chinese short dramas is supported by multiple advantages, including the well-established groundwork laid by the domestic short drama industry and the strong momentum built by earlier waves of Chinese online literature going global.
China's short drama market surpassed 50 billion yuan ($6.9 billion) for the first time in 2024, overtaking the country's total annual box-office revenue, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
In addition, the rapid traction these dramas have gained abroad is closely tied to the large user base formed during the global rise of Chinese online literature. While the formats of online literature and short dramas differ, they share similar storytelling cores, noted Sun.
In 2024 alone, the number of active overseas readers of Chinese online literature reached an estimated 200 million, with around 30 million new users joining platforms over the course of the year, according to the 2024 China Online Literature Blue Book released by the China Writers Association in June.
According to Sun, performance data from exported Chinese online literature offers clear insight into global audience preferences - revealing both common tastes and cultural differences - which in turn helps short dramas quickly pinpoint and tap into key viewer interests abroad.
Yu Qingyi, 29, has directed and produced a number of short dramas for overseas audiences in the US since graduating from a film directing program in the country in 2024.
"Most of the scripts are Chinese in origin," Yu told the Global Times. Many overseas platforms are currently focused on replicating hit short dramas from China. One common model involves pur-chasing the rights to a successful Chinese series, translating it into English, and hiring screenwriters to localize the content.
Mark Pontarelli, a 33-year-old short drama actor based in Chicago, shared with the Global Times that entertainment is a major reason why overseas audiences are drawn to short dramas.
"I think people watch it to entertain themselves and offer them an escape into a different world, but in shorter clips that can fit into their daily lives better than longer form media," said Pontarelli.
Zhong Hui, a content director at an overseas short drama platform, told the Global Times that short dramas gained popularity because they cater to viewers' fragmented schedules while being "fast-paced, fresh, and fun to watch."
Now, with more platforms and professionals entering the space, the overall quality of short dramas is also improving.
"There's a lot of good content on the market, which naturally draws in more viewers," Zhong said.
For Nathan Clarke, 29, a PhD candidate in computer science at a university in California, short dramas offer a totally different vibe - classic over-the-top romance, contract marriages, and the whole rich-CEO cliché. "But they're strangely addictive," he told the Global Times.
"Love, family conflict, personal struggle - these are universal, " said Zhong, "That's why these stories can travel across cultures so effectively."
To meet the viewing preferences of overseas audiences, localization plays a crucial role. This goes beyond casting predominantly Western faces to include dialogue, setting, and even editing styles, the Global Times found after speaking with multiple industry insiders.
Pontarelli, who has a year and a half of acting in short dramas in the US, told the Global Times that he believes most of the shows he works on are being produced by Chinese apps or companies, and most of the crew he works on set with, including directors and producers, are Chinese.
"The Chinese directors and crew I've worked with are great," he said. "It's been wonderful to share our cultures and exchange insights on what we think the audience will respond to."
More than 300 Chinese short drama apps have been released overseas, with over 470 million downloads worldwide. Chinese short drama content now reaches audiences in more than 200 coun-tries and regions, Xinhua reported in March.
According to Zhong, there are two main types of short dramas targeting overseas markets. One is translated content - adding English or other regional language subtitles to existing Chinese dramas. The other type is original productions, which includes two approaches: filming entirely new scripts overseas or quickly adapting high-performing translated dramas for local shoots.
"Each company has its own content strategy, but most still rely heavily on successful domestic hits as the foundation. This has become a common approach across many platforms," Zhong told the Global Times.
In the early stages, there weren't many high-quality content creators involved, and many Chinese screenwriters didn't speak foreign languages. In many cases, there was no original writing - just direct translations of Chinese scripts. Some bought domestic rights, ran them through machine translation, and started shooting immediately.
For example, US characters were made to say things no native speaker would. Slang and tone were frequently off, Zhong recalled.
With those early missteps as valuable lessons, creators have since placed a much greater emphasis on localization.
Zhong noted that certain story elements - such as werewolves and vampires - are distinctive features of Western culture, which means effective adaptations require being aware of local context in order to resonate with international audiences.
Pontarelli knows this firsthand. In his year and a half of acting in short dramas, he has explored a wide range of genres - from werewolves and vampires to CEOs.
In addition to carefully selecting themes and story elements, these overseas short dramas are typically performed by local actors and set against the backdrop of US cities, Yu told the Global Times.
When it comes to character development and dialogue, localization is also necessary for Western tastes. Actors and actresses themselves sometimes make adjustments on set, personally rewriting lines to better suit the context during filming, added Yu.
Beyond the narrative, editing styles also differ between the East and West. In China, fast cuts, dramatic zooms, and sound effects are commonly used to grab viewer attention, Ma Yiding, founder of Shanghai-based Zhu Meng Cultural Media, told the Global Times. The company edited more than 100 overseas short dramas in 2024.
But in Western countries, there's a greater emphasis on narrative and story structure, Ma said. "There's less focus on complex camera movements or fast zooms and pans. So when we edit, we don't intentionally add dramatic short-video-style effects or sudden zoom-ins and zoom-outs. Instead, we focus on telling a clear story and building the characters' emotions in a way that resonates."
Ma added that emotional expression also varies between markets.
"In Asia, emotions are often portrayed more subtly - through slow-motion scenes and delicate music," he said. "But for Western audiences, we use more passionate music."
Localization even goes down to the smallest details. "For example, in Western countries, people still use cash and cards and rarely rely on electronic payments. When we notice such small details, we remove them in editing," Ma recalled.
Journey ahead
The rapid rise of short dramas has also opened new doors for emerging creators. In China, an increasing number of directors and writers are now experimenting with original scripts and non-romantic genres, such as suspense, mystery, and even slice-of-life stories.
"As the industry evolves, more and more young short drama directors and screenwriters are beginning to experiment with original scripts, explore a wider range of themes, and expand the market," said Yu.
Pontarelli, too, hopes to see more diversity in storytelling.
"I hope to see more genres [such as mystery, comedy, etc.] in the space, and scripts, stories that are more tailored to the audiences it is trying to reach," he told the Global Times. "More original stories that push the creative boundaries and having more actor input into shaping the roles that we play would be a dream."
Still, one thing is clear: Short dramas aren't going anywhere.
"There will be more people getting into this field, because from what we're seeing now, there are more projects, more platforms, and growing interest in cultural exports - including short dramas, games, and more," said Ma.
As short dramas enter the global streaming market in greater numbers, Chinese culture may increasingly influence the world in a subtle, understated way, noted Sun.
"I can see short drama becoming a new wave of cultural soft power, alongside K-dramas or Japanese anime," said Clarke. "They tap into universal emotions - love, revenge, empowerment - but [these emotions are] packaged for modern attention spans. The only barrier might be localization - better translations, culturally aware marketing. But from what I've seen, they're learning fast."
"Love, family conflict, personal struggle - these are universal, " said Zhong, "That's why these stories can travel across cultures so effectively."
Two short drama actors on set in Los Angeles Photo: Courtesy of Zhong Hui
To meet the viewing preferences of overseas audiences, localization plays a crucial role. This goes beyond casting predominantly Western faces to include dialogue, setting, and even editing styles, the Global Times found after speaking with multiple industry insiders.
Pontarelli, who has a year and a half of acting in short dramas in the US, told the Global Times that he believes most of the shows he works on are being produced by Chinese apps or companies, and most of the crew he works on set with, including directors and producers, are Chinese.
"The Chinese directors and crew I've worked with are great," he said. "It's been wonderful to share our cultures and exchange insights on what we think the audience will respond to."
More than 300 Chinese short drama apps have been released overseas, with over 470 million downloads worldwide. Chinese short drama content now reaches audiences in more than 200 coun-tries and regions, Xinhua reported in March.
According to Zhong, there are two main types of short dramas targeting overseas markets. One is translated content - adding English or other regional language subtitles to existing Chinese dramas. The other type is original productions, which includes two approaches: filming entirely new scripts overseas or quickly adapting high-performing translated dramas for local shoots.
"Each company has its own content strategy, but most still rely heavily on successful domestic hits as the foundation. This has become a common approach across many platforms," Zhong told the Global Times.
In the early stages, there weren't many high-quality content creators involved, and many Chinese screenwriters didn't speak foreign languages. In many cases, there was no original writing - just direct translations of Chinese scripts. Some bought domestic rights, ran them through machine translation, and started shooting immediately.
For example, US characters were made to say things no native speaker would. Slang and tone were frequently off, Zhong recalled.
With those early missteps as valuable lessons, creators have since placed a much greater emphasis on localization.
Zhong noted that certain story elements - such as werewolves and vampires - are distinctive features of Western culture, which means effective adaptations require being aware of local context in order to resonate with international audiences.
Pontarelli knows this firsthand. In his year and a half of acting in short dramas, he has explored a wide range of genres - from werewolves and vampires to CEOs.
In addition to carefully selecting themes and story elements, these overseas short dramas are typically performed by local actors and set against the backdrop of US cities, Yu told the Global Times.
When it comes to character development and dialogue, localization is also necessary for Western tastes. Actors and actresses themselves sometimes make adjustments on set, personally rewriting lines to better suit the context during filming, added Yu.
Beyond the narrative, editing styles also differ between the East and West. In China, fast cuts, dramatic zooms, and sound effects are commonly used to grab viewer attention, Ma Yiding, founder of Shanghai-based Zhu Meng Cultural Media, told the Global Times. The company edited more than 100 overseas short dramas in 2024.
But in Western countries, there's a greater emphasis on narrative and story structure, Ma said. "There's less focus on complex camera movements or fast zooms and pans. So when we edit, we don't intentionally add dramatic short-video-style effects or sudden zoom-ins and zoom-outs. Instead, we focus on telling a clear story and building the characters' emotions in a way that resonates."
Ma added that emotional expression also varies between markets.
"In Asia, emotions are often portrayed more subtly - through slow-motion scenes and delicate music," he said. "But for Western audiences, we use more passionate music."
Localization even goes down to the smallest details. "For example, in Western countries, people still use cash and cards and rarely rely on electronic payments. When we notice such small details, we remove them in editing," Ma recalled.
Journey ahead
The rapid rise of short dramas has also opened new doors for emerging creators. In China, an increasing number of directors and writers are now experimenting with original scripts and non-romantic genres, such as suspense, mystery, and even slice-of-life stories.
"As the industry evolves, more and more young short drama directors and screenwriters are beginning to experiment with original scripts, explore a wider range of themes, and expand the market," said Yu.
Pontarelli, too, hopes to see more diversity in storytelling.
"I hope to see more genres [such as mystery, comedy, etc.] in the space, and scripts, stories that are more tailored to the audiences it is trying to reach," he told the Global Times. "More original stories that push the creative boundaries and having more actor input into shaping the roles that we play would be a dream."
Still, one thing is clear: Short dramas aren't going anywhere.
"There will be more people getting into this field, because from what we're seeing now, there are more projects, more platforms, and growing interest in cultural exports - including short dramas, games, and more," said Ma.
As short dramas enter the global streaming market in greater numbers, Chinese culture may increasingly influence the world in a subtle, understated way, noted Sun.
"I can see short drama becoming a new wave of cultural soft power, alongside K-dramas or Japanese anime," said Clarke. "They tap into universal emotions - love, revenge, empowerment - but [these emotions are] packaged for modern attention spans. The only barrier might be localization - better translations, culturally aware marketing. But from what I've seen, they're learning fast."
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