My partner’s hooked on those short English soap operas flooding his social feeds. They’re full of basic plots, over-the-top acting, and good-looking actors. Yet, they’re addictive with their endless twists. Here’s what this really means: these aren’t new. They’re essentially a rehash of Chinese vertical soap operas, or duanju, now making waves internationally, including in Hollywood.
Remember Quibi? That hyped-up streaming service lasted six months. Meanwhile, ReelShort, a platform pushing these Chinese short dramas globally, claims 55 million monthly active users. First quarter 2025 saw apps like ReelShort raking in $700 million from in-app purchases, triple last year’s earnings. They were downloaded 370 million times, a 500% jump from 2024. The real question: why did these dramas explode in popularity so fast?
ReelShort hit Hollywood when the traditional movie and TV scene was in disarray, with strikes and funding cuts. Vertical drama companies seized this chance, offering a lifeline to out-of-work entertainment folks. They claim to straddle TikTok and Netflix but are clearly aiming higher. They’re expanding into more genres and tapping social media creators for new ideas. Their strategy includes turning actors into global stars, not just content creators.
For now, ReelShort is sticking with human actors over AI, saying AI can’t match human emotional nuance. Here’s what that really means: they know AI isn’t ready to replace humans yet, but they’re watching.
Short dramas might sound like low-budget films, but they’re shot vertically in one-minute episodes ending on cliffhangers. Production is lean but more polished than amateur TikToks, with effects and editing that keep viewers hooked. The content? Well, it’s not Shakespeare. Expect billionaire housewives, werewolves, and rags-to-riches tales. They’re dopamine hits for your feed, plain and simple.
The short drama set resembles an indie movie shoot, just faster and cheaper. A season wraps in two weeks, not months. Actors like Nicole Mattox book multiple shoots monthly. Forget traditional filming pace; they’re cranking out a dozen script pages a day.
The actors? Many come from modeling or ads, not speaking roles. Now, they’re in multiple shows yearly, growing fast. Mattox starred in a popular romantic comedy, “Breaking the Ice,” drawing 300 million views. Her fans are global, some even putting her face on billboards. ReelShort’s savvy in adapting content for different markets is a big success driver. They don’t just dub; they tweak plots to fit local tastes, like changing a hockey player to a soccer star for Latin America. That speed and flexibility are unheard of in Hollywood.
ReelShort’s roots trace back to China’s Crazy Maple Studio, with strong ties to Chinese digital publishing. Though they claim founder Joey Jia owns it now, the Chinese influence is undeniable. They rely on granular user data to fine-tune content, learning what hooks viewers and applying it across productions. Forget innovation unless it drives revenue; this industry sticks to what works.
In short, these vertical dramas are a well-packaged product of Chinese innovation, strategically localized for global audiences. If you’re looking to invest in the media space, remember this isn’t the first time we’ve seen content packaged and sold with a shiny new bow. Keep an eye on how this plays out, but don’t get swept up in the hype.
