Can Local Creators Cash In as Malaysians Go Wild for Chinese Micro-Dramas?

They’re akin to small grenades of love, betrayal, and vengeance – and Malaysians can’t get enough. Time now to concoct some homemade titles.

Featuring an irresistible blend of familial drama, shocking treacheries, and passionate love stories condensed into brief, one-minute installments, Chinese mini-series have turned into a daily guilty pleasure for numerous Malaysians.

Whether you're scanning through them during your rushed morning transit or catching snippets amid a hectic work schedule, these swiftly narrated stories are crafted specifically for mobile screens. Recognizing this trend, regional creators are now considering this style too, aiming to recreate the instant appeal of bite-sized episodes tailored for domestic audiences.

Shows like Addicted Only to You and White Moonlight have garnered legions of devoted followers worldwide Malaysia In a multiracial society, these stories deliver traditional narratives of vengeance from those at the bottom rung and dramatic shifts from poverty to prosperity. Critics often label them as "crass and low-brow," a judgment echoed by China’s regulatory bodies themselves. However, enthusiasts such as 26-year-old Cassie Ng find them an ideal escape from the dreariness of their daily routines.

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Ng, a cosmetics sales rep who catches episodes when she gets a chance, expressed her admiration saying, “I simply adore how everything is so exaggerated. You feel incredibly frustrated, but within 15 seconds, there’s a plot turn that leaves you hanging. Since each segment is just one minute long, it’s simple for me to pause and assist a client.”

You become incredibly furious, and just 15 seconds afterward, there's a turn of events, ending with a cliffhanger.

Cassie Ng, a Malaysian enthusiast of Chinese micro-dramas

China's micro-drama sector garnered an impressive US$5 billion Last year, and it appears poised to expand even more, thanks to the consistent flow of readily accessible content via applications such as RedNote , Douyin — the Chinese equivalent of TikTok - and video-streaming platform Bilibili .

To enhance the international appeal of this format and penetrate the U.S. market, technology corporations such as Tencent and Baidu have invested millions of dollars into ReelShort , an application providing short English dramas titled como The Billionaire's Masquerade and My Hidden Spouse Is My Manager .

Although the plots and linguistic elements might differ, the underlying themes stay constant: treachery, authority, vengeance—and the notably attractive performers bringing these characters to life.

Nevertheless, despite these attempts to diversify, Chinese micro-dramas continue to dominate as the leading force in the industry. According to a Xinhua report quoting Liu Jinlong from the Chinese production company ShortTV, the international market for China-produced content reached approximately $1.5 billion last year.

Nevertheless, Malaysian fans such as Ng and her companions watch their favorite shows without paying anything, accessing most of them for free through platforms like YouTube.

Big at the box-office

It isn't just Chinese micro-dramas making a splash in Malaysia, either. People were queuing round the block to watch Ne Zha 2 - officially the highest-grossing animated movie attracting viewers - during its debut weekend, which local theater owners view as an indicator of growing appeal for Chinese movies among audiences in the nation.

The movie, inspired by Chinese mythology and the 16th-century novel Investiture of the Gods , has already shattered global records by crossing $2 billion at the box office, making it the first non-Hollywood film to achieve this feat.

Even though it premiered in China on January 29, Ne Zha 2 Only began showing in Malaysia over the past weekend—but for devoted local enthusiasts, the delay made the experience even more rewarding.

Heikal Ahmad, a 22-year-old college student, expressed his excitement at last being able to see the film," he stated as he headed to the theater with some buddies. 'Although I thoroughly enjoyed the initial installment on Netflix, the trailer of this new release really left an impression... It’s incredible how far the animation quality has progressed within such a short period,' he added enthusiastically.

Although regional box office numbers for Ne Zha 2 have not been released yet, but initial signs indicate that its run in Malaysia will be successful. All of last week, showtimes at the nation's two leading cinema chains, TGV and GSC, were completely booked.

However, amid all the excitement surrounding China’s film achievements, it is actually the emergence of micro-dramas that is truly captivating the attention of Malaysia’s entertainment sector.

Short on attention

The national broadcaster RTM is already preparing to create its own series of micro-dramas, acknowledging the increasing demand for content that can be easily streamed directly to viewers' mobile devices.

Suhaimi Sulaiman, the director general of RTM, stated that people’s concentration levels are decreasing. He mentioned, 'Back when I began my career as a broadcast journalist, one could create a program with confidence, assuming they were invincible. However, those days are gone. Nowadays, nobody has spare time, and numerous diversions abound.'

Suhaimi is an enthusiast when it comes to micro-dramas. As someone who frequently uses the DramaBox app, boasting over 50 million installations just from Google Play, he confesses to indulging in Korean and Chinese micro-dramas during his free time.

He chuckled as he mentioned his fondness for Chinese dramas due to their mischievous nature.

RTM views mobile-first entertainment as both current and upcoming trends. Their mobile application, RTMKlik, has already garnered over 6 million downloads, placing it within reach of almost one-fifth of Malaysia’s population, which exceeds 34 million individuals.

In the coming six months, RTM intends to launch multiple "high-quality" multilingual micro-drama series designed to cater to local preferences.

As an industry, this is our direction," Suhaimi stated. "Micro-dramas are the path forward.

At least one Malaysian-produced micro-drama has already caught people's attention.

In Character A Chinese-language series created by the recently founded Thousand Years Media (ToYM) has attracted over 100,000 views per episode across all 13 installments, marking an encouraging beginning for this new production company.

" We've gotten a significant amount of positive feedback. A number of viewers mistakenly believed it was produced in China, but no, this series is actually created in Malaysia," explained Jimmy Lim, founder of ToYm.

For Lim, the benefits of creating micro-dramas extend further than just engaging audiences. The reduced production expenses render this format a compelling financial option. His alternative enterprise, SunStrong Entertainment, usually invests approximately 2 million ringgit ($450,000) to create a full-length movie. In contrast, In Character It only cost 750,000 Ringgit to produce — a figure he anticipates will decrease even more as his team becomes more experienced.

Lim has high aspirations for the development of micro-dramas in Malaysia. This year, ToYm aims to launch at least five new series, featuring two produced in Malay. Their objective is to attract an audience of 10 million viewers and achieve an annual income of 20 million ringgit (approximately US$4.5 million).

Currently, In Character is accessible without cost on social media platforms, yet Lim is setting up for more significant developments. The firm is working on its dedicated micro-drama application, planned for release later this year. Additionally, ToYm has entered into an agreement for distribution. In Character within the next two months in China.

Lim thinks that Malaysia's foundation of multiple cultures and languages places it in an advantageous spot to capture a portion of the international micro-drama market.

His ambition for ToYm is vast. When they started the company, their aim was always international expansion. They began operations in Malaysia with plans to extend throughout Southeast Asia before targeting a worldwide presence,” stated Lim, aiming to take ToYm public by 2029.

For Lim, micro-dramas signify much more than merely a rising phenomenon. He stated, “These mini dramas are brief, swift, and thrilling; viewers can enjoy them at any time and place. They fit seamlessly into our current way of life.”

Welcome to the forefront of entertainment's evolution.

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